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Combe: Introduction to Management. Published with Oxford University Press.
Glossary
Business Process Improvement (BPI):
A incremental change to processes using
Acquisition: the joining of unequal partners by information technology.
the process of one organisation buying another. Business Process Reengineering (BPR): radical
Administrative management: ordered reorganisation of internal business processes.
principles that guide activities throughout an
organisation.
Administrative model of decision making: C
a model that recognises the limitations of
decision making in ambiguous and unclear Centralisation: level to which decision making
situations when information is incomplete. powers are concentrated among a few people
at the top level of an organisation.
Alienation: negative feeling of separation of
workers from the core values or purpose of an Chain of command: line of authority that
organisation. extends from top to bottom in an organisation.
Analytical skills: ability to separate a whole Communications skills: ability to connect with
into its component parts for study and people through various media to achieve aims
interpretation. and objectives, to motivate and lead.
Attraction: making the organisation the Competitive advantage: A competitive
employer of choice for potential recruits. advantage is gained through the
implementation of a value creating strategy
Authority: power to command or control
by a firm, that is not simultaneously being
others.
implemented by rivals (or potential rivals).
Autonomy: the extent of decision making
Conceptual skills: problem solving by
authority.
understanding complex environments.
Consideration: the extent to which a leader
builds trust and respect of subordinates by
B considering their feelings.
Behavioural theory: theoretical perspectives Consumer added value: the organisation’s
that support the view that particular behaviours ability to position a product or service
separate leaders from followers. better than rivals so that consumers are
Branding: name, term, or symbol given to a persuaded to recognise, buy, and value it
company, product, or service to differentiate it accordingly.
from others. Contingencies: key factors that reflect the
Bureaucracy: an organisational system tightly situation of an organisation.
controlled through the application of strict Contingency: something that might happen.
rules, regulations, and procedures. Contingency theory: that the effectiveness of
Bureaucratic structure: a tall, hierarchical groups depends on the fit between the leader’s
arrangement of human resources and tasks style of interactions with subordinates and the
based on clearly defined roles, rules, span of degree to which the situation bestows control
control, and authority. on the leader.
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Customer Book Title Stage Supplier Date
OUP Introduction to Management Revise 1 Thomson Digital 18 Feb 2014
Combe: Introduction to Management. Published with Oxford University Press.
Control: monitoring of activities and functions Empowerment: the delegation of a level of
Glossary
to ensure that outcomes are in line with set authority that extends the scope of workers to
targets or align with plans and then acting to act autonomously from line management.
rectify any deviations. Entrepreneur: business person who seeks to
Control process: the activity of setting make a profit by risk and initiative.
performance targets, measuring and recording Equality and fairness: the formal and informal
outcomes, and matching them against set means of ensuring that each individual worker
targets or standards. or potential recruit is treated with respect and
Control system: the chosen design and dignity and that they are judged on merit and
combination of elements in a control process. not on race, gender, age, or any other personal
Coordination: process of ensuring that characteristic.
activities occur in the correct sequence and at Esprit de corps: team spirit.
the right time. Expectancy theory: identified values and
Corporate governance: a system of control beliefs that motivate action.
over the actions and practices of managers
in organisations through an agreed set
of relationships between a company’s F
management, board, shareholders, and other
stakeholders. Firm value added: the organisation’s ability to
create and sustain competences that underpin
Cultural awareness: understanding of, and
competitive advantage.
sensitivity to, cultural differences.
Flexible work schedules: the ability to design
Culture: values, belief, and ideas that
work schedules that operate across a broader
characterise individuals or groups.
time dimension.
Customer relationship management: the
process of managing customer service and
Forecasting: process of assessing and
predicting the future.
597
long-term relationships with customers.
Formalisation: the level to which an
organisation sets formal rules, procedures, and
regulations for work tasks and activities.
D
Functional structure: an arrangement of
Decentralisation: level to which decision similar human resources and/or tasks grouped
making powers are delegated to lower levels together into departments.
within an organisation.
Diversity: range of varied personal
characteristics including age, race, gender, G
nationalities, religions, cultures, beliefs, values.
Garbage can model: a model of decision
Dominant culture: a culture that reflects the
making based on the assumption that the
core values and beliefs that are shared by the
environment is characterised by extreme
majority of an organisation’s workers.
uncertainty and that responses to that
environment are neither rational nor predictable.
Generic strategy: strategy for competitive
E advantage based on value adding activities
Employee relations: the process of maintaining that aligns most closely to the organisation’s
effective dialogue and communications with competitive environment.
employees (or their representatives) to maintain Globalisation: the extent to which competition
a harmonious working relationship between in one country is influenced by competition in
staff and managers. other countries.
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OUP Introduction to Management Revise 1 Thomson Digital 18 Feb 2014
Combe: Introduction to Management. Published with Oxford University Press.
Goal: specified position the organisation seeks
Glossary
to attain. L
Group role: set of behaviours a group member Leadership: the ability to influence a group in
is expected to perform because of their position the attainment of goals or objectives.
in the group. Leadership traits: personal qualities or attributes
Growth strategy: long-term action plan for that differentiate leaders from non-leaders.
expansion of new or existing markets and Learning organisation: the ability of an
products. organisation to absorb experience, learn from
it, and utilise that learning for greater effect.
Long term: one year and more.
H
HRM strategies: ways in which the skills,
M
experience, and expertise of employees can be
matched to the long-term aims and objectives Management: the organisation and
of the organisation. coordination of activities to achieve stated aims
Human relations: system of management and objectives.
that places emphasis on social processes in the Marketing plan: an outline of the specific
workplace. actions to be carried out to encourage potential
customers to buy the products and services for
sale.
Market segment: that part of a market that is
I
defined by specified characteristics.
Information richness: the extent to which Mass customisation: the development and
598 a communication achieves a common
understanding between sender and receiver.
design of added value products and/or services
to meet the demand characteristics of a large
Initiating structure: extent to which the leader number of consumers.
defines his/her role and those of subordinates Matrix structure: an arrangement
to achieve goals and objectives. where personnel undertaking tasks report
Innovation: the introduction of new ideas or to both functional and divisional line
methods. managers.
Intuition: instinctive knowledge or insight Medium term: from six months to one
without conscious reasoning. year.
Merger: the joining together of two
organisations to become one by the mutual
J consent of the majority of shareholders.
Moral principles: fundamental principles that
Job enrichment: the design or redesign of jobs
underpin understanding and knowledge of
to make them more satisfying for employees.
what is right and wrong.
Job specialisation: type of job that requires a
Motivation: the factors that encourage workers
specific skill or skills, experience or attributes to
to act in ways that help achieve aims and
complete them effectively.
objectives of the organisation.
Motivators: aspects of work that influence
people to deliver superior performance.
K Multidivisional structure: an arrangement of
Kaizen: Japanese working technique for human resources and/or tasks grouped into
continuous improvement of processes. products, customers, or regions.
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Customer Book Title Stage Supplier Date
OUP Introduction to Management Revise 1 Thomson Digital 18 Feb 2014
Combe: Introduction to Management. Published with Oxford University Press.
Political model: a decision making model
Glossary
N that recognises the influence of groups with
New Public Management: market-oriented different interests, aims, and beliefs within an
focus on public sector management. organisation.
Non-programmed decision: a decision that Programmed decision: a decision that is
is unique to the situation and that requires a routine and repetitive.
unique solution.
Normative: relating to an ideal standard or
model. The way things should be. Q
Quality: output that conforms to a pre-
determined set standard.
O
Quality management: the act of overseeing
Objective: clearly defined and measurable activities and tasks required to achieve and
outcome to be achieved within a specified maintain a pre-determined level of quality. This
timeframe. includes creating and implementing quality
Open system: a system that interacts with the planning and assurance, and quality control and
environment in which it exists. improvement.
Operational controls: control systems designed
and implemented to support the organisation’s
short- to medium-term goals and objectives. R
Organisational culture: A system of shared beliefs
Rational decision making: decisions based
and values held by workers that form a dominant
on consistent choices designed to maximise
culture that is unique to the organisation.
economic returns.
Organisational skills: ability to coordinate
resources and activities.
Recruitment: the process of assessing
candidates’ suitability for employment.
599
Organisational structure: the formal division
Resources: assets available to organisations
of human resources and tasks as a means of
for use in the productive process such as land,
managing and coordinating activities in an
labour, machinery, intellectual and creative
organisation.
abilities, finance.
Organising: arranging resources to achieve a
Retention: implementation of activities to ensure
stated outcome.
that employees remain loyal and that their terms
Outsourcing: arranging for a function or and conditions of employment are met.
activity to be undertaken by an external agency
Rhetoric: artificial or exaggerated use of
rather than by those within the organisation.
language.
P
S
Paradigm: example serving as a model.
Scenario: imagined sequence of future events.
Permission marketing: the process of sending
marketing and promotional information to Scientific management: science-based
consumers with their express agreement to approach to optimising output in a production
receive it. process.
Personalisation: the development and design Short term: from one day to six months.
of value adding products and/or services to Social audit: a process that enables an
meet the demand characteristics of individual organisation to assess and demonstrate its
consumers. social, economic, and environmental benefits
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Customer Book Title Stage Supplier Date
OUP Introduction to Management Revise 1 Thomson Digital 18 Feb 2014
Combe: Introduction to Management. Published with Oxford University Press.
and limitations. A measure of the extent to
Glossary
which an organisation matches its actions with T
actual commitment to agreed shared values Technical skills: knowledge or practical skills in
and objectives. specialised activities.
Social enterprise: a business that trades for a Theory: a set of principles designed to help
social or environmental purpose. explain a group of facts or phenomena.
Socialisation: the process of persuading Time and motion studies: the science of timing
individuals to behave in ways that are each action that contributes to the completion
acceptable to a group or society. of a work task over a set period of time.
Span of control: the number of employees that Total Quality Management: a method of
a manager is responsible for. ensuring quality that focuses on customer
Stakeholders: individuals or groups who needs and expectations by emphasising
affect, or are affected by, the activities of an continuous improvement.
organisation. Transactional leadership: leaders who guide,
Strategic alliances: formal agreement mentor, and motivate followers by clearly
committing two or more firms to exchange establishing roles and tasks for the achievement
resources to produce products or services. of the stated aims or goals.
Strategic Business Unit (SBU): an autonomous Transformational leadership: leaders who
business entity within a corporate enterprise inspire followers to act in ways that benefit the
established to serve an identified external organisation or a wider cause other than their
market. own self-interest.
Strategic controls: control systems designed
and implemented to support the long-term
aims and objectives of an organisation. V
600 Strategic management: the use of theories, Virtual organisation: an organisation that uses
frameworks, models, and techniques to inform information and communication technologies
strategic thinking about the plans and actions (ICTs) to coordinate activities without physical
designed to achieve long-term aims and boundaries between different functions.
objectives.
Virtual team: a team who are brought together
Strategic options: potential solutions to to achieve specified aims and objectives but
questions of how to position the organisation who are located remotely from each other and
in relation to product and resource markets, communicate via electronic media.
competitors, and macroenvironmental forces.
Vision: desired future state; the aspiration of
Strategy: the determination of long-term aims the organisation.
and objectives of an organisation and the plan
of action to achieve them.
Strong culture: a culture in which the
W
organisation’s core values and beliefs are widely
and intensely shared by the majority of workers. Work design: the method by which the work
Styles theories: theoretical perspectives to be carried out is organised and scheduled.
that support the view that it is the style of Work schedules: detailed account of which work
management that separates leaders from tasks need to be undertaken, the order in which
followers. they are to be completed, who is to undertake the
Sub-culture: separate and distinct mini- tasks, and the timeframe for completion.
cultures that form among groups of workers Work specialisation: the extent to which tasks
who are separated from other workers through and activities within an organisation are broken
geographical location, function, or structure. down into separate jobs.
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