Jasper Cate

Introduction to Business
Chapter 5 – Staffing, Leading, and Controlling

5.1 Assessment Questions

1. c

2. d

3. What are some of the reasons that managers with well-developed plans may still have problems when implementing
those plans?

Even if a manager has good plans, there are other steps they need to take in order to implement those plans. They must
work closely with their employees in order to ensure they understand the plan, as well as have open communications
with their employees to eliminate any big surprises.

4. Why do some employees work well in teams and others do not?

Members of a work team must have certain characteristics in order to work as an effective team. Members should
understand and support the purpose of the group, be committed to meeting the expectations of others in the group,
and communicate well with each other.

5.2 Assessment Questions

1. b

2. b

3. Do you agree or disagree that increases in pay and other financial benefits are not good long-term motivators for
most employees? Explain your answer.

I agree that those are not long term motivators. Sure financial benefits are nice, but getting a raise isn’t going to make
you more motivated to work at a job if you don’t feel any satisfaction from what you’re doing at work.

4. How do you believe a manager should involve employees in planning for a change that will result in some of them
losing their jobs?

I think first and foremost the manager should be honest with their employees. Let the employees know that there are
going to be changes, and listen to any of them that have any good ideas or opinions.

5.3 Assessment Questions

1. d

2. b

3. Do you believe managers should perform each of the management functions in order? Why or why not?

I believe that managers should perform the management functions in order. Planning comes first because managers
must have a good plan before taking action. Next comes organizing because managers must organize their plans before
executing them. Next is staffing, as a manager needs to carefully select the right staff that will be able to put out good
work. Leading is next because the manager leads their staff in order to make sure they are performing well. And finally
comes controlling, which is where the manager focuses on the performance of their employees.
4. Which type of standard do you believe is more important to improving the overall effectiveness of a business? Justify
your choice.

I think the standard most important to improving the overall effectiveness of a business is quality. A business isn’t going
to be very effective with poor products, so it is important that a business has high quality standards.

5.4 Assessment Questions

1. d

2. c

3. Explain the meaning of the statement “planning is usually not exact” as it applies to evaluating performance and
standards.

I believe that statement means that when planning for things managers need to keep in mind that nobody is perfect and
that there will be mistakes along the way. In addition, when evaluating performance, if it is found that the plan wasn’t
followed to a T, it’s ok if performance was still acceptable.

4.

What recommendations would you make to a business to increase computer and internet security for the business and
its customers?

I would recommend that they take cybersecurity seriously. They should pay attention to the information they store
online and have strong security measures for any confidential information.

Review Business Management Terms – Answers

1. M

2. C

3. N

4. G

5. R

6. D

7. E

8. I

9. L

10. S

Review Business Management Concepts – Answers

11. B

12. A

13. C
14. A

15. C

16. D

Apply What You Know – Answers

17. Based on the Reality Check scenario at the beginning of the chapter, do you believe most of the problems were the
result of poor planning, staffing, or leading?

I believe that most of the problems in that scenario were the result of poor planning. The “place your order by 10 p.m.
you’ll receive it by 10 a.m. tomorrow” was a bad idea. There was too much pressure placed on the employees and they
clearly were not ready for the rapid change.

18. Why are businesses paying much more attention to developing effective work teams today than in the past?

Business are paying more attention to developing work teams because they know how effective they are. Having a team
of people working as a team is much more efficient than having that same number of people working individually.

19. What differences in leading and controlling activities, if any, would there be for a manager of a small business and a
manager in a large business.

There are many differences between leading and controlling in a small business vs a large business. Managers in a small
business will have less employees and will be able to work more closely with them. Large business employees have to be
better at being able to handle a large amount of employees and pay attention to what everybody is doing.

Case in Point ~ Thinking Critically ~ Answers

1. What is your opinion of TieDown’s plans for the change to the new production equipment and jobs?

I think their plans are good in theory, however I don’t think anybody is going to want to work for $6 per hour. The idea
to train their previous machine operators is a very good idea because the computer programmers make more money
than the average skilled operators do, so there is incentive for them to make the switch.

2. What would you recommend that the company do, if anything, for the machine operators who are not hired for the
computer positions and choose not to accept the pay reduction?

I would recommend that the company offers management positions for the machine operators, because if the company
is going to be bringing in new operators, they’re going to need a lot of help.

3. As the production manager, explain how you would handle the changes described to get employee support.

I would sell it as a good opportunity for an exciting new job with free training. I would also try to involve some of the
employees in the planning process so they could feel better about the changes and not feel caught off guard.