Modern Management Concepts and Skills.docx

Modern Management Introducing Modern Management: Concepts and Skills 1) The four basic management functions are planning, organizing, influencing and controlling. Answer: TRUE 2) Planning involves choosing tasks that must be performed to attain organizational goals, outlining how the tasks must be performed, and indicating when they should be performed. Answer: TRUE 3) Planning is concerned only with organizational success in the short term, while organizing is concerned with the more distant future (long term). Answer: FALSE 4) Influencing is the process of assigning the tasks developed under the planning function to various individuals or groups within the organization. Answer: FALSE 5) Organizing is also commonly referred to as motivating, leading, directing, or actuating. Answer: FALSE 6) Controlling is the management function through which managers compare present performance to preestablished performance standards. Answer: TRUE 7) Organizational resources are of four basic types: planning, organizing, leading and controlling. Answer: FALSE Page Ref: 9 8) Efficient means that a small proportion of total resources contributes to productivity during the manufacturing process; inefficient means that a large proportion of resources contributes to productivity. Answer: FALSE Page Ref: 10 9) Management jobs vary but management principles are universal. The basic ingredients of successful management are applicable to all organizations. Answer: TRUE Page Ref: 11 10) Technical skills involve the ability to apply specialized knowledge and expertise to work-related techniques and procedures. Answer: TRUE Page Ref: 12 11) Human skills, unlike technical skills, involve the ability to see the organization as a whole. Answer: FALSE Page Ref: 12 12) As one moves from lower-level management to upper-level management, conceptual skills become more important and technical skills less important. Answer: TRUE Page Ref: 12 13) Providing recognition for achievements and contributions, developing skill and confidence of organization members are change-related activities. Answer: FALSE Page Ref: 13 14) In an organization, short-term planning, clarifying objectives of jobs in organizations, and monitoring operations and performance are task-related activities. Answer: TRUE Page Ref: 13 15) To increase the probability of being successful, managers should have competence in recognizing. This involves checking with people before making decisions that affect them, encouraging participation in decision-making, and using the ideas and suggestions of others. Answer: FALSE Page Ref: 13 16) A career is a sequence of work-related positions occupied by a person over the course of a lifetime. Answer: TRUE Page Ref: 15 17) The exploration stage occurs at the beginning of a career and is characterized by self-analysis and the exploration of different types of available jobs. Answer: TRUE Page Ref: 16 18) Career plateauing is a period of declining performance and productivity. Answer: FALSE Page Ref: 17 19) The second stage in career evolution is the establishment stage, during which individuals about 25 to 45 years old start to become more productive, or higher performers. Answer: TRUE Page Ref: 17 20) An organization that wants to retain an employee may need to assist that employee's spouse in his or her career development as well. Answer: TRUE Page Ref: 19 21) ________ managers run manufacturing operations that produce the clothes, food, or other products. A) Personnel B) Plant C) Sales D) Accounting E) Human Resources Answer: B Page Ref: 4 22) Sara is a manager in a food processing company. Her primary function is to see that organizational goals are achieved. Which of the following must she discourage in order to promote this? A) Ben spends a lot of time on Facebook, but gets his work done on time. B) Ted organizes an inter-departmental soccer game every month. C) Ashley's CSR activities for the company sometimes delay her work. D) During lull periods at work, Sally works on her Master's thesis. E) Clare is the top performer in the department, but has no interest in the industry. Answer: C Page Ref: 5 23) The primary task of management is to encourage individual activity that will ________. A) promote the individual's growth B) always produce outstanding results C) utilize the maximum amount of resources D) lead to reaching organizational goals E) always generate the highest revenue Answer: D Page Ref: 6 24) When devising goals for his team to achieve, which of the following points should Kevin consider most important? A) his career goals B) individual abilities C) internal politics D) organizational goals E) employee goals Answer: D Page Ref: 6 Classification: Application 25) Which of the following statements is true for the management function? A) It reaches goals by working with and through people. B) It is a one-time function in an organization. C) It is a series of continuing and unrelated activities. D) It involves and concentrates on reaching individual goals. E) It does not consider the people aspect of organizations. Answer: A 26) ________ involves choosing tasks that must be performed to attain organizational goals, outlining how the tasks must be performed, and indicating when they should be performed. A) Organizing B) Influencing C) Controlling D) Monitoring E) Planning Answer: E 27) ________ includes determining tasks and groupings of work. It should not be rigid, but adaptable and flexible to meet challenges as circumstances change. A) Organizing B) Influencing C) Controlling D) Monitoring E) Planning Answer: A 28) Neil is the plant manager at Serieux Manufacturing. He has just been given the production targets for the month and has determined the activities necessary to achieve these. He now has to decide who will perform the various activities best so that the output will be maximized, and must assign the activities to those workers. Neil is performing the ________ function of management. A) organizing B) influencing C) controlling D) monitoring E) planning Answer: A Classification: Application 29) ________ can be defined as guiding the activities of organization members in appropriate directions. A) Organizing B) Influencing C) Controlling D) Monitoring E) Planning Answer: B 30) Becky's department has seen a number of layoffs in the last two months, and employee morale is very low. This is affecting the work atmosphere and productivity is declining. In this situation, the department manager's primary task will be _______. A) organizing B) influencing C) controlling D) monitoring E) planning Answer: B Classification: Application 31) Motivating employees to perform better so that they can achieve the organization's goals is known as ________. A) organizing B) influencing C) controlling D) monitoring E) planning Answer: B 32) ________ is the management function through which managers compare present performance to preestablished performance standards. A) Organizing B) Influencing C) Controlling D) Monitoring E) Planning Answer: C Page Ref: 8 33) Gathering information that measures recent performance within the organization is part of the ________ management function. A) motivating B) controlling C) influencing D) organizing E) planning Answer: B Page Ref: 8 34) Jacob, an upper-level manager, recently saw a project fail because he did not establish objectives for all important organizational areas during the initial stages. Jacob made a mistake during the ________ stage of the management process. A) organizing B) influencing C) controlling D) monitoring E) planning Answer: E Page Ref: 8 Classification: Application 35) Seth, a manager in a growing organization, believes that creating departments leads to the formation of barriers in an organization. Not establishing departments appropriately while ________ can be a huge management mistake. A) organizing B) influencing C) controlling D) monitoring E) planning Answer: A Page Ref: 8 Classification: Application 36) Roland, a firm believer in management policies, always manages his team by the book. His team members agree that he is more of a manager than a leader. This indicates that Roland should work on ________ his team. A) organizing B) influencing C) controlling D) monitoring E) planning Answer: B Page Ref: 8 Classification: Application 37) Gayle has not established appropriate performance standards for her team. This is a fault in the ________ function of management. A) organizing B) influencing C) controlling D) monitoring E) planning Answer: C Page Ref: 8 Classification: Application 38) Which of the following is an error managers make during the planning stage of management? A) not establishing departments appropriately B) not emphasizing coordination of organization members C) not exploring enough viable alternatives for reaching objectives D) not monitoring progress in carrying out plans E) not taking the time to communicate properly with organization members Answer: C Page Ref: 8 Classification: Application 39) Which of the following is an error managers make during the controlling stage of management? A) not establishing departments appropriately B) not taking the time to communicate properly with organization members C) establishing improper communication networks D) not monitoring progress in carrying out plans E) not exploring enough viable alternatives for reaching objectives Answer: D Page Ref: 8 40) Which of the following is an error managers make during the organizing stage of management? A) not exploring enough viable alternatives for reaching objectives B) not establishing appropriate performance standards C) establishing improper communication networks D) not monitoring progress in carrying out plans E) establishing inappropriate spans of management Answer: E Page Ref: 8 41) Which of the following situations best demonstrates an error made during the organizing stage of management? A) LMN Tree has embarked on a new long-term project. Though the project is progressing, employees feel that there were many better ways to achieve the desired result. B) Vista International took on a project at short notice and wasn't able to go into details of the strategy. As a result, some departments have clear objectives, while others do not. C) The project team at Walton's is dissatisfied with the functioning of the department, but has no communication system through which they can convey their concerns to the management. D) Though DLB's projects are usually very similar, employees have no way of comparing performance as there are no set standards. E) Two teams at Crimson Blue had been working separately on a project for three weeks before they discovered that there was a lot of duplicated effort. Answer: E Page Ref: 8 Classification: Application 42) ________ refer to all the organizational assets available for activation during the production process. A) Supplies B) Plans C) Technologies D) Strategies E) Resources Answer: E Page Ref: 9 43) ________ resources refer to the machines used during the manufacturing process. A) Hardware B) Capital C) Technology D) Raw material E) Monetary Answer: B Page Ref: 9 44) ________ resources refer to the ingredients used directly in the manufacturing of products. A) Hardware B) Capital C) Technology D) Raw material E) Monetary Answer: D Page Ref: 9 45) Capital resources in an organization are ________. A) the net profits the organization generates at the end of the financial year B) the ingredients used directly in the manufacturing of products C) the machines used during the manufacturing process D) all the financial assets that the organization possesses E) the amounts of money that managers use to purchase goods and services for the organization Answer: C Page Ref: 9 46) Ben is a manager at Transit Logistics, a logistics company involved in transportation and storage. He is in charge of monitoring the schedules of the truck drivers who transport the goods. In this scenario, the capital resource of the organization is the ________. A) work-schedule B) transported goods C) Ben D) drivers E) trucks Answer: E Page Ref: 9 Classification: Application 47) Green Energy Inc. (GEI) is involved in obtaining energy from natural resources. As a manager at this organization, Jim must use his resources and strive to be both effective and efficient. To be an effective manager Jim must ________. A) focus on GEI's monetary resources more than its human resources B) expand GEI's capital and help the organization's growth, even if that is not their goal C) update knowledge by organizing training for all managers D) use GEI's resources to attain the organization's goals E) maximize the use of GEI's human and capital resources Answer: D Page Ref: 9 Classification: Application 48) In terms of management efficiency during the manufacturing process, efficient means that ________ . A) a small proportion of total resources contributes to productivity B) a small proportion of total skilled employees contributes to productivity C) an equal proportion of skilled and unskilled employees contributes to productivity D) a large proportion of total resources contributes to productivity E) a small proportion of total human and capital resources contributes to productivity Answer: D Page Ref: 10 49) The more resources unused during the production process, the more ________ the manager. A) inefficient B) efficient C) ineffective D) effective E) efficient and ineffective Answer: A Page Ref: 10 50) As a manager in a manufacturing plant, Rex is not utilizing all his resources during the production process, but due to the high demand for the plant's products, he can get an extremely high price per unit sold and thus absorb inefficiency costs. In this scenario, as a manager Rex is ________. A) efficient without being effective B) effective without being efficient C) effective and efficient D) neither effective nor efficient E) highly efficient but not effective Answer: B Page Ref: 10 Classification: Application 51) Managerial efficiency is the proportion of total organizational resources that contribute to productivity during the manufacturing process. The ________ this proportion, the more ________ the manager. A) lower; effective B) higher; efficient C) lower; efficient D) higher; ineffective E) higher; inefficient Answer: B Page Ref: 10 52) Which of the following situations demonstrates effectiveness but not efficiency? A) Workers at MNS worked overtime for two weeks, but were unable to achieve their target production. B) Managers at MNS aimed to complete a particular project by August, but only completed it in September. C) The manager told Stella to do a report, even though Ray was better qualified for the task. However, Stella managed it successfully. D) Following a number of layoffs, Gianna's team was very demotivated and hence the performance of the department suffered. E) MNS aimed to complete construction of the new plant in two weeks, but a workers' strike delayed construction. Answer: C Page Ref: 10 Classification: Application 53) A manager is considered efficient and effective if the manager ________. A) does not reach goals and does not waste resources B) reaches goals and does not waste resources C) does not reach goals and wastes resources D) reaches goals and wastes resources E) wastes resources on unattainable goals Answer: B Page Ref: 10 54) If a manager reaches goals but wastes resources, the manager is considered to be ________. A) efficient and effective B) neither effective nor ineffective C) ineffective and efficient D) effective and inefficient E) inefficient and ineffective Answer: D Page Ref: 10 55) Management principles are considered to be universal because _________. A) production processes and strategies remain the same across organizations B) employees in all organizations have the same skill sets C) all organizations have the same organizational hierarchy D) organizational goals and methods do not change from organization to organization E) the principles of planning, organizing, influencing, and controlling are the same across organizations Answer: E Page Ref: 11 56) Management skill is ________. A) the specialized knowledge employees require to complete their tasks B) the ability to carry out the process of reaching organizational goals by working with and through people and other organizational resources C) the method by which managers plan for unforseen projects D) the efficiency and effectiveness with which managers interact with the environment outside the company E) a product of the culture of a certain country that is limited to managers of that culture Answer: B Page Ref: 11 57) Robert L. Katz indicates that three types of skills are important for successful management performance; one among these is ________. A) cultural skills B) conceptual skills C) linguistic skills D) time-management skills E) moral skills Answer: B Page Ref: 12 58) According to Katz, human skills are required for ________. A) designing work processes and procedures B) understanding how the organization relates to its environment C) understanding how changes in one part of the organization affect the rest of it D) applying specialized knowledge and expertise to work-related techniques E) working with individual and group interests Answer: E Page Ref: 12 59) According to Katz , technical skills involve ________. A) working with people, both individuals and groups, to achieve organizational goals B) understanding how the organization relates to its environment C) working with people, but not their attitudes and communication D) applying specialized knowledge and expertise to work-related techniques E) understanding how changes in one part of the organization affect the rest of it Answer: D Page Ref: 12 60) Sarah's team is relatively new and inexperienced. As the manager, she needs to motivate the team and encourage them to cooperate with each other to perform better. According to Katz, this involves using ________ skills. A) technical B) moral C) conceptual D) human E) technological Answer: D Page Ref: 12 Classification: Application 61) Nathan is the plant manager for Arwen Manufacturing. Though he does not work hands-on on the manufacturing process, he needs to know the ins and outs of the processes, so that he can guide his employees effectively and step in to help if necessary. According to Katz, this involves developing Nathan's ________ skills. A) technical B) moral C) conceptual D) human E) interpersonal Answer: A Page Ref: 12 Classification: Application 62) Sandra is in the top management at Silica Inc. A key policy governing the manufacturing processes was recently changed, and Sandra needs to analyze the effects of the change on the various departments of the company and predict the effect on the output. This process involves using her ________ skills. A) technical B) moral C) conceptual D) human E) interpersonal Answer: C Page Ref: 12 Classification: Application 63) According to Katz , applying specialized knowledge and expertise to work-related techniques is a characteristic of ________. A) interpersonal skills B) human skills C) conceptual skills D) technical skills E) strategic skills Answer: D Page Ref: 12 64) According to Katz, conceptual skills involve ________. A) working with people, both individuals and groups, to achieve organizational goals B) working with processes or physical objects dealing with production C) working with groups, but not individuals, to achieve organizational goals D) applying specialized knowledge and expertise to work-related techniques E) understanding how various functions of the organization complement one another Answer: E Page Ref: 12 65) As a manager moves from lower-level management to upper-level management, ________. A) conceptual skills become more important and technical skills less important B) technical skills become more important and human skills less important C) human skills become more important and conceptual skills less important D) conceptual skills and human skills become less important E) technical skills and human skills become more important Answer: A Page Ref: 12 66) ________ skills are very important to managers at the lower, middle and top levels. A) Human B) Conceptual C) Technical D) Strategic E) Tactical Answer: A Page Ref: 12 67) In any organization, change-related activities include ________. A) clarifying objectives of jobs in organizations B) consulting when making decisions C) providing recognition for achievements and contributions D) encouraging innovative thinking E) short-term planning Answer: D Page Ref: 13 68) In an organization, task-related activities include ________. A) empowering others to solve problems B) consulting when making decisions C) providing recognition for achievements and contributions D) encouraging innovative thinking E) short-term planning Answer: E Page Ref: 13 69) People-related activities within an organization include ________. A) clarifying objectives of jobs in organizations B) consulting when making decisions C) proposing new strategies and vision D) encouraging innovative thinking E) short-term planning Answer: B Page Ref: 13 70) Which of the following is an example of a people-related activity in an organization? A) Jonathan plans the teams' schedule for the next three months. B) Anoia Systems awards employees who perform well each month. C) FRO keeps track of changes in government policy that could affect the company. D) Faced with a volatile market, Tiffany's invited employees to provide suggestions to change the company strategy. E) Claire monitors production to see if it meets company targets. Answer: B Page Ref: 13 Classification: Application 71) ________ skills involve acting considerate, showing sympathy when someone is upset or anxious, and providing encouragement. A) Recognizing B) Consulting C) Supporting D) Developing E) Clarifying roles Answer: C Page Ref: 13 72) ________ skills involve checking with people before making decisions that affect them, encouraging participation in decision making, and using the ideas and suggestions of others. A) Recognizing B) Consulting C) Supporting D) Developing E) Clarifying roles Answer: B Page Ref: 13 73) ________ skills involve determining how to use personnel and resources to accomplish a task efficiently A) Recognizing B) Consulting C) Short-term planning D) Developing E) Clarifying roles Answer: C Page Ref: 13 74) To help increase her probability of becoming a successful manager, Ruth is advised to improve her consulting skills. In order to improve her competency in consulting, Ruth should ________. A) determine how to schedule activities efficiently B) check with people before making decisions that affect them C) provide praise and recognition for effective performance D) provide opportunities for skill development E) evaluate individual and unit performance Answer: B Page Ref: 13 Classification: Application 75) To help increase her probability of becoming a successful manager, Beth is advised to improve her skills in clarifying roles. In order to improve her competency in clarifying roles, Beth should effectively ________. A) determine how to schedule activities B) check with people before making decisions that affect them C) provide praise and recognition for effective performance D) provide opportunities for skill development E) explain task objectives and performance expectations Answer: E Page Ref: 13 Classification: Application 76) At Anoia Systems, processes remain the same year after year, and there is little innovation in the products or types of clients. This situation is unlikely to change. Most employees have been with the company for more than five years, and are well-versed with their job requirements. Employees have the skills to accomplish their jobs, but they have become satisfied with just getting by and are not motivated to improve performance. Which of the following managerial skills will help motivate employees to perform better? A) clarifying roles B) recognizing C) short-term planning D) consulting E) supporting Answer: B Page Ref: 13 Classification: Application 77) Which of the following is the correct representation of the stages in a career? A) establishment; exploration; maintenance; decline B) exploration; maintenance; establishment; decline C) establishment; maintenance; plateauing; decline D) exploration; establishment; maintenance; decline E) establishment; plateauing; exploration; maintenance Answer: D Page Ref: 16 78) The first stage in career evolution is the ________ stage. A) establishment B) decline C) exploration D) plateauing E) maintenance Answer: C Page Ref: 16 79) Sarah has been working full-time at Eves Golf Inc. for three years. While at college, she worked as a part-time employee at Burger King and as an office assistant for a manufacturing organization. She was recently promoted to manager, and manages a small team that is responsible for procuring raw materials for their line of golf bags, hats, and other accessories. Considering that careers evolve through a series of stages, in this scenario Sarah's career is at the ________ stage. A) exploration B) establishment C) maintenance D) plateauing E) decline Answer: B Page Ref: 17 Classification: Application 80) Jonah has been team manager for eight years now. In that time, his performance has remained consistently satisfactory, but there have been no drastic changes. A junior colleague was recently promoted to department head and Jonah now reports to him. Jonah's career can best be described as being in the ________ stage. A) exploration B) establishment C) maintenance D) plateauing E) decline Answer: D Page Ref: 17 Classification: Application 81) At which one of these stages is career plateauing generally observed ? A) exploration B) establishment C) monitoring D) maintenance E) decline Answer: D Page Ref: 17 82) People in the ________ stage may find it difficult to maintain prior performance levels, perhaps because they have lost interest in their careers or have failed to keep their job skills up-to-date. A) exploration B) establishment C) maintenance D) decline E) plateauing Answer: D Page Ref: 17 83) An organization that wants to ________ an employee may find that it needs to assist that employee's spouse in his or her career development as well. A) promote B) train C) manage D) retain E) utilize Answer: D Page Ref: 19 84) "Managers should be paid more than regular employees." Do you agree with this statement? Justify your answer. Answer: Student answers may vary depending on which side of the argument they choose. Students who agree with the statement can address aspects like the importance of managers in helping organizations achieve their goals and the importance of managers in society. Page Ref: 5-6 Classification: Critical thinking 85) Define management and explain how the four functions of management are related. Answer: Management is the process of reaching organizational goals by working with and through people and other organizational resources. Planning, organizing, influencing, and controlling the four functions of management are integrally related and therefore cannot be separated in practice. Managers use these activities solely for reaching organizational goals. Organizing is based on well-thought out plans developed during the planning process, and influencing systems must be tailored to reflect both these plans and the organizational design used to implement them. The fourth function, controlling, involves possible modifications to existing plans, organizational structure, or the motivation system used to develop a more successful effort. -9 , 4 86) List the basic types of organizational resources. Give an example for each organizational resource in any one organization of your choice. Answer: Management must always be aware of the status and use of organizational resources. These resources, composed of all assets available for activation during the production process, are of four basic types: 1. Human 2. Monetary 3. Raw materials 4. Capital Student answers may vary. In a shoe-making organization the human resources are the employees, monetary resources are the amounts of money that managers use to purchase goods and services for that organization, raw materials are the leather, sole, glue, rivets, etc. that are required for manufacturing and packing shoes, and the capital is the machinery used for manufacturing shoes. Page Ref: 9 Classification: Application 87) Elaborate on how management effectiveness is related to management efficiency, in terms of goals and resources. Answer: Managerial effectiveness refers to management's use of organizational resources in meeting organizational goals. Managerial efficiency is the proportion of total organizational resources that contribute to productivity during the manufacturing process. To maximize organizational success, however, both effectiveness and efficiency are essential, which means that managers should reach goals and not waste resources. Page Ref: 9-10 Classification: Critical thinking 88) What are human skills and why are they important at all levels of management? Which of these three skills-human, technical and conceptual, should a CEO of an organization focus on and why? Answer: Human skills build cooperation within the team being led. They involve working with attitudes and communication, individual and group interests—in short, working with people. Human skills are extremely important to managers at top, middle, and lower (or supervisory) levels because the common denominator of all management levels, after all, is people. CEO of an organization should focus on human and conceptual skills because human skills will help him in dealing with people and conceptual skills will help him in guiding the organization as a whole rather than focusing on just actual production activity or technical areas. Page Ref: 12 Classification: Application 89) Briefly explain the three major activities that modern managers typically perform. Answer: The major activities that modern managers typically perform are of three basic types. 1. Task-related activities are management efforts aimed at carrying out critical management- related duties in organizations. Such activities include short-term planning, clarifying objectives of jobs in organizations, and monitoring operations and performance. 2. People-related activities are management efforts aimed at managing people in organizations. Such activities include providing support and encouragement to others, providing recognition for achievements and contributions, developing skill and confidence of organization members, consulting when making decisions, and empowering others to solve problems. 3. Change-related activities are management efforts aimed at modifying organizational components. Such activities include monitoring the organization's external environment, proposing new strategies and vision, encouraging innovative thinking, and taking risks to promote needed change. Page Ref: 13 90) Why is it important for managers to be aware of cultural differences in their dealings with people? Answer: Learning the cultural etiquette of alien cultures helps managers deal with people more effectively. An increasingly global business world requires that managers who travel be aware of and grasp cultural differences in their dealings with coworkers, clients, and the public. Managers who do not travel also might have to deal with individuals—in the organization and outside—from cultures different from theirs, so it is important for managers to be aware of cultural differences. Page Ref: 12 Classification: Application 91) List any four contemporary management skills that help increase the probability of management success and explain how these skills accomplish this task. Answer: To increase the probability of being successful, managers should be competent in the following: Clarifying roles: assigning tasks and explaining job responsibilities, task objectives, and performance expectations Monitoring operations: checking on the progress and quality of the work, and evaluating individual and unit performance Short-term planning: determining how to use personnel and resources to accomplish a task efficiently, and determining how to schedule and coordinate unit activities efficiently Consulting: checking with people before making decisions that affect them, encouraging participation in decision making, and using the ideas and suggestions of others Supporting: acting considerate, showing sympathy and support when someone is upset or anxious, and providing encouragement and support when there is a difficult, stressful task Recognizing: providing praise and recognition for effective performance, significant achievements, special contributions, and performance improvements Developing: providing coaching and advice, providing opportunities for skill development, and helping people learn how to improve their skills Page Ref: 13 92) Explain the evolutionary stages of a career. Do these stages appear in every employee's career and can an individual's career continue even after the last stage? Explain you answer. Answer: The first stage in career evolution is the exploration stage, which occurs at the beginning of a career and is characterized by self-analysis and the exploration of different types of available jobs. The second stage in career evolution is the establishment stage, during which individuals about 25 to 45 years old start to become more productive, or higher performers. The third stage in career evolution is the maintenance stage. In this stage, individuals who are 45 to 65 years old show either increased performance (career growth), stabilized performance (career maintenance), or decreased performance (career stagnation). The last stage in career evolution is the decline stage, which involves people about 65 years old whose productivity is declining. These individuals are either close to retirement, semi-retired, or fully retired. People in the decline stage may find it difficult to maintain prior performance levels, perhaps because they have lost interest in their careers or have failed to keep their job skills up-to-date. (Student answers may vary) Most employees' careers follow these stages but it need not be so for everyone. A person may never have an exploration stage and start his career as a V.P. in an organization. Some people may never establish their careers and keep exploring newer jobs frequently. An individual can have a career even after the decline stage. For example some executives may provide executive consultation to organizations or indulge in charitable activities. Page Ref: 16-17 Classification: Critical thinking 93) How do managers help in enhancing their employees' career development? Answer: A manager can assist in employee career development by assuming responsibility for employee development. The manager can provide information by holding up a mirror of reality: helping the employee see how the manager views the employee, how others view the employee, how things work in the organization. The manager can help employees assess their career development plans and can provide coaching and relevant information on opportunities. Page Ref: 18