CANADIAN UNIVERSITY OF BANGLADESH

MTL1105: MANAGEMENT & ORGANISATION BEHAVIOR

FINAL EXAMINATION, SUMMER-22

Name: S M TANVIR KABIR

ID: 22214026
 Part-A

Question-1: Describe Katz’s three essential managerial skills and

how the importance of these skills changes depending on a
managerial level.

The term Robert Katz's three skills refer to technical skills, interpersonal skills, and conceptual
skills. Robert Katz identifies three critical skill sets for successful leaders: technical skills,
interpersonal (or human) skills, and conceptual skills. Leaders must possess certain technical
skills that assist them in optimizing managerial performance. While these three broad skill
categories encompass a wide spectrum of capabilities, each category describes how these skills
interact with management at various levels.

Technical skills

As the name of these skills tells us, they give the management knowledge and ability to use
different techniques to achieve what they want to achieve. Technical skills are not related only to
machines, production tools, or other equipment, but also they are skills that will be required to
increase sales, design different types of products and services, market the products and services,
etc. Of the three skill sets identified by Katz, technical skills are the broadest, most easily defined
category. Technical skill is defined as a learned capacity in just about any given field of work,
study, or even play. For example, the quarterback of a football team must know how to plant his
feet and how to position his arm for accuracy and distance—both technical skills. A mechanic
needs to be able to deconstruct and reconstruct an engine, employ various machinery (lifts,
computer scanning equipment, etc.), and install a muffler.

 
Leaders also need a broad range of technical know-how. All industries need management, and
management must exist at various organizational levels. A technical skill for a leader might
include a working understanding of a piece of equipment: the ability to coach the employee on
its operation, as well as communicate to people the basic functions of the machinery.

Leaders in other corporate roles and at higher levels require critical technical skills. These can
include office-based competencies such as typing, programming, website maintenance, writing,
giving presentations, and using software such as Microsoft Office or Adobe. Office
environments require a complex set of communicative, technological, and data-organization
skills to optimize managerial performance.

 
Technical skills are most important for first-level managers. When it comes to top managers,
these skills are not something of the high significance level. As we go through a hierarchy from
the bottom to higher levels, technical skills lose their importance.

Conceptual skills

Conceptual skills present the knowledge or ability of a manager for more abstract thinking.
That means he can easily see the whole through analysis and diagnosis of different states. In such
a way they can predict the future of the business or department as a whole.

Conceptual skills are vital for top managers, less critical for mid-level managers, and not
required for first-level managers. As we go from the bottom of the managerial hierarchy to the
top, the importance of these skills will rise. Conceptual skills revolve around generating ideas
through creative intuitions and a comprehensive understanding of a given context.

Conceptual skills represent one of the three skill sets identified by Robert Katz as critical to a
leader’s success in an organization. While each skill set is useful in different circumstances,
conceptual skills tend to be most relevant in upper-level thinking and broad strategic situations
(as opposed to lower-level and line management). As a result, conceptual skills are often viewed
as critical success factors of leadership.

Conceptual thinking is difficult to define but can generally be considered as the ability to
formulate ideas or mental abstractions in the mind. Conceptual skills primarily revolve around
generating ideas, utilizing a combination of creative intuitions and a comprehensive
understanding of a given context (i.e., incumbent‘s industry, organizational mission, objectives,
competitive dynamics, etc.). When combined with a variety of information, as well as a degree
of creativity, conceptual thinking results in new ideas, unique strategies, and differentiation.

While all levels of leaders benefit from conceptual thinking, upper leadership spends the most
time within this frame of mind (as opposed to thinking more technically—looking at and
working with the detailed elements of a given operation or business process). Leaders are largely
tasked with identifying and drafting a strategy for the broader operational and competitive
approach of an organization. This strategic planning includes generating organizational values,
policies, mission statements, ethics, procedures, and objectives. Creating this complex mix of
concepts to use as an organizational foundation requires a great number of conceptual skills—
formulating concepts and predicting their effects in an organizational setting.

While upper-level leaders may use conceptual skills the most, all leaders must both understand
and participate in the generation of company objectives and values. Of particular importance are
the abilities to communicate these critical concepts to subordinates and the ability to gather
useful information to convey to upper management so that the concepts can evolve. Collecting
the results of conceptual thinking represents a feedback loop. Conceptual skills are important in
empowering leaders at all levels of an organization to observe the operations of an organization
and frame them conceptually as an aspect of that organization’s strategy, objectives, and policies.

Human or interpersonal managerial skills

Human or interpersonal management skills present a manager’s knowledge and ability to work
with people. One of the most critical management tasks is to work with people. Without people,
there will not be a need for the existence of management managers.

These skills enable managers to become leaders and motivate employees for better
accomplishments. Additionally, they help them to make more effective use of human potential in
the company. Simply, they are essential skills for all hierarchical levels in the company. A
manager is simply manipulating resources to achieve a given objective, while a leader appeals to
the human side of employees to generate creativity and motivation. These concepts of “manager”
and “leader” can be distinguished within a team setting. A team leader who is unconcerned with
team members’ needs or who has a personal agenda that is perceived to be more important than
the team’s goals is more of a manager than a leader and may alienate team members.
Conversely, team leaders who are admired and loyally followed are those who show concern for
the team members as individuals with real needs and who place their team above their agendas.
 Part-B

1. Discuss the merits and demerits of the senior manager’s

actions and explain how they could have acted differently in
the situation.

Merits and demerits of the senior manager’s actions are mentioned below:

There are many merits and demerits of the senior manager’s actions. First of all the senior
manager's actions for the organization below properly:

Merits of senior Managers and their actions in the Organization

1. SENIOR MANAGERS ARE SKILLED AND EXPERIENCED

We heard universally that older workers bring a level of experience, critical thinking, and sheer
knowledge that cannot be taught. In some industries – like the jewelers, embroiderers, and
cabinet and cheese makers interviewed – it takes a decade or longer for workers to gain the
technical skills necessary to do their job.

And then, even in industries with less technical training skills required, like Zarin Fabrics (Lower
East Side) and A & H Harris Equipment Rentals (Gowanus), a small store that is part of a larger
company, it can take many years for sales associates to become familiar and fluent enough with
the product to be truly successful. A manager of a nonprofit put it this way: “Young people have
a can-do attitude — and make mistakes; old people know what questions to ask.”

• International Asbestos Removal (Flushing) owner Karen Grando says, “The experience of

knowing how to get around the city. Where to park. Knowing the building managers. Knowing
how to get the job done right. There is a lot to be said about the experience. It’s like playing the
piano. You can be trained but it’s not the same as playing for years.”

2. THEY STAY IN JOBS LONGER AND TAKE FEWER DAYS OFF

In 2014, the median tenure of workers ages 55-64 in all industries was 10.4 years, more than
three times the 3.0 years for workers ages 25-34 years (US Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Businesses facing high worker turnover – like retail and restaurants which can see 100% worker
turnover in a year – consistently said they prefer to hire older workers who have families to
support or “a reason they have to come to work” than younger workers who come and go more
frequently.

• At Little Wolf Cabinet Shop (Upper East Side), owner John Wolf Sr. said he did not know
how long a talented worker he hired at age 60 would keep working, but that he wound up staying
for another 10 years. John enticed him to stay an extra year past when he planned to retire, by
asking him to spend the entire year training his son, John Jr.

3. THEY HAVE A STRONG WORK ETHIC

Business after business spoke about older workers being the first ones to arrive for a shift,
remaining focused throughout the day, and as people who rarely miss work, even in fast-paced,
physically demanding businesses.

• At Heidelberg Restaurant (Upper East Side), a German restaurant and bar, manager Andreas
Matischak said he strongly prefers to hire older workers because of their work ethic. He
described Hedy, a hostess in her 60s, who has been working at Heidelberg for 40 years. “She
lives to work. She wants to work. I love having her here. I have to force her to take a vacation.”

• At Bridge Cleaners & Tailors (Soho, Downtown Brooklyn, and the Brooklyn Navy Yard), co-
owner Richard Aviles, says his older workers’ work ethic is unmatched. “I find that older
workers take the job more seriously. People who have endured pain in the past feel they have to
prove themselves and get validation from their job.”

4. THEY RETAIN A BUSINESS’S KNOWLEDGE AND NETWORKS

• At Bartleby and Sage Chefs Jorge and Alfonse have been with the restaurant part of the
business, Sage General Store, for over 15 years. “They just know their way around the kitchen.
New chefs can have a hard time fitting in because the same recipes have been done for 17 years.
Consistency is incredibly valuable financially.”

• The Queens Tribune has retained its older advertising sales force even though workers have
voluntarily reduced their hours to only a few days a week. Their older workers have retained
relationships with all of the area businesses that they built up over several decades that would
otherwise be lost.

5. THE PERCEIVED TECHNOLOGY GAP CAN BE OVERCOME

Because older workers did not grow up with computers and the Internet, they can be perceived as
slower or more resistant. Businesses who have expected all workers to adapt to new technology
and provide support versus allowing some to lag, report better success, as do those who “think
about the team,” pairing workers with stronger and weaker technology skills together.

6. OLDER MANAGERS PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN TRAINING THE NEXT

GENERATION OF WORKERS

Riva Precision Jewelry (Sunset Park), a high-end jewelry manufacturer, facing a shortage of

skilled workers, uses current workers to train new hires who have less-than-optimal skills. The
company pays incentives to its Master Jewelers who train others and leave the production line to
make up for incentives they would otherwise get for exceeding production targets.

• At Havana Central (Times Square), a 59-year-old dishwasher sets the standard for the rest of
the kitchen and trains less experienced dishwashers who come in. He is rewarded with higher
pay and bonuses. “There are expectations that you have to be as good as him. You have to keep
up with him,” said owner Jeremy Merrin.

7. OLDER MANAGERS ATTRACT MORE BUSINESS

There are 1.4 million older New Yorkers and 4 million older tourists who visit New York every
year. Older adults hold the majority of the country’s discretionary income and are a growing
customer base for the City’s businesses.
Demerits of senior manager’s action in the organization:

1. Seniors feel as if life is “passing them by.”

Solution:

Seniors often feel that they have become irrelevant. In many cases, a senior’s spouse has died,
and the person’s social relationships may have declined from what they used to be.

In these cases, it’s easy for older people to become depressed or to feel neglected and forgotten.
Luckily, this doesn’t have to be a given for all seniors.

Instead, it’s easy to combat this “disadvantage” by ensuring that seniors are included in family
gatherings, social events, and community affairs. In addition to combatting feelings of loneliness,
this also helps to encourage the development of new relationships and experiences.

2. Dating can be difficult

Solution:

Encourage seniors to join like-minded groups, clubs, and organizations. While dating may look
different at 70 than it did at 17, it’s far from impossible, and many seniors find that they
sincerely enjoy dating at an older age.

3. Seniors often feel tired and worn out

Solution:

While it’s normal for older adults to feel less energetic and outgoing than they used to, it’s not
normal to expect to spend every waking moment of the day in seclusion because of it. Instead of
feeling worn out all the time, seniors can boost their energy by engaging in exercise, eating a
healthy diet, getting plenty of high-quality rest, and spending time with family and friends. If
tiredness persists, a trip to the doctor may be in order, as certain supplements may help boost
energy levels.

4. Exercise and activity can be trying or painful

Solution:

To stay in optimal health, seniors need to stay active. Unfortunately, this often becomes more
difficult with age. To keep joints, bones, and the cardiovascular system healthy and
functional without becoming exhausted in the process, seniors need only to adjust their activity
type and level.

For example, if a senior used to be a long-distance runner but finds that difficult, something like
water aerobics, yoga, or swimming may be ideal. While many seniors assume that aging means
the end of their active lives, it’s more typical that an adjustment is all that’s needed.

5. Seniors often have a difficult time feeling attractive

Solution:

Aging means changes in the body and appearance, but seniors don’t have to feel self-conscious
as a result.  

Many seniors find that visiting the salon or indulging in beauty or self-care rituals that they
couldn’t justify when they were younger (such as facials, massages, or pedicures) are all
wonderful ways to feel more attractive.

6. The senior may feel “out of whack” with the times

Solution:
It’s common for seniors to be confused about Justin Bieber and The Kardashians. Luckily, it’s
easy for seniors to feel more engaged and involved in either learning more about the pop culture
of today or spending time with people who treasure the same eras and memories they do.

Seniors who have no interest in reading pop culture magazines will enjoy taking part in themed
parties or getting together to rehash old memories with friends. 

7. Driving can become difficult or disallowed

Solution:

One of the things seniors dread most about aging is the loss of certain freedoms, like driving.
While it’s inevitable that some seniors will lose their driving privileges, this doesn’t have to
mean the end of an ability to do things for oneself.

There are many ways for seniors who can’t drive to get around. In many cases, public transit
may be a good option. In other situations, a senior may enjoy using a senior-specific shuttle that
helps seniors run errands like shopping. In many cases, seniors even choose to enjoy a nice
leisurely walk to their destination.

While the right answer will differ depending on a senior’s health and energy levels, getting older
doesn’t have to mean a total loss of freedom. 

8. Being away from family can be lonely

Solution:

One thing many seniors struggle with is being far away from family and friends. Luckily, regular
phone calls, Skype sessions, and hand-written letters can help close even the largest physical
gaps and ensure happy, close relationships between seniors and their families. 

9. Seniors are often bored in their day-to-day routines

Solution:
Let’s be frank: getting older can be boring! Luckily, seniors can combat this boredom by signing
up for an art course, auditing a class at the local university, volunteering, or learning new things.
While old age presents many challenges,

it also offers a level of free time that allows seniors to take full advantage of opportunities and
better themselves in dozens of ways.

10. It can be difficult to find clothing that a senior likes

Solution:

Many seniors find that, as they age, their previous fashion tastes don’t work well with their
lifestyles. Luckily, this is just a matter of adjustment. While seniors may not be able to wear the
flared dresses or dapper suits they once favored, it’s easy to find clothing that a senior loves and
feels comfortable in. A simple shopping trip might just be in order!
Based on the different theories of motivation, explain what can be done from a
management point of view to motivate both Nancy and Paul.

Motivation theory is the study of understanding what drives a person to work towards a
particular goal or outcome. It’s relevant to all of society but is especially important to business
and management.

That’s because a motivated employee is more productive, and a more productive employee is
more profitable. Indeed, research has shown that happy, motivated employees can increase
productivity by around 12%.

There are several types of motivation theories which are mentioned below and these types of
motivation theories can inspire both Nancy and Paul to continue work in the Noname Shipping
company. First of all, Maslow’s Hierarchy needs theory is discussed below and relates to Nancy
& Paul.

Maslow’s hierarchy theory:

To better understand what motivates human beings, Maslow proposed that human needs can be
organized into a hierarchy. This hierarchy ranges from more concrete needs such as food and
water to abstract concepts such as self-fulfillment. According to Maslow, when a lower need is
met, the next need on the hierarchy becomes our focus of attention.

Physiological

These refer to basic physical needs like drinking when thirsty or eating when hungry. According
to Maslow, some of these needs involve our efforts to meet the body’s need for homeostasis; that
is, maintaining consistent levels in different bodily systems (for example, maintaining a body
temperature of 98.6°). Maslow considered physiological needs to be the most essential of our
needs. If someone is lacking in more than one need, they’re likely to try to meet these
physiological needs first. For example, if someone is extremely hungry, it’s hard to focus on
anything else besides food. Another example of a physiological need would be the need for
adequate sleep.

Safety

Once people’s physiological requirements are met, the next need that arises is a safe
environment. Our safety needs are apparent even early in childhood, as children require safe and
predictable environments and typically react with fear or anxiety when these are not met. 

Love and Belonging

According to Maslow, the next need in the hierarchy involves feeling loved and accepted. This
need includes both romantic relationships as well as ties to friends and family members. It also
includes our need to feel that we belong to a social group. Importantly, this need encompasses
both feel loved and feeling love towards others. Since Maslow’s time, researchers have
continued to explore how love and belonging need to impact well-being. For example, having
social connections is related to better physical health, and, conversely, feeling isolated (i.e.
having unmet belonging needs) has negative consequences for health and well-being.

Esteem

Our esteem needs involve the desire to feel good about ourselves. According to Maslow, esteem
needs include two components. The first involves feeling self-confident and feeling good about
oneself. The second component involves feeling valued by others; that is, feeling that our
achievements and contributions have been recognized by other people.

Self-Actualization
Self-actualization refers to feeling fulfilled, or feeling that we are living up to our potential.
One unique feature of self-actualization is that it looks different for everyone. For one person,
self-actualization might involve helping others; for another person, it might involve
achievements in an artistic or creative field. Essentially, self-actualization means feeling that we
are doing what we believe we are meant to do.

So the Noname Shipping management authority should follow Maslow’s Hierarchy needs theory
to motivate both Nancy and Paul. Because this theory is a theory where proper needs and
demands of the employees measure properly and take necessary steps to motivate the employees.

What needs to do by the management authority of Noname shipping company:

From the management point of view what can be done to motivate both nancy and paul Explain
below properly. As we can see that Nancy is one of the superintendents of Noname shipping
company and has been working in the role for 8 years. Recently when the position of senior
superintendent became vacant due to the retirement of the incumbent (Peter), Nancy felt that the
position of senior superintendent would naturally fall to her. On the contrary, senior managers of
Noname Shipping decided to employ Paul, a new and much younger applicant for the position,
who in their view was better qualified, but who, in Nancy’s view, did not have the experience
necessary for the job. In this condition, the management of the Noname shipping company
should use different types of motivational theories to convince both of them because both of
them are needed for the company. Nancy feel very disappointed because her expectation was the
management will promote her in that position. So the management of the organization should
take the necessary steps to convince nancy first then they should inspire her to work in the
organization continuously. Noname shipping company management authority should use these
steps to motivate both Nancy and Paul:

 Create a friendly work environment.

 Acknowledge employees' achievements.
 Rewarding employees.
 Positive communication is the key.
  Encourage friendly competition.
 Have a meaningful and worthwhile goal.
 Create a career path.

Through these steps, the organization can be motivated both Nancy and Paul to work in the
organization, and mostly Nancy needs to motivate by the organization's management and ensure
a clear career path that will inspire her to do her best in the organization. Above all discussion, it
can be said that there must be needed some steps to motivate both Nancy and Paul and it is
important to do that. Following these processes, Noname shipping corporation can motivate both
Nancy and Paul.