BOH 4MO—BUSINESS LEADERSHIP: MANAGEMENT FUNDAMENTALS
Exam Review
Unit 1—The Dynamic New Workplace
 Organizations
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types of organizations (profit/non-profit/sole-proprietorship, partnership, corporation)
organizational performance
performance efficiency vs performance effectiveness
organizational productivity
changing nature of organizations
importance of loyalty in organizations
what can organizations do to attract and keep talented workers
 Managers
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levels (top, middle, first-line/supervisory), flat line management styles
types (line vs staff; functional, general)
changing nature of managerial work
managers of the “past” vs managers of “today”
essential managerial skills for today’s organizations
four functions of management (planning, organizing, leading, controlling)
 Overview of the dynamic new workplace
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challenges faced by organizations at the individual, group and organizational level
globalization/competition
technology
competition
diversity
commitment to people/quality of work life
Environment, Organizational Culture and Diversity
 The External Environment of Business:
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Competitive Advantage and how to achieve it
 Customer-Driven Organizations
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concept of the upside down pyramid
importance of treating customers right/customer service
customer relationship management
 Workforce Diversity
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4 layers of diversity; challenges/problems/conflicts
challenges faced by women and minorities (glass ceiling)
benefits/advantages of a diverse workforce
Unit #2 - Ethics and Social Responsibility
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What is ethics? Unethical behaviour vs illegal behaviour?
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Alternate views of ethical behaviour (utilitarian, individualism, moral-rights, justice)
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Contrasting cultural views (ethical imperialism, universalism, cultural relativism)
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What are the benefits of behaving ethically? Why employees, managers and business owners care about
ethical behaviour.
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Steps to help solve ethical dilemmas
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Factors influencing ethical behaviour (person, organization, environment)
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Rationalizations for unethical behaviour
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How companies can maintain and encourage high ethical standards and behaviour:
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Ethics training (what should it consist of?)
Whistleblower protection (barriers to whistleblowing; what can be done to encourage it?)
Ethical role models-top management support
Formal codes of ethics
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What is organizational social responsibility? (OSR)
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Examples of positive OSR
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Benefits/advantages of positive OCSR
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Contrasting perspectives on OSR (classical vs socioeconomic)
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CSR levels of responsibility and strategies:
economic—obstructionist
legal—defensive
ethical—accommodative
discretionary—proactive
Unit #3 - Planning and Controlling
 Planning
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Steps in the planning process
Benefits of planning (flexibility, coordination, time management)
Types of plans - short-range, intermediate, long range
- strategic, operational, standing plans
Useful planning tools and techniques
- forecasting, contingency planning, participatory planning
 Strategic Planning
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What is:
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Types of Corporate Strategies
- Growth: Concentration (product development, market development)
Diversification: (related diversification, unrelated diversification, vertical
integration, horizontal integration)
- Retrenchment: liquidation, restructuring, divesture
a strategic plan?
a strategy?
corporate management?
a competitive advantage?
 Controlling
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What is the control process?
Steps in the control process
SMART Goals
Employee discipline; hot stove rules
 SWOT – Given a chosen corporation, be able to identify the company’s strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats
Unit #4 - Organizing
1. Explain the difference between informal and formal structures.
2. Explain the difference between functional, divisional and matrix structures.
3. List two advantages and disadvantages of each of the structures mentioned in question 4.
4. What are the characteristics of a horizontal structure? You should know at least 3 of the guidelines
for mobilizing a horizontal structure.
5. Describe how organizations can include cross-functional teams and project teams in their structures.
6. Define the term network structure and understand how outsourcing is used.
7. Discuss the potential advantages and disadvantages of following a network approach.
8. Explain the concept of the boundaryless organization.
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Define the following terms: chain of command, unity of command, span of control, delegation,
empowerment, decentralization, centralization.
10. Discuss the significance of these trends and practices for people and the new workplace.
11. What is a psychological contract? Why is this contract important to a successful business?
12. Define and give examples for the following terms: job simplification, job rotation, job enlargement,
job enrichment.
Unit 5 – Leadership and Motivation
Part A: Leadership
1. How does personality affect the way in which someone can or will lead? What factors influence
personality?
2. What is meant by the “Big Five”?
3. Define the following terms – vision, visionary leadership, power, empowerment.
4. Illustrate three sources of position power and two sources of personal power and discuss how
managers use each.
5. Identify five personal traits common among successful leaders.
6. Describe leader behaviours consistent with a high concern for task and five leader behaviours
consistent with a high concern for people.
7. Explain the leadership development implications of Blake and Mouton’s Leadership Grid.
8. Explain Fiedler’s contingency thinking on matching leadership style and situation.
9. Contrast the authority, consultative and group decisions in the Vroom-Jago model.
10. Distinguish between a Theory X and Theory Y manager.
11. Explain the difference between transactional and transformational leadership.
12. Discuss alternate views of the relationship between gender and leadership.
Part B: Motivation
13. Differentiate between intrinsic and extrinsic rewards.
14. Differentiate between the basic approaches of the content, process and reinforcement theories.
15. Content (Needs) theories of motivation:
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How do managers use Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to Motivate Employees? Describe
work practices that satisfy higher-order and lower-order needs.
Describe work practices that influence hygiene factors and satisfier factors in Herzberg’s
two-factor theory
Define needs for achievement, affiliation and power in McClelland’s theory and define work
practices that satisfy a person with a high need for achievement
16. Process theories of motivation:
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Explain the role of social comparison in Adam’s equity theory
Define the terms expectancy, instrumentality, valence
Explain the implications of Vroom’s expectancy theory: M = E x I x V
Explain Locke’s goal-setting theory
17. Reinforcement theory of motivation:
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Construct an integrative model of motivation that includes ideas of the reinforcement
theories
Apply this model to describe how pay for performance systems should work
Differentiate among skill-based pay, bonus pay, profit sharing, gain sharing and stock
options as incentive systems