Question 1 Answer:

Departmentalization can be described by the commonality by which jobs worked by the

organisation’s employees can be centralised in a working space or organisational structure, as

indicated by Robbins and Coulter (2016, p. 324). Departmentalization can be applied in

different forms to achieve various desired effects and can be in the following forms:

1- Functional departmentalization

2- Geographical departmentalization

3- Product departmentalization

4- Process departmentalization

5- Customer departmentalization

These will be explained further below:

1- Functional departmentalization

This is when jobs can be centralized according to their function and their job titles.

For example, all managers of a plant can be huddled in a section of building and can

be labelled: department of managers.

Advantages:

a- When grouping individuals with the similar skill sets and expertise, working the

indifferent roles, a stream of efficiency can be achieved.

b- In many times, managers (for example) may need to synchronize within the

scopes of the workplace, correlating on details or notices. This communication

can be quickly and efficiently completed when these roles are grouped together, as

illustrated by Robbins and Coulter (2016, p. 325).

 c- When grouped together, specialized individuals can benefit from each others’

expertise and specializations. ‘In depth specialization’, as stated by Robbins and

Coulter (2016, p. 325), can be a factor to increasing the employee performance.

Disadvantages:

a- As departments are grouped by function at this stage, employees in a function can

be isolated from employees of another function. Communication across functions

is performed on a daily basis, and if not streamlined, can be cause to delays or

misinformation. Isolated functional departments makes communicating across

functions less streamlined.

b- Employees must always view the organisational goals in everything they do and

how the different departments all play a part to achieve it. According to Robbins

and Coulter (2016, p. 325), when employees are grouped by function, their goals

are only those of their function and are not concerned with any other goals of

other functions or employees. This can cause an employee’s limited scope and

view of the organisation.

2- Geographical departmentalization

Organisations can have branches all across the globe and managing so many different

locations can be hard if employees are spread far. Geographical departmentalization

groups jobs depending on their location or region.

Advantages:

a- When employees working jobs of the same region are brought together, this similarity

brings about efficiency and they can deal with the jobs better, issues can be
 centralised over regions, dealing with the same issues and experiencing them together

enables employees to have a better understanding and cooperation.

b- Regions can be specific to their own profiles, unique features or details. When all

employees concerned with dealing and handling with those regional profiles are all

working together, the regions requirements are better fulfilled.

Disadvantages:

a- Instead of having one call centre with employees (for example) in a centralized area,

multiple call centres must be allocated for the different regions. This duplication of jobs

can be costly to the organisation as more and more employees are introduced into the

company.

b- When a whole organisational branch is huddled in a region isolated from the other

branches of the company, employees can feel isolated and separate from the main

company.

3- Product departmentalization

All manufacturing and sales sections of the companies of a product can be grouped in a

department on its own, and the rest of the products all have their own departments as well.

This is product departmentalization. Example: S10 phone department, S watch department.

Advantages:

a- all employees specialized in these roles are grouped with those dealing with the same

product/service. This can make the employee gain experience and become specialized in that

role as explained by Robbins and Coulter (2016, p. 325).

b- Managers will perform that service / deliver the product, over viewing all aspects of its

production. This will enable the managers to become experts in their fields.

Disadvantages:

a- If a company sells over 100 product lines, this means that each product will have its own

department. This will duplicate resources, employees and require space and raw materials, all

costly and not preferred by any organisation.

b- when these employees are only concerned with producing phones (for example), their only

view is that. Their views of the organisation will be limited, possibly unmotivating factor for

the employees.

4- Process departmentalization

Jobs are grouped over the processes that are completed in a product/service completion.

Advantages:

a- Activities are grouped together in their respective stages, process by process, enabling a

more efficient flow of work.

Disadvantages:

a- Not all products are so similar, which means this process may not be compatible with all

services/products produced by the company. Eg. For laptops or phones, components are

dissimilar.
5- Customer departmentalization

Customers needs can be duplicated and many can be very similar in a given time. Allocating

all similar customer needs to a department can be explained in this kind of

departmentalization.

Advantages:

a- Employees who meet the customer needs have become experienced in these tasks. This

means customer needs are efficient and effectively met.

Disadvantages:

a- Customer needs can be very high, allocating so many departments for each of their needs

will duplicate jobs and increase employee quantity.

b- When these employees are only concerned with these tasks, their only view is that. Their

views of the organisation will be limited, possibly unmotivating factor for the employees.
Question 2 Answer

1- Why must the company plan?

In any organisation, plans are important to give direction to where the company is headed.

Employees and managers must understand what direction the company is headed towards to

do their jobs efficiently and effectively. With plans, employees can know what the company

is headed towards, what to do, when and why. This can come in handy when the company

may lose sight of what it was founded for.

A plan reassures employees and managers on the next steps. Uncertainty in a company is

never a good thing, only with a plan, individuals will be coordinated in knowing what to do,

what to do next and when. This reduces lag in between tasks for employees and paves the

way for developing and accomplishing goals for the managers.

Planning means setting a specified amount of resources on a specified task and utilizing

taskforces respectively. It allows the planning organisation to take into account all matters at

hand and all things in motion. This means accountability and reducing wastages of resources,

redundancies in tasks or falling back on a task. Such plans increase efficiency in jobs.

The main reason to plan is to achieve a goal. Goal setting is a key step before planning, and a

plan makes sure the managers achieve them. plans are directed towards achieving the goal,

and setting another to be achieved, utilizing all resources and personnel towards that common

goal.
2- Different classification of plans:

Plans can be classified according to the following parameters:

i- Breadth

ii- Time Frame

iii- Specificity

iiii- Frequency of use

Here are plans classified according to the breadth:

1- Strategic

These plans can be performed by the entirety of the organisation, and according to Robbins

and Coulter (2016, p. 250), strategic plans illustration the overall agenda and goal of the

company.

2- Operational

These plans are specific to the department it is planned for. An operational plan can be set for

every department in an organisation.

Here are plans classified according to the Time frame:

1- Short term

These plans cover the time frame of one year or less. Eg. Seasonal plans for the spring,

summer or autumn.
2- Long term

These plans cover the activities performed over the time frame of at least 3 years. Previously,

7 or more, but environmental unpredictability reduced it to 3+ years.

Here are plans classified according to the specificity:

1- Specific

These are plans where all details and specifically included and outlined. There is no room for

improvisation or alteration, and all steps are mentioned in order.

2- Directional

These plans provide direction to how the activities must be performed but are not detailed

into all specific instructions or clauses. The employee can have room for improvisation or

alteration. These provide guidelines on the activities and how they are to be performed only.

Here are plans classified according to the frequency:

1- Single-use plan

These plans are usually developed upon the emergence of a new situation where plans have

not covered any details on such a circumstance. This plan is applied only once has served its

purpose. Eg. The plan to perform lecture and university activities in the unique circumstance

of covid-19. A plan has been developed for this purpose, and when this situation has been

diffused, this plan will no longer be in use.

2- Standing plan

This plan is the official plan that is followed in regular situations. It is repeated many times

and remains the most ultimate plan on how activities are performed. It is not only used once

and remains in use as long as the company is in operation. Eg. How orders are to be taken

when in a restaurant, made by the kitchen crew and served to the customer.
Question 3 Answer

1- Four functions of management

i- Planning

ii- Organising

iii- Leading

iiii- Controlling

The Functions are explained below:

Planning

A manager’s main job is to get plans in order. This means setting goal, creating plans to

achieve those goals and developing strategies to reach the goals effectively and efficiently.

This task will ensure the synchronisation within the management and employee work. Eg.

Lecturer developing the plan for weekly lectures to know what topics to cover and questions

to add to tutorials.

Organising

This activity is important to allocate resources and personnel to perform the functions in a

predetermined order to achieve a goal or perform a task. Determining who performs what and

until when is key to the most important resource of the company; time. Eg. Scheduling

lecturers and classes for students to know what and when lectures are being held.
Leading

The key component of a company is its employees- people. These people have needs and

have low and high points to be taken care of, and when done so, the employee efficiency can

rise to its highest levels. Managers lead these people and motivate them when they most need

it, provide inspiration and call for the work to be accomplished in a given time. This is why

people skills are a highly required skill in leaders. Eg. Motivating employees in times of the

crisis of covid-19, providing emotional and productive support.

Controlling

Making sure specific tasks are completed in a certain way in a given time is one of the

manager’s key tasks. Eg. Monitoring employees at their workstations to reviewing their

quarterly reports are ways a manger can control the employees and internal environment of

the organisation.

2- Managerial Roles

i- Informational role

ii- Interpersonal role

iii- Decisional role

The roles are explained below:

Informational Roles

These roles involve collecting and determining what information is allocate to which section

of the organisation.

1- Monitor

The monitor will review the information provided on the market. Then will report back to

collect and decide on useful information. Eg. Cooperate lookouts that monitor markets and

report to cooperate on what technologies are used and what to follow or innovate and

introduce to the market public.

2- Spokesperson

These individuals will carry the power to represent the company and transmit information

throughout the public or market. They can be CEOs or Ambassadors and carry media

influence to attract attention and deliver messages to and from the company.

3- Disseminator

The disseminator will determine who will get what appropriate information, referring certain

parties to certain other for the right information. They allocate information to others while

reviewing what information can be received.

Decisional role

These roles are concerned with making the right choices for the specific parts of the company

and carry a great deal of responsibility.

1. Entrepreneur

These are individuals who are always looking for something new, like: products, services,

and new markets to penetrate. They can carry media influence and be knowledgeable of the

public.

2. Disturbance handler

These individuals are greatly skilled in handling special situations and how to take

corrective action during crisis when they occur. Eg. Experts who have studied situation and

how to deal with activities and keep them streamlined in the covid-19 situation. What to do

when workers go unhappy or are unmotivated. Eg. Counsellors.

3. Resource allocator

These individuals are experts in allocating funding, material and resources and how gets it

distributed across the organisation, and how much each department can be given. They

work to allocate resources to departments to fully utilize them. Eg. Funding and research

budgets in research universities subjected to specific professors or researchers.

4. Negotiator

The negotiator deals with suppliers and governments to supply resources and raw materials

and remaining withing the outline of the government legislations and laws.

 
Question 4 Answer

1- Herzberg’s 2 factor theory

This theory can also be known as the motivation hygiene theory, where it is explained that

intrinsic factors correspond with satisfaction and motivation of the job and extrinsic factors

correspond with job dissatisfaction, according to Robbins and Coulter (2016).

Motivators are factors help employees to not become dissatisfied with their job and are not

unmotivated in performing their jobs in their workplace. These give the employee a sense of

care by the organisation and that they are being appreciated or can comply with the

organisation’s goals and works. These include recognition, interest of the work and growth

and advancements. When an employee is met with these factors, they are less likely to leave

the company and is more appreciative and comfortable with the company. The absence of the

negative elements can be a force for good, and if developed further on, can be a force to

increase efficiency of a working employee and motivated to their highest potential.

Hygiene factors are factors which, if extreme or negative can encourage dissatisfaction with

the employee about the work and organisation. How secure or unsecure, how less the salary

can be and how much leniency or supervision the employee is being given can be reasons for

the worker to become unmotivated. These bring about negative emotions and can affect the

worker’s performance regarding the organisation. If an environment is negative, the

employee is only be as negative was it can be, regarding how the people withing the company

react together.
Expectancy Theory:

This theory explains that an individual will act in a certain way is correspondence with the

expectation a manger can have over them and the act can be followed by a given outcome.

That outcome plays a key role in how the worker will react and perform that action.

Three variables are highlighted in this theory:

1- individual effort

2- individual performance

3- organisational rewards

4- individual goals

Based on how much effort can bring about what level of performance plays a key role in the

beginning of the theory. The probability perceived by the worker, giving a certain amount of

effort will lead to a high or low level of performance. Increasing effort is what the company

wants to achieve, and effectively increasing the performance level, but working smart and not

hard. The linked reward is how desired the outcome of all that effort and performance is. If

desired by the worker and or organisation, the effect is positive, and the desired outcome has

been achieved. If a worker completes a high amount of tasks in a given period of time, their

commission will increase and the company will benefit from the increased sales reached in

that time. The worker may have the goal to reach and if done, they will reward themselves

with a new reward or device. This motivates a worker to reach that level of effort, reach the

desired performance level and reward themselves with the desired object.
References:

Robbins, S. and Coulter, M. (2016) Management. Edi 13. [Online] Available at: Teams

Channel. Accessed on 5 October 2020