The Office

Procedures and Technology

Chapter 1
The Office in a Changing
Business World
The Office

 Place where business affairs are handled for

 A company
 A professional person
 An organization

Topic 1-1 The Office Today Slide 2

Information Driven

 Information
 Facts or data summarized or organized into
meaningful form
 Examples of handling information
 Writing a policy for sales returns
 Accessing the Internet for stock
prices
 Answering inquiries by telephone

Topic 1-1 The Office Today Slide 3

Key Office Activities
 Creating/analyzing information
 Composing memos, letters, and reports
 Organizing and interpreting data
 Making decisions based on information studied

Topic 1-1 The Office Today Slide 4

Key Office Activities
 Searching for information
 Accessing databases, an intranet, or the
Internet
 Inquiring of persons within and outside the
company
 Using reference manuals and books

Topic 1-1 The Office Today Slide 5

Key Office Activities
 Processing information
 Keyboarding, editing, and proofreading
 Preparing communications, databases, and
spreadsheets
 Photocopying and
reviewing communications

Topic 1-1 The Office Today Slide 6

Key Office Activities
 Communicating information
 Answering telephone calls and greeting callers
 Responding to inquiries
 Delivering presentations or giving instructions

Topic 1-1 The Office Today Slide 7

Key Office Activities
 Managing information
 Maintaining calendars
 Maintaining databases and files
 Maintaining financial records

Topic 1-1 The Office Today Slide 8

Technology in Offices

 Technology is used by all office workers

 Intranets aid in sharing information
 The Internet creates a global business
community
 Many workers telecommute from alternative
offices
Key Term
Telecommute: the practice of working
and communicating from a remote
location

Topic 1-1 The Office Today Slide 9

Alternative Offices

 Virtual office
 The capability to perform work activities away from a
traditional office setting
 Mobile office
 An office located at a
temporary site that can
move from place to place
 Home office
 Space within a home organized for performing
office tasks

Topic 1-1 The Office Today Slide 10

Understanding the Organization

 Learning from your work

 Correspondence
 Reports
 Learning from resources available
 Annual reports
 Company’s mission
Key Term
statement and goals
Mission statement: the goals,
priorities, and beliefs of a company

Topic 1-2 The Office in Relation to the Total Organization Slide 11

Types of Organizations

 Businesses seek to make a profit

 Sole proprietorship
 Partnership
 Corporation
 Professional service organization
 Not-for-profit entities seek to provide services
 Governmental units seek to provide services

Topic 1-2 The Office in Relation to the Total Organization Slide 12

Types of Organizations

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exampleofofaa
governmental
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unit
unit

Source: http://www.dss.state.la.us

Topic 1-2 The Office in Relation to the Total Organization Slide 13

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Topic 1-2 The Office in Relation to the Total Organization Slide 14

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Topic 1-2 The Office in Relation to the Total Organization Slide 15

Slide 16
Slide 17
Slide 18
Slide 19
Structure of Organizations
 Board of directors
 Establishes policies to guide company operations
 Senior management
 Provides direction in carrying out policies
 Middle management
 Directs day-to-day activities
 Department employees
 Perform tasks to meet the organization’s goals

Topic 1-2 The Office in Relation to the Total Organization Slide 20

An
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shows
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company

Topic 1-2 The Office in Relation to the Total Organization Slide 21

Board of Directors
Elected by the shareholders, the board of directors is made up of
two types of representatives. The first type involves inside
directors chosen from within the company. This can be a CEO,
CFO, manager, or any other person who works for the company
daily.

The other type of representative encompasses outside directors,

chosen externally and considered independent of the company.
The role of the board is to monitor a corporation's management
team, acting as an advocate for stockholders. In essence, the
board of directors tries to make sure that shareholders' interests
are well served.

Slide 22
Management Team
As the other tier of the company, the management team is directly
responsible for the company's day-to-day operations and
profitability.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO): As the top manager, the CEO is

typically responsible for the corporation's entire operations and
reports directly to the chairman and the board of directors. It is the
CEO's responsibility to implement board decisions and initiatives,
as well as to maintain the smooth operation of the firm with senior
management's assistance.

Often, the CEO will also be designated as the company's president

and therefore be one of the inside directors on the board (if not the
chairman). However, it is highly suggested that a company's CEO
should not also be the company's chairman to ensure the
chairman's independence and clear lines of authority.
Slide 23
Chief Operations Officer (COO): Responsible for the corporation's
operations, the COO looks after issues related to marketing, sales,
production, and personnel. Often more hands-on than the CEO, the
COO looks after day-to-day activities while providing feedback to the
CEO. The COO is often referred to as a senior vice president.

Chief Financial Officer (CFO): Also reporting directly to the CEO,

the CFO is responsible for analyzing and reviewing financial data,
reporting financial performance, preparing budgets, and monitoring
expenditures and costs.

The CFO is required to present this information to the board of

directors at regular intervals and provide it to shareholders and
regulatory bodies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC). Also usually referred to as a senior vice president, the CFO
routinely checks the corporation's financial health and integrity.

Slide 24
 Focus On …
Employee Empowerment
 Enables employees to make decisions
without review by managers
 Allows fewer levels of middle managers
 Requires that the worker understand the
goals and activities of the company
 Facilitates working in teams
 Increases job satisfaction

Topic 1-2 The Office in Relation to the Total Organization Slide 25