WHAT DECISION MAKING IS

Decision making is the process of identifying problems and opportunities, developing alternative solutions, choosing a preferred alternative, and then implementing it. Decision making is a process—decisions don't come out of nowhere. In making a decision, the manager reaches a conclusion based on the evaluation of options or alternatives. Managers often use the word to refer to a current condition that is not a desired or preferred condition. Keep in mind that in business, as in life, one person's problem may be another's eagerly sought outcome.

In management the terms decision making and problem solving are often used interchangeably because managers constantly make decisions to solve problems.

Managers at all levels engage in decision making. The decisions made by top managers deal with the mission of the organization and strategies for achieving it. The decisions of top managers affect the whole organization. Middle-level managers focus their decision making on implementing the strategies and on budget and resource allocations. To first-level managers fall the continual decisions about day-to-day operations.

Managers make decisions large and small every day. Although the process of decision making is often so routine that managers do not notice it, decision making is a definable process.

 

Text «What Decision Making Is»

I. Read, translate and retell the text.

II. Answer the questions to the text.

What is «decision making»?

How can you characterize «decision making» as the process?

Is it difficult for manager to make decisions?

Do managers often use the necessary word in current condition?

Do managers at all levels engage in decision making?

What do the decisions of top managers deal with?

What do middle-level managers’ decisions focus on?

Do the first-level managers’ decisions concern with the day-to-day operations?

Do managers make decisions every day?

Is the process of decision making often routin

III. Give the Russian equivalents to the following words and word combinations:

decision making; to identify; opportunity; solution; alternative;

to prefer; to implement; conclusion; evaluation; option; current;

keep in mind; eagerly; outcome; to seek; problem solving;

interchangeable; to engage; continual decisions; day-to-day operations;

to implement; budget; resource allocations; routine; definable process;

IV. Give all possible synonyms to the following words, translate them into

Russian and make up five your own sentences with any of them:

opportunity (n); routine (a); desire (n); evaluate (v); implement (v);

V. Translate the sentences given below from Russian into English using the words and expressions from the text:

Принятие решений – это процесс идентификации проблем и

возможностей.

Процесс принятия решений довольно труден, так как решения

не приходят сами по себе.

Принимая какое-либо решение, руководитель организации обязан предвидеть возможные последствия, к которым оно может привести.

В менеджменте термины «принятие решение» и «решение проблем» часто взаимозаменяемы.

Принимая решения, руководители разного уровня часто и постоянно решают какие-то проблемы.

Как правило, решения руководителей высшего звена касаются общих, главных вопросов организации.

Менеджеры принимают крупные и мелкие решения каждый день

Для менеджеров крупных корпораций постоянное принятие решений это рутинный ежедневный процесс.

Любой человек также постоянно принимает решения для себя

лично и для своей семьи. Это обычное явление и люди не замечают этого как правило.

Часто термин «решение проблем» ассоциируют с термином «менеджмент», хотя это и не совсем правильно.

 

VI. Questions for discussions:

1.Do you think that the terms decision making and problem solving are interchangeable?

Do you agree that the process of decision making is routine for managers?

How can you prove that decision making is a definable process?

VII. Can you imagine yourself in the role of a first-level manager of a large corporation?

Would it be interesting for you to plan your daily work to make routine decisions, to demand from your employee efficiency and effectiveness, to solve different problems and so on?

Talk on this topic in your group. Try to show your own point of view on this problem.

UNIT V

(1) «The Work of Management»

All modern managers essentially face three managerial tasks:

Managing work and organizations.

Managing people.

Managing production and operations.

No matter what an organization engages in, its managers will face these three tasks. Thus, managing is more than solving behavioral problems; it is more than solving technical problems; it is more than managing individual work; it is more than planning a department's future. The work of manage­ment is all of these. Learning to be a manager requires knowledge and skills relevant to each of these three tasks.

Managing Work and Organizations. Whether the organization is small or large, private or public, management must make sure the work of the organization gets done and the organization itself is managed. For example, a college dean must make sure the work of the school gets done. Programs must be planned and classes scheduled; students must be advised; classes must be taught; faculty must be hired and evaluated. However, the college as an organization or entity also must be managed. Decisions must be made regarding the organization of the college, the number of departments, the development of job descriptions, aid the assignment of tasks and authority. Decisions also must be made regarding changing educational needs and their im­pact on the present work of the college. Enrollments must be projected, new buildings planned, and funding needs identified. In all kinds of organizations, both the work and the organization itself must be managed.

Managing People. The popular saying that management is "getting work done through other people," although an oversimplification, underscores the importance of the managerial task of managing people. There are no "peopleless" organizations, so managers must know how to motivate, lead, and communicate, and they must understand interpersonal relations and the behavior of groups of people.

The organizations in our society are far more than instruments for providing each of us with goods and services. They also create the settings in which the majority of us spend our lives. In this respect, they have profound influence on our behavior.

Managing Production and Operations. Every organization does something. It may manufacture automobiles, cure the ill, educate, protect, govern, or entertain. The process used to produce the organization's output also must be managed. The term productionfocuses on manufacturing technology and on the flow of materials in a manufacturing plant. In fact, the production function in a manufacturing organization is specifically concerned with the activityof producing goods: the design and operation of a system of people, materials, equipment,money, and informa­tion to produce a product or group of products.

The term operations is broader in scope and is used for the production activity in any organization—goods-producing, service-producing, public, private, profit, or nonprofit. Operations management is similar to production management except that it focuses on a wider class of problems. It includes organizations whose technologies may be quite different from those of a manufacturing firm.

UNIT 5

Text «The work of management»

 

Assignments:

 

I. Words to remember:

 

to engage in – нанимать, занимать

behavioral problems –проблемы поведения

behavio(u)r – манеры, поведение

managing work and organizations – управление работой и организациями

managing people – управление людьми

managing production and operations – управление производством и технологическими операциями

to hire – нанимать (на работу)

to evaluate – оценивать

relevant – уместный, относящийся к делу

impact – n 1. удар, толчок, импульс;

2. столкновение, коллизия

3. влияние, воздействие

v 1. плотно сжимать,

2. плотно укреплять

to entertain – v 1. принимать, угощать, занимать, развлекать;

2. питать (надежду, сомнение)

manufacturing technology – производственная технология (технология производства)

flow of materials – движение материалов

production function – производственная функция

to motivate – побуждать, служить мотивом (причиной);

мотивировать

interpersonal relations – межличностные отношения

the settings – окружение, окружающая обстановка;

регулирование, установка

scope – n 1. диапазон, размах, охват

2. пределы, рамки, границы

 

II. Read and translate the text “The work of management”.

Try to understand the main idea and be ready to retell the text.

 

Answer the following questions to the text.

 

What are managerial tasks?

Do managers often face all three managerial tasks?

How do you understand the expression “managing work and organizations”?

Do you agree with the saying that “management is getting work done through other people”?

What is the role of the organizations in our society?

Who is providing each of us with goods and services?

Have the organizations profound influence on our behavior?

Can the process of goods production be managed?

What does the term “production” focus on?

What does the term “operations” determine? Is this term broader in scope?

 

IV. Find in the text English equivalents to the following words and expressions:

нанимать; сталкиваться (с чем-либо, кем-либо); управление работой и организациями; руководство людьми; руководство производством и технологическим процессом; уместный; оценивать; подчеркивать; побуждать; межличностные отношения; принимать; производительность предприятия (организации); сосредоточиваться на чем-либо; производственная технология; предприятие; производственная функция;

 

V. Try to explain in your own words the meaning of the English phrases:

a) behavior problems; e) managerial tasks;

b) technical problems; f) “peoples” organizations;

c) individual work; g) settings;

d) managing work; h) production activity;

 

VI. Be ready to speak on one of the topics, using the words and expressions from the text:

“managing work and organizations”;

“managing people”;

“managing production and operations”