The Way Concepts of Management and Leadership - Essay Example

I could not visit myself. I have written this report based on the information I received from my friends who had gone on the visit. I also thoroughly studied the websites of the two companies which were quite informative.  

The reflection:

The visit was a big source of education about the way concepts of management and leadership that we have been learning from books so far can be implemented in a practical business setting. In this reflection paper, I shall discuss how the visit added to my knowledge and what I gained from the practices employed by the two companies, Pendennis and A & P in their yacht-making business. Moreover, I shall discuss things that surprised me the most, and how I would feel if I was employed in these companies or made a customer of them.

The first thing that I learned was that the growth of a business depends to an extent, upon the dedication of the personnel that makes part of it. In 1998, Pendennis decided to improve the competence of the first ten of their apprentices by providing them with on-the-job training. Their efforts proved to be fruitful later in several ways. The company benefited from the enhanced skills of laborers as the quality of their service improved manifolds. The quality of their training can be estimated from the fact that they were awarded the title of Best Large Company Apprenticeship in 2008. This news was the most exciting and surprising for me. Their popularity increased as a result of their hard work and they earned more and more clients with time. The fact that Pendennis provides its employees with training is the biggest reason why I approve of becoming a part of it because I think that on-the-job training not only increases the skill of employees, but they also feel more competent and proud of their association with the company. This, in turn, improves their performance and they enjoy work.

Mr. Toby Allies has been leading the company for a lot of time. The voluminous body of customers that Pendennis has conventionally maintained can be attributed to the excellent leadership and public dealing skills of Mr. Toby Allies. He studies the needs of customers and values them a lot. The five sectors that work under the department of sales and marketing take very serious notice of the comments left by the customers. As their comments and requests are entertained, customers feel valued and honored, which in turn, develops their long-term relationship with the company. The staff at Pendennis is very cooperative with the customers. Much of the creativity and innovation that Pendennis displays comes from the suggestions of the customers.

On the other hand, A & P is no less than Pendennis in taking care of the professional needs of its employees. The specialty of A & P is that a vast majority of people who once get hired in it build their whole career in it, and keep serving in this company until the end of their professional practice. I came across many people who have been working in A & P for over 30 years. This speaks of the great care A & P offers to its people who make up part of its workforce. The people who have worked in it for so long must have found working in it worth their whole work life. The organizational culture of A & P is conducive to better performance of the employees. Employees feel at home while at work. There is frequent communication and interaction among the employees, and they all feel like members of the same family. In addition to employees’ health, their safety is also equally ensured in the business practices of A & P. Their regulations of health and safety are quite well laid out and they are strictly implemented in the organization. The employees are sufficiently equipped with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). They feel safe at work, and hence, display extreme productivity because of that. In A & P, it is ensured that all areas are adequately marked for safety concerns.