Organisation and Business Management

Foundations of Management
Outline
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
• Discuss the importance of management and its new landscape;
• Explain how the functions of management are evolving in today’s
business environment;
• Compare how the nature of management varies at different
organisational levels; and
• Define the skills and roles of a manager.
 INTRODUCTION
“A key to achieving success is to assemble a strong
and stable management team”.
-Vivek Wadhwa (2013)

• According to Vivek Wadhwa, an American

technology entrepreneur and academic in America,
the real challenge for all managers today is to build
a strong and stable management team comprising
people with diverse cultural background, gender and
age as well as being highly technologically savvy.

• This means managers who are not able to use the

latest apps or gadgets in their smartphones
effectively already makes them irrelevant for a
managerial position.
 INTRODUCTION
• Moreover, the rapid pace of development,
new advancement in technologies and
increasing number of Generation Y into the
workforce will definitely create new
dimensions in managing people.
• It is also a common phenomena in most
organisations today to see young people or
Generation Y increasingly holding a
managerial position at an early age.
• The challenge today, in order to manage
effectively, is to identify the best talent to hold
a managerial position, whereby the main
criteria is the ability to integrate technology in
managing people and resources.
Management and Its New Landscape
Managing in the New Landscape
As a manager, you should be aware of the challenges that
shape the new business landscape. They are becoming more
and more prevalent in the new business landscape.

In today’s new business landscape, business operations are

becoming globalised, where your business transactions and
business operations are 24/7, provided that you are able to
integrate internet technologies into your business
operations.

Some of the competitive challenges faced by organisations

in the current business setting:
1. Globalisation
2. Technological Change
3. Knowledge Management
4. Collaboration across Boundaries
Management and Its New Landscape

Managing for Competitive Advantage

As a manager, you should be able to
manage your resources effectively and
efficiently in order to gain competitive
advantage. There are five elements that
you may focus on to gain competitive
advantage. They are:
Innovation,
Quality,
Service,
Speed and
Cost competitiveness.
Functions of Management
Nature of Management at Different Levels

Frontline Managers
Nature of Management at Different Levels

Middle Level Managers

Nature of Management at Different Levels

Top Level Managers

Working Leaders with Broad
Responsibilities
• In small business organisations, managers are required to handle all responsibilities such as
strategic, tactical and operational responsibilities.
• These managers will usually develop into capable and well-rounded business minded managers.
Thus they are often highly sought after candidates for a Chief Executive Officer position in a
huge organisation.
• The ability to shoulder all those managerial responsibilities will showcase their maturity and
competency, hence allowing them to achieve competitive advantage in the challenging corporate
world.
Skills and Roles of Managers
Managerial Skills
1.Technical Skills
2.Conceptual and Decision Skills
3.Interpersonal and Communication Skills
Skills and Roles of Managers
Qualities of an Effective Manager

Be both a Specialist and a Generalist

• As a specialist, you should be able to
put yourself in the employee’s shoes,
that is able to be a marketer, a financial
expert, an auditor and so forth.
• You also need to be a generalist in order
to take into consideration every
employee’s concern and job function.
Be Self-reliant
Be Connected
Actively Manage your Relationship with
your Organisation
Survive and Thrive
 Thanks!
Any questions?

You can find me at:

@proffyassin@gmail.com

+252612225577