Solutions Manual
Management: The Essentials 5/E Stephen Robbins.
Chapter 1: Managers and management
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1.1 What is an organisation, and what characteristics do organisations share?
An organisation is a systematic arrangement of people brought together to
accomplish a specific purpose. All organisations share four common
characteristics:
a purpose, which is typically expressed as a goal or set of goals
people who make decisions and engage in work activities to make the desired
goal(s) a reality
a structure that defines and limits the behaviour of the organisation’s members
(managers and non-managerial employees)
an operational system that converts inputs (such as raw materials, money,
information) into outputs (goods and services)
1.2 How do managers differ from non-managerial employees?
Non-managerial employees are people who work directly on a job or task and have
no responsibility for overseeing the work of others. They may be referred to by
names, such as associates, team members, contributors or even employee
partners. Managers, on the other hand, are individuals who direct and oversee the
activities of other people in their organisation. This distinction doesn’t mean,
however, that managers don’t ever work directly on tasks. Some managers do have
work duties not directly related to overseeing the activities of others.
1.3 Why do managers need to focus on both efficiency and effectiveness?
Management is the process of getting things done, effectively and efficiently,
through and with other people. Effectiveness and efficiency deal with what we are
doing and how we are doing it. Efficiency means doing the task correctly, referring
to the relationship between inputs and outputs. Effectiveness means doing the right
task, which translates into goal attainment. Efficiency and effectiveness are
interrelated. As an effective manager, you need to pursue the right goals
(effectiveness) and use resources wisely (efficiency). Since the two are so closely
interrelated, understanding the fine balance between them is an important part of
how you become an effective manager.
1.4 Interview a manager you know and ask them to explain what they do. What sorts of
activities do they mention? Which of Mintzberg’s roles do they relate to?
Students’ answers will vary depending on the manager chosen. Answers should
include whether the manager uses a more interpersonal, informational, or
decisional style of management and which type of role within the style they best
portray. They should also include some examples of actions that reflect this style.
1.5 Using any of the popular business periodicals (such as Australian Financial
Review), find examples of managers doing each of the four management functions.
Write a description and explain how these are examples of that function.
Students’ answers will vary depending on the articles selected, but each should
include the basic functions.
, Planning – encompasses defining an organisation’s goals, establishing an overall
strategy for achieving those goals, and developing comprehensive plans to
integrate and coordinate activities.
Organising – determining what tasks are to be done, who is to do them, how the
tasks are to be grouped, who reports to whom, and where decisions are to be made.
Leading – managers motivate employees, direct the activities of others, select the
most effective communication channel and resolve conflicts among members.
Controlling – to ensure that things are going as they should, a manager must
monitor performance. The controlling processes include monitoring, comparing
and correcting.
1.6 Review the six components of motivation to manage. How does each component
help a manager to do their job successfully?
The six components of motivation to manage are: (1) attitudes to superiors, (2)
desire to engage in competitive situations, (3) desire to exercise power over
subordinates and direct their behaviour, (4) desire to behave assertively, (5) desire
to engage in highly public activities, and (6) desire to organise administrative tasks.
Attitude to superiors is important in allowing a manager to communicate
successfully up the chain of command and to be able to effectively display the
manager’s skills. Since managers often deal with competitive situations, both
within and external to the company, they need to have a desire to engage in these
situations to be successful in the long term. Managers will also have employees
who report directly to them, so they need to be willing and able to give these
employees direction. Assertiveness is important in all aspects of being a manager
to project the confidence required to have others believe in your visions and goals.
Managers must take responsibility for their choices and those of their subordinates,
often in a public setting. Lastly, there are many scheduling, recordkeeping, and
other administrative tasks that are required of managers, which they must be
motivated to complete.
1.7 Why is it important that managers think about the environmental, economic, and
social sustainability of their organisation’s actions?
There are many reasons why these aspects are important to managers. Many
customers make purchase decisions based on various aspects of sustainability. It
also helps the community in which they operate, and can boost the morale of the
organisation’s employees.
1.8 Identify two ways in which social media make a manager’s job easier to do, and two
ways in which they make their job harder.
Social media platforms make it easier to share ideas, information, personal
messages and other content, which enables entirely new kinds of relationships with
customers and employees. However, this also puts those relationships on public
display, making it incredibly easy for disgruntled or dissatisfied employees and
customers to tell the world why they’re unhappy. Because of this, managers need
to be more careful than ever about how their actions are perceived by others.
1.9 Think about the most ‘professional’ person you know. What behaviours and
qualities make them seem ‘professional’ to you?
Students’ answers will vary depending on the person they choose. Some of the
possible qualities that students can reference are things such as leadership; ethics;
motivation; organisation; ability to define goals and establish strategies; monitor,
compare, and correct work performances; and ability to multitask.
1.10 Choose an organisation and describe three ways in which it has been affected by
the COVID-19 pandemic. If you were a manager in that organisation, how would you
have handled those issues?
, Students’ answers will vary depending on the organisation they choose. Some of
the many possible ways the organisation could have been affected by the pandemic
are things such as finding alternatives to meeting in person, significantly reducing
the use of communal workspaces, and learning how to implement an increased use
of technology throughout the workplace.
CASE APPLICATION 1: LEARNING TO ‘WALK THE WALK’
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1.11 What kinds of adjustments do you think people have to make when they switch
from being a non-managerial employee to being a manager?
Managers need to adjust to dealing with far more bad situations than good,
because people will bring you the problems they can’t (or don’t want to) handle.
They also need to adapt to being the one to make decisions and stand by their
decisions, even when it is an unpopular decision.
1.12 Pick one of the lessons detailed in the case study. How do you think following that
lesson would help you to be effective or effective as a manager?
Students’ answers will vary. Students can discuss focusing on justifying people’s
faith in you, not needing to have all the answers, looking after your team, and then
results will follow, establishing a team culture of being constructive and supportive,
checking assumptions, making good lessons into rules, dealing with more bad
news than good news, or having to take responsibility for decisions.
1.13 Which managerial characteristics do each of these managerial lessons relate to?
Justifying people’s faith in you relates to dependability; not needing to have all the
answers is emotional control; looking after your team and results will follow goes to
developing self and others; establishing a team culture of being constructive and
supportive and checking assumptions are part of traditional functions; making
good lessons into rules is open-mindedness; and having to take responsibility for
decisions relates to emotional control.
1.14 Pick one of the factors reshaping contemporary management. If you were a
manager, which of the lessons learnt by the managers in this case study would you
use to help you deal with that factor? How do you think it would help you do that?
Students’ answers will vary. The factors reshaping contemporary management are
the increasing importance of customers, innovation, diversity and inclusion, social
media, sustainability, and the COVID-19 global pandemic. The lessons in the case
study are focusing on justifying people’s faith in you, not needing to have all the
answers, looking after your team and then results will follow, establishing a team
culture of being constructive and supportive, checking assumptions, making good
lessons into rules, dealing with more bad news than good news, and having to take
responsibility for decisions.
, RUNNING CASE: HOLIDAY HOME HELPERS: MOTIVATED
TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1.15 If Mia wanted to improve both efficiency and effectiveness at HHH, what areas could
she focus on?
Mia could focus on improving sustainability in accommodation and cleaning, as
improving the waste management could increase the company’s efficiency and lead
to using fewer resources overall. She also states that this improvement could also
help the company’s effectiveness in providing a better guest experience.
1.16 What level of manager is Mia?
Mia is a middle manager. She reports to top level management, and manages an
entire region.
1.17 Which of Mintzberg’s managerial roles will Mia be performing?
The role that best fits Mia is the Monitor, because the CEO states that she is
expected to focus on the effectiveness and efficiency of her team in providing
excellent service and delivering value for money.
1.18 Which of the factors reshaping management will Mia need to focus on in her new
role?
All the factors will be important to Mia in one way or another. However, from her
statements, customers and sustainability seem to be two of the most important
factors for her to focus on, where she emphasises the need to improve
sustainability and to find ways to improve the experiences for clients.
GROUP WORK: FIND AND SHARE A NEWS ARTICLE
The role of social media in management
Chapter 1 discusses how many businesses are turning to social media for numerous
reasons. Some are to connect with customers, manage human resources, and tap into
innovation and talent from within. What others might there be? How might they apply to
you or your (future) career? Also, the potential perils of utilising social media are plentiful.
What are some?
Learner outcomes
1.3 Describe what managers do.
1.4 Describe the factors that are reshaping and redefining management.
In this activity, students will use critical thinking to consider the use, best application,
positives, and negatives of social media in business. They will also apply managerial
skills of decision making, communication, and monitoring when determining how to
control the use of personal social media by employees during the work day.
