Throughout this series of blog posts, my main objective was to develop a meaningful connection with the fundamentals of management. Some people think this can be done by simply reading a textbook, and while this is a great way to learn these concepts, it can be difficult to relate what you learn back to yourself. With this assignment, I was able to do just that.
My biggest takeaway from this is how management as a whole has numerous functions, such as planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. I was also able to learn how each of these functions have a lot more aspects that help the manager. With all of this, I now have a deeper understanding of management and have skills that I can apply in my life now, and in the future.
Thank you for reading all of my blog posts!
- Sayuz
Thursday, December 6, 2018
Control Summary
While the other fundamentals of management, which includes planning, organizing, and leading, are extremely important, control is the glue that holds all of them to the organization. A manager is able to enact plans and lead an organization effectively through the control he or she has. Without control, the organization will have a difficult time accomplishing its goals and all efforts will seem to be meaningless. Another thing I learned about control through this unit is that is relies heavily on a balance. A manager can seem to have limitless power over the organization, but he or she must be able to use this control of the organization for the greater benefit of the company. Control can be difficult to do just right, but if executed perfectly, the organization will be in good standing.
- Sayuz
- Sayuz
Control
The final fundamental function of management I will talk about in my blog is control. Control is defined by Daft and Marcic to be "the systematic process of regulating organizational activities to make them consistent with the expectations established in plans, targets, and standards of performance." (Daft & Marcic, p. 538) In simpler, 21st century management terms, control can be said to be the methods used to ensure that performance is met and all other functions of the organization are working properly.
In my organization, I am responsible for all of the control. It is the manager's job to ensure that everything that needs to be done within the organization is getting done, and that everyone is staying productive. Using the other fundamentals of management, such as leading, the manager plays in important role in being in control of the organization. The biggest hurdle that this control process can encounter, however, is a lack of information. In an article on the control function, Douglas S. Sherwin summarizes the concept of control as "action which adjusts operations to predetermined standards, and its basis is information in the hands of managers." (Sherwin) The key phrase to take from this is the basis of control being information available to managers. Without this information, it is difficult to know how performance is going, and to know what needs to be improved upon in the organization. One way to enhance control is for managers to know what information is essential, how they will obtain that information,and how they can and should respond to it. By knowing which metrics to look at, a manager will be able to be more effectively in control of the organization.
As a manager, it is my responsibility to look at measures of performance and emphasizing which ones are most important to the organization. Similar to how most managers today measure performance, I would use the balanced scorecard method. Daft and Marcic define this to be a "comprehensive management control system that balances traditional financial measures with operational measures relating to a company's critical success factors." (Daft & Marcic, p. 540) This method has four key perspectives, which are financial performance, customer service, internal business processes, and the organization's capacity for learning and growth. Among these, besides financial performance which almost every organization emphasizes heavily, capacity for learning and growth will be extremely important for my organization. An organization can especially thrive if the resources and human capital are being managed for the company's future, and by focusing on this aspect of performance, it is likely that the organization will be able to be in business for future years.
Albert Einstein has an assertion that ties heavily into the fundamentals of control in management. "Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts." (YouConnect) This relates to the performance aspects of control, specifically looking at what measures a manager looks at when determining performance. Although a manager has a lot of data he or she can evaluate, not all of this data is important. On the other hand, some key information has the possibility of not being quantifiable.
While a manager is the one with all of the control in an organization, it is possible for a manager to experience an illusion of control as well. Some illusions for example include setting and enforcing rules when they are not necessary, or thinking you are in control of a situation when in fact the outcome is independent from everything else. Managers must be wary of these and turn to control methods that are actually pertinent. This can be done through feedback model systems and finding out whether or not actions taken by the manager are resulting in successes for the organization.
Control today has two primary methods that it follows: hierarchical and decentralized. Hierarchical control "involves monitoring and influencing employee behavior through extensive use of rules, policies, hierarchy of authority, written documentation, reward systems, and other formal mechanisms." (Daft & Marcic, p. 548) This contrasts with decentralized control, which relies on "cultural values, traditions, shared beliefs, and trust to foster compliance with organizational goals." (Daft & Marcic, p. 549) For my organization, the decentralized method is more important. An organization that focuses its values on traditions, shared beliefs, and trust has a better organizational chemistry with everyone having an understanding of the organization's mission, and their role to achieve this mission. With this method, it is also easier to have continuous improvement, which is extremely important for any organization. Growth and learning are key performance measures, and by working on little tasks to improve one at a time, employees can have this growth and development and the organization as a whole can have continuous improvement.
One vital aspect of an organization that a manager has a lot of control in is financial control. Financial controls tell whether the organization is on sound financial footing, and it also is useful in indicating other kinds of performance problems. In order to ensure relevant financial management, it is critical to see which services are working and which are not. It is also necessary to look at the balance sheet and income statement to see what assets are available, and to see where the organization's spending is going. Focusing on a zero-based budgeting approach can also be helpful in starting over when it comes to starting over and setting a budget for everything in the organization.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
Sherwin, Douglas S. “The Ethical Roots of the Business System.” Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Review, 1 Aug. 2014, hbr.org/1983/11/the-ethical-roots-of-the-business-system.
https://hbr.org/1983/11/the-ethical-roots-of-the-business-system
In my organization, I am responsible for all of the control. It is the manager's job to ensure that everything that needs to be done within the organization is getting done, and that everyone is staying productive. Using the other fundamentals of management, such as leading, the manager plays in important role in being in control of the organization. The biggest hurdle that this control process can encounter, however, is a lack of information. In an article on the control function, Douglas S. Sherwin summarizes the concept of control as "action which adjusts operations to predetermined standards, and its basis is information in the hands of managers." (Sherwin) The key phrase to take from this is the basis of control being information available to managers. Without this information, it is difficult to know how performance is going, and to know what needs to be improved upon in the organization. One way to enhance control is for managers to know what information is essential, how they will obtain that information,and how they can and should respond to it. By knowing which metrics to look at, a manager will be able to be more effectively in control of the organization.
As a manager, it is my responsibility to look at measures of performance and emphasizing which ones are most important to the organization. Similar to how most managers today measure performance, I would use the balanced scorecard method. Daft and Marcic define this to be a "comprehensive management control system that balances traditional financial measures with operational measures relating to a company's critical success factors." (Daft & Marcic, p. 540) This method has four key perspectives, which are financial performance, customer service, internal business processes, and the organization's capacity for learning and growth. Among these, besides financial performance which almost every organization emphasizes heavily, capacity for learning and growth will be extremely important for my organization. An organization can especially thrive if the resources and human capital are being managed for the company's future, and by focusing on this aspect of performance, it is likely that the organization will be able to be in business for future years.
Albert Einstein has an assertion that ties heavily into the fundamentals of control in management. "Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts." (YouConnect) This relates to the performance aspects of control, specifically looking at what measures a manager looks at when determining performance. Although a manager has a lot of data he or she can evaluate, not all of this data is important. On the other hand, some key information has the possibility of not being quantifiable.
While a manager is the one with all of the control in an organization, it is possible for a manager to experience an illusion of control as well. Some illusions for example include setting and enforcing rules when they are not necessary, or thinking you are in control of a situation when in fact the outcome is independent from everything else. Managers must be wary of these and turn to control methods that are actually pertinent. This can be done through feedback model systems and finding out whether or not actions taken by the manager are resulting in successes for the organization.
Control today has two primary methods that it follows: hierarchical and decentralized. Hierarchical control "involves monitoring and influencing employee behavior through extensive use of rules, policies, hierarchy of authority, written documentation, reward systems, and other formal mechanisms." (Daft & Marcic, p. 548) This contrasts with decentralized control, which relies on "cultural values, traditions, shared beliefs, and trust to foster compliance with organizational goals." (Daft & Marcic, p. 549) For my organization, the decentralized method is more important. An organization that focuses its values on traditions, shared beliefs, and trust has a better organizational chemistry with everyone having an understanding of the organization's mission, and their role to achieve this mission. With this method, it is also easier to have continuous improvement, which is extremely important for any organization. Growth and learning are key performance measures, and by working on little tasks to improve one at a time, employees can have this growth and development and the organization as a whole can have continuous improvement.
One vital aspect of an organization that a manager has a lot of control in is financial control. Financial controls tell whether the organization is on sound financial footing, and it also is useful in indicating other kinds of performance problems. In order to ensure relevant financial management, it is critical to see which services are working and which are not. It is also necessary to look at the balance sheet and income statement to see what assets are available, and to see where the organization's spending is going. Focusing on a zero-based budgeting approach can also be helpful in starting over when it comes to starting over and setting a budget for everything in the organization.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
Sherwin, Douglas S. “The Ethical Roots of the Business System.” Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Review, 1 Aug. 2014, hbr.org/1983/11/the-ethical-roots-of-the-business-system.
https://hbr.org/1983/11/the-ethical-roots-of-the-business-system
Saturday, December 1, 2018
Leading Summary
Before I had learned about this section of management, I thought the terms leading and managing were interchangeable. I now know that leading is a critical function of good management, and I have a deeper understanding of all the various aspects of leading. To be an effective leader, certain criteria have to be met. Some keys include: self-awareness, understanding others, motivating others, establishing good communication and teams, and emphasizing good listening. With these factors, any manager can become a good leader.
- Sayuz
- Sayuz
Leading (Part 2)
For an organization to be as successful as it can be, it is essential to have good teams and communication throughout the entire organization. Teams will be important for my organization because it will allow for increased creativity and ideas, speed of responses, better productivity, lower costs, and even enhanced motivation and satisfaction. The keys to having successful teams are rallying people around a compelling purpose, sharing the power, and admitting ignorance. A great team leader will make sure that his or her team has the three following structures within the team, and this will lead to better team effectiveness. Along with teamwork comes communication. As an organization, it is necessary to employ strategic communication. This is defined by Daft and Marcic to be "people talking across boundaries and hierarchical levels about the team or organization's vision, critical strategic themes, and the values that help achieve important goals." (Daft & Marcic, p. 472) Common communication has a receiver and a sender of a message, but for this communication to be of use in the organization, the sender and receiver should have a two-way relationship. When both of these people share information, it can add to their work, and also serve as a way to build trust and maintain good relations. The biggest factor that can get in the way of effective communication is not properly listening. When people listen, they usually only listen until they start to think of what they can say back. If the organization practices effective listening, which includes thoroughly understanding what someone else is saying before formulating a response, then communication within the organization should have no issues.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
Leading (Part 1)
When it comes to management in the real world and in various organizations, leadership is a key concept that will decide either the success or failure of a manager. In our textbook, Daft and Marcic have defined leadership to be "the ability to influence people toward the attainment of goals." (Daft & Marcic, p. 410) With this definition, it is almost impossible to imagine a corporation to reach the goals it has set without a valid form of leadership, which is why I believe leading is one of the most important aspects of management.
Looking at leading, there are many topics that must be discussed. The first one that I will be discussing here is self-awareness. Self-awareness is one of the four basic components of emotional intelligence, and Daft and Marcic simply define it as "being aware of what you are feeling." (Daft & Marcic, p. 388) As a manager, we have the responsibility of knowing just exactly what we feel in regards to certain aspects of the organization. With a strong self-awareness, a manager will also be able to know his or her own strengths and weaknesses, as well as have a healthy sense of self-confidence. As a manager myself, I know my own limitations and so I can be more productive by playing into my strengths instead. By being self-aware of one's own strengths, managers can can put better use of their time and work "smarter" by focusing on tasks that use these skills. Maintaining self-awareness can be done by keeping note of your feelings on situations at all times, and by also realizing what areas you are strong in and which ones need more work. Along with being aware of one's own self, a good leading manager will also need to be able to understand the perceptions and attributions of other people in order to handle any emotions and make good decisions. This can be done by getting a good understanding of what other people feel, and then removing one's own emotions from the situation at hand. By doing this, the manager will be able to make a decision based on the effect it will have on everyone, and not just him or herself.
Other factors of emotional intelligence include self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. Before talking about these other factors and my role in each of them, it is essential to look at the Big Five personality factors and how they relate to me. According to Daft and Marcic, the Big Five personality factors "describe an individual's extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness to experience." (Daft & Marcic, p. 386) With each of these traits, I can safely say that I have a high degree of each one as a manager. Out of these five traits, the one that most defines me as a leader is my openness to experience. This is defined in the textbook as "the degree to which a person has a broad range of interests and is imaginative, creative, artistically sensitive, and willing to consider new ideas," (Daft & Marcic, p. 386) which defines me perfectly. OI am a manager who would always be open to listening to various people in order to discover new ideas and approaches. In a way, this is the essence of my personality, and to manage it, I must make sure that even though somebody states a new idea, I take careful consideration and thoughtful decision making approaches to pick the best idea. Going back to emotional intelligence, I have great abilities in the four basic components. However, when looking at which one might be the most challenging one for me, the answer would have to be self-management. Although I would still say I have a good sense of self-management, this can be my weakest facet in terms of letting worry and anxiety let out at times. I know as a manager I must work on improving this by being able to better control disruptive and harmful emotions, especially when it comes to the workplace.
Tying into the topic of self-awareness, this trait can also help with understanding my personal motivations as a manager. By looking at my own personal motivations, it becomes easier to figure out how to keep employers motivated as well. The concept of motivation has two types of rewards behind it: intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. Intrinsic rewards are "the satisfactions a person receives in the process of performing a particular action," (Daft & Marcic, p. 442) such as the feeling of accomplishment somebody gets when they complete a task. Extrinsic rewards are "given by another person, typically a manager, and include promotions, pay increases, and bonuses." (Daft & Marcic, p. 442) In order to keep employees motivated, as a manager I would use both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. Intrinsic rewards could come as a sense of achievement when employees do their work, and this can be done by making sure that the work that employees do is valuable and useful to the organization. Employees will also be motivated with extrinsic rewards such as bonuses for exceeding expectations and doing superior work assignments. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs can accurately depict what each employee might value in the organization. As a manager, I would want a job that is both rewarding, and pays appropriately, which takes care of the physiological needs descrived in this hierarchy. Next, I would want job safety, and also a culture in which I feel included in. These two relate to the safety needs, and belongingness needs of the hierarchy. Lastly, I would want a job in which I have the opportunity for improvement and growth, which is similar to the esteem needs and the self-actualization needs. I would speculate that most people would value these needs as well for what they want out of a job, and so as a manager I will make sure that these needs are met. Employees must have some sense of empowerment, and by allowing them to fulfill these needs, I as a manager will also give them this empowerment.
As a manager and a leader, it is important to know about the different leadership styles. For my organization, I would be more of a situational leader. This is a "contingency approach to leadership that links the leader's behavioral style with the task readiness of subordinates." (Daft & Marcic, p. 418) I believe that everybody has their own skills and strengths, and so each person will also need a different leadership style in order to increase overall mood and productivity in the workplace. With the situational style of leadership, I will be able to adopt different leadership styles based on a combination of relationship and task behavior. The biggest downside to this approach would have to be custom tailoring leadership styles for different people, but this is also a positive because it ensures that the manager has a sense of what each employee thinks and feels, and can form better relations.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
Looking at leading, there are many topics that must be discussed. The first one that I will be discussing here is self-awareness. Self-awareness is one of the four basic components of emotional intelligence, and Daft and Marcic simply define it as "being aware of what you are feeling." (Daft & Marcic, p. 388) As a manager, we have the responsibility of knowing just exactly what we feel in regards to certain aspects of the organization. With a strong self-awareness, a manager will also be able to know his or her own strengths and weaknesses, as well as have a healthy sense of self-confidence. As a manager myself, I know my own limitations and so I can be more productive by playing into my strengths instead. By being self-aware of one's own strengths, managers can can put better use of their time and work "smarter" by focusing on tasks that use these skills. Maintaining self-awareness can be done by keeping note of your feelings on situations at all times, and by also realizing what areas you are strong in and which ones need more work. Along with being aware of one's own self, a good leading manager will also need to be able to understand the perceptions and attributions of other people in order to handle any emotions and make good decisions. This can be done by getting a good understanding of what other people feel, and then removing one's own emotions from the situation at hand. By doing this, the manager will be able to make a decision based on the effect it will have on everyone, and not just him or herself.
Other factors of emotional intelligence include self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. Before talking about these other factors and my role in each of them, it is essential to look at the Big Five personality factors and how they relate to me. According to Daft and Marcic, the Big Five personality factors "describe an individual's extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness to experience." (Daft & Marcic, p. 386) With each of these traits, I can safely say that I have a high degree of each one as a manager. Out of these five traits, the one that most defines me as a leader is my openness to experience. This is defined in the textbook as "the degree to which a person has a broad range of interests and is imaginative, creative, artistically sensitive, and willing to consider new ideas," (Daft & Marcic, p. 386) which defines me perfectly. OI am a manager who would always be open to listening to various people in order to discover new ideas and approaches. In a way, this is the essence of my personality, and to manage it, I must make sure that even though somebody states a new idea, I take careful consideration and thoughtful decision making approaches to pick the best idea. Going back to emotional intelligence, I have great abilities in the four basic components. However, when looking at which one might be the most challenging one for me, the answer would have to be self-management. Although I would still say I have a good sense of self-management, this can be my weakest facet in terms of letting worry and anxiety let out at times. I know as a manager I must work on improving this by being able to better control disruptive and harmful emotions, especially when it comes to the workplace.
Tying into the topic of self-awareness, this trait can also help with understanding my personal motivations as a manager. By looking at my own personal motivations, it becomes easier to figure out how to keep employers motivated as well. The concept of motivation has two types of rewards behind it: intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. Intrinsic rewards are "the satisfactions a person receives in the process of performing a particular action," (Daft & Marcic, p. 442) such as the feeling of accomplishment somebody gets when they complete a task. Extrinsic rewards are "given by another person, typically a manager, and include promotions, pay increases, and bonuses." (Daft & Marcic, p. 442) In order to keep employees motivated, as a manager I would use both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. Intrinsic rewards could come as a sense of achievement when employees do their work, and this can be done by making sure that the work that employees do is valuable and useful to the organization. Employees will also be motivated with extrinsic rewards such as bonuses for exceeding expectations and doing superior work assignments. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs can accurately depict what each employee might value in the organization. As a manager, I would want a job that is both rewarding, and pays appropriately, which takes care of the physiological needs descrived in this hierarchy. Next, I would want job safety, and also a culture in which I feel included in. These two relate to the safety needs, and belongingness needs of the hierarchy. Lastly, I would want a job in which I have the opportunity for improvement and growth, which is similar to the esteem needs and the self-actualization needs. I would speculate that most people would value these needs as well for what they want out of a job, and so as a manager I will make sure that these needs are met. Employees must have some sense of empowerment, and by allowing them to fulfill these needs, I as a manager will also give them this empowerment.
As a manager and a leader, it is important to know about the different leadership styles. For my organization, I would be more of a situational leader. This is a "contingency approach to leadership that links the leader's behavioral style with the task readiness of subordinates." (Daft & Marcic, p. 418) I believe that everybody has their own skills and strengths, and so each person will also need a different leadership style in order to increase overall mood and productivity in the workplace. With the situational style of leadership, I will be able to adopt different leadership styles based on a combination of relationship and task behavior. The biggest downside to this approach would have to be custom tailoring leadership styles for different people, but this is also a positive because it ensures that the manager has a sense of what each employee thinks and feels, and can form better relations.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
Synthesis
Throughout my studies of organization, I have learned that the managers role has a lot more to it than just keeping a schedule and a tidy workplace. When it comes to organization in an organization, I have learned that managers must ensure that they are maintaining resources, and using these resources in an effective manner. Managers must also take note of the human resources sides of organization. For example, they must know how to build an efficient workforce, and then learn how to manage an effective workforce. Through all of this organization that managers must do, I have learned just how important the organization aspect of a company is.
- Sayuz
- Sayuz
Building Human Capital and Driving Performance
In order for a manager to effectively use his or her workforce, the manager will need to build human capital in an efficient manner that will allow employees to live up to their full potential. Daft and Marcic define human capital as "the economic value of the combined knowledge, expertise, skills, and capabilities of employees." (Daft & Marcic, p. 309) Looking at myself as an organization, I can build my own human capital be gaining more knowledge and skills in certain areas. This can be done through classes that I take at school, such as this one that teaches me about the Fundamentals of Management. I can gain more experience and skills by joining various clubs that are offered, or obtaining a leadership position of sorts. Managers at organizations typically build human capital by finding the best talents and increasing their skills through training programs and other opportunities. To drive performance, further actions must be taken. As an organization myself, I can drive my own performance by incentivizing tasks. For example, I might reward myself for a couple of hours of studying with an hour of a video game break. This can translate directly to an organization with managers incentivizing employees with salaries and bonuses.
Further going on the lines about building an effective workforce, it is important to take note of the changing social contract. In the past, employees could "contribute ability, education, loyalty, and commitment and expect in return that the company would provide wages and benefits, work, advancement, and training throughout the employee's working life." (Daft & Marcic, p. 314) In short, employees were guaranteed certain positions and promotions in the past. Looking at the organizational climate today, it is more likely that something in the corporation could happen that could prevent these actions for the employees. For example, a company might go out of business, or be acquired by another company. In these cases, the employee might be let go by the company. Other factors that have led to the loss of positions in organizations include downsizing, outsourcing, rightsizing, and restructuring. This changing social contract both makes sense to me, but is also stressful in other regards. For example, stability in a job is something that I would value. However, i understand that working in other organizations can lead to development and growth in a person, which is another virtue that I like. While stability is a nice comfort to have, there is a fair trade-off when it comes to the growth of an employee. This is why I believe the changing social contract is not too bad of a thing for employees to worry about.
The last important factor in human resources is maintaining an effective workforce and managing diversity in the workplace. Daft and Marcic state that the key way to maintain an effective workforce "involves compensation, wage and salary systems, benefits, and occasional terminations." (Daft & Marcic, p. 329) I believe that all of these systems hold true, and can be related into my own life as well. To remain efficient while I am doing work, I like to allow myself some sort of wage, such as a short break time. Organizations can also keep up efforts of employees by offering bonuses for accomplishing some tasks. Diversity in the workplace is also important for the culture of the organization. The diversity can be broadened and managed in an organization by creating environments in which everyone feels welcome. Keeping diversity is important because it will allow for new perspectives and new ideas. I keep myself diverse in my life by being open to people no matter what their background is. I like to listen to everyone and keep new ideas in my life, which is what managers do in a diverse organization.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
Further going on the lines about building an effective workforce, it is important to take note of the changing social contract. In the past, employees could "contribute ability, education, loyalty, and commitment and expect in return that the company would provide wages and benefits, work, advancement, and training throughout the employee's working life." (Daft & Marcic, p. 314) In short, employees were guaranteed certain positions and promotions in the past. Looking at the organizational climate today, it is more likely that something in the corporation could happen that could prevent these actions for the employees. For example, a company might go out of business, or be acquired by another company. In these cases, the employee might be let go by the company. Other factors that have led to the loss of positions in organizations include downsizing, outsourcing, rightsizing, and restructuring. This changing social contract both makes sense to me, but is also stressful in other regards. For example, stability in a job is something that I would value. However, i understand that working in other organizations can lead to development and growth in a person, which is another virtue that I like. While stability is a nice comfort to have, there is a fair trade-off when it comes to the growth of an employee. This is why I believe the changing social contract is not too bad of a thing for employees to worry about.
The last important factor in human resources is maintaining an effective workforce and managing diversity in the workplace. Daft and Marcic state that the key way to maintain an effective workforce "involves compensation, wage and salary systems, benefits, and occasional terminations." (Daft & Marcic, p. 329) I believe that all of these systems hold true, and can be related into my own life as well. To remain efficient while I am doing work, I like to allow myself some sort of wage, such as a short break time. Organizations can also keep up efforts of employees by offering bonuses for accomplishing some tasks. Diversity in the workplace is also important for the culture of the organization. The diversity can be broadened and managed in an organization by creating environments in which everyone feels welcome. Keeping diversity is important because it will allow for new perspectives and new ideas. I keep myself diverse in my life by being open to people no matter what their background is. I like to listen to everyone and keep new ideas in my life, which is what managers do in a diverse organization.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
Creativity
Growing up, I was always a creative child. My creativity first appeared in school with my art work in early elementary school. At home, this would also translate to building cool structures out of Legos, as well as building my own Hot Wheels tracks. Looking a little further down the line, my creativity came out in the form of music. I played both guitar and violin from an early age, and I would frequently do a little improvisation with various chords until I found a group of them that sounded good together. Now, I like to write my own lyrics to rap over beats. I am also very interested in coding, and my efforts with making programs are a bit more creative than other people's. In fact, when I am tasked with a programming objective, I like to think of various approaches before I start to code my idea.
Creativity is an important virtue in any organization. As Daft and Marcic have stated, more and more organizations have been trying to build creativity by allowing "an internal culture of playfulness, freedom, challenge, and grass-roots participation." (Daft & Marcic, p. 281) In fact, managers at Google have even allowed employees to spend 20 percent of their time working on any project they choose so that creativity will remain alive. An abundance of creativity will allow new ideas and technologies to become established in this world, which will make life easier and can allow for further efficiency as well. By remaining creative, new innovations will continue to come about, and this world will evolve for the better.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
Creativity is an important virtue in any organization. As Daft and Marcic have stated, more and more organizations have been trying to build creativity by allowing "an internal culture of playfulness, freedom, challenge, and grass-roots participation." (Daft & Marcic, p. 281) In fact, managers at Google have even allowed employees to spend 20 percent of their time working on any project they choose so that creativity will remain alive. An abundance of creativity will allow new ideas and technologies to become established in this world, which will make life easier and can allow for further efficiency as well. By remaining creative, new innovations will continue to come about, and this world will evolve for the better.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
New Ideas or Behaviors
Growing up, I have always kept an open ear for new ideas. I believe that sometimes the best idea lies in the mind of someone other than yourself. I have always lived in diverse towns, which includes hearing all sorts of different ideas. In some instances, I will agree with what I have heard and be thankful that I was able to hear this idea, since I might not have came up with it myself. In my courses at university, I am exposed to new ideas on a daily basis.
Being able to listen to new ideas and even adopt some is a critical skill every successful manager has. Managerial implications of listening to new ideas include having a more efficient time running an organization. Since the manager of an organization is most in charge of implementing new ideas, it is important for a manager to be open to these ideas. This will also lead to a more inclusive feel for the employees as they will feel like their opinions are being heard.
As a manager myself, just because I am open to new ideas from other sources, this does not mean I would implement any idea thrown at me. It is important to think and discuss all of these ideas, but if the person proposing the idea has background information on what the implications of these new ideas could be, then it would be easier for me as a manager to accept and implement these ideas.
When it comes to change in any circumstance, whether it is a change in personal routine or one in an organization, it is important to critically analyze what effects this change could have. Daft and Marcic believe that "implementing change is typically one of the most difficult aspects of management," (Daft & Marcic, p. 291) and this is true because some managers are especially resistant to change. Daft and Marcic share a similar viewpoint as me when they state that the main reasons for resistance to change to be a lack of understanding, varying goals, and uncertainty. (Daft & Marcic, p. 292) Looking at these reasons, the biggest underlying factor for my resistance to change is a lack if==of understanding. If I do not have any knowledge about the outcomes that a certain decision will bring, then I would be more hesitant to take that action. However, with enough background information on actions, I will be more susceptible to making changes.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
Being able to listen to new ideas and even adopt some is a critical skill every successful manager has. Managerial implications of listening to new ideas include having a more efficient time running an organization. Since the manager of an organization is most in charge of implementing new ideas, it is important for a manager to be open to these ideas. This will also lead to a more inclusive feel for the employees as they will feel like their opinions are being heard.
As a manager myself, just because I am open to new ideas from other sources, this does not mean I would implement any idea thrown at me. It is important to think and discuss all of these ideas, but if the person proposing the idea has background information on what the implications of these new ideas could be, then it would be easier for me as a manager to accept and implement these ideas.
When it comes to change in any circumstance, whether it is a change in personal routine or one in an organization, it is important to critically analyze what effects this change could have. Daft and Marcic believe that "implementing change is typically one of the most difficult aspects of management," (Daft & Marcic, p. 291) and this is true because some managers are especially resistant to change. Daft and Marcic share a similar viewpoint as me when they state that the main reasons for resistance to change to be a lack of understanding, varying goals, and uncertainty. (Daft & Marcic, p. 292) Looking at these reasons, the biggest underlying factor for my resistance to change is a lack if==of understanding. If I do not have any knowledge about the outcomes that a certain decision will bring, then I would be more hesitant to take that action. However, with enough background information on actions, I will be more susceptible to making changes.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
My Resources
Going back to the definition of organizing, one of the aspects of the definition is the deployment of organizational resources. As the manager of my organization, I will have to deploy my available resources in such a way that I can efficiently and effectively accomplish my plans and goals. Looking at what I am best at, I can say that I like to approach objectives from numerous different angles, which gives me a cross-functional way of deploying my resources. When working on a task at hand, instead of using only one resources, I like to use a combination in order to efficiently accomplish the task. For example, in school when I am working on programming assignments, most of my peers mostly use their knowledge as a big resource. I on the other hand like to combine this resource with that of creativity, so that I might find a solution that is more efficient. By using cross-functional resources, I am not limited to creating solutions just one specific way. In fact, this deployment strategy assists in furthering my thinking and finding solutions I might not have thought of before. This is similar to how Daft and Marcic explain cross-functional teams in the organization of a company. Daft and Marcic describe how these teams consist of employees from various functional departments and resolve mutual problems. (Daft & Marcic, p. 255-256) Through the use of this team, resources are not being limited to only the knowledge of one department, but rather the knowledge from various different fields.
Although this seems like a set plan when it comes to deploying these resources, I know that there will come times in which something might get in the way of this plan. For example, matrix approaches can lead to frustration and confusion from dual chain of command, which can result in many meetings with more discussion than actions. (Daft & Marcic, p. 258) Since I am the only one in the organization, this will not be a problem for me, since I will be making all of the decisions myself. When looking at other structural approaches, such as the divisional approach, it will be more difficult to cope or guard against the disadvantages. Some of these disadvantages include "less technical depth and specialization." (Daft & Marcic, p. 258) In order to cope with this, I will need to recognize when there is a need for further specialization. In these cases, I will have to shift what resources I am using, and in some instances use more of one resource than another. This goes to show that one way to cope against disadvantages of deploying resources includes flexibility. I need to acknowledge that there is more than one way to accomplish tasks, and some ways might involve shifting my resources to focus more heavily on one. I know through doing this, I will be able to effectively cope with any resource deployment problems that may arise.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
Although this seems like a set plan when it comes to deploying these resources, I know that there will come times in which something might get in the way of this plan. For example, matrix approaches can lead to frustration and confusion from dual chain of command, which can result in many meetings with more discussion than actions. (Daft & Marcic, p. 258) Since I am the only one in the organization, this will not be a problem for me, since I will be making all of the decisions myself. When looking at other structural approaches, such as the divisional approach, it will be more difficult to cope or guard against the disadvantages. Some of these disadvantages include "less technical depth and specialization." (Daft & Marcic, p. 258) In order to cope with this, I will need to recognize when there is a need for further specialization. In these cases, I will have to shift what resources I am using, and in some instances use more of one resource than another. This goes to show that one way to cope against disadvantages of deploying resources includes flexibility. I need to acknowledge that there is more than one way to accomplish tasks, and some ways might involve shifting my resources to focus more heavily on one. I know through doing this, I will be able to effectively cope with any resource deployment problems that may arise.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
Organization
A large factor when it comes to efficient management is the organization of how a company is handled. Daft and Marcic define organizing to be "the deployment of organizational resources to achieve strategic goals." (Daft & Marcic, p. 244) Since organization is a key tool for managers, there are numerous different organizing principles, as well as concepts. Using these organizing principles we can form an organizational structure. Looking at myself as both the manager, and all aspects of the organization, I am organized in a very high central authoritarian way. This is simply because as the manager of myself, I make all of the decisions that I will enact upon. Another factor in the organization of a company is the departmentalization of it. This is defined by Daft and Marcic to be "the basis for grouping positions into departments and departments into total organization." (Daft & Marcic, p. 250) Among the numerous types of decentralization approaches, I believe I follow most closely to the matrix approach, which takes aspects from both the functional and the divisional structures simultaneously. I am involved in various different activities, such as schoolwork, jobs, and extra-curricular activities. While these can be seen as divisional groupings because of how each activity is within its own sub-group, it turns out that some of the skills needed for one activity can be shared with another. This is why I believe as an organization, I follow the matrix approach of organizing and decentralization.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Summary and Synthesis
After studying the fundamentals of planning and applying them to my own life, the biggest take-away for me is just how important the planning process of goal setting and achieving is. This applies both to an organization, as well as to my own goals. I have described numerous different planning methods, along with what these plans look like in regards to my own, which helps give me a basis to go into when trying to accomplish my goal. Since I have plans of action to follow, I have no doubt that I will be able to successfully accomplish my goal, as well as any other goals that I set in the future.
- Sayuz
- Sayuz
Bad Decision Making
Since there are many opportunities in ones life to make decisions, there will come times when a bad decision is made. While one will always be faced with the potential to make a bad decision, these decisions are easier to avoid with some knowledge about why these decisions are made. According to Daft and Marcic, there are factors to know about that can help avoid these, such as, "being influenced by initial impressions, justifying past decisions, seeing what you want to see, perpetuating the status quo, being influenced by problem framing, and overconfidence." (Daft and Marcic, p. 227-228) The biggest of these factors for myself to take account of is overconfidence. There have been times in the past where I was fully confident that I understood all of the implications of a choice, only to realize later that I failed to think about other factors. To combat this, I know I will have to take more time when making important decisions, as well as listen to the ideas of more people so as I have more information about the problem at hand. By translating these managerial decision making factors into my own life, I know that I will have more success in avoiding making bad decisions.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
Decision Making Model
Managers have a bevy of different decision making models to assist them with running an organization. These models include the classical model, administrative model, and political model. My preferred model for decision making out of these three is the classical model, which is defined to be "based on rational economic assumptions and manager beliefs about what ideal decision making should be." (Daft & Marcic, p. 217) This model follows four underlying assumptions that focus heavily on what I emphasized about the way that I choose to make decisions in my previous post. Primarily, this model follows logic and makes rational decisions that are well formulated and thought through. Although this is seen as the ideal, rational model for most managers and organizations to follow, it is often unattainable in the real world. The biggest weakness of this model is that it does not necessarily describe how managers actually make their decisions, but instead it emphasizes how they should make them. I do not think this is that difficult to overcome because since I am in charge of my own decisions and decision making process, I am able to more effectively follow this model. Moreover, this model can serve as a guideline for decision making in organizations, which will help with the success of the organization.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
Programmed v. Non-programmed
For managers, most of their decisions turn out to be in one of two categories: programmed and non-programmed. Daft and Marcic define programmed decisions to "involve situations that have occurred often enough to enable decision rules to be developed and applied in the future." (Daft & Marcic, p. 214) In this case, programmed decisions are those that typically are routine decisions and do not have as large of implications as a non-programmed decision would. Non-programmed decisions are defined as being "made in response to situations that are unique, are poorly defined and largely unstructured, and have important consequences for the organization." (Daft & Marcic, p. 214-215)
Looking at my own life and the decisions I have to make, I would say I have a fair balance of both programmed and non-programmed decisions I make. For the most part, it seems that my non-programmed decisions have bigger factors for uncertainty in terms of implications that could come from it, so these are the decisions that I spend more time making. For instance, some non-programmed decisions I will need to make include what classes I want to take to further strengthen my skills, or what company I want to work for when I graduate. Since I like to keep myself fairly organized and my life scheduled, I do make a great deal of programmed decisions as well such as knowing that I need to spend certain hours a day studying for a test, or knowing when to start my assignments so that I get them done in a timely manner.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
Looking at my own life and the decisions I have to make, I would say I have a fair balance of both programmed and non-programmed decisions I make. For the most part, it seems that my non-programmed decisions have bigger factors for uncertainty in terms of implications that could come from it, so these are the decisions that I spend more time making. For instance, some non-programmed decisions I will need to make include what classes I want to take to further strengthen my skills, or what company I want to work for when I graduate. Since I like to keep myself fairly organized and my life scheduled, I do make a great deal of programmed decisions as well such as knowing that I need to spend certain hours a day studying for a test, or knowing when to start my assignments so that I get them done in a timely manner.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
Decision Making Approach
In the organizational world, managers are tasked with making decisions all the time. As the manager of my own organization, I will more often than not have to make decisions myself that could either positively or negatively impact me and my surroundings. In the words of Daft and Marcic, "decision making is the process of identifying problems and opportunities and then resolving them." (Daft & Marcic, p. 214) Below, I will state my approach to decision making.
When it comes to making important decisions, I do not rush into one choice right away. Surely easy things such as what I want to eat for lunch can be decided on the spot, but decisions that have a greater impact on me, my future, and those around me are treated with much more thinking. When having to make a decision, I like to be able to find out more than one scenario in dealing with a certain problem. I greatly value the ideas of others, because I believe that there is always someone who knows a little bit more about the topic than yourselves. James Ryan once said in his Harvard Business Review, "We listen just long enough to form a quick opinion, and then we either endorse or oppose what has been said." (Ryan) By opening myself up to the thoughts that other people might have, I am allowing myself to think critically about my choices. By seeking out all of the information about my decision and all of the implications that come with it, I will have a greater understanding about what path to take. Daft and Marcic once said that managers must take accountability for their actions in order to be a great manager, and likewise, once I come to a decision, I will take on full accountability for the repercussions of it. Another factor that defines my decision making process is that once I make a decision, I will stand by it. At the point where I make a decision, I will be firm in my belief in it being the best choice because I will have done numerous evaluations and applied a lot of critical thinking to my choices.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
Ryan, James E. “5 Questions Leaders Should Be Asking All the Time.” Harvard Business Review, 29 Aug. 2017, hbr.org/2017/04/5-questions-leaders-should-be-asking-all-the-time?utm_campaign=hbr&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social.
When it comes to making important decisions, I do not rush into one choice right away. Surely easy things such as what I want to eat for lunch can be decided on the spot, but decisions that have a greater impact on me, my future, and those around me are treated with much more thinking. When having to make a decision, I like to be able to find out more than one scenario in dealing with a certain problem. I greatly value the ideas of others, because I believe that there is always someone who knows a little bit more about the topic than yourselves. James Ryan once said in his Harvard Business Review, "We listen just long enough to form a quick opinion, and then we either endorse or oppose what has been said." (Ryan) By opening myself up to the thoughts that other people might have, I am allowing myself to think critically about my choices. By seeking out all of the information about my decision and all of the implications that come with it, I will have a greater understanding about what path to take. Daft and Marcic once said that managers must take accountability for their actions in order to be a great manager, and likewise, once I come to a decision, I will take on full accountability for the repercussions of it. Another factor that defines my decision making process is that once I make a decision, I will stand by it. At the point where I make a decision, I will be firm in my belief in it being the best choice because I will have done numerous evaluations and applied a lot of critical thinking to my choices.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
Ryan, James E. “5 Questions Leaders Should Be Asking All the Time.” Harvard Business Review, 29 Aug. 2017, hbr.org/2017/04/5-questions-leaders-should-be-asking-all-the-time?utm_campaign=hbr&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social.
Environmental Implications
Although I have a goal in place with different plans set to help me accomplish it, unexpected situations can happen at a moments notice in the real world. For organizations, sudden changes in the corporate environment can play a big factor into totally skewing pre-existing plans. Likewise, the same can happen to me on a smaller scale. According to Daft and Marcic, organizations take precautions to avoid steering too far off course with things such as contingency plans, scenario building, and crisis planning. (Daft & Marcic, p. 172-174)
I know that there is a great possibility of an event that comes up that can hinder my plans, so like a manager would, I know that I have to form contingency plans in order to get back on track. Daft and Marcic state contingency plans to "define company responses to be taken in the case of emergencies, setbacks, or unexpected conditions." (Daft & Marcic, p. 172) To avoid these setbacks being too great of a hurdle, I will have to come up with secondary plans if my previous ones fail. For example, if I cannot get any internships in Minneapolis next summer, I have a contingency plan of doing the same internship I did in Kansas City last year, next summer.
By making other plans in case of emergencies, I am making sure that I do not stray too off course from my goal. Similar to how these actions have an effect in organizations, I believe this is the best way to sustain goals and plans in a turbulent environment.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
Plans
As I mentioned in my earlier blog post, every goal needs planning to be achieved. I also touched upon three different types of plans that I will rely on, but I will go into further details about these plans in this post.
Strategic Plan:
My strategic plan is to graduate in May 2021 with a job in Computer Science lined up
As I talked about earlier, strategic plans are the long-term plans to assist with the overall goal.
Tactical Plan:
Tactical plans are made to help execute the major strategic plans and they generally accomplish a branch of the strategic plan. In organizations, this is like a sub-team setting goals for within their own branch of a handful of people, but having these goals play a bigger role in the overall achievement of the big goal of the organization. Applying this to my own life, I can set academic tactical plans for myself such as enrolling in all of the necessary courses for me to graduate on time with my degree, or keeping my GPA above a 3.5 to ensure that I can land a job with a company that has a mission that I am genuinely interested in. Looking at other branches of my life, such as networking, I can set other tactical plans such as building a strong LinkedIn profile and following, or establishing and maintaining good relationships with my professors.
Operational Plan:
Operational plans are used to achieve operational goals, which are usually smaller and more precise, as well as easily measurable. (Daft & Marcic, p. 166) In the organizational world, these plans are used by managers to give specific departments or individuals goals of their own to achieve, which will in turn help to accomplish the overall company goal. An operational goal I have for myself includes spending at least an hour a day practicing my coding skills. I believe this is easily measurable and by setting this for myself, I will feel more assured in my ability of being able to achieve my long-term goal.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
Strategic Plan:
My strategic plan is to graduate in May 2021 with a job in Computer Science lined up
As I talked about earlier, strategic plans are the long-term plans to assist with the overall goal.
Tactical Plan:
Tactical plans are made to help execute the major strategic plans and they generally accomplish a branch of the strategic plan. In organizations, this is like a sub-team setting goals for within their own branch of a handful of people, but having these goals play a bigger role in the overall achievement of the big goal of the organization. Applying this to my own life, I can set academic tactical plans for myself such as enrolling in all of the necessary courses for me to graduate on time with my degree, or keeping my GPA above a 3.5 to ensure that I can land a job with a company that has a mission that I am genuinely interested in. Looking at other branches of my life, such as networking, I can set other tactical plans such as building a strong LinkedIn profile and following, or establishing and maintaining good relationships with my professors.
Operational Plan:
Operational plans are used to achieve operational goals, which are usually smaller and more precise, as well as easily measurable. (Daft & Marcic, p. 166) In the organizational world, these plans are used by managers to give specific departments or individuals goals of their own to achieve, which will in turn help to accomplish the overall company goal. An operational goal I have for myself includes spending at least an hour a day practicing my coding skills. I believe this is easily measurable and by setting this for myself, I will feel more assured in my ability of being able to achieve my long-term goal.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
Overall Plan & Resources
While many people and organizations alike set goals, not all of these goals become achieved. One of the biggest factors to achieving goals is the availability, or lack thereof, of resources. To guarantee that this does not stop me from achieving my dreams, I will outline here the necessary steps and resources I will need in my tenure to completing my goal.
Step 1: Create a challenging but attainable goal
I have already completed this step with my blog post regarding my goal. I believe that actually having a goal written down will make it more concrete and will make the person setting the goal more likely to accomplish it.
Step 2: Announce my goal to friends and family
By following this step, I am making my goal publicly known, which holds me accountable to actually following through with it. Like Daft and Marcic talked about earlier, managers must be held accountable for their actions. (Daft & Marcic, p. 132) As a good manager would act upon what they say, I will do the same by accomplishing this goal that I have declared.
Step 3: Create a detailed plan
Setting a goal itself is not merely enough to achieve it. As we see in organizations, once a goal is agreed upon, these organizations make many plans so they know how to achieve these goals. This initial planning process is similar to that of strategic planning for organizations. As Daft and Marcic have said, "strategic planning tends to be long term and may define organizational action steps from two to five years." (Daft & Marcic, p. 164) Since my goal will not be completed until at least two years from now, I believe that this part of the planning phase is most similar to strategic planning. More specific plans would align with tactical planning, which are plans that are "designed to help execute the major strategic plans and to accomplish a specific part of the company's strategy." (Daft & Marcic, p. 165) In terms of relating tactical planning back to myself, some examples of these plans might be "earning an A or above in my Machine Architecture class," or "doing a summer internship in Minneapolis in the summer of 2019." To help me achieve these smaller goals, I might set some operational plans for myself. These are even smaller, quantitative goals that can be achieved in a short amount of time. Examples of these goals for me might include "do one programming task of the day everyday," or "upload a mini project to GitHub once a month." With all of these plans, I am confident that I can achieve my long-term goal, just like an organization feels by setting up all of its plans.
Step 4: Ask for guidance when needed
The biggest resource I believe I will need to achieve my goal is other people. I am grateful that I have many resources available, such as upperclassmen friends in my major, my parents, and my academic adviser and course professors. I know there will come times when I need to make a decision regarding the steps in my plan, much like managers need to make critical decisions for the goals and plans of the organization. Whenever I need to do this, I know I can reach out to any of the people I mentioned above and they will provide me with good advice that will lead to my success.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
My Mission
As I've learned from my time in my Fundamentals of Management class, every organization has, or should have, a mission statement. Daft and Marcic define a mission statement as a "broadly stated definition of purpose that distinguishes the organization from others of a similar type." (Daft & Marcic, p. 164) Similarly to what I did with organizational goals, I will use this definition to create my own mission statement below.
My mission statement is: To use my knowledge of computer science to work in an industry in which I can better the lives of people through innovative technologies.
I believe my mission defines me in the aspect of what I would like to do with my life. Upon reaching my goal, which I previously discussed in my last post, my mission statement will live on with me until I retire. This mission statement captures my willingness to help others. While there are numerous jobs available in every industry for Computer Science majors, I want to work for an industry that will actually improve the lives of the masses through technological breakthroughs. I do not want to be one of those programmers that just make fun applications or games, but rather I would want to have a big impact on people's lives.
By defining a goal and a mission statement, I am acting more in relation to organizations of today. Similarly to these organizations with well defined goals and missions, I am on the pathway to success.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
My Goal
These next few blog posts will deal with goal-setting and planning, as we are currently discussing planning, one of the most important fundamentals of management, in my class. Every organization has a goal in mind, whether it is to maximize profits or help out the community. Similarly to organizations, I have goals of my own, just like the majority of college students. According to Daft and Marcic and research they have looked at, they believe that effective goals meet the criteria of being "specific and measurable..., expressed in quantitative terms,... be precisely defined and allow for measurable progress. Effective goals also have a defined time period." (Daft & Marcic, p. 168) Following this advice, I have made my own goals that I would like to achieve.
My main goal that I am striving towards right now is graduating college by May of 2021 with a BS in Computer Science, and a job lined up to start after that summer. This has been my goal ever since I became interested in Computer Science, which was around 6th grade. I had always been fascinated with technology growing up and I knew I would love to learn to be able to manipulate technology to make my life easier. I believe I will stick with this goal and not change it because I have a deep passion for this major, and I do not see myself graduating with any other field of study. If the only thing somebody were to know about me is this goal, then they might think that I am someone who is more "nerdy" or "geeky" than most people, and in a way, I am. Looking beyond that, I believe this goal of mine demonstrates that I am someone who sets out to do anything that I want to do, no matter how difficult it might be. I also think this shows that I have a true passion for the field of technology, and being able to make a difference in people's lives through the powers of it.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
My main goal that I am striving towards right now is graduating college by May of 2021 with a BS in Computer Science, and a job lined up to start after that summer. This has been my goal ever since I became interested in Computer Science, which was around 6th grade. I had always been fascinated with technology growing up and I knew I would love to learn to be able to manipulate technology to make my life easier. I believe I will stick with this goal and not change it because I have a deep passion for this major, and I do not see myself graduating with any other field of study. If the only thing somebody were to know about me is this goal, then they might think that I am someone who is more "nerdy" or "geeky" than most people, and in a way, I am. Looking beyond that, I believe this goal of mine demonstrates that I am someone who sets out to do anything that I want to do, no matter how difficult it might be. I also think this shows that I have a true passion for the field of technology, and being able to make a difference in people's lives through the powers of it.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
Key Takeaways
After writing the previous posts, this one serves as a summary of everything that I as both a manager and an organization deem extremely valuable. Combining the ideas of environment, culture, ethics, and social responsibility, it is important to consider that each manager will have varying stances on each of these topics, and so the points from each of these that I value are unique. With the environment, I know that I need to take into account what is going on in the world, and not just within my organization's base country. With a globalized world, I must stay up to date with everything going on from the economies to these nations, to political actions and affairs being taken. Along with the note on globalization, the culture of the organization will also play a key part of how the overall organization succeeds. With varying people from diverse backgrounds, it is important to listen to the ideas of everyone. Along with listening to others, I need to set an example as an ethically moral manager. This will be important when it comes to making decisions that may have choices in the gray area. With social responsibility, I believe it is great for the organization to support the community through both charitable actions and volunteering with different groups. With all of these blog postings, I have attempted to share what my learnings from my Fundamentals of Management class mean to me and how they can apply in my life.
- Sayuz
- Sayuz
Social Responsibility
Social responsibility in the workforce and organization refers to me as a manager making decisions that will contribute to the welfare and interests of society and the organization. This act has a lot to do with the ethics of certain decisions, which was covered in my last blog post. Similar to that post, this topic deals a lot with the gray area of what we deem as something being socially responsible. As a manager, we must ask ourselves to whom is it that we are being responsible to? Because of this, different people view social responsibility as a different definition. I believe that as a manager of this organization I am socially responsible in not only offering a service to the general population through what my company has to offer, but also with giving back to the community through community service and charitable donations. While other managers might think these two facets are not necessary and will only lose profits of the company, Daft and Marcic state that studies have "generally found a positive relationship between social responsibility and financial performance." (Daft & Marcic, p.147) With this being said, I as a manager have nothing to worry about when it comes to losing profits by being charitable as an organization. When I think about this relationship and this trend that was found, it makes perfect sense. When an organization is seen to give back to the community more often and better the overall community, of course people would have a good view on that company and want to deal in business with that organization. On the lines of volunteering, Susan T. Schuster of the Star Tribune said "Volunteerism breaks down barriers and brings people together. Teams who volunteer together become more cohesive." (Schuster) This is why as an organization and as a manager, I will dedicate excess profits to bettering the community and building stronger relations through philanthropy and volunteering events.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
Schuster, Susan T. “Volunteerism: Doing Good Is Good for Bottom Line.” Star Tribune, Star Tribune, 24 Apr. 2017, www.startribune.com/eedition/login?From=http://e.startribune.com/Olive/ODN/StarTribune/AfterLogin.ashx.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
Schuster, Susan T. “Volunteerism: Doing Good Is Good for Bottom Line.” Star Tribune, Star Tribune, 24 Apr. 2017, www.startribune.com/eedition/login?From=http://e.startribune.com/Olive/ODN/StarTribune/AfterLogin.ashx.
Framework for Ethical Decision Making
Making decisions is at the forefront of the role of a manager. When most people think of decisions, much like when choosing an answer for a test, they think of which choice is right and which one is wrong. But in the case of me being a manager for my organization, how can I clearly define what right and wrong means? In the case of wrong decisions, there are the obvious answers such as when one option is illegal. In other cases, however, it can be difficult to decide on something. The difference between right and wrong is especially evident when choices lie in the gray area. In these situations, instead of making the choice for the organization as the manager, I believe it is best to bring up these decisions with the whole of the company and spur up a discussion. As stated by James Ryan in his Harvard Business Review, "We listen just long enough to form a quick opinion, and then we either endorse or oppose what has been said." (Ryan). Through discussions with numerous employers, points that might previously not have been thought of have the possibility of being made. I believe that as an organization, having a discussion like this is the only way to critically and thoroughly think through these types of decisions. This is especially helpful in finding what could be the most ethical answer, since everyone has different moral standards when it comes to moral ethics.
As a manager, it is easy to talk about going about these decisions in this manner, however it is important that I must stay ethically in-bounds as well. As a manager I must act as an example for this organization. How will others be willing to employ the most ethical means if I myself do not practice these very things? In the view of Daft and Marcic, "Managers and first-line supervisors are important role models for ethical behavior, and they strongly influence the ethical climate in the organization by adhering to high ethical standards in their own behavior and decisions." (Daft & Marcic, p.144) I fully agree with this idea so as the manager I must have good behaviors myself so employers will follow suit, otherwise hypocrisy in the management level will exist in the organization. Along with this, as a manager, I must take accountability for all of the decisions that do not end up going well for the organization. For example, some decisions that lie in the gray area will have outcomes that cannot be fully predicted. I believe having to deal with this gray area is the biggest weakness of this framework. However, I think that as a manager if I take accountability for these actions, this will show to be the best solution for this weakness. Instead of shifting the blame or hiding from these decisions, I will have to step up and fix any damage that results. Although the discussion based method of going about ethical decisions can still result in some losses for the company, this is the best way to incorporate thorough and critical thinking in the process of making these types of decisions.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
Ryan, James E. “5 Questions Leaders Should Be Asking All the Time.” Harvard Business Review, 29 Aug. 2017, hbr.org/2017/04/5-questions-leaders-should-be-asking-all-the-time?utm_campaign=hbr&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social.
As a manager, it is easy to talk about going about these decisions in this manner, however it is important that I must stay ethically in-bounds as well. As a manager I must act as an example for this organization. How will others be willing to employ the most ethical means if I myself do not practice these very things? In the view of Daft and Marcic, "Managers and first-line supervisors are important role models for ethical behavior, and they strongly influence the ethical climate in the organization by adhering to high ethical standards in their own behavior and decisions." (Daft & Marcic, p.144) I fully agree with this idea so as the manager I must have good behaviors myself so employers will follow suit, otherwise hypocrisy in the management level will exist in the organization. Along with this, as a manager, I must take accountability for all of the decisions that do not end up going well for the organization. For example, some decisions that lie in the gray area will have outcomes that cannot be fully predicted. I believe having to deal with this gray area is the biggest weakness of this framework. However, I think that as a manager if I take accountability for these actions, this will show to be the best solution for this weakness. Instead of shifting the blame or hiding from these decisions, I will have to step up and fix any damage that results. Although the discussion based method of going about ethical decisions can still result in some losses for the company, this is the best way to incorporate thorough and critical thinking in the process of making these types of decisions.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
Ryan, James E. “5 Questions Leaders Should Be Asking All the Time.” Harvard Business Review, 29 Aug. 2017, hbr.org/2017/04/5-questions-leaders-should-be-asking-all-the-time?utm_campaign=hbr&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social.
Managing in a Global Environment
While managing in a global environment, it is extremely critical to be wary of the different circumstances of other nations. As I've stated in previous posts, every country is becoming more interconnected with one another to the point that we live in a "borderless world." As stated by Daft & Marcic, we have seen implications such as "trade barriers fall, communication becomes faster and cheaper, and consumer tastes in everything from clothing to cellular phone converge." (Daft & Marcic, p. 96) This means that businesses have to decide what aspects of the business will be more efficient in what countries. As both a manager and an organization, I will need to decide where to open up new locations based on the consumer base, and the cost of employment in these places. As a manager, it is also important to note that with a more global environment comes a more diverse workforce. Said by Tsedal Neely in his Harvard Business Review article, "the number of people in the global labor force will reach 3.5 billion by 2030." (Neeley) Employees from all different backgrounds will be interacting with one another and it is my job as the manager to make sure that everyone is being heard. With people from all types of backgrounds, innovation has the potential to reach an all time high because everyone will have different ideas. I will have to step outside of my comfort levels by interacting with people I would rarely have with before, but this is good for the organization as a whole because everyone will feel included and proposals that would not be envisioned previously will be out on the table.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
Neeley, Tsedal. “How to Successfully Work Across Countries, Languages, and Cultures.” Harvard Business Review, 29 Aug. 2017, hbr.org/2017/08/how-to-successfully-work-across-countries-languages-and-cultures.
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
Neeley, Tsedal. “How to Successfully Work Across Countries, Languages, and Cultures.” Harvard Business Review, 29 Aug. 2017, hbr.org/2017/08/how-to-successfully-work-across-countries-languages-and-cultures.
Organizational Culture
Culture is a huge part in who a person is. In this sense, an organization's culture makes up a lot about that organization and how it goes about its business. As my own organization, my culture first and foremost has to do with my experience of growing up as an immigrant here after being born in Nepal. Looking at my personal qualities as a culture, I would state it as an innovative sense with a vision for improving the quality of life of many others. I believe that an organization thrives better when it has a positive environment in the workplace and what it stands for. According to Richard Perrin, “Organizational culture is the sum of values and rituals which serve as ‘glue’ to integrate the members of the organization.” (Watkins) As a manager, I would like to build an organization with a culture that values inclusivity by getting everyone involved and having employers feel like their work is not menial or useless. I would like everyone to feel as though they are directly involved in the organization and the way we go about business.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Watkins, Michael D. “What Is Organizational Culture? And Why Should We Care?” Harvard Business Review, 7 Aug. 2014, hbr.org/2013/05/what-is-organizational-culture.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Watkins, Michael D. “What Is Organizational Culture? And Why Should We Care?” Harvard Business Review, 7 Aug. 2014, hbr.org/2013/05/what-is-organizational-culture.
External Environmental Factors
Environmental factors play a big role in an organization and for the manager of that organizations, and so I will have to take note of these important ones and how they could affect me. These external factors are essential for an organization to survive in today's world:
International:
The international environment is all about how today's world and organizations are intertwined with one another. This is seen with how there are increasing amounts of global organizations in recent years. Globalization means that something happening in one country can affect what happens in an organization in another country. According to Daft and Marcic, "the international environment provides new competitors, customers, and suppliers and shapes social, technological, and economic trends as well." (Daft & Marcic, p. 65) as both an organization and a manager, this is important for me to understand because it means I need to be informed of everything that is going on in the world, and not just national news.
Technological:
Technology without a doubt is one of the most important advancements in the world today. In the past few years, there has been an exponential growth in technology. Growing up in this time of growth has been really beneficial for me as both an organization and a manager because it has helped me understand this change and why it is so important. For example, the smart phone in my pocket today is more powerful than most computers 10 years ago, and so I know how important it is to stay up to date with the newest technological advancements. This is why my organization would implement only the most cutting-edge technology and I would incorporate the ease of these new technologies as a manager.
Sociocultural:
Each company will have a different sociocultural feel as each one will have different demographics. Along with the demographic characteristics, the sociocultural dimension represents the norms, customs, and values of the population. (Daft & Marcic, p. 66) Since these customs and values are developed within people in their formative years from ages 4 to 12, people in the workplace will value different traits based on how they grew up. This is why it is important for the manager me to understand how not everyone values the same things and how I can work in a way to make everyone comfortable. This will help the organization have a more connected feel to it and will improve the overall attitude of the people.
Economical:
The economical environmental factor is essential to an organization and a manager to understand because factors such as unemployment, interest rates, and consumer purchasing power in the location of the organization have a large effect on the strategies that organization should employ. Since economies are so globalized today, this factor is closely related with the international factor because an event that happens to the economy of one country can have an impact in factors of another country. An example provided by Daft and Marcic talks about how "the economic recession and the decline of consumer confidence in the United States in the early 2000s affected economies and organizations around the world." (Daft & Marcic, p. 68) As an organization and a manager, I will need to be aware of how global economies are doing so I can be prepared for changes in the market of my home state.
These external environmental factors are those that I deem the most important to grow as an organization and a manager.
- Sayuz
Sources:
Daft, Richard L. Management. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018.
Monday, September 17, 2018
YouConnect Overview
An organization's success relies heavily on understanding management and the manager's role in the company. Along with reading a textbook about management skills and tactics, using this blog to provide reflections on the concepts of the textbook will make my Fundamentals of Management course more meaningful when it comes to reflecting on ideas from the text with personal connections. Throughout this blog, I will be both an "organization" and a "manager" of this organization. These blog posts will relate to the course material I learn with my own personal connections and how they apply to each other. For any readers of this blog, leaving comments or discussion questions are welcome so that we may grow together.
Thanks for reading!
- Sayuz
Thanks for reading!
- Sayuz
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