Reflective Exercise: Introduction to Organisations and Managers

Reflective Exercise: Introduction to Organisations and Managers

Summary of three key points
Three lessons I have drawn from the chapter include: perspectives on what constitutes the organisation, the role of managers in the organisation, and the impact on changes in the market on the manager’s role or focus.

The first lesson was on what constitutes the organisation. The definition of the organisation in the chapter clearly brings out what the organisation must be constituted of: people, distinct purpose, and deliberate structure (Jones and George, 2006). This means that people must be involved and they must have a common vision. There must also be a deliberate structure comprising of roles and by whom or how the roles will be executed.

Secondly, I was able to appreciate the role of the managers in the organisation which is to coordinate and oversee the activities of others within the organisation (Jones and George, 2006). This role is important because there is need to ensure that all within the organisation function within the frameworks set out by the organisation. Coordination ensures that the contribution of one party is complemented by that of the others (Baker, 2013). The outcome for the organisation is therefore bigger than the sum total produced by individual members due to the element of coordination. Management reduces confusion, promotes greater performance, and ensures that resources are utilised properly.

            The third lesson I have learnt is that while the essential function of management is the same, the kind of contribution and skills the manager employs changes with time. Evolving demands in the market make it important for skills set and focus of managers to change (Story, 2012). Increasing level of digitisation gives rise to the need to facilitate mobility of employees and embracing flexible working arrangements. This directly affects the manner in which coordination and control can be executed. The same could apply to increasing emphasis on sustainability where the manager would need to focus on how to ensure that waste is minimised within the organisation. 

Statement of theory

                        Mintzberg’s management model describes different roles which are differentiated from a view of interpersonal qualities of the manager: figurehead, leader and liaison (Podsakoff and Organ, 1986). Figurehead roles are routine and essential to running the organisation. Leadership is essential for motivating employees in the increasingly competitive market, and liaison is crucial to maintain a competitive edge and this is crucial for competitiveness in contemporary times. Each of these roles is therefore applicable in contemporary times.

Insightful question on theory/limitation

The question that arises from the Mintzberg’s management model is: can managers act in all three roles effectively, and if so, to what extent would each of the roles be applied in different situations? In contemporary realities, each of the three roles is crucial and the effective manager would need to implement all of them in varying measures. This model fails to explain the manner in which the three roles can be combined to suit different situations. For instance, the extent to which the skills would be applied in a manufacturing firm would be different from how the same is applicable in a service oriented organisation.   

Positive/negative aspects of websites

The main benefit I realised from the websites is the ease of retrieving information on the topic of management. There were plenty of sources. It was also very easy to retrieve the sources as no permission was required. On the negative side, it was difficult to tell which sources were reliable as there were many websites with similar content but no way of telling if they are experts. Many of the websites were also very shallow in covering the material I was searching for.

Recommendation for websites

Websites should include more information about the authors to enable one assess the reliability of the information. They should also try to make sure that the content is very comprehensive. Use of diagrams, figures and tables can also be good to help the readers understand the content more easily.

References

Baker, D. (2013). Six Definitive Aspects of Management; retrieved on

25 November, 2013 from

http://www.recourses.com/six-definitive-aspects-of-management

Jones, G., & George, J. (2006). Contemporary management 4^th edition, McGraw Hill, New York.

Podsakoff, P. M., & Organ, D. W. 1986.  Self-reports in organizational research: Problems and prospects, Journal of Management; 12: 531-544.

Story, J. (July, 2012). 6 Key Aspects of Management; retrieved on 25 November,

2013 from

http://www.ergsec.ca/index.php/articles/38-6-key-aspects-of-management