1. What can you say about the management in general?
2. Why does a large organization employ a large number of employees?
3. What can you say about the management as a process?
4. What main resources are managers concerned with?
5. How does an organization obtain financial resources? Give some examples.
6. What must an organization do to survive?
Speak on the following topic using the information from the text.
General definition of management.
Material and human resources.
Financial and informational resources.
3.1. *Additional Reading. Read and translate the following text. Before reading study some new words and word combinations on the topic.
| Decision making | |
| Interpersonal skill | , () |
| To fit together | () |
| Super goal | |
| Objective | ( ) |
| Action plan | |
| To specify | , |
| Decisive | |
| Investigation | |
| To enable | |
| Explanatory note | |
| To accomplish a task | |
| Guidance | |
| Subordinate |
Management Skills
Effectiveness of manager's activity depends on certain important skills: These skills can be divided into seven different categories: conceptual, decision making, analytic, administrative, communicational, interpersonal and technical.
conceptual skill is the ability of manager to see the "general picture" of an organization. Managers must understand how their duties and the duties of other managers fit together to plan their activity in a proper way and get the required results. This skill is very important for top managers because it helps them plan super goals and develop proper strategies for the whole organization.
decision making skill is the ability of manager to choose the best course of actions of two or more alternatives. manager must decide the following:
1) What objectives and goals must be reached?
2) What strategy must be implemented?
3) What resources must be used and how they must be distributed?
4) What kind of control is needed?
In short, managers are responsible for the most important decisions which are required to carry out any organizational activity.
An analytic skill is the ability to determine the most important problem of many other problems and identify the causes of each problem before implementing proper action plan. This ability is especially important for top managers because they have to solve mplx problems.
An administrative skill is the ability of a manager to keep to the organizational rules specified for the production process, within limited budget, and coordinate the flow of information and paper work in his group and in other groups.
communicational skill is the ability of manager to share his ideas and opinions with other l both orally and in writing. This skill is a decisive factor of manager's success. Some investigations show that top managers and middle managers spend approximately 80% (percent) of their work time in communicating, with each other.
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Thus, communication skill enables managers to hold meetings, write clear letters and explanatory notes, make reports, etc.
An interpersonal skill (psychological skill) is the ability to deal effectively with other l both inside and outside the organization. It is the ability to understand the needs and motives of other people. This skill is very important for a good psychological atmosphere for successful activity in the common work in future. If the interpersonal relations are good, manager will be successful in getting support in the development and implementation of organizational plans.
technical skill is specific competence to accomplish task. The lower is a manager's level in the organization; the closer is his/her connection with the production process. Thus first-line managers have the closest connection with the production process. They need high technical skills to provide technical guidance for the subordinates. Top managers dont need these skills as much as first line managers but the knowledge of the technical sphere is useful for all the managers.
Ex. 3.2. * Agree or disagree with the statements. Use the following phrases.
| Thats wrong. | . |
| Thats (quite) right. | ( / ) . |
| Thats not quite true to the fact. | . |
| According to the text |
1. Effectiveness of managers activity depends on five different categories of skills.
2. A conceptual skill is the ability of a manager to choose the best course of actions of two or more alternatives.
3. A conceptual skill is very important for top managers because it helps them plan super goals.
4. A communicational skill is the ability to understand the needs and motives of other people.
5. An interpersonal skill is the ability to deal effectively with other people.
6. A technical skill is a specific competence to accomplish a task.
7. Top managers need technical skills more than first-line managers.
5.8. *Additional Reading. Read and translate the following text. Before reading study some new words and word combinations on the topic.
| Morality | , |
| Public concern | |
| Fairness | |
| To refrain from | |
| To deceive | |
| To misrepresent | |
| To intimidate | |
| To be tempted | |
| Welfare | |
| Coworker | |
| To make way into | |
| To mislead | |
| Health-related | |
| To take precautions | |
| To exert pressure | |
| Payoff | , |
| To be in place |
Business Ethics
Ethics is the system of moral principles, rules of conduct, and morality of choices that individuals make.
Business ethics is the application of moral standards to business situations. Business ethics has become a mattr of public concern. All business people face ethical issues daily, and they stem from a variety of sources. Although some types of issues arise infrequently, others occur regularly. Let's take closer look at several ethical issues.
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Fairness and Honesty. Fairness and honesty in business are two important ethical concerns. Besides obeying all laws and regulations, business people should refrain from deceiving, misrepresenting, or intimidating others.
Organizational Relationships. business person may be tempted to pl his or her personal welfare above the welfare of the organization. Relationships with customers and coworkers often create ethical problems since confidential information should be secret and all obligations should be honoured. Unethical behaviour in these areas includes not meeting one's obligations in mutual agreement, and pressuring others to behave unethically.
Conflict of Interest. Conflict of interest results when a business person takes advantage of situation for his or her own personal interest rather than for the employer's or organization's interest. Such conflict may occur when payments and gifts make their way into business deals. wise rule to remember is that anything given to person that might unfairly influence person's business decision is bribe, and any bribes are unethical.
Communications. Business communications, especially advertising can present ethical questions. False and misleading advertising is illegal and unethical, and it can infuriate customers. Sponsors of advertisements aimed at children must be especially careful to avoid misleading messages. Advertisers of health-related products must also take precautions against deception.
