Management Experience and Theories - Essay Example

? MANAGEMENT- MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE AND THEORIES By Location Introduction The term experience in management means the art of acquiring skills and knowledge concerning the subject of management. Experience also results from experiment. This means that a manager has to experiment on certain issues concerning management so that to prove that it can aid in the success of management. Therefore, this explains the experience of management. In the management field, managers succeed best when they depend on experience they posses. Management on the other hand, includes supervision of people, managing projects, and managing a budget. Therefore, management incorporates responsibility and thus it requires a lot of practice in order to acquire enough skills liable for management (Culpan 2002, P. 79). Managers learn better through experience and theory has nothing to offer. This statement is true to some extent and on the other hand, the theory has some importance. It is very true that experience is important to managers since the more they practice managing, the more they become efficient in their managing skills. On the other hand, an individual may learn the theory and harbours the knowledge without practicing what is learnt can make the individual lose the knowledge and eventually the theory ends up not helping the manager in any way. On the other hand, theory can help the manager in case he learns and practices it thus he acquires some experience greatly helps him or her. In the field of management, various learning models try to explain the effect of the experience curve and the efficiency found in the output or the gains or investment made out of the effort applied (Burtles 2007, P. 36). Following the learning curves observed in the 19th century, it follows that experience suggests that the more times an individual performs or practices a task, very less time is required in the subsequent repeat of the same task. Statistics show that in 1936, in the United States, the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base whereby they came up with the resolution that the time required for labour of a double production of aircraft, requires a less percentage of labour time. This means that when the production of an item doubles the time used becomes less. This concept applies to the acquisition of knowledge and skills by the manager, the more an individual practice, the less time he or she uses in the labouring and thus the knowledge acquisition is fast. According to human psychology of how the human brain works, human brain retains knowledge easily when practicing (Warwick & Bolton 2008, P. 135). Therefore, learning curve suggests that in every double quantity of items produced, the cost for that decreases at the same rate. Thus, in theory alone has nothing to offer to the managers. Managers need learning experiences. The effect of experience curve shows at the production or in the quality of the output of the service and doubling the volume of the cumulative decreases, the cost of the values added at the same percentage. The main reason for the application of the experience and the learning curves in management is the complexity of the learning processes. Experience effects become very important because of the labour efficiency. Many employers and companies require managers who have enough experience since they are sure of efficient labour hence efficient output. Experience curve is also important because of the Technology-driven learning. In order for a manager to posses some efficiency qualities, he, or she has to be pro-efficient in the technology. Learning technology requires practice since it is more of a practical subject than being a theoretical subject. Another importance of the experience curve is for the better use of equipments. An individual has practiced, experiment, or experience to use equipments correctly. Other importance of the experience curve includes, standardization, specialization, and methods of improvements, redesigning of the products, building networks and in the reduction of costs, and in the shared experiences (Banhegyi 2007, P. 49). In any case, experience that an individual may expire and thus may require to upgrade the experience in order to be at par with the existing experience curve and in order to gain the competitive standard of the society (Griffin 2011, P. 87). This may be because of either the changes in technology, introduction of new products, or competition in the field of buying. In this case, the experience curve has to be re-evaluated such that drastic drop in prices and to ensure production of goods and services that fit into the mix of the market. In this case, the theory does not help managers a great deal. Various theories tend to explain how the managers should behave. These theories do not guarantee the success of the manager in any way since the success of the manager depends on the experience in the specific field that the manager is managing. Managers specialize in specific theories and practice it as a religion. For example, some managers prefer practicing theories such as the Social System Theory, which is very biased towards the concerns of sociology. It explains management the social theories and the social way of handling management in the same manner, any study concerning management does (McClain 2011, P. 34). This shows that the theories are very biased since they just reflect the fact that management is a representation of interrelationships of culture. This creates suspicions among the managers against the practices of these theorists since they believe that a business creates its management in its own image. This fact despises the theories and thus the managers, who practice these theories, have seen these theories to have the extremes. The output of the practitioners of the theories gives enough evidence to the ineffectiveness of the theories. These theories seem to be in conflicts and this becomes the main reason as to why the practitioners judge theories to have very little value to management. What makes the great difference is the use of words. On the other hand, theories have some value. The managers need not to disapprove any mention of any use of a theory simply because one of the theories did not prove to work. The managers should accept that theories have some basis of truth. For example, the theory of the Span of Control states that managers should limit their direct supervision to only three to six subordinates. In real sense, managers can supervise as many subordinates as possible as long as they can manage effectively (Kreitner 2009, P. 136). This does not disqualify the theory since theories just give guidelines and thus managers should not use theories to establish exact functions or limits. The managers must also be willing to learn the theory so that they can be able to understand how the theories function and how they may apply them in the daily management. In management, different perspectives try to explain management. The measure and manage perspective is one of the perspectives. The slogan focused on this perspective is that if an individual cannot manage it, he cannot definitely manage it. This becomes the measurement and a survey task that the manager undergoes. The approach of this perspective is both factual and quantitative since it provides a base for making decisions. Despite the facts and the base the perspective provides, it also has a shortcoming since the expectations of the consumers keep changing with time (Banhegyi 2007, P.72). Another perspective used in the management field is the Leadership and change perspective. In most of the industries, companies, and organizations, several directors and managers lack close interaction with the customers and the consumers, it is a cultural belief that it is the work of low-level employees to interact with the customers (Banhegyi 2007, P.87). Such companies and organizations just move on for a very short period and loses grip since they no longer meet the demands of the customers and the consumers. Programs of cultural change steered by organizations that posses’ top management could only improve the situation. Thus, the organization or the company is able to hold the grip with its customers again. Another perspective is the Innovation and Design Perspective. The managers find it a very hard and challenging task to introduce a new product into the market. Despite that, the development of a new product remains a very essential aspect of development to fit into the competitive business. Well equipped mangers with enough knowledge and the ability to use proper processes, techniques, and methods can increase the chances of the new product to acquire acceptance by the customers and consumers. Another perspective includes The Market and Sales Perspective among others (Banhegyi 2007, P. 69). Conclusion It is very true that managers learn their skills and knowledge through experience and not theories because theories tend to be constant; they do not change with time and with the demands of the society. On the other hand, experience is what exactly does the society want and what goods and services will meet their demands. However, some of the theories apply in some of the management (Griffin 2011, P. 96). In case a manager or any other practitioner wants to practice the theory, they should be willing to learn and discover how the theories function in order to aid in their management. Many managers see theories as less valuable and thus opt for experience, which is an easy task. Bibliography Banhegyi, S. (2007). Management: fresh perspectives. Cape Town, Pearson/Prentice Hall South Africa. Burtles, J. (2007). Principles and practice of business continuity: tools and techniques /cJim Burtles. Brookfield, Conn, Rothstein Assocites Inc. Culpan, R. (2002). Global business alliances: theory and practice. Westport, Conn, Quorum Books. Griffin, R. W. (2011). Management. Mason, OH, South-Western Cengage Learning. Koohang, A. (2008). Theoretical foundations. Santa Rosa, Calif, Informing Science Press. Kreitner, R. (2009). Management. Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co. Mcclain, G. R. (2011). 60 second solutions: management. Cincinnati, OH, David & Charles. Warwick, L. L., & Bolton, L. (2008). The Everything Psychology Book Explore the Human Psyche and Understand Why We Do the Things We Do. Avon, Adams Media. http://public.eblib.com/EBLPublic/PublicView.do?ptiID=422175. Read More