Madison Williams

Introduction to Business
Chapter 2 - Management, Supervisions, and Decisions Making
9/11/23

Review Business Management Terms

1. C. Management Role
2. A. MIS
3. E. Problem
4. D. Performance Review
5. G. Symptom
6. H. What-if Analysis
7. I. Work Coach
8. J. Work Schedules
9. F. Subordinate
10. B. Management Principles

Review Business Management Concepts

11. C
12. B
13. C
14. A
15. A
16. D

Apply What You Know

17. Why is it sometimes difficult for managers to get others to do what they want them to
do?
If employees lack motivation to complete tasks efficiently and effectively the company will not be
as successful. A good manager should be able to provide incentive to their employees to ensure
tasks are completed. Another reason employees may not be accomplishing their work is if their
manager has not communicated the expectations clearly.
18. Why is it important for managers to gather and share information with their employees?
Managers must communicate with their employees to clarify the work that needs to be done as
well as the importance of the task.
19. Why is it important for managers to consider all of the types of resources needed when
completing planning activities?
If managers do not spend time making sure they have all the resources they need, the project
they are doing may not be completed properly and employees may get confused or angry if their
work is made more difficult or impossible due to an oversight on the manager's part.
20. What are some reasons the best employee in a job may not make the best supervisor
for other people in the job?
Someone who is really good at their job may not be qualified for a supervisor position. New
supervisors also often struggle with letting go of their past responsibilities and taking on their
new management position. If someone is really good at their current job this transition could be
even more difficult.
21. Why are most supervisors required to divide their time between supervisory
responsibilities and other work?
They have to plan and lead a group of people. These management jobs are very important but
they may also have to help out the employees when getting started on a new project in order to
get them motivated.
22. Of the five areas of responsibility of supervisors, which do you believe is the most
important to the success of the company?
Leading is probably one, if not the most important responsibility of supervisors. They work
directly with employees and need to make sure everyone is doing their job correctly and
motivated to complete their tasks efficiently.
23. What are some ways that supervisors can help employees manage their time better?
Planning out the workload, staffing well, communicating tips.
24. If a cell phone company is losing customers, how might the managers use a
management information system (MIS) to identify the cause of the problem?
They can look at recent changes they've made, what has worked in the past, figure out new
ideas.

Case in Point
1. Steve has encountered a problem with the experienced managers – they don’t respond
positively to his suggestions. What might be the cause of this?
The other more experienced managers may believe they are better than Steve. His ideas may
pose different ideas than they have ever thought of therefore it is easy for them to just push
them aside.
2. Do you think other managers are evaluating all alternatives when they advise Steve that
it isn’t the right time to make changes? Why or why not?
I do not think they are evaluating all alternatives due to the fact that it seems like they are just
deciding against his ideas. Though it may be true that it isn’t the right time for the change they
should at least look into it.
3. What might happen if Steve goes ahead with his plan to implement changes with his
employees rather than getting approval and cooperation from other supervisors?
It might cause the other supervisors to believe he doesn’t respect them and their decisions,
even if it was effective.
4. If you were Steve’s work coach, what advice would you give him on how to get his
employees’ ideas accepted by others?
Perhaps tell him to get real quotes from employees to show how it is affecting them. It seems
like the other supervisors don’t think it is a real problem.