Course: OER: 805 Introduction to Management

Topic outline

General

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- Introduction to Management
Topic 1
- Welcome and overview
- Welcome to NZIM 805 Introduction to Management!
  
  This course introduces you to the basic management concepts. You will cover management roles, different approaches to management, and look at what makes good management. We will focus on the four management functions of planning, organising, leadership and control.
- What will you learn in this course? File
- How will you learn? File
- What do you need to get started? File
- Meet your tutor(s) File
- There are team forums for every task, but you may have a question, a concern or something to share that is not related to any of those. If it is confidential, you are most welcome to contact us directly, but it would be great if you could share anything else with the whole team because they may have similar questions or concerns. Use this forum for this purpose.
- With a little help from your friends... Forum
- We also have a news forum – this is a one-way forum for us, the facilitators, to send messages to all of you. These reminders, clarifications and other items are automatically sent to your email as well. You do not need to reply to any of these messages. Instead, use this forum as a handy list of course reminders and information, all in one place:
- News forum
- If at any stage during the course you need additional clarification about a management term, the glossary can help.
- Glossary of management terms
Topic 2
- Are you ready?
  
  From [date] to [date]
- Because we will be doing some teamwork, just like in the real world, it is important to introduce yourself to your classmates. Please use the ‘Who’s who?’ forum to write something about yourself.
- Who’s who? Forum
- Read here who is in your team:
- Team composition Page
- Let’s do one fun activity together, before starting the work. For those of you who are new to online learning, the icebreaker will also help getting used to online discussion forums. Enjoy!
- [Name Team 1]: choosing a team name Forum
Topic 3
- Part I:
  What does it mean to be a manager?
  
  From [date] to [date]
- Defining management has always been difficult. Some books have even gone as far as stating that ‘management is what managers do’, suggesting that it is simply too hard to define. Let’s look at the nature of management first. Join your teams for the first team activity.
- What does it mean to be a manager? Your task File
- [Name Team 1]: What does it mean to be a manager? Forum
- The following resource summarises who these managers are and what they do.
- Management roles and functions File
- Managers have authority to carry out their duties. They are given responsibilities. They are accountable to certain people in the business and they are in a position to delegate certain tasks to other people. Let’s have a closer look at what this means.
- Authority, responsibility, accountability and delegation File
- Managers should be good communicators. Here we look at some of the common types of communication a manager needs to use.
- Communication File
- The aim should be continuous quality improvement. This very often requires the manager to manage change.
- Continuous quality improvement File
- Managing change File
- Decision making is one of the most important things managers do. Problem solving is making a decision when you are faced with a problem. We will use two of the problem-solving tools in the next team activity.
- Decision making and problem solving File
- Using problem solving tools: your task File
- [Name Team 1]: using problem-solving tools Forum
- Good coordination increases efficiency and productivity. But is it enough to be efficient? What if it’s not effective?
- Coordination, efficiency, effectiveness and productivity File
- Managers are affected in their work by internal and external influences. How do these influences affect them?
- Factors affecting management File
- The personal skills of managers vary greatly, but there are some skills that managers definitively need to have.
- Personal skills of managers File
Topic 4
- Part II:
  
  Approaches to management
- Approaches to management differ from workplace to workplace. They depend on the culture of the organisation, the type of work and the people involved.
  
  In this learning unit, you are a friend of Sharon , who has just been promoted to a more senior position in the company where she has been working for the past couple of years. Because you are a more experienced manager, she emails you regularly and appreciates your advice.
- Sharon has become a manager File
- Helping Sharon : Part 1
  
  From [date] to [date]
- An email from Sharon File
- What you need to do in your teams File
- [Name Team 1]:replying to Sharon’s email (1) Forum
- Even if you are an experienced manager, it is good practice to keep informed. You may want to check some additional resources to help Sharon .
- Management styles File
- Power File
- Delegation File
- Helping Sharon : Part 2
  
  From [date] to [date]
- Another email from Sharon File
- What you need to do in your teams File
- [Name Team 1]: replying to Sharon’s email (2) Forum
- The following resources can get you started when preparing your reply to Sharon .
- Dealing with change File
- Ethical behaviour File
Topic 5
- Part III:
  
  The four management functions
- Management consists of four ongoing functions: planning, organising, leading and controlling. We will look at each of these functions by working on the case study of Oracle Office Furniture Company.
- The story of Oracle Furniture Company File
- The overall picture of the four management functions File
- Planning
  
  From [date] to [date]
  
  Planning is the most fundamental management function. The other three functions can’t work without planning. Planning looks at the future.
- Planning: What you need to do in your teams File
- [Name Team 1]: Planning at Oracle Office Furniture Company Forum
- You may want to use these resources among others to support your answers to the team task:
- Managerial planning: what it is and why we’re doing it File
- Vision, strategies, goals and objectives, tasks, actions, and resources File
- Types of plan File
- How to plan effectively File
- Organising
  
  From [date] to [date]
  
  Organising is about making something happen. It is a function managers often enjoy most. It puts planning into effect. While planning may happen only once or twice a year, organising is more frequent.
- Organising: What you need to do in your teams File
- [Name Team 1]: Organising at Oracle Office Furniture Company Forum
- You may want to use these resources among others to support your answers to the team task:
- Organising: what it is and why we’re doing it File
- Structures for organising work File
- Teams and teamwork File
- What it takes to organise well File
- Leading
  
  From [date] to [date]
  
  Leadership is the ability to influence others towards the achievement of tasks. More than planning or even organising, leadership is people focussed.
- Leading: What you need to do in your teams File
- [Name Team 1]: Leading at Oracle Office Furniture Company Forum
- You may want to use these resources among others to support your answers to the team task:
- Leadership: what it is and why we need it File
- Leadership theories File
- Being a good leader File
- Leadership and management File
- Controlling
  
  From [date] to [date]
  
  Control ensures that leadership, planning and organisation are effective. Management exists to ensure the organisation’s objectives are achieved. Control is therefore the essence of management.
- Controlling: What you need to do in your teams File
- [Name Team 1]: Controlling at Oracle Office Furniture Company Forum
- You may want to use these resources among others to support your answers to the group task:
- Controlling: what it is and why we’re doing it File
- Systems for controlling work File
- A method for controlling File
- Other approaches to control File
- Effective control File
Topic 6
- Part IV:
  Trends and issues in management
  
  From [date] to [date]
- The workplace has changed dramatically in past couple of years and management needs to adapt to these shifting needs. The following WebQuest takes Oracle Furniture Company to the next nevel as they face the challenges brought by globalisation and other issues that matter for management today.
- WebQuest: trends and issues in management File
- Prepare for your presentation in your team’s forum.
- [Name Team 1]: Solving the WebQuest Forum
Topic 7
- To help you become a better
  
  manager…
- … there are many things you can do. Keep reading and keep informed. Go to workshops and observe carefully. Here is a list of books and a list of websites to get you started…
- Additional reading File
- Get wiser on the Web… File
Topic 8
- Congratulations!
- You have completed the course…
  Join this forum to say goodbye to your classmates.
- Goodbye forum
- Cheers!

Topic outline

General

Topic 1

Topic 2

Are you ready?

Topic 3

Part I: What does it mean to be a manager?

Topic 4

Topic 5

Topic 6

Part IV: Trends and issues in management

Topic 7

Topic 8

Part I:
What does it mean to be a manager?

Part IV:
Trends and issues in management