Explain this like I'm a manager
Every concept in three to five minutes: a 30-second explanation, a workplace example, the question a manager should ask, the common mistake, one thing to try at work, and a quick check.
Chapter 1 · Introduction to Management and DART
The Five Functions of Management
Every manager plans (decides where to go), organizes (arranges the work), staffs (finds and develops the people), leads…
The DART Model: Why Talent Multiplies
DART is the talent side of management: Direct & Deploy, Attract & Assess, Reward & Retain, Teach & Transform. The key…
Katz's Three Managerial Skills
Managers need technical skills (doing the work), human skills (working with people), and conceptual skills (seeing the…
Chapter 2 · Evolution of Management Thought
Scientific Management
Frederick Taylor studied work scientifically to find the one best way to do each task, selected and trained workers for…
The Hawthorne Studies and Human Relations
In the 1920s and 1930s, researchers at Western Electric found output rose whether lights were brightened or dimmed. The…
The Contingency View: It Depends
There is no one best way to manage. The right structure, leadership style, or control system depends on the situation:…
Chapter 3 · Planning, Goals, and Strategy
SMART Goals
Good goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Vague goals feel safe but give no direction…
SWOT Analysis
SWOT joins the inside and outside view: internal Strengths and Weaknesses, external Opportunities and Threats.…
Porter's Five Forces
How attractive is an industry? Look at five pressures: rivalry among competitors, the threat of new entrants, the…
Chapter 4 · Decision Making and Ethics
Bounded Rationality and Satisficing
Herbert Simon showed that real decision makers face limits on information, time, and brainpower, so they satisfice:…
Decision Biases: Anchoring and Confirmation
Anchoring is letting the first number or idea pull your judgment. Confirmation bias is noticing evidence that supports…
Escalation of Commitment
Escalation of commitment is continuing to invest in a failing course of action to justify past decisions. The money,…
The Four Ethical Lenses
Look at a hard decision through four lenses: utility (the greatest good), rights (what is owed to each person), justice…
Chapter 5 · Organizational Structure
Span of Control
Span of control is the number of people who report to one manager. A narrow span builds a tall hierarchy with close…
Centralization and Delegation
Centralization means decisions are made at the top; decentralization pushes them down to the people closest to the…
Mechanistic vs. Organic Structures
A mechanistic organization is specialized, rigid, and centralized; it fits stable environments. An organic organization…
Chapter 6 · Human Resource Management
Realistic Job Preview
A realistic job preview shows candidates a job's drawbacks as well as its attractions. People who would quit…
Reliability vs. Validity in Hiring
Reliability is consistency: does the method give the same result across raters and over time? Validity is accuracy:…
Chapter 8 · Motivation (preview)
More chapters are added as the semester moves. Want the full treatment? Use the chapter guides for slides, videos, workbooks, and quizzes in Canvas.