Henri Fayol outlined the four managerial functions in his book General Industrial Management
Major part of the middle manager’s job is developing and fine-tuning skills and know-how, such as manufacturing or marketing expertise, that allow the organization to be efficient and effective
The correct answer is “B”, Human skill. See slide 1-37.
There is no one correct answer. It will depend on the firm and it’s industry. Some firms need to spend more time with ethics, others with building a competitive advantage, etc. Students should be prepared to discuss based on an industry they are familiar with.
According to Leonard Maltin, in his 2004 movie and Video guide, “Office Space is a fitfully funny satire of office life in modern-day corporate America, with Ron Livingston as a computer programmer who hates his job and eventually finds a way to express his disdain for his company and his boss – Gary Cole as Bill Lumbergh, a Divisional VP. In the second scene, called The Memo , Lumbergh spends an inordinate amount of time worrying about a “new cover sheet on all TPS reports” There are two ways to look at type of manager. One, Lumbergh’s position in the company is a Vice President. In most companies, that would make him a middle-manager. Two, Lumbergh acts as a micromanager, focusing on a minor issue.