Solution Manual For
Management, Global Edition, 15th edition Stephen P. Robbins Mary A. Coulter
Chapters 1-18
Chapter 1
Managers and You in the Workplace
In this introductory chapter, your students will explore the concepts of management, manager
skills, and organizations in today‟s dynamic business environment.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Tell who managers are and where they work.
2. Explain why managers are important to organizations.
3. Describe the functions, roles, and skills of managers.
4. Describe the factors that are reshaping and redefining the manager‟s job.
5. Explain the value of studying management.
6. Describe the benefits of the Employability Skills Matrix (ESM).
CHAPTER OUTLINE
1.1 TELL WHO MANAGERS ARE AND WHERE THEY WORK
Managers may not always be what we expect. Today‟s managers range from 18 to 80,
they„re found in a variety of different types of organizations, and they perform a variety
of jobs from the top to the bottom of the organization. Statistics show an increasing
number of women in management; however, while their number is increasing, it is
mostly in the area of lower and middle management, not top management. Similarly,
only 20 (4%) were minorities.
Who Is a Manager?
A. The changing nature of organizations and work often requires employees in
formerly nonmanagerial jobs to perform managerial activities. Students who are
preparing for careers on any organizational level can benefit from acquiring
management skills. Today‟s employees need to be cross-trained and multi-
skilled.
B. How do we define a manager? A manager is someone who coordinates and
oversees the work of other people so that organizational goals can be
accomplished. However, keep in mind that managers may have additional work
duties not related to coordinating the work of others.
C. Managers can be classified by their level in the organization, particularly in
traditionally structured organizations—those shaped like a pyramid (see Exhibit
1-1).
1. First-line (or front-line) managers (often called supervisors) are
typically involved with producing the organization‟s products or
servicing the organization‟s customers. These managers are located on
the lowest level of management.
, 2. Middle managers include all levels of management between the first
level and the top level of the organization. They may have titles such as
regional manager, project leader, store manager, or division manager.
3. Top managers include managers at or near the top of the organization
who are responsible for making organization-wide decisions and
establishing plans and goals that affect the entire organization.
Where Do Managers Work?
A. An organization is a deliberate arrangement of people to accomplish some
specific purpose. Organizations share three common characteristics (See Exhibit
1-2): (1) each has a distinct purpose; (2) each is composed of people; and (3)
each develops some deliberate structure so members can do their work.
B. Although these three characteristics are important in defining what an
organization is, the concept of an organization is changing. These changes
include: flexible work arrangements, employee work teams, open
communication systems, and supplier alliances. Organizations are becoming
more open, flexible, and responsive to changes.
Future Vision: Is It Still Managing When What You’re Managing Are Robots?
While the text presents a fairly accurate description of today‟s workplace, the future is
not certain. Work life in the future may be very different than today and will likely
include workers who are robots. How will a manager‟s job be different? How will
working with robots affect human coworkers?
The following discussion questions are posed:
Talk About It 1: What‟s your response to the title of this box: Is it still managing when
what you‟re managing are robots? Discuss.
Talk About It 2: If you had to “manage” people and robots, how do you think your job as
manager might be different than what the chapter describes?
Student answers to these questions will vary.
1.2 WHY ARE MANAGERS IMPORTANT?
Managers have an important impact on both employees and the organizations in which
they work. The following three reasons address their importance:
A. Organizations need their managerial skills and abilities more than ever in these
uncertain, complex, and chaotic times.
B. Managers are critical to getting things done.
C. Managers do matter to organizations! According to a Gallup poll of tens of
thousands of managers and employees, the relationship of manager to their
employees and supervisors is the single most important variable in employee
productivity and loyalty.
1.3 MANAGEMENT VS. MANAGERS
What is Management?
A. Management involves coordinating and overseeing the work activities of others
so that their activities are completed efficiently and effectively.
, 1. Coordinating and overseeing the work of others is what distinguishes a
managerial position from a nonmanagerial one.
2. Efficiency is getting the most output from the least amount of inputs in
order to minimize resource costs. Efficiency is often referred to as
“doing things right” (see Exhibit 1-3).
3. Effectiveness is completing activities so that organizational goals are
attained and is often described as “doing the right things” (see Exhibit
1-3).
What Do Managers Do?
B. Management Functions.
Henri Fayol, a French industrialist in the early 1900s, proposed that managers
perform five management functions: POCCC (planning, organizing,
commanding, coordinating, and controlling).
1. Over time, Fayol‟s five management functions have been reorganized
into four functions, which provide a foundation for the organization of
many current management textbooks (see Exhibit 1-4).
a. Planning involves defining goals, establishing strategies for
achieving those goals, and developing plans to integrate and
coordinate activities.
b. Organizing involves arranging and structuring work to
accomplish the organization‟s goals.
c. Leading involves working with and through people to
accomplish organizational goals.
d. Controlling involves monitoring, comparing, and correcting
work performance.
2. In practice, managing is not always performed in a sequence as outlined
above. Since these four management functions are integrated into the
activities of managers throughout the workday, they should be viewed as
an ongoing process.
C. Management Roles
Henry Mintzberg, a management researcher, conducted a precise study of
managers at work. He concluded that managers perform 10 different roles, which
are highly interrelated.
1. Managerial roles refer to specific categories of managerial behavior
(see Exhibit 1-5).
a. Interpersonal roles include figurehead, leadership, and liaison
activities.
b. Informational roles include monitor, disseminator, and
spokesperson.
c. Decisional roles include entrepreneur, disturbance handler,
resource allocator, and negotiator.
2. Follow-up studies of Mintzberg‟s role categories in different types of
organizations and at different managerial levels within organizations
generally support the idea that managers perform similar roles.
3. Although the functions approach represents the most useful way to
describe the manager‟s job, Mintzberg‟s roles give additional insight
into managers‟ work.
D. Management Skills.
, Managers need certain skills to perform the challenging duties and activities
associated with being a manager.
1. Robert L. Katz found through his research that managers need three
essential skills (see Exhibit 1-6).
a. Technical skills are job-specific knowledge and techniques
needed to proficiently perform specific tasks.
b. Human skills involve the ability to work well with other people
individually and in a group.
c. Conceptual skills involve the ability to think and to
conceptualize about abstract and complex situations.
d. Other skills are listed in Exhibit 1-7. These skills will be
highlighted in a feature at the end of each chapter.
2. Developing management skills is important for aspiring managers. To
help aid students in this respect, the authors have put together several
skill-building modules in mymanagementlab. These skills reflect a
broad cross-section of the important managerial activities that are
elements of the four management functions.
1.4 MANAGERIAL CHALLENGES TODAY AND INTO THE FUTURE
Security threats, corporate ethics scandals, global economic and political uncertainties,
and technological advancements should be discussed. While all managers will not have
to manage under tragically demanding circumstances, how managers manage in today‟s
workplace is changing. These issues are summarized in Exhibit 1-8.
A. Focus on Technology.
Cloud computing, social media, and robotics are all changing how things get
done in the workplace. Managers need to get employees on board with new
technology and ensure that they are comfortable with it, can use it, and
understand how it improves their lives.
It’s Your Career
The ABC’s of Managing Your Time
Do you feel constantly busy? Do you always seem to have a lot to do and never enough time to
do it? If you‟re like most people, the answer to these questions is YES! Well, maybe in a
management textbook we need to do something about that by focusing on one aspect of
management that can be tremendously useful to you….TIME MANAGEMENT!
Time is a unique resource. If it‟s wasted, it can never be replaced. People talk about
saving time, but time can never actually be saved. And unlike resources such as money or talent,
which are distributed unequally in the world, time is an equal-opportunity resource. Each one of
us gets exactly the same amount: twenty-four hours per day and 168 hours each week. Some
people are just a lot more efficient in using their allotment. Here are some suggestions to help
you better use your time:
1. List your current and upcoming goals. Know what needs to be done daily, weekly, and
monthly.
2. Rank your goals according to importance. Not all goals are of equal importance. Make sure
you give highest priority to the most important goals.
Management, Global Edition, 15th edition Stephen P. Robbins Mary A. Coulter
Chapters 1-18
Chapter 1
Managers and You in the Workplace
In this introductory chapter, your students will explore the concepts of management, manager
skills, and organizations in today‟s dynamic business environment.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Tell who managers are and where they work.
2. Explain why managers are important to organizations.
3. Describe the functions, roles, and skills of managers.
4. Describe the factors that are reshaping and redefining the manager‟s job.
5. Explain the value of studying management.
6. Describe the benefits of the Employability Skills Matrix (ESM).
CHAPTER OUTLINE
1.1 TELL WHO MANAGERS ARE AND WHERE THEY WORK
Managers may not always be what we expect. Today‟s managers range from 18 to 80,
they„re found in a variety of different types of organizations, and they perform a variety
of jobs from the top to the bottom of the organization. Statistics show an increasing
number of women in management; however, while their number is increasing, it is
mostly in the area of lower and middle management, not top management. Similarly,
only 20 (4%) were minorities.
Who Is a Manager?
A. The changing nature of organizations and work often requires employees in
formerly nonmanagerial jobs to perform managerial activities. Students who are
preparing for careers on any organizational level can benefit from acquiring
management skills. Today‟s employees need to be cross-trained and multi-
skilled.
B. How do we define a manager? A manager is someone who coordinates and
oversees the work of other people so that organizational goals can be
accomplished. However, keep in mind that managers may have additional work
duties not related to coordinating the work of others.
C. Managers can be classified by their level in the organization, particularly in
traditionally structured organizations—those shaped like a pyramid (see Exhibit
1-1).
1. First-line (or front-line) managers (often called supervisors) are
typically involved with producing the organization‟s products or
servicing the organization‟s customers. These managers are located on
the lowest level of management.
, 2. Middle managers include all levels of management between the first
level and the top level of the organization. They may have titles such as
regional manager, project leader, store manager, or division manager.
3. Top managers include managers at or near the top of the organization
who are responsible for making organization-wide decisions and
establishing plans and goals that affect the entire organization.
Where Do Managers Work?
A. An organization is a deliberate arrangement of people to accomplish some
specific purpose. Organizations share three common characteristics (See Exhibit
1-2): (1) each has a distinct purpose; (2) each is composed of people; and (3)
each develops some deliberate structure so members can do their work.
B. Although these three characteristics are important in defining what an
organization is, the concept of an organization is changing. These changes
include: flexible work arrangements, employee work teams, open
communication systems, and supplier alliances. Organizations are becoming
more open, flexible, and responsive to changes.
Future Vision: Is It Still Managing When What You’re Managing Are Robots?
While the text presents a fairly accurate description of today‟s workplace, the future is
not certain. Work life in the future may be very different than today and will likely
include workers who are robots. How will a manager‟s job be different? How will
working with robots affect human coworkers?
The following discussion questions are posed:
Talk About It 1: What‟s your response to the title of this box: Is it still managing when
what you‟re managing are robots? Discuss.
Talk About It 2: If you had to “manage” people and robots, how do you think your job as
manager might be different than what the chapter describes?
Student answers to these questions will vary.
1.2 WHY ARE MANAGERS IMPORTANT?
Managers have an important impact on both employees and the organizations in which
they work. The following three reasons address their importance:
A. Organizations need their managerial skills and abilities more than ever in these
uncertain, complex, and chaotic times.
B. Managers are critical to getting things done.
C. Managers do matter to organizations! According to a Gallup poll of tens of
thousands of managers and employees, the relationship of manager to their
employees and supervisors is the single most important variable in employee
productivity and loyalty.
1.3 MANAGEMENT VS. MANAGERS
What is Management?
A. Management involves coordinating and overseeing the work activities of others
so that their activities are completed efficiently and effectively.
, 1. Coordinating and overseeing the work of others is what distinguishes a
managerial position from a nonmanagerial one.
2. Efficiency is getting the most output from the least amount of inputs in
order to minimize resource costs. Efficiency is often referred to as
“doing things right” (see Exhibit 1-3).
3. Effectiveness is completing activities so that organizational goals are
attained and is often described as “doing the right things” (see Exhibit
1-3).
What Do Managers Do?
B. Management Functions.
Henri Fayol, a French industrialist in the early 1900s, proposed that managers
perform five management functions: POCCC (planning, organizing,
commanding, coordinating, and controlling).
1. Over time, Fayol‟s five management functions have been reorganized
into four functions, which provide a foundation for the organization of
many current management textbooks (see Exhibit 1-4).
a. Planning involves defining goals, establishing strategies for
achieving those goals, and developing plans to integrate and
coordinate activities.
b. Organizing involves arranging and structuring work to
accomplish the organization‟s goals.
c. Leading involves working with and through people to
accomplish organizational goals.
d. Controlling involves monitoring, comparing, and correcting
work performance.
2. In practice, managing is not always performed in a sequence as outlined
above. Since these four management functions are integrated into the
activities of managers throughout the workday, they should be viewed as
an ongoing process.
C. Management Roles
Henry Mintzberg, a management researcher, conducted a precise study of
managers at work. He concluded that managers perform 10 different roles, which
are highly interrelated.
1. Managerial roles refer to specific categories of managerial behavior
(see Exhibit 1-5).
a. Interpersonal roles include figurehead, leadership, and liaison
activities.
b. Informational roles include monitor, disseminator, and
spokesperson.
c. Decisional roles include entrepreneur, disturbance handler,
resource allocator, and negotiator.
2. Follow-up studies of Mintzberg‟s role categories in different types of
organizations and at different managerial levels within organizations
generally support the idea that managers perform similar roles.
3. Although the functions approach represents the most useful way to
describe the manager‟s job, Mintzberg‟s roles give additional insight
into managers‟ work.
D. Management Skills.
, Managers need certain skills to perform the challenging duties and activities
associated with being a manager.
1. Robert L. Katz found through his research that managers need three
essential skills (see Exhibit 1-6).
a. Technical skills are job-specific knowledge and techniques
needed to proficiently perform specific tasks.
b. Human skills involve the ability to work well with other people
individually and in a group.
c. Conceptual skills involve the ability to think and to
conceptualize about abstract and complex situations.
d. Other skills are listed in Exhibit 1-7. These skills will be
highlighted in a feature at the end of each chapter.
2. Developing management skills is important for aspiring managers. To
help aid students in this respect, the authors have put together several
skill-building modules in mymanagementlab. These skills reflect a
broad cross-section of the important managerial activities that are
elements of the four management functions.
1.4 MANAGERIAL CHALLENGES TODAY AND INTO THE FUTURE
Security threats, corporate ethics scandals, global economic and political uncertainties,
and technological advancements should be discussed. While all managers will not have
to manage under tragically demanding circumstances, how managers manage in today‟s
workplace is changing. These issues are summarized in Exhibit 1-8.
A. Focus on Technology.
Cloud computing, social media, and robotics are all changing how things get
done in the workplace. Managers need to get employees on board with new
technology and ensure that they are comfortable with it, can use it, and
understand how it improves their lives.
It’s Your Career
The ABC’s of Managing Your Time
Do you feel constantly busy? Do you always seem to have a lot to do and never enough time to
do it? If you‟re like most people, the answer to these questions is YES! Well, maybe in a
management textbook we need to do something about that by focusing on one aspect of
management that can be tremendously useful to you….TIME MANAGEMENT!
Time is a unique resource. If it‟s wasted, it can never be replaced. People talk about
saving time, but time can never actually be saved. And unlike resources such as money or talent,
which are distributed unequally in the world, time is an equal-opportunity resource. Each one of
us gets exactly the same amount: twenty-four hours per day and 168 hours each week. Some
people are just a lot more efficient in using their allotment. Here are some suggestions to help
you better use your time:
1. List your current and upcoming goals. Know what needs to be done daily, weekly, and
monthly.
2. Rank your goals according to importance. Not all goals are of equal importance. Make sure
you give highest priority to the most important goals.
