Organizational Management - Essay Example

Organizational Management There are a number of lessons that can be learned from Jamie Oliver’s approach in the case study ‘Naked Manager’. The casestudy itself divides Oliver’s major managerial skills into a variety of subheadings. These divisions form a strong means of articulating the elements of Oliver’s management approach that can be adopted in different contexts. Perhaps the most overarching consideration is Oliver’s vision. The case study indicates that Oliver has an evangelical-like enthusiasm for his business, particularly the authenticity of his food products.

One considers that in terms of leadership theory such an approach is largely akin to a charismatic leadership style, as Oliver leverages his intensity for the business to inspire the employees around him. This approach could be implemented in different management contexts through ensuring that the organization’s mission and purpose is aligned in a socially responsible way. This would encourage employee identification with the leader and the organization’s larger evangelical purposes. Notably, such an evangelical approach has prominently emerged in technology companies such as Apple, Inc.

and to a lesser extent Facebook. The study indicates that Oliver and his associates had a rigorous selection process in choosing the trainees. To a degree this process can be analyzed in terms of prominent OB theories and HRM practices. In terms of OB theories the trainees were chosen based on a belief that their personality could eventually function in the environment Oliver had envisioned. HRM practices were implemented as the interviews took on a structured process, where potential trainees were called back for later interviews.

It’s clear that Oliver’s particular spin on these practices is that rather than looking for the most polished candidate, he implements these organizational approached to locate the candidate with the highest potential. Another prominent consideration is how Oliver eventually trained the individuals that were chosen for his cooking program. The study indicates that Oliver largely implemented a situational approach in dealing with the trainees, as they all faced varying degrees of commitment and skill levels.

While to a degree modern corporations have recognized the need for differential training based on skills sets, Oliver’s approach demonstrates that organizations could benefit by incorporating greater amounts of differential instruction in the training process. Additionally, he implemented real world training techniques as a means of enhancing their abilities. One considers that modern corporations could learn from such an approach, as it does not seem far-fetched to believe that the process of learning is largely context specific.

As such, simply expecting students to learn in a single classroom environment is ineffective as it ignores the complex array of learning elements that are contingent on the context of the situation. While Oliver’s personal vision and training approach are prominent contributing factors to his management success, he also makes strong use of delegations. As Oliver implements accountants and business people, one recognizes that a key function here is his strong self-knowledge. Through experience Oliver has recognized his limitations and has been able to establish a business environment where these elements are delineated in a functional and efficient way.

In terms of Oliver’s standards it seems that one of his pervading approaches is a demanding taskmaster approach that is tempered with moments of praise and encouragement. Still, it seems that to a degree Oliver is able to implement such an approach because of his aforementioned charismatic leadership style. Additionally, the study notes that Oliver’s own struggles as a young cook allow him to empathize more heavily with the trainees. Oliver’s approach to trust and respect recognizes that among one of the core human motivations is a desire for trust and greater responsibility.

It seems that Oliver is willing to grant this greater responsibility in exchange for hard work and conformity to his vision. Such an approach is also successful in establishing stronger employee commitment and motivation, as they feel greater involvement with the business process. This also allows him the ability to strongly criticize the individuals when they verge from the established course of action or neglect their duties. In terms of criticism it is also clear that he is successful as he refrains from personal attacks and instead focuses directly on the issue or specific behavior.

In conclusion, this essay has examined Jamie Oliver’s management approach through an analysis of the ‘Naked Manager’ case study. The essay has argued that while Oliver’s management approach may appear to be from an outsider perspective, further consideration reveals that many of his techniques are quantifiable through prominent leadership and organizational theories. Perhaps the most central consideration in these regards is Oliver’s evangelical approach to leadership, as he leverages this intensity to motivate and train his employees.

Ultimately, these managerial elements combine to make Oliver and the business a success.