BUS101e: At the Inception of a Business, a Business Sense Which Mainly Derives: Management Assignment, SUSS, Singapore

Question 1

At the inception of a business, a business sense which mainly derives from the entrepreneur is critical for the business to be sustainable. However, in order to enable the company to progress into a medium or even large-scale enterprise, management sense should be emphasized.

• Define the term ‘management’ and the concepts of ‘efficiency’ and ‘effectiveness’ associated with management, using your own words. Provide relevant examples.
• In order to manage organisations well, a manager needs to possess three (3) sets of managerial skills. Identify each of these skills, and discuss how it can be used to enhance the effectiveness of a manager. Provide relevant examples.
• The first function of a manager is to plan. Compare the four (4) types of plans that a manager can use.

Question 2

Managers today contend that “traditional hierarchical organisational designs” are not appropriate for their increasingly dynamic and complex business environments. In order to stay agile and flexible in today’s dynamic and fast-changing external environment, organisation needs to move its organisational design from bureaucratic to organic design.

• Demonstrate how a manager could use the three (3) types of contemporary organisational designs in its organisation.
• By applying what you have learned about the six elements of an organisational design (work specialization, departmentalization, a chain of command, a span of control, centralization vs decentralization, and formalisation), show how an organisation can move from a bureaucratic design to an organic design.

Question 3

Mr. Seetoh was recently promoted as the CEO of a 20-year packaging company. In order to sustain the continuity of a business, managing change is essential, and this includes managing new technologies. In shaping the future, an organisational leader needs to drive change by seeing it as an opportunity while anticipating future realities. As such, we need transformational and charismatic leaders who can deal with such changes better.

• Describe any four (4) behavioural traits of a charismatic leader that Mr. Seetoh needs to possess.
• Identify any three (3) types of power associated with the position of a CEO, and how Mr. Seetoh could use his power to influence the behaviour of his followers?
• Ethical behaviour is the backbone of a leader. Develop two (2) ways that Mr. Seetoh could encourage ethical behaviour in his organisation in an effective manner.

Question 4

Recently, some high technology companies faced serious problems with their product quality to the extent that these companies have to recall their products from the market after the initial launch. Your ex-colleague, Mr. Jordan Hee, is in-charge of the product and quality control for his production line in one of these companies. He has approached you for some advice on quality control and total quality management.

• Explain the importance of the control function in an organisation. Discuss the three (3) steps of a control process that you have learned from this course, using your own words; and advise Mr. Hee on how to apply the final step of the control processes to address the quality control issue.
• In recent years, Singapore has focused much on corporate governance for the business sector. Briefly state what is ‘corporate governance’, using your own words, and identify three (3) areas that can help a company improves its corporate governance practices. Provide relevant examples.