In this course, we will explore the basic concept of management. We will investigate what management is and the role managers play in the fulfillment of an organization's objectives. In human society, there has always been a need for some degree of management in order to organize the efforts of individuals for the common (and individual) good. Even in very primitive times, gathering food, protecting against predators, and caring for the young required humans to coordinate and organize in order to achieve common goals.
First, read the course syllabus. Then, enroll in the course by clicking "Register Now". Click Unit 1 to read its introduction and learning outcomes. You will then see the learning materials and instructions on how to use them.
Unit 1: What is Management?
Unit 2: The Role of Managers: What Do Managers Do?
Unit 3: The Personal Side of Management
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
define the function of managers; and
discuss and analyze the purpose of management.
Throughout this course, you will also see learning outcomes in each unit. You can use those learning outcomes to help organize your studies and gauge your progress.
Course Materials
The primary learning materials for this course are articles, lectures, and videos.
All course materials are free to access and can be found in each unit of the course. Pay close attention to the notes that accompany these course materials, as they will tell you what to focus on in each resource, and will help you to understand how the learning materials fit into the course as a whole. You can also see a list of all the learning materials in this course by clicking on Resources in the navigation bar.
Evaluation and Minimum Passing Score
Only the final exam is considered when awarding you a grade for this course. In order to pass this course, you will need to earn a 70% or higher on the final exam. Your score on the exam will be calculated as soon as you complete it. If you do not pass the exam on your first try, you may take it again as many times as you want
COURSE MODULES
Put simply, the term "management" refers to the coordination of work activities through and with other people to accomplish the goals of an organization. In this unit, you will explore the various functions of management. Management involves not only coordination, but also planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Over the years, the common definition of management has become less specific, as managerial functions have come to include staffing, directing, and reporting. In modern companies, there are fewer layers of management, as today's organizations rely instead on the delegation of responsibilities and authority in order to achieve goals. As a result, today's managers now speak in terms of "leading" or "guiding" people, rather than giving instructions for every action.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 5 hours.
In this unit we will explore in greater detail the role of managers in an organization. We will look at the skills necessary to be successful managers and the styles of management that lead to the accomplishment of an organization's goals. We will also look more closely at the P-O-L-C framework and investigate how managers accomplish these functions.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 3 hours.
In Unit 2, we explored the skills managers need to have to be successful. In this unit, we will look more closely at the personality traits that can lead to effective management and how knowledge of personality, values, and attitudes can help a manager align the needs of the organization with the capabilities of their workforce.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 4 hours.
Course Duration: 27 hours.