Management Processes
Leadership theories
Participative theory
This theory is of the suggestion that individuals in leadership positions ought to take into account the input of others. Leaders are supposed to encourage group members to participate and contribute in the decision making process.
Management theory
This theory has its focus on organizations and group performance as well as supervision. A system of rewards and punishment is the basis of leadership in this theory, and it is mostly used in businesses.
Relationship theory
This is also known as transformation theory and has its focus on the association and bond between leaders and followers. It encourages leaders to inspire and motivate people by focusing on the performance of the group members. Stogdill (1989).
Motivation theories
Abraham Maslow’s theory of motivation
Abraham Maslow was an American motivation psychologist who developed the hierarchy of needs that comprised of five hierarchy levels. At the base of the hierarchy Maslow put the physiological needs. The physiological needs are the followed by safety needs which are then followed by social needs. Social needs are then followed by esteem needs. The top most need is self actualization. If for instance a manger wants to motivate his or her employees, one should first satisfy the needs at the lower level before attempting to satisfy the higher level needs.
Herzberg’s two factor theory
Hygiene factors.
These factors include remuneration, working environment, job security, quality of supervision well as organization policies. Adequate presence of these factors can result to employee motivation whereas minimal levels of such factors can result to employee dissatisfaction.
Satisfiers/ motivators
These include provision of aspects such as responsibilities, growth and achievement, opportunities and having a sense of recognition. It is the responsibility of managers therefore to learn what employees do in their jobs so as to make improvements and hence increasing job satisfaction and motivation.
Mc Clelland’s acquired needs theory
In this theory, there is recognition that every individual in the organization has different priorities of needs. It is the believe of Mc Clelland that these needs are not present in the childhood of employees but they rather arise after an individual has gone through different life experiences. David Mc Clelland, therefore, established three different needs; needs for achievement, need for power and need for affiliation. Appley (1997).
Assumptions in the typical management by objective process
It is assumed that the organizations set objectives that are precise, quantifiable, attainable, and realistic and time bound. Responsibilities should then be assigned to the employees. The assumption made is that employees are provided with duties and tasks that match their skills to enable them meet the targets. For the employees to be able to meet the set objectives they require a set of resources. It is assumed that an organization is a position where it can provide the various resources that are needed by the employees.
After implementation the organization should be able to monitor the outcomes. This should involve evaluating the performance with the set standards. In the final stage of either rewarding or punishing, it is assumed that human employees who have performed well should be rewarded. Those who have not performed as expected ought to be punished. Cherrington, D (2004). I would term rewarding of exemplary employees as good. Punishment of employees who have not performed as expected should not be the solution.
Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation
Intrinsic motivation can be termed as motivation that results from the inside of an employee rather than from external sources such as reward. Diana (1995). Human resources that are intrinsically motivated perform duties as they find a sense of pleasure in solving the challenges in the duties. On the other hand extrinsic motivation is regarded as motivation that is from outside of an employee. For instance, benefits such as monetary rewards can be a source of extrinsic motivation.
Role of the financial and operations control with regard to the works stress theories
Work stress is caused by a number of aspects most of which are within the working environment. One of the aspects that can lead to works stress is the financial status of the organization. An organization that has limited financial resources is likely to have human resource that is stressed. This is attributed to the fact that employees may not be able to implement some of the policies that require financial resources. Operations in the organization can also be a source of work stress. The failure of having control over operations or having operations that are not effective and efficient is a source of work stress. Levi L (1997).
Organization designs
About twenty years ago, organizations had designs that were formed to conform to an organization being independent. Such designs, for instance, the ‘self contained designs’ required that an organization would not depend on others for its operations. This has changed when compared with the current organization designs. Globalization has resulted to most of the companies relating with each other in the bid to deliver quality products. Outsourcing is one of the activities that are being largely conducted by organizations. Glenn (2009).
Critique of the strategic planning process
A systems theorist would challenge the strategic planning process due to the interrelation of the different stages of the process. By having a strategic planning process, it means that an organization focuses on one aspect at a time. Lusch (1987). A systems theorist would challenge this with the perspective that it can lead to implementation of sets of activities that are effective but incompatible. A systems theorist would be of the claim that efforts should be applied on the organization as a whole rather than in different stages. Focus should be put on the integration of the activities to be implemented.
Significance of corporate social responsibility
It is through corporate social responsibility that corporations are expected to take the responsibility of maintaining and even improving the setting in which they function. It is therefore expected of the organizations that they can be able to do this without any supervision but this has not been the case. Bansal, P. (2000). Organizations that have corporate social responsibility in as one of their policies tend to have a competitive advantage over their rivals.
Relationship between organizational functions and organizational structure.
It is through the organization structure that the functions of the organization are able to take place. Functions such as planning, organizing, controlling and others can only take through organization departments that have been created to form a certain type of organization structure. It is therefore important for organizations to ensure that they have a structure that will best suit their functions. Jacobides (2007).
Functions of total quality management
One of the functions of total quality management is training. This is carried out to ensure that the employees have the required skills necessary for producing good and services that are of high quality. Total quality management also has the function of continuous development. This is done for both processes and materials that are used both for production and for employees in the organization. Total quality management also has the function of evaluating. After an organization has produced the goods or services, total quality management is used to evaluate the standards of the products. If the products meet the minimal requirements, they can then be offered for sale. Schroeder (2001).
Reference:
Bansal, P. (2000). “Why Companies Go Green: A model of Ecological Responsiveness”.
Jacobides. M. (2007). The inherent limits of organizational structure and the unfulfilled role of hierarchy.
Schroeder (2001) Relationships between implementation of TQM, JIT, and TPM and manufacturing performance.
Cherrington, D (2004) Organizational Behavior: The Management of Individual and Organizational Performance. 2nd ed.
Lusch (1987). Principles of Marketing. Kent Publishing.
Glenn Wheaton, (2009) supplier performance management: New York.
Diana Cordova, Mark Lepper (1995) Intrinsic Motivation and the Process of Learning: Beneficial Effects of Contextualization, Personalization, and Choice; London.
Stogdill, R. M.(1989). Stogdill’s Handbook of leadership: A survey of theory and research. New York: Free Press.
Appley, Mortimer H (1997), Motivation: Theory and Research, New York, London, Sydney.
James L (1998). Understanding Employee Motivation. Vol. 36.
Levi L [1997]. Psychosocial and organizational factors: Harvard University Press.
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