OFFICE MANAGEMENT

and BUSINESS
RESEARCH
Prepared By:
 OFFICE MANAGEMENT
WHAT IS OFFICE?
The definition of OFFICE is rich and includes a place of business, clerical or
professional activity, the personnel working in such a place, a position of
authority or trust(mainly historically) the support functions of a major
household. We are mainly interested in the office as a place of business,
clerical or professional activity.
A MODERN OFFICE
 CHARACTERISTICS OF MODERN OFFICE

• An indispensable unit
• Management information
• An important Service Function
• Memory and Control Centers
• Specialization and Decentralization
• Office is a work and not a place
 ROLE OF MODERN OFFICE
• Assist in Decision Making
• Medium of communication
• For Coordination
• A memory Center
• Control Center
• Nerve Center
 FUNCTIONS OF MODERN OFFICE

• PRIMARY FUNCTIONS
• SECONDARY FUNCTIONS
 PRIMARY FUNCTIONS are:
• Collecting Information
• Organizing and Processing Information
• Retaining Information
• Distributing Information
 SECONDARY FUNCTIONS are:
• Internal and External Communication
• Evolving an efficient & responsive work system
• Managing Stationary & Equipments
• Keeping assets safe and protective
• Human Resource Management
• Public Relations
• Organizing, Planning, Directing and Controlling
• Coordinating the Activities
• Facing Day to Day challenges
 OFFICE MANAGEMENT

• Is the organization of an office in order to achieve a

specific purpose and to make the best case of the
personnel by using the most appropriate machines and
equipment , the best possible method of work and by
providing most suitable environment.
 Elements of Office Management

• Personnel
• Means
• Environment
• Purpose
 OFFICE MANAGER

• Is the one who heads the office, organizes

and controls the other activities to ensure
efficiency.
 Functions of Office Manager
• Planning, organizing, directing and control
• Placing and lay out of office
• Maintaining right atmosphere
• Staffing
• Developing corresponding system
• Public Relations
Process of Scientific Office Management
• Setting up the standard tasks
• Research of time, motion and methods
• Best method of doing standard task
• Training methods
• Standardization
• Worker management relations
 Principles of Scientific Management
• Defining the objectives
• Locating the problems
• Analyzing the problem
• Searching the solutions
• Selection & training personnel
• Planning
• Cooperation
BUSINESS RESEARCH
 What is Business Research?

• A systematic inquiry whose objective is to

provide information to solve managerial
problems.
 Why Study Research?

• Research provide you with the knowledge and

skills needed for the fast-paced decision making
environment.
 Why Managers need Better Information

• Global and Domestic competition is more dynamic

• Organizations are increasingly practicing data mining
and data warehousing
 The Value of acquiring Research Skills
• To gather more information before selecting course of action
• To do a high level research study
• To understand research design
• To evaluate and resolve a current management dilemma
• To establish a career as a research specialist
 Types of Studies used to do a Research

• Reporting
• Descriptive
• Explanatory
• Predictive
 Different Styles of Research
• Applied Research- used in business to build knowledge and
develop product solution.
• Pure Research/Basic Research- is conducted with the sole
objective of contributing to existing knowledge by gathering
information.
 What is a Good Research?
• Following the standards of scientific method
- Clearly defined
- Research process detailed
- Research design thoroughly planned
- Limitation frankly revealed
- High ethical standard applied
 What is a Good Research?
• Following the standards of scientific method
- Adequate analysis for decision makers needs
- Findings presented unambiguously
- Conclusion justified
- Researchers experience reflected
 The Manager-Researcher relationship
• Manager’s Obligation
-Specify problems
-Provide adequate background information
-Access to company information gatekeepers
• Researchers Obligation
-Develop a creative research design
-Provide answers to important business questions
 Manager-Researcher Conflicts
• Manager’s limited exposure to research
• Manager sees researcher as a threat to personal status
• Researcher has to consider corporate culture and political
situations
• Researcher’s isolation from managers
 When Research should be avoided
• When information cannot be applied to a critical managerial
decision.
• When managerial decision involves little risk.
• When management has insufficient resources to conduct a
study.
• When cost of study outweighs the level of risk of the decision.