essential managerial tasks
the job of management is to an organization make the best use of its resources in order to achieve its goals. managers at all levels and in all departments—whether in small or large companies, in for-profit or not-for-profit organizations, or in organizations that operate in one country or throughout the world—are responsible for performing four essential managerial tasks: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling.
it is managers' responsibility to organizations use their resources efficiently in order to achieve their goals effectively. although anyone can be a manager, to be an effective manager an individual needs knowledge and skills. one must understand the nature of organizations and of management, and in every type of organization and every level within them, managers need to plan, organize, lead, and control efficiently and effectively.
instructions: select the most appropriate category of managerial skill for the descriptors below.
1. david is reading the company’s quarterly financial statements and assessing the contribution of his work unit to the overall goals of the company.
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2. victor is deciding between a low-cost strategy and a differentiation strategy.
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3. bridget is explaining the reasons behind the new reorganization plan and inspiring everyone to pitch in and make it work.
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4. kelvin is busy assigning employees to teams based on their strengths, and also gathering the sports equipment and prizes needed for the company picnic on saturday.
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5. lauren is describing her vision of being able to provide much-needed medicine at a low cost to the poorest people of the world to a group of potential investors.
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6. carina is assigning mentors to the current group of new hires. she has 15 new hires but only three available mentors.
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7. steve is motivating his team to succeed by describing how important their task is.
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8. buzz is overseeing the arrangement of the space for the new r& d center. it needs to be set up so there is maximum interaction among the workers in order to stimulate creativity.
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9. josh is measuring the quality of items ready for shipment.
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10. yichen is working on the department’s hiring forecast for next year, deciding how many new employees will be needed.
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11. aimee is involved in performance reviews of her top sales associates.
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12. grace is busy deciding on the best goals for her team.
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