Summary Of Learning Outcomes And Key Points môn Principles of Management | Trường Đại học Quốc tế, Đại học Quốc gia Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh

SUMMARY OF LEARNING OUTCOMES AND KEY POINTS
1-1. Describe management and the kinds of managers found in organizations.
• Management is a set of activities (planning and decision making,
organizing, leading, and controlling) directed at using an organization’s
resources (human, financial, physical, and information) to achieve
organizational goals in an efficient and effective manner.
• A manager is someone whose primary responsibility is to carry out the
management process within an organization.
• Managers can be classified by level: top managers, middle managers, and first-line managers.
• Managers can also be classified by area: marketing, finances, operations,
human resources, administration, and specialized.
1-2. Explain the four basic management functions.
• The basic activities of the management process include:
Planning and decision making (determining courses of action)
Organizing (coordinating activities and resources)
Leading (motivating and managing people)
Controlling (monitoring and evaluating activities)
1-3. Describe the fundamental management skills and the concept of
management as both science and art.
• Effective managers have the following skills: technical, interpersonal,
conceptual, diagnostic, communication, decision making, and time management.
• The effective practice of management requires a synthesis of science and
art, a blend of rational objectivity and intuitive insight.
1-4. Explain the importance of history and theory to managers.
• Understanding the historical context can help managers avoid repeating the mistakes of others.
• Theory helps managers develop and apply useful frameworks and new ways of thinking.
1-5. Explain the evolution of management thought through the classical,
behavioral, and quantitative perspectives.
• The classical management perspective, which paid little attention to the role
of workers, had two major branches:
scientific management (concerned with improving efficiency and work
methods for individual workers)
administrative management (concerned with how organizations
themselves should be structured and arranged for efficient operations).
• The behavioral management perspective, characterized by a concern for
individual and group behavior, emerged primarily as a result of the Hawthorne studies.
The human relations movement recognized the importance and
potential of behavioral processes in organizations but made many
overly simplistic assumptions about those processes.
Organizational behavior, a more realistic outgrowth of the behavioral
perspective, is of interest to many contemporary managers.
• The quantitative management perspective, which attempts to apply
quantitative techniques to decision making and problem solving, has two
components: management science and operations management. These areas
are also of considerable importance to contemporary managers. Their
contributions have been facilitated by the tremendous increase in the use of
personal computers and integrated information networks.
1-6. Discuss the key contemporary management perspectives represented
by the systems and contingency perspectives.
• There are two relatively recent additions to management theory that can
serve as frameworks for integrating the other perspectives: the systems
perspective and the contingency perspective.
1-7. Identify the major challenges and opportunities faced by managers today.
• A variety of popular applied perspectives influence management practice today.
• Important issues and challenges facing managers include: employee
retention, diversity, the new workforce, organization change, ethics and social
responsibility, the importance of quality, and the continued shift toward a service economy.
QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW
1.What are the three basic levels of management that can be identified in
most organizations? How precise are the lines differentiating these levels? In
which of the basic areas do managers work?
2. What are the four basic functions that make up the management process?
How are they related to one another?
3. Identify several of the important skills that help managers succeed. Give an
example of each. How might the importance of different skills vary by level
and area within an organization?
a. Technical Skills
Definition: The ability to perform specific tasks or use specialized
knowledge, tools, or techniques related to a particular field.
Example: A production manager knowing how to operate and maintain
factory machinery, or an IT manager understanding programming and network systems.
Importance: Most important for first-line managers, who work
closely with employees doing day-to-day technical work.
b. Interpersonal (or Human) Skills
Definition: The ability to communicate, understand, and work well
with others — both inside and outside the organization.
Example: A middle manager resolving a conflict between two team
members or motivating employees through effective communication and empathy.
Importance: Essential at all levels, but especially for middle
managers, who coordinate between departments and connect upper
and lower levels of the organization.
c. Conceptual Skills
Definition: The ability to think abstractly, analyze complex situations,
and see the organization as a whole.
Example: A top executive analyzing market trends to create a new
long-term strategy for the company.
Importance: Most critical for top ,
managers who must make strategic
decisions affecting the entire organization.
d. Diagnostic Skills
Definition: The ability to identify, analyze, and understand problems
and determine the best course of action to solve them.
Example: A manager discovering why sales are dropping and
determining whether the issue lies in pricing, marketing, or product quality.
Importance: Useful at all levels, but particularly valuable for
managers who deal with complex or uncertain situations.
e. Communication Skills
Definition: The ability to send and receive information effectively.
Example: A manager clearly explaining new company policies to
employees or listening carefully to employee feedback.
Importance: Important at all levels, since communication connects every management function.
f. Decision-Making Skills
Definition: The ability to define problems and select the best course of action.
Example: A marketing manager deciding which advertising strategy
will best reach the target audience.
Importance: Vital for all managers, but especially for top and middle
managers, who make complex, long-term decisions.
2. How the Importance of Skills Varies by Level and Area Managerial
Level Most Important Skills Reason
Top Managers Conceptual, Decision-
They focus on strategic planning making and overall direction. Interpersonal, They coordinate between Middle Communication, departments and implement Managers Diagnostic strategies. First-Line
Managers Technical, Interpersonal
They supervise daily operations and guide employees directly.
The area within the organization also affects skill importance.
oFor example, in finance or production, technical and
analytical skills are more critical.
oIn human resources or marketing, interpersonal and
communication skills play a bigger role.
4. Briefly describe the principles of scientific management and
administrative management. What assumptions do these perspectives
make about workers? To what extent are these assumptions still valid today?
Scientific management (Taylor) focuses on improving individual efficiency
through scientific methods, while administrative management (Fayol)
emphasizes organizational structure and management principles. Both assume
workers are motivated mainly by money and follow instructions predictably.
While their ideas on efficiency and structure remain useful, modern
management recognizes that workers also have social and psychological
needs, so these early assumptions are only partially valid today.
1. Why is a business organization considered an open system?
A business organization is considered an open system because it interacts
with its environment by taking in inputs (resources), transforming them into
outputs (goods or services), and sending them back to the environment. It
also receives feedback to adjust and improve performance. This continuous
interaction ensures the organization’s adaptability and survival.
2. Recall a recent group project or task in which you have
participated. Explain how members of the group displayed
each of the managerial skills.
Technical Skills: One member who was good at data analysis used Excel to organize
survey results and calculate statistics. This helped us make evidence-based marketing decisions.
Interpersonal Skills: Another teammate acted as the mediator whenever conflicts arose
and kept everyone motivated and cooperative. Her ability to understand others’ feelings
maintained a positive team spirit.
Conceptual Skills: Our team leader viewed the project as a whole, linking our research,
budget, and presentation sections together. He understood how each part contributed to the final outcome.
Diagnostic Skills: When our timeline fell behind, one member quickly identified that
poor task division was the cause and suggested a new schedule to fix the issue.
Communication Skills: We held regular online meetings where everyone clearly
presented progress and ideas. Effective communication helped us stay organized and avoid misunderstandings.
Decision-Making Skills: Finally, the group made key decisions—like choosing our
product target market—after discussing options and voting on the best choice.
3. Recall an interaction you have had with someone at a higher level in
an organization (manager, teacher, group leader, or the like). In that
interaction, how did the individual use science? If he or she did not use
science, what could have been done to use science? In that interaction,
how did the individual use art? If she or he did not use art, what could
have been done to use art?
In my group project, the teacher used science by applying management
principles—planning tasks and setting deadlines systematically—and used
art by motivating and communicating effectively with the team. Science
gave structure and logic, while art added creativity and human understanding.
Both were essential for achieving our goals.
2. Young, innovative, or high-tech firms often adopt the strategy of
ignoring history or attempting to do something radically new. In what
ways might this strategy help them? In what ways might this strategy
hinder their efforts?
Adopting a strategy of ignoring history or doing something radically new can
help young or high-tech firms by stimulating creativity, innovation, and
adaptability. However, it can also hinder them by causing them to overlook
valuable lessons from the past, lose structure, and face higher risks of failure.
The best approach is to balance innovation with learning from experience.
3. Can a manager use tools and techniques from several different
perspectives at the same time? For example, can a manager use both
classical and behavioral perspectives? Give an example of a time when a
manager did this and explain how it enabled him or her to be effective.
Yes. A manager can combine different perspectives to handle complex situations.
For example, a manager might use the classical perspective to set clear rules
and goals, and the behavioral perspective to motivate and support employees.
At a café, a manager used strict scheduling (classical) but also encouraged
teamwork and feedback (behavioral), which improved both efficiency and staff morale.