DIVINE WORD UNIVERSITY

Faculty of Business and Informatics

Flexible Learning Centre, Port Moresby Campus

PO Box 582, Konedobu,

National Capital District, Papua New Guinea
Telephone: 3255668 Fax: 3255266
Email: pomcampus@dwu.ac.pg

ASSESSMENT COVER SHEET

STUDENT NAME: (Surname in Joshua GARU
CAPITAL Letters)

STUDENT ID NUMBER:

PROGRAM/COURSE NAME: BACHELOR OF MANAGEMENT-FM409

GROUP/COHORT: BOM 2017D

UNIT NAME AND CODE: EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT

ASSESSMENT TASK NO & TITLE: ASSIGNMENT #3

DUE DATE: 29/06/2018

DATE SUBMITTED: 06/07/2018

LATE SUBMISSIONS (Reason(s): A request was made to the lecturer due to work
commitment and was granted to submit for the date indicated above.

APPROVAL FOR LATE Yes Due to the fact that I

SUBMISSION GIVEN: lost my laptop-lost 2 yrs.
of work, academic and
personal files.

NEW DUE DATE: 06/07/2018

LECTURER:

STUDENT ADDRESS: PO Address c- Email Address/Tel./Fax

Ok Tedi Mining
Limited, PO Box jgsteelo@gmail.com &
01, Tabubil. joshuagaru064@gmail.com

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I acknowledge that the attached assessment is my own work and that no information contained in
this assessment has been plagiarized in any way.
Send assignments to: The Assistant-To-The-Registrar
Student‟s Signature: Flexible Learning Centre, Port Moresby Campus
_____________________________ Email: pom-assessementtasks@dwu.ac.pg
Mark: _________/___________
General remark by marker/lecturer:
_____________________________________
________________

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IMPACT OF EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT LEARNING: MANAGEMENT SKILLS
OF MANAGERS

1. INTRODUCTION

Management can be understood and treated in different ways by people, organizations and profession.
Whilst practitioners of management view and treat it as a process, economist regard it as a factor of
production whilst on the other end of the spectrum, sociologists see it as a class or group of people. From
my understanding of management and for this purpose, management is viewed as what a manager does in
a formal organization to achieve the objectives.

The purpose of this paper is to primarily provide an analysis of the impact of learning in the unit of
Executive Development from the perspective of management skills and process towards becoming a
better manager. The secondary objective of this article would be to provide some literature context and
draw perspectives in understanding the field of management, mostly relating to its characteristics, core
functions and the role of a manager in the management process.

2. CHARACTERISTICS AND FUNCTION OF MANAGEMENT

Management, in fact, covers a wide array of skills, knowledge and undertakings that no single definition
can arrest all the attributes of management. However, the definition given by James A.F. Stoner
encompasses all the important attributes of management. Therefore, “management is the process of
planning, organizing, leading and controlling the efforts of organization members and of using all other
organizational resources to achieve stated organizational goals”. From this definition, management is
seen to be characterized by these attributes; it is a process, a social process, involves group effort, aims at
achieving predetermined objectives, required at all levels of management, and is comprised of planning,
organizing, directing, leading, co-coordinating, monitoring and controlling.

The later characteristic encompasses the core function of management which includes; planning-
formulation of objectives, policies, procedures, rules, programs, and budgets; organizing-bringing people
together and tying them together in the pursuit of common objectives and numeration of activities,
classification of activities, fitting individuals into functions, assignment of authority for action; directing-
which involves leading and motivating people, guiding, overseeing and decision making; and controlling-
laying standards, comparing actuals and correcting deviations to achieve objectives according to plans.

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 3. ROLES AND TYPES OF MANAGERS

Managements core function is to ensure that an organization maximize resources effectively and
efficiently to achieve set goals and objectives. Managers accomplish these objectives by performing the
four essential managerial functions: planning, organizing, leading and controlling.

Managers at all levels and in all departments, sections or divisions-whether in small or large cooperation,
for-profit or not-for-profit in one country or throughout the world employ different types of managers.
Usually there are three categories of managers and they are grouped into first-line managers, middle
managers and top level managers who are in almost all cases arranged in a hierarchy. Typically, first-line
managers‟ report to middle managers and middle managers report to senior managers. Managers at each
level have different but related responsibilities for utilising organizational resources to increase efficiency
and effectiveness. Within each department, various levels of management may exist that reflect this
particular categorisation and organizational hierarchy. The relative importance of planning, organizing,
leading and controlling-the four managerial functions/processes-to any particular manager depends on
their position in the managerial hierarchy.

Henry Mintzberg established a model of managerial behaviors and simplified various task, activities and
roles into three broad categories that managers perform as they plan, organize, lead and control
organizational resources to meet objectives. The model established that amongst all managerial activities,
managers perform decisional, informational, and interpersonal task. Managers often perform many of
these roles from minute to minute whilst engaged in the more general functions of planning, organizing,
leading and controlling.

3.1. Decision Roles

Decisional roles are closely associated with the methods managers use to plan strategy and utilise
resources. The role of the entrepreneur is to provide more and better information to use in deciding which
projects or programmes to initiate and resources to invest to increase organisational performance. As a
disturbance handler, a manager has to move quickly to manage the unexpected event or crisis that may
threaten the organisation and to implement solutions quickly. As a resource allocator, a manager has to
decide how best to use people and other resources to increase organisational performance. While engaged
in that role, the manager must also be a negotiator, reaching agreements with other managers or groups or
with the organisation and outside groups such as suppliers or customers.

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 3.2. Information Roles

Informational roles are closely associated with the tasks necessary to obtain and seek information, which
is the monitor role. Acting as a disseminator, a manager should be able to transmit information to
employees to influence their work attitudes and behaviour. As a spokesperson a manager should be able
to promote the organisation so that people inside and outside it respond positively.

3.3. Interpersonal Roles

Managers assume interpersonal roles to provide direction and supervision for both employees and the
organisation as a whole. The role of a figurehead is to inform employees and other interested parties, such
as shareholders, about what the organisation‟s mission is, and what it is seeking to achieve. At all levels
managers can act as figureheads and role models who establish appropriate ways to behave in the
organisation. In order to perform better as leaders, managers should focus on training, counselling and
mentoring subordinates to help them reach their full potential. Finally, as a liaison, a manager should be
able to show his or her ability to link and coordinate the activities of people and groups both inside and
outside the organisation.

4. MANAGERIAL SKILLS

Both education and experience enable managers to recognize and develop the personal skills they need to
put organisational resources to their best use. Michael Dell realized from the start that he lacked sufficient
experience and technical expertise in marketing, finance and planning to guide his company alone. He
recruited experienced managers from other IT companies, such as IBM and HP, to help him build his
company. The study of this unit has shown that education and experience help managers acquire three
principal types of skills: conceptual, human and technical . Typically planning and organizing require
higher levels of conceptual skills, while leading and controlling require more human and technical skills.

4.1. Conceptual Skills

Conceptual skills are demonstrated in the ability to analyses and diagnose a situation and to distinguish
between cause and effect. Senior managers require the best conceptual skills because their primary
responsibilities are planning and organizing.

Formal education and training can be very important in helping managers develop conceptual skills, by
introducing the variety of conceptual tools (theories and techniques in marketing, finance and other areas)

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that managers need to perform their roles effectively. The study of management helps to develop the
skills that allow managers to understand the bigger picture confronting an organisation. The ability to
focus holistically on the organisational context enables managers to see beyond the situation immediately
at hand and consider choices, while keeping in mind the organisation‟s long-term goals.

4.2. Human Skills

Human skills include the ability to understand, alter, lead and control the behaviour of other individuals
and groups. The ability to communicate, to co-ordinate, to motivate people and to mould individuals into
cohesive teams, distinguishes effective from ineffective managers. Like conceptual skills, human skills
can be learned through education and training, as well as be developed through experience.35
Organizations increasingly utilise advanced programmes in leadership skills and team training as they
seek to capitalize on the advantages of self-managed teams. 36 To manage personal interactions
effectively, each person in an organisation needs to learn how to empathize with other people – to
understand their viewpoints and the problems they face. One way to help managers understand their
personal strengths and weaknesses is to have their superiors, peers and subordinates provide feedback
about their performance. Thorough and direct feedback allows managers to develop their human skills: in
some contexts, such feedback is known as a „360 degree approach‟, in which superiors, subordinates and
peers comment on an individual‟s behaviour. There are a variety of tools available to assess an
individual‟s skill set, but providing the feedback generated by such tools needs to be carefully managed
for it to be constructive.

4.3. Technical Skills

Technical skills are the job-specific knowledge and techniques required to perform an organisational role.
Managers need a range of technical skills to be effective. The array of technical skills managers need
depends on their position in their organisation. The manager of a restaurant, for example, may need
accounting and bookkeeping skills to keep track of receipts and costs and to administer the payroll, and
aesthetic skills to keep the restaurant looking attractive for customers. Effective managers need all three
kinds of skills – conceptual, human and technical. The absence of even one of these can lead to failure.

5. MANAGEMENT PROCESS

This part of the article can be seen as the core of analyzing and understanding the role of a manager. In
order for anything to be a process, whether in science or art, the concept needs to have a defined set of

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principles and models. In addition the whole concept needs to be cyclic and continuously strive to achieve
common goals or objective. The management process is a process of deducing sets of objectives in the act
of planning, organizing, leading/directing and controlling in the execution of different modes of activities
to attain desirable outputs. It is the process of converting and transforming input (material, human effort,
money) into products and services.

5.1. Planning

Planning is a process that managers use to identify and select appropriate goals and courses of action. The
three steps in the planning process are (1) deciding which goals the organisation will pursue, (2) deciding
what actions to adopt to attain these goals and (3) deciding how to allocate organisational resources to
accomplish them. The performance level is determined by how effective managers are at planning.
Planning in an holistic view can be categorized into two types: (1) strategic planning which requires long-
term decision making and goal setting that establishes long term goals and policies. This mode of
planning is usually performed by top level management team, for example general managers, CEO and
board members, (2) operational planning which involves and looks at short-term impacts and operational
process and objectives to meet long-term goals.

Planning is a difficult activity because normally the goals that an organisation should pursue and how best
to pursue them – which strategies to adopt – are not immediately clear. Managers take risks when they
commit organisational resources to pursue a particular strategy: both success and failure are possible
outcomes of the planning process. In strategic planning, a company must first decide what business or
operation it is wants to peruse in order to develop strategic plans for the organization. Planning also
involves internal and external environmental scanning to develop objectives to accelerate the business in
some areas and also develop mitigating buffers in areas of treats and weaknesses. The use of STEPIN,
PASTEL and SWOT analysis provides a guiding framework for such approach.

5.2. Organizing

Organizing is a process that managers use to establish a structure of working relationships that allow
organisational members to interact and co-operate to achieve organisational goals. Organizing involves
grouping people into departments according to the kinds of job-specific tasks they perform. In organizing,
managers also lay out the lines of authority and responsibility between different individuals and groups,
and decide how best to co-ordinate organisational resources, particularly human resources.

The outcome of organizing is the creation of an organisational structure, a formal system of task and
reporting relationships that co-ordinates and motivates members so that they work together to achieve

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organisational goals. Organisational structure determines how an organisation‟s resources can be best
used to create products and services. Division of labor and specialty to perform the task is important when
deciding any work at end at any given levels, hence functional grouping horizontally and vertically in an
organization is very critical. This mode of organizing also comes with authoritative powers that enable
managers and workers at any levels and function too effectively and efficiently carry out their mandated
responsibilities.

5.3. Leading, Motivating, and Handling People

The concept of leadership is both a complex and interdependent process involving leaders and followers
in a reciprocal relationship. A key facet of leadership is to articulate a clear vision for organisational
members to follow. This should enable organisational members to understand the role they play in
achieving organisational goals. Leadership can depend on the use of power, influence, vision, persuasion
and communication skills to co-ordinate the behaviors of individuals and groups so that their activities
and efforts are in harmony. The ideal outcome of good leadership is a high level of motivation and
commitment among organisational members.

Based on the three fundamentals of human behaviour which are: individuality, motivation and leadership,
managers direct the activities of his subordinates by explaining what they have to do and by helping them
perform the best of their ability. In leading and motivating the people, managers perform the following
three distinct tasks: Communication- the process of passing information from one person to another;
leadership-the process by which managers guides and influences the work on his subordinates and;
Motivation-the act of stimulating the people so that they give their best to the organization.

Leading and motivating also requires power, as without any form of visible power, leadership can be seen
as a void of character. And power comes from three major attributes and they are: personality, position
and experience. Also the concept of leading a company as well as motivating employees can be
approached in three different views to attain a better balance between work and people. One looks at a
combined-work and people concept, whilst the other two approaches management in either focus-on-
work concept or focus-on-people concept. Broadly Lewin‟s classification of leadership styles
encompasses different realms and approach to leadership, where leaders can either my force or character
perform in action autocratic, democratic and laisser-faire leadership style. Ultimately leadership success
will emanate from their positional power, task structure and leader-follower-relations.

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 5.4. Controlling

In controlling, managers evaluate how well an organisation is achieving its goals, and take action to
maintain or improve performance. Managers monitor the performance of individuals, departments and the
organisation as a whole, for example, to see whether they are meeting desired performance standards. If
standards are not being met, managers must take action to improve performance.

The outcome of the control process is the ability to measure performance accurately and regulate
organisational efficiency and effectiveness. To exercise control, managers must decide which goals to
measure – perhaps goals pertaining to productivity, quality, or responsiveness to customers – and then
they must design information and control systems that will provide the data they need to assess
performance. The controlling function also allows managers to evaluate how well they themselves are
performing the other three functions of management – planning, organizing and leading – and to take
corrective action where necessary. This relies on organisational feedback mechanisms.

6. CONCLUSSION

The learning outcome of this course unit clearly established through this analysis that in order to visibly
manage you have to be a good planner, organizer, leader and motivator, and a controller in ensuring that
the organisation strives in any means to convert resources into desirable output by meeting objectives.
The four managerial functions – planning, organizing, leading and controlling – are all essential to a
manager‟s job. At all levels in a managerial hierarchy, and across all departments in an organisation,
effective management means making decisions and managing these four activities successfully.

REFERENCES

1. Lodato.M.W, 2006, Management, The Process.

2. Executive Development, 2018, Course Material, Chapter 1-5, Divine Word University, Port
Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
3. Allen.W.R, 2000, The Basic management Cycle: A Systems Approach to the Management
Process, Department of Management, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, USA.
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Management_process

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