Covenant University, Ota College of Science and Technology Department of Computer & Information Sciences Course Code: MIS

423 Course Title: Management Theory Units: 3 Semester: Omega Course Lecturer(s): Adebiyi A.A./Miss. Desmenu/Miss. Adesina Aim: To develop the knowledge and understanding of business and non-business organisation as well as the managerial knowledge, attitude and skills required to achieve efficient and effective operations of such organisation in a dynamic environment. Objectives: at the end of this course, students must be able to: i. Define and explain the basic concepts, principles and techniques of management. ii. Apply the concepts, principles and techniques in the solution of management problems. Course Outline Module I Week 1 Introduction and Evolution of Management Definition of management; needs for theory and technique of management, Concept of a manager, managerial transformation process Week 2-3: Evolution of management theory, theories of management. Module II Management Processes Week 4 Planning process Week 5 Organizing Week 6 Decision making process Week 7 Mid-Semester Test Week 8 Leadership Week 9 Communication Week 10 Motivation Week 11 Managing social responsibility Week 12 Revision Recommended Reading: 1. Contemporary Management by Gareth R. Jones and Jennifer M. George (3rd Ed.) 2. Management: People, Performance, Change by Luis R. Gomez-Meji, David B. Balkin and Robert L. Candy (2nd Ed.)

What is Management?

Management is the process of working with people and resources to accomplish organizational goals. Management is the process of working with and through others to achieve organizational objectives in a changing environment. Central to this process is the effective and efficient use of limited resources. Management can also be defined as getting things done through people. Management is planning, organizing, leading and controlling human and other resources to achieve organizational goals effectively and efficiently. An organizations resources include assets such as people and their skills and knowledge; machinery, raw materials, computers and information technology, and financial capital.

Achieving High Performance: A Manager Goal One of the most important goal that organizational and their members try to achieve is to provide some kind of good or service that customers desire. The principal goal of doctors and nurses in hospital for example, is to increase their hospitals ability to make their sick people get well. Likewise, the principal goal of each restaurant manager is to provide foods that people want to pay for and eat.

Organizational Performance Organizational performance is a measure of how efficiently and effectively managers use resources to satisfy customers and achieve organizational goals. Organizational performance increases in direct proportion to increases in efficiency and effectiveness. In successful organizations, people are managed wisely and resources are used efficiently and effectively. This helps managers reach key organizational goals, such as keeping the company functioning in changing external environment in which technology, government activities and competitions create constant challenges.

Efficiency is a measure of how well or how productively resources are used to achieve a goal. A firm is efficient when it make best possible use of people, money, the physical plant, and technology. Also to be efficient is to achieve goals with minimal waste of resources, that is, to make the best possible use of money, time, materials and people. Effectiveness is a measure of appropriateness of the goals that managers have selected for the organization to pursue and of the degree to which the organization achieves those goals. Organizations are effective when manager choose appropriate goals and then achieve them. In other words, to be effective is to achieve organizational goals.

The Functions of Management

Planning is specifying the goals to be achieved and deciding in advance the appropriate actions needed to achieve those goals. Planning activities include analyzing current situations, anticipating the future, determining objectives, deciding what types of activities the company will engage, choosing corporate and business strategies, and determining the resources needed to achieve the organizational goals. Plans set the stage for action and for major achievements. Organizing is assembling and coordinating the human, financial, physical, informational, and other resources needed to achieve goals. Organizing activities include attracting people to the organization, specifying job responsibilities, grouping jobs into work units, marshaling and allocating resources, and creating conditions so that people and things work together to achieve maximum success. Leading is stimulating people to be high performers. It is directing, motivating, and communicating with employees, individually and in group. Leading involves close day-to-day contact with people, helping to guide and inspire them toward achieving team and organizational goals. Controlling planning, organizing and leading do not guarantee success. Controlling, monitors progress and implements necessary. Also, controlling means when managers compare desired results with actual results and take the necessary corrective action, they are keeping things on track through the control function.

Decision Making is when manager choose among alternative courses of action when they make decisions. Making intelligent and ethical decisions in todays complex world is a major management challenge. Staffing consists of recruiting, training, and developing people who can contribute to the organization. Communicating is manager responsibility to communicate to their employees the technical knowledge, instructions, rules, and information required to get the job done. Recognizing that communication is two-way process, managers should be responsive to feedback and upward communication. Motivating an important aspect of management today is motivating individuals to pursue collective objectives by satisfying needs and meeting expectations with meaningful work and valued rewards.

Management Levels and Skills Types of managers found at three different levels in large organizations: top-level, middle, and frontline.

Top-Level Managers are the senior executives of an organization and are responsible for its overall management. Top-level managers, often referred to as strategic managers, are supposed to focus on long-term issues and emphasize the survival, growth, and overall effectiveness of the organization. They are concerned not only with the organization as a whole also with the interaction between organization and its external environment. Middle-Level Managers sometimes called tactical managers are responsible for translating the general goals and plans developed by strategic managers into more specific objectives and activities. The role of middle managers is to be an administrative controller who bridges the gap between higher and lower levels. Frontline Managers, or operational managers, are lower-level managers who supervise the operations of the organization. These managers often have titles such as supervisor or sales managers. They are directly involved with implementing the specific plans developed with middle managers.

Management Skills

Performing management functions and achieving competitive advantage are the cornerstones of a managers job. However, understanding this does not ensure success. Managers need a variety of skills to do these things well. Skills are specific abilities that result from knowledge, information, practice, and aptitude. Although managers need many individual skills, consider three general categories: technical skills, interpersonal and communication skills, and conceptual and decision skills. When the key management functions are performed by managers who have these critical management skills, the result is high performance.

Technical skill is the ability to perform a specialized task that involves a certain method or process. Conceptual and decision skills involves the managers ability to identify and resolve problems for the benefits of the organization and everyone concerned. Interpersonal and communication skills influence the managers ability to work well with people. These skills are often called people skills. Managers spend the great majority of their time interacting with people, and they must develop their abilities to lead, motivate, and communicate effectively with those around them.

Other managerial skills for success can also be seen from these perspectives Strategic Skills Environmental assessment scanning Strategy formulation Mapping strategic intent and defining mission Strategy implementation Human resource congruency People Skills Delegating Influencing Motivating Handling conflict Win-win negotiating Networking

 Task skills

Presentation Nonverbal communication Listening Cross-cultural management Heterogeneous teamwork Setting and prioritizing objectives Developing plan of action and implementation Responding in a flexible manner Creating value Working through the organizational structure Allocating human resources Managing time efficiently

Self-Awareness Skills Personal adaptability Understanding personal biases Internal locus control

Strategizing Skills, the ability to see the big picture and to focus on key objectives without getting mired in details, as well as to sense and understand what is happening inside and outside the company is strategizing. Top executives are responsible for making the major strategic decisions that affect the organization. Successful firms, however, instill a strategic mentality and develop the strategic skills of individuals and teams from all levels.

TASK-RELATED SKILLS, the ability to define the best approach to accomplish personal and organizational objectives means utilizing task-related skills. These include consideration of all resources, including time, organizational structure, financial resources, and people. They also involve the ability to prioritize, remain flexible to make changes if necessary, and ensure that value is being created. Taskrelated skills are required for most employees from factory workers to top executives. PEOPLE-RELATED SKILLS, getting work done through others and with others required people-related skills. Accomplishing tasks requires more than a boss

giving orders and supervising employees. People skills include the ability to delegate tasks, share information, resolve conflicts, be a team player, and work with people from different background. Often managers fail not because they lack technical knowledge or motivation but rather because they lack people skills.

SELF-AWARENESS SKILLS, The Greek Philosopher Socrates pointed out that to be successful in life, you first need to know yourself. We all have special talents, weaknesses, biases, and needs. Being aware of your personal characteristics can help you adapt to others or at least understand why you react to them the way you do. You can be more appreciative of the nuances of situations confronting you, avoid rushed judgments, size up opportunities, capitalize on your personal strengths, avoid situations in which you are likely to fail, and influence other people.