Management Function, Planning and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs - Assignment Example

?Part My top MGT 330 three takeaways are management function, planning and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. I will explain in detail why each takeaway is valuable to me. Basically, management is concerned with getting things done through other people in an organisation (Bateman, Thomas & Scott 2011). In an organisation, there are set goals that need to be achieved and this can be done through the coordinated effort of the manager. The managers have a role to oversee the activities of other employees in order to ensure that they conform to the expected standards. Managers perform mainly four functions namely: planning, organising, leading and controlling. According to (Bateman, Thomas & Scott 2011), planning encompasses defining an organisation’s goals and establishing a strategy of achieving them. Organisation is concerned with what tasks are to be done, by who and when while leading is concerned with motivating the subordinates, directing them as well as selecting the most effective communication channel that can be used. Controlling is concerned with monitoring the activities of the others in an organisation to ensure that the goals are accomplished. The three valuable lessons I have learnt are discussed below. Management plays an effective interpersonal role in an organisation. I have learnt that all managers are expected to perform duties that are symbolic in a company. For instance, the management is responsible for hiring, training, motivating as well as disciplining the employees. This is very important given that there is no organisation that can function properly without coordination of the activities of other people towards the attainment of the set goals. The manager also plays a role in directing the efforts of the other people so that they are in compliance with the standard expectations. Management is responsible for informational roles. I have also learnt that there is no organisation which can survive without communication. Therefore managers act as vehicles for transmitting information in an organisation. The mangers communicate vital information to the other members and they also have a role to monitor the outside environment in a bid to gather information that can be used in its operations. The success of the organisation mainly depends on the quality of information it has about the macro environment in which it is operating. The other idea is related to decision roles of the mangers. Every organisation operates on the basis of decisions made by the management in particular. It can be noted that organisations operate in a dynamic environment during the contemporary period hence there is need to make informed decisions that can shape their operations. Therefore, it is the role of the mangers to take a leading role in formulating decisions that are meant to improve the organisations of the company. Failure to do so may negatively impact on the operations of the organisation. The second takeaway I have learnt from this module is related to the aspect of planning. According to Robbins (1993), planning includes defining the goals, establishing a strategy and developing plans to coordinate activities. The most important lesson I have leant is that planning gives direction in an organisation. Without proper plans, the organisation is directionless and it may be very difficult for it to achieve its set goals. Therefore, planning acts as a framework to guide the operations of an organisation so that the set goals and objectives can be achieve. Without plans, there are no goals to be achieved hence they are very important to the survival of any organisation. Planning is effective in that it helps in establishing a strategy of attaining the goals. Planning is not an end in itself but a means to an end. It helps the managers to put measures that can be taken in order to achieve the set goals. Without a proper strategy in place, it may be difficult to achieve the set goals since there is no direction to be followed. Planning also helps the managers to allocate the resources that are needed in the execution of various tasks. Planning is also important in that it outlines a comprehensive hierarchy that can be followed towards achievement of the goals. The managers have a duty to allocate duties and tasks that have to be accomplished by different people. The management is in a better position to clearly spell the channel of communication that can be followed in an organisation. This is an important function of management given that it makes it easy to control the employees within an organisation The other takeaway which I see as important to remember is related to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. This is a hierarchy of five needs- physiological, safety, social, esteem and self actualisation and this is a well known theory of motivation (Robbins, 1993). Therefore, I have learnt that satisfied workers are productive. All employees have needs and these need to be satisfied for them to be productive. If lower needs are satisfied, then the higher needs have to be satisfied as well. I have noticed that a motivated person is productive since he or she will put optimum performance in different tasks. This is beneficial to the individual as well as the organisation as a whole. The other important lesson I have learnt is that motivated employees are easy to control. When an employee is motivated, he has a sense of belonging to the organisation hence his or her efforts are directed towards the attainment of the set goals and objectives. It is also easy to control the activities of the employees since they share the same goals and vision for the organisation. There will be less chances of conflicts in the organisation as a result of the fact that people involved in its operations are happy about the treatment they will be getting. The other important lesson is that it is easier to retain motivated workers. If the needs of the employees are satisfied, they are likely to stay longer in the organisation this is advantageous in that at times it is easier to attract experienced and skilled employees given that they are often in short supply. Therefore, it is important to motivate them so that they can stay longer in that particular organisation. This also entails productivity as well as sustainability of the organisation in the long run. PART II J&G Garden Center: Lawn Care Services Division a) Basically, a stakeholder is described as person or a group of people that is either impacted or impact the operations of a particular organisation. In most cases, a stakeholder has interests in the operations of a given organisation. In this case, there are different stakeholders likely to be impacted by the decision as to whether J&G Garden Center should retain or eliminate its Lawn Care Services division. John and Gloria Weed offered product lines such as garden tools, soils and mulch products, gifts, seeds, and related accessories. The proprietors of the company John and Gloria are the major stakeholders in this case given that they are the ones with the major stake in the company with regards to ownership. The other stakeholders involved in this particular case are the employees working for this company. Such a decision to either retain or eliminate the Lawn Care Services impacts directly on their welfare. Suppose the service is eliminated, they risk losing income or even their jobs which negatively impacts on their welfare. The customers are also major stakeholders for this company. They are the major sources of revenue for the survival and viability of the organisation. They are also negatively impacted by the operations of the company should it dispose hazardous chemicals in its operations. These can affect their health. Residents of Columbus where the company operates are also stakeholders involved since they can be impacted negatively by its operations if it disposes dangerous chemicals. These can contaminate sources of water which are used by all the residents in the area which is a health risk. b) Basically, ethics can be loosely defined as the rules or principles that define right or wrong conduct (Robbins, 1993). In view of the given case, the utilitarian and virtue ethical theories will be used to support the argument in favour of retaining the Lawn Care Services division. Basically, the utilitarian theory of ethics is based on the notion that activities that are beneficiary to the majority of people should be taken as opposed to the actions which only benefit the organisation with regards to its financial gains (Rossouw, 2004). Against this background, it can be noted that the service can be retained since it is benefitting the majority of people. Customers across the rest of Columbia are the main beneficiaries of the services offered by this company hence its services must be retained. The majority of the customers as well as other people at large have not been affected either directly or indirectly by the unrelated cases involving a dog which became ill, possibly as a result of eating some grass from a recently treated lawn and a lawsuit filed against the company, claiming that the water runoff from the property of one of their customers had tainted a neighbour’s well. Besides these two incidents, it can be noted that the majority of people are satisfied by the services offered by this company. On the other hand, it can be noted that the utilitarian theory supports the retention of this particular service in that it is also beneficial to the employees as well as the owners of the company. These are important because they are part of the major stakeholders to the company and they directly benefit from its operations. On the other hand, the virtue theory of ethics suggests what “good person” will do in a certain situation (Rossouw, 2004). Given that this company is serving a lot of people, Mr Weed can retain its operations in order to ensure that it continues to be of value to them. The garden services offered are valuable to the people of Columbia in general since they are meant to improve the outlook of the place. By virtue of carrying on with the services, it can be noted that Mr Weed will be playing a very important role in the community as a whole given that the services offered are quite unique. c) As noted above, the utilitarian theory is specifically concerned with doing something that is of benefit to the majority of the people. The actions of a particular organisation should be guided by its values so that it does not affect the majority of people. Basically, values are described as the “essential and enduring tenets” and these should not be compromised for financial gains (DesJardins, 2006). Therefore, the interests of the people should be given priority instead of financial benefits. In this case, it is ethically correct for Mr Weed to terminate this service given that it is a threat to the safety of the residents at large. Pesticides are hazardous and they can affect animals such as the case. Whilst the providers of this service may take safety precautions, it is difficult for animals to do the same hence the need to terminate the service since it is a real threat to the people. In this case, it can be seen that the majority of the people are likely to be affected by the chemicals used by this company. For instance, a neighbour’s well was contaminated as a result of the runoff of chemicals from the other yard. Therefore, it can be noted that these chemicals not only affect the customers but the majority of residents in this area at large. Even animals are also affected hence there is need for Mr Weed to terminate this service in order for him to maintain his good reputations as well as that of the company. It can be seen that failure to terminate this service will be driven by selfish interests given that this sector of business is highly profitable but a threat to the majority of people. On the other hand, it can be noted that the virtue theory of ethics is concerned with establishing what a good person can do. By virtue of maintaining his good reputation and that for the family and company, it is important for Mr Weed to terminate this service given that it has attracted negative criticism from the other sectors of the society. Once such issues have been raised by the people against the organisation, there are likely chances that it will lose its credibility as well as trust of the people hence it is important to terminate the service before the situation goes out of hand. A good person should seek to do good things to the majority of the people likely to be affected by the operations of the organisation. d) If I were Mr Weed, I would retain this business sector given that all ethical principles are upheld in the operations of the company. The essence of business is to make money hence if ethical values are upheld, there is no reason of terminating this service. Part 3 1a) It has been said that "failure is the best way to clear the fog to see a path to success." I agree with this statement given that people often learn from their mistakes and failures. From failures, organisations are better positioned to correct their mistakes and design products that are satisfactory to the consumers. According to a case study obtained from Amos et al (2008), Toyota recalled defective vehicles from the market around early 2000 as a result of brake failure. Such a move enabled the organisation to modify its vehicles to suit the needs and safety concerns of the people. Secondly, acceptance of failure helps the organisation to create trust with its customers. According to Robbins (2001), Dell faced criticism as a result of the defective batteries of its laptops in 1998 and it had to recall them. This helps the customers to gain confidence in the company. b) Nordstrom’s notion of using good judgment in all situations since there will be no additional rules is not an effective way of running a company. It has to be borne in mind that people are susceptible to making mistakes in their operations hence they must not be punished for that. There are likely chances of demoralising the employees if the rules are tough. Some situations are unpredictable hence it may be difficult for the employees to make good judgement always. The employees should be given flexible rules that are not punitive in order to motivate them to put optimum performance in their operations. It can also be noted that Nordstrom’s approach to managing employees is not effective given that it does not promote creativity and innovation in an organisation. Organisations are operating in a dynamic environment hence there is need to generate new ideas in order for them to remain viable. As such, the employees’ judgement should not be fixed since it can negatively impact on their creativity. The employees should not be punished for making mistakes given that it is against the spirit of creativity and innovation. 2. a) The notion of self managed teams is concerned with giving the employees a high degree of self determination in the management of their day to day work (Robbins, 1993). However, some managers feel threatened by self managed teams. Firstly, such people should use goals and feedback in order to ensure that the efforts of the employees are geared towards the attainment of the set objectives of the organisation. If a manager feels threatened by these teams, he should also use feedback in order to establish how well the employees will be faring in pursuit of these goals. This enables the manger to ensure that the efforts of the employees are directed towards the attainment of the organisational goals. Secondly, it is advisable that managers who feel threatened by self managed teams should allow the employees to participate in decisions that affect them such as setting work goals. This can increase employee productivity, commitment to work goals, motivation and job satisfaction since they will be part of the broad objectives and vision of the organisation. This compels them to work towards the attainment of the set goals which can remove fears of underperformance by some managers. Thirdly, managers who feel threatened by self managed teams should link rewards to performance. This is to ensure that the employees put optimum effort in their performance fully knowing that they will benefit. Employees can work on their own without close supervision if they are aware of the benefits they can get. b) In order to convince a group that its decision was the result of groupthink, firstly, I will remind them that all of them were involved in the decision making process. I will also try to convince them that the decision made was not an effort of a single person since such decisions in an organisation are made by many people. Lastly, I will also tell them that the idea was put to referendum before it was adopted as a rule in the company which entails that the decision was a result of groupthink. 3. a) Of the four management functions (planning, organizing, leading, and controlling), I believe that planning is the most important function. This function is concerned with defining the organisational goals, establishing a strategy of achieving them as well as developing a course of action to coordinate the activities so that the set goals can be achieved (Bateman, Thomas & Scott, 2011). Essentially, nothing can be done without plans because it will be directionless and it may be difficult to coordinate the activities towards the attainment of the expected goals. Secondly, planning is important because it lays the groundwork for the operations of the organisation towards the attainment of the goals. As the adage goes, “failing to plan is planning to fail.” Nothing can be achieved without plans. I believe that organising is not very important because different tasks can be done by anyone as long as the there is a clear framework of what needs to be achieved. On the other hand, leading may not be that important given that self managed teams can be put in place and these will be responsible for all the activities which entails that a leader will not be very important. Controlling which is concerned with ensuring that the activities are accomplished is not that important since this can be done during the course of executing the different tasks involved. b) I think it is better to keep teams together to work on different projects due to the following reasons. Firstly, members of the old team share the same understanding about the goals and objectives of a particular project. New members may lack this important knowledge. Secondly, it is easier to control the activities of the members of the old team given that they are aware of their role expectations unlike new members. Thus, conflicts are minimised if the teams are kept together to work on different projects. 4. a) This company has to be decentralised whereby it can be noted that power is not vested in the hands of a few people. Given that this organisation will be operating in a global environment that is characterised by different cultures, it is important to accommodate the diverse views of people from different backgrounds. This can be achieved through a decentralised structure which enables people from different countries to share their ideas and knowledge together. During the contemporary period, it can be noted that culture is very important since it is responsible for shaping the behaviour of people. Therefore, different cultural aspects have to be taken into consideration with regards to a global company. In a decentralised structure, the employees are empowered to be part of the decision making process since power is fairly distributed. A functional corporate structure should be used given that it empowers different wings of the corporation to pull their efforts towards the attainment of the same goals given that they have different functions to fulfil. Such a structure empowers different organs of the organisation to make decisions that may affect their operations. This structure involves many people in the decision making process and it is regarded as a basic tenet of decision making since all the decisions will be based on mutual understanding. b) In order to address the multiple corporate cultures, firstly, it is important to accommodate the values of people from different backgrounds into the policies of the organisation. They will be in a position to identify with the organisation if their values are taken into consideration and this will also compel them to put optimum performance in their operations. Secondly, it is also important to respect employees from different backgrounds so that they will feel as special assets to the organisation. This will motivate them to put more effort in their operations. 5. (a) There are a number of ways that an organization can respond to its macro-environment. An organisation can respond by lowering products for certain products in the event of economic difficulties obtaining in the macro environment. Some economic forces are beyond the control of an organisation hence it may be forced to lower the price of its products in such a situation. For instance, Tesco lowered the price of some goods following the recent global economic crisis. This is a strategy that is meant to allow the company to gain a competitive advantage against the changing forces in the macro environment. Another measure that can be taken is related to product development. For instance, competition in the smartphone and tablet industry has significantly increased during the recent years. Therefore, Apple, has responded by developing its products to appeal to the interests of a lot of people. For instance, it introduced its iPad in a bid to waiver the competitive forces in the environment (AAPL, 2012). This measure is meant to appeal to the interests of more people. (b) The Fiedler contingency model proposes that effective group performance depends upon the proper match between a leader’s style of interacting with subordinates and the degree to which the situation gives control and influence to the leader (Robbins, 1993). As a leader, I will adopt a supportive leadership style which will enable me to interact meaning fully with the subordinates. For instance, I will develop plans to offer development courses to the employees so that their performance is improved. Hersey and Blanchard’s situational theory is probably one of the most practiced leadership model. It focuses on the maturity of the followers (Robbins, 1993). As a leader, I will first establish if the employees are willing to take the tasks assigned to them. I will adopt a participating style where I will involve the follower in the decision making process through facilitating in communicating. This will enable me to establish the level of maturity of the followers so that we can share the same goals and vision of the organisation. Thirdly Vroom and Yetton leadership model is a leadership theory that provides a set of rules to determine the form and amount of participative decision making (Robbins, 1993). As a leader, there will be need to display positive behaviour so as to enable positive participation of the employees in different tasks they will be undertaking. Coordination between a leader and the employees is beneficial in that both parties involved are likely to benefit from the exercise which is based on mutual understanding. Bibliography APPLE (APPL) Amos, T.L. et al (2008). Human Resources Management. 3rd Edition. CT, JUTA. Bateman, Thomas S. and Scott A. Snell.  (2011) M: Management.  2nd Edition.  New York:  McGraw Hill. [ISBN:  9780077404321] New York Times 26 January, 2012, PESTEL analysis for Tesco (ND) http://free-encyclopedia-online.com/business/tesco/pestle-analysis.htm Robins, S.P (1993). Organisational Behaviour: Concepts, controversies and applications. New Jersey: NJ. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs. DesJardins J. (2006). An introduction to business ethics. 2nd Edition. Boston. McGraw Hill international Edition. Rossouw D. (2004). Business Ethics: 3rd Edition. Oxford. Cape Town. Oxford University Press. Read More