1. The Office in a Changing Business World
Chapter 1
Topic 1-1
Topic 1-2
In this unit, you will lean about various types of offices and office workers. You will also gain an understanding of typical goals and structures of businesses, not-for-profit entities, and governmental agencies.

2. What is an Office?
The office is a place of work for many categories of workers
a place in which the affairs of a business, professional person, or organization are carried out
The office as discussed in this course reflects a focus on the many workers who need to understand office practices and use a variety of office skills. Regardless of what you plan for your life’s work, you will benefit from studying the topics in this course and rom the competencies you will develop.
What office tasks have you observed being handled by a manager in a grocery store, a nurse in a dental office, or the principal at Morgan High School?
Office skills are valuable not only in the operations of an office or business but also in everything from managing your personal life to handling task related to many different types of jobs.

3. Offices Are Information Driven:
Creating information
Letters, reports, presentations
Making decisions based on information
Searching for information
Accessing databases, the Internet, the company intranet
Using reference manuals and books

4. Offices Are Information Driven:
Processing Information
Opening incoming communications, photocopying, preparing spreadsheets, orders, invoices
Managing Information
Maintaining calendars, databases, files, financial records
Communicating Information
Answering telephones, greeting callers and visitors, delivering presentations

5. Thinking Critically
What do you think a bank president means when he says “…we are completely dependent on …office employees?”

6. Who Needs Office Competencies?
EVERYONE!
Professionals (white collar workers)
Blue collar workers

7. State-of-the-Art Technology
Exists in Modern offices
Includes Intranets (within the business ONLY)
Includes the Internet (world wide web and beyond)
Includes computers, fax machines, scanners, security systems, etc.

8. Why do you think that being part of a world-wide business activity now is easier than it was even a decade ago?

9. Traditional Offices
Permanent
Located where the company does business
Hoteling
Assigning temporary office workspace to workers as needed
Non-territorial workspace:
Area not assigned to a specific person or task
What about a business that goes to where the customer is and/or isn’t permanent?

10. Alternate Choices: Telecommuting Virtual Offices
the practice of working and communicating with others from a remote location.
Virtual Offices
the capability to perform work activities away from a traditional office setting; has no physical form but allows you to perform work activities as you would in a traditional office setting.

11. Thinking Critically:
What are some problem that could a telecommuter possibly encounter in their day to day career?
What are some possible technology that might be critical for effective and efficient telecommuting?
Do you know of any offices that continue to use technology of an earlier period, such as typewriters?
Why might the latest technology no lead to improved productivity?

12. Examples of Alternate Choices
Mobile offices like those found at construction sites.
Home offices for those who need to be at home, run the business from the home or who are self-employed (freelancers).

13. Thinking Critically
Why would a company choose to have non-territorial workplaces?
Do you know someone who works in a home office? What type of work does that person do?

14. Questions 2, 6 and 7 What kinds of employees need office competencies?
EVERYONE, blue and white collar workers, office workers, factory workers, etc.
How does a traditional office differ from a virtual office, a mobile office, and a home office?
A traditional office is permanent, a virtual office has no physical form but allows you to work as if in a traditional office setting, a mobile office moves when the work conditions move and a home office is space which allows you to remain at home and be productive.
What makes telecommuting a feasible way of handling office work?
Allows employees to be at remote sites but share necessary information through alternate means.

15. Topic 1-2
Understanding the organization to help make sound decisions requiring judgment to successfully complete the work.

16. Types of Business Organizations
Single Proprietorship
Partnership
Corporation

17. Single Proprietorship
Also known as a Sole Proprietorship
a business owned by one individual
may be of any size
sole legal and financial burden
business usually ends when the owner dies or sells
An example of a single proprietorship in McConnelsville might be Ginny’s flower Shoppe, Huck’s Furniture, JoAd’s.

18. Partnership
a business that is not incorporated and has two or more owners
legal and financial burden shared
must be legally recreated each time a partner leaves or is added
An Example of a partnership in our area might be the Christie, Christie Law firm.
Can you think of any advantages of having business Partners? Disadvantages?

19. Partnership
a business that is not incorporated and has two or more owners
legal and financial burden shared
must be legally recreated each time a partner leaves or is added
An Example of a partnership in our area might be the Christie, Christie Law firm.

20. Corporation
a business organized under the laws of a particular state for which a CHARTER* was secured (*written grant of rights from a government)
many owners in the form of stockholder
legal and financial burden fall to the business not individual owners
may be publicly or privately owned
may be for profit or not-for-profit
McDonald’s is a corporation

21. Governmental Units National State Local Department of the Treasury
Bureau of Labor
Environmental Protection Agency
State
Department of Commerce
Occupational Safety and Health Division
Local
Board of Education
Marriage License Bureau
Morgan Local Schools
In groups of 3, please look in the phonebook and identify at least 1 a local office from the National, State and Local levels in our area.

22. Goals Not-For-Profit For-Profit
Provide necessary services to meet the needs of the people
To stay in business
For-Profit
To make money
To meet the needs of the clients
To stay in business

23. “The Bottom Line”
Profit and Loss Statement or Income Statement shows the financial condition of a business
Revenue: income, money or other gain
Expense: financial cost, fee, charge
Profit: the difference between revenue and expenses shared among/distributed to owners

24. Balance Sheet
Presents the financial condition of a company as of a specific date
Assets: goods and property owned
Liabilities: debt; money owed to creditors; creditor equity
Owner’s equity: owner’s share of the worth of a firm; owner’s claim to assets; capital
Accounting Equation: Assets = Liabilities + Owner’s Equity

25. Structure of Organizations
Hierarchical: in order of rank or authority
Different types of employees at various levels of the organization
Organizational charts help visualize the structure

26. Sample Organizational Chart
Board of Education
Superintendent
High School Principal
Teachers
Junior High School Principal
East Elementary Principal
South Elementary Principal
West Elementary Principal
Treasurer
Assistant Treasurer

27. Management Structure Board of Directors Senior Management
Establish the guiding policies of the business
Senior Management
Carry out the policies of the board of directors
Chief executive officer
Middle Management
Direct the day-to-day activities of the organization
Department Employees

28. Employee Empowerment
Enabling employees to make decisions for the business without review by higher-level managers
Movement toward working in teams with all employees involved in the decision making process