1. Describe the role and importance of communication in the manager's job.

• Communication is the process of transmitting information from one person to another.
• Effective communication is the process of sending a message in such a way that the message received is as close in meaning as possible to the message intended.
• For information to be useful, it must be accurate, timely, complete, and relevant.
• The communication process consists of a sender's encoding meaning and transmitting it to one or more receivers, who receive the message and decode it into meaning.
• In two-way communication, the process continues with the roles reversed.
• Noise can disrupt any part of the overall process.

2. Identify the basic forms of communication in organizations.

• Interpersonal communication focuses on communication among a small number of people.
• Two important forms of interpersonal communication, oral and written, both offer unique advantages and disadvantages.
• The manager should weigh the pros and cons of each when choosing a medium for communication.
• Communication networks are recurring patterns of communication among members of a group or work team.
• Vertical communication between superiors and subordinates may flow upward or downward.
• Horizontal communication involves peers and colleagues at the same level in the organization.

3. Describe the role of electronic communication in organizations.

• There are several basic levels of information systems:
• transaction-processing systems
• systems for various types of workers
• basic management information systems
• decision support systems and executive support systems
• artificial intelligence, including expert systems
• Intranets and extranets are also growing in popularity.
• Electronic communication is having a profound effect on managerial and organizational communication.

4. Discuss informal communication, including its various forms and types.

• The grapevine is an informal communication network among people in an organization.
• Management by wandering around is also a popular informal method of communication.
• Nonverbal communication is expressed through images, settings, and body language.

5. Describe how the communication process can be managed to recognize and overcome barriers.

• Managing the communication process entails recognizing the barriers to effective communication and understanding how to overcome them.
• Barriers can be identified at both the individual and the organizational level.
• Likewise, both individual and organizational skills can be used to overcome these barriers.

Managing Operations, Quality, and Productivity

Summary of Key Points

1. Describe and explain the nature of operations management.

• Operations management is the set of managerial activities that organizations use in creating their products and services.
• Operations management is important to both manufacturing and service organizations.
• It plays an important role in an organization's strategy.

2. Identify and discuss the components involved in designing effective operations systems.

• The starting point in using operations management is designing appropriate operations systems.
• Key decisions that must be made as part of operations systems design relate to product and service mix, capacity, and facilities.

3. Discuss organizational technologies and their role in operations management.

• Technology plays an important role in quality.
• Automation is especially important today.
• Numerous computer-aided manufacturing techniques are widely practiced.
• Robotics is also a growing area.
• Technology is as relevant to service organizations as to manufacturing organizations.

4. Identify and discuss the components involved in implementing operations systems through supply chain management.

• After an operations system has been designed and put in place, it must then be implemented.
• Major areas of interest during the use of operations systems are purchasing and inventory management.
• Supply chain management is a comprehensive view of managing all of these activities in a more efficient manner.

5. Explain the meaning and importance of managing quality and total quality management.

• Quality is a major consideration for all managers today.
• Quality is important because it affects competition, productivity, and costs.
• Total quality management is a comprehensive, organization-wide effort to enhance quality through a variety of avenues.

6. Explain the meaning and importance of managing productivity, productivity trends, and ways to improve productivity.

• Productivity is a major concern to managers.
• Productivity is a measure of how efficiently an organization is using its resources to create products or services.
• The United States is a world leader in individual productivity, but firms still work to achieve productivity gains.