Principles of Management - Essay Example

Principles of management Introduction The core aim of any business organization is to make a profit. Nevertheless, realization of this objective comes at an expense of proper management of the resources of the organization and directing all the actions towards meeting both the short term, the intermediate and the long-term goals of the organization. In a business setup, the human resources are among the most crucial resources an organization has for the achievement of the organizational goals. This is because the employees are among the resources that can be manipulated by the management of the organization for the achievement of the goals of the organization. For effectiveness in the performance of any business enterprise, therefore, the management of the organization must devise a mechanism for influencing the resources of the company in a proper manner to enable it achieves its objectives (Yeoh & Koronios, 2010). Effective management is a significant component for achievement of the optimum productivity of an organization. Using an appropriate management and leadership style, the top, and the middle managers in an organization can shape both the internal and the external environment of the organization to ensure improvement in productivity within the organization. Motivation of the employees is one aspect of ensuring proper management of the internal environment of the organization, while provision of the essential social services is a responsibility of an organization to ensure appropriate cooperation and collaboration with the external environment of the organization. Management in an organization draws from a multivariate of principles and styles, thus to understand the nature of management in an organization, this paper will analyses management through a discussion on the significance of management duties, the importance of team management and communication, effective leadership as well as the ethical factors influencing effective management in an organization (Walker, 2004). The management functions The management functions in an organization are geared towards coordination of the efforts of the employees towards the meeting of the objectives of the organization. The coordination purposes are done using available resources in the organization to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in the utilization of the resources to have an optimum output. The management functions in an organization thus include planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling the endeavors of the organization. Planning as a management function of an organization contains all the actions taken by the management team in the organization to ensure smooth flow of the operations of the organization. Planning as an action of the management involves the definition of the goals of the organization and determination of the effective ways of achieving the defined goals and objectives. A Person with good managerial skills will understand that good planning needs flexibility, as the manager will have to coordinate with different levels of leadership and management in an organization (Tezel, Koskela, & Tzortzopoulos, 2009). Effective planning in an organization involves effective knowledge of the company resources and the means of production. In an event that an organization does not in cooperate effective planning mechanisms in its operations, all activities will not be synergized; thus the objectives of the organization will not be sufficiently met. Organizing as a leadership function in an organization is a way that the management controls the overall structure of the organization. The structure of the organization is the foundation of the business, thus in the absence of the organizational structure, the daily operations of the organization become unsuccessful. Organizing as a management function is a crucial activity that involves the allocation of tasks and responsibilities to the employees in an organization concerning skills and capabilities. Effective organizational function ensures that the division of tasks is in manner that the best employees to perform a specific task are allocated the task, thus ensuring the organization achieves the best in its productivity through maximizing on the expertise and the experience of its human resources. Additionally, the organization involves the development of the organizational structure and the chain of command within the company. A well-developed chain of command in an organization ensures efficiency in communication through protocol and appropriate means of reporting from the junior to the senior employees (Obeidat, 2012). Controlling is a useful function of the management in an organization as it ensures that all the functions in an organization are an inappropriate place and are operating in a successful manner. Achievement of appropriate controlling function in an organization involves the development of performance standards and evaluation through monitoring of the operations of the employees. Monitoring of the output of the employees necessitate the use of performance appraisal as a tool that will equally act as a mechanism for motivation the employees to work harder for improvement in remuneration thus resulting in improvement in productivity by the company. In the event of controlling, new problems within an organization are identified which are used in the development of new standards of performance thus resulting in the improvement of the operations of the organization. With the level of performance affecting the success of an organization, controlling is thus an integral undertaking in an organization to ensure the organization operates within the guidelines of policies and principles of performance improvement. Coordinating and staffing are equally integral functions of management that are key to the success of an organization. Staffing as a management function includes recruitment of personnel needed for an organization. The core aim of staffing in an organization is hiring the right people for the right job at the right time. In the event of staffing, training and development of the employees are important components of staffing that ensures the employees are better positioned to conform to the changing dynamics within the organization. Staffing function ensures sufficiency of the workforce that is crucial for meeting the goals of the organization. Controlling is ultimately the function of the top leaders of an organization. Controlling function ensures that all activities within the organization function together in harmony for the good of the organization. Coordination occurs in meetings with departmental heads of the organization, thus ensuring the organizational functions at the departmental level are streamlined (Archie B. Carroll and Ann K. Buchholtz, 2008). Team management and communication in achieving organizational goals Team management is the ability to the managerial position within an organization to administer and coordinate groups of individuals in the performance of tasks. The aspect of team management in an organization involves parameters like communication, teamwork, performance appraisal and setting of objectives. An effective team manager must thus develop the capacity of problem identification and conflict resolution within a team. A team management approach in an organization can thrive from a manager who uses appropriate managerial and leadership styles that improves personnel productivity and effectively building the team. Effective decision-making and cohesion among leaders is a significant aspect for appropriate operation of the team. Cohesive Leadership is an approach where team leaders act together as a unit in decision-making instead of the leaders acting as distinct branches of an organization. Team leadership is important as it ensures that the organizations functions as a single unit instead of disintegrated units within the same organization. Cohesion in team leadership would thus require that the leaders of the organization maintain effective and strong communication skills ( Aritzeta, Ayestaran, & Swailes, 2005). Effective communication involves a well-structured communication channel from the top most organs of an organization to the junior employees and vice versa. Development of an effective communication channel in an organization will allow adequate and effective transfer of information in an accurate manner without delay. Reception of the information to the intended audience within the right time facilitates decision-making thus helps build the team for the achievement of the organizational goals. In an event that the team members come together in a cohesive manner, the objectives of the team will be properly aligned despite the initial divergence in ideas that the teams might experience. A common goal set by the team leaders is essential to ensuring that all the members of the team will put efforts towards the achievement of the goals and objectives of the organization. Team management and effective communication in an organization is thus crucial to ensuring that all members of the organization do not divert from the common goals of the organization thus enabling the organization to meet its objectives effectively (Sundararajan, 2007). Ethical behavior and social responsibility in management Ethics in management is the ethical treatment of employees, shareholders and the stockholders of an organization. Treatment of employees in a human manner helps in fostering motivation among the workforce. Ethics and ethical behavior are part of a health management that puts the organization in good terms with both the internal and the external environment. Ethical behavior among the managers of an organization is an integral aspect of the success of the organization. Arguing from the viewpoint of the internal environment of an organization, ethical behavior improves the internal environment of the organization, thus acting as a motivator for the employees to perform their duties. Additionally, ethical management in the organization works to increase the success of the business by the managers acting as role models for the employees. The organization equally develops a sense of pride and prestige, which leads to improvement in the employees’ morale thus improving productivity in the organization (Thomas, Schermerhorn, & Dienhart, 2004). Ethics in an organization is equally manifested in the process of decision-making within the company. Ethics in decision-making id determined by aspects like legality; in this regard, the decisions made by the managerial organs of the organization must be within the legal framework governing the operations of businesses of its kind. This influences the success of an organization by ensuring avoidance legal tussles the organization may be engaged in. Fairness; fairness as an aspect of ethical decision-making determines the level of effect the decision made will have on people it involves. In cooperation of fairness in decision-making ensures that the employees are equally treated and motivated to perform their duties thus influencing the success of the organization. Effectiveness; this aspect of ethical decision-making determines whether the decision made by an organization will achieve the aim for which it is taken. Effective decision-making is ethical in a manner that it ensures the operational modalities remain within the framework for the key reasons for the formation of the organization, thus influencing the success of the business (Ardichvili, Mitchell, & Jondle, 2009). Cooperate social responsibility and the success of an organization Cooperate social responsibility is the manner with which a business takes into account the environmental, financial and social effects of decisions and actions it takes. The economic growth of an organization is directly linked to the social relationship an organization has with its external environment. An organization that is responsible for its social actions as well as undertaking other mislenious social responsibilities has a high chance of attracting customers. Social responsibility is thus a key aspect of the well-being of an organization as it ensures the organization achieves a long-term sustainability. Maintenance of appropriate social responsibility by an organization is thus crucial for ensuring the success of the organization (Windsor, 2006). Importance of effective leadership in an organization Leadership is an interpersonal characteristic that brings people together to an organization or social structure for a common purpose. Effective leadership in an organization empowers and enables teams of people to do their duties within the appropriate time they are expected to perform. An effective leader does not coheres or manipulate the subjects, but use motivational approaches to influence the performance of duties. A leadership style like transformational leadership represents an effective style that can be used by a leader to influence the success of the organization. A transformational leader influences the employee through objectives and standards thus enabling the employees to work with the aim of achievement of the standards. An effective leadership attribute that contributes to the success of an organization does not have the best interest of the viable ideas for the business, but also engage the employees in the decision making process, thus enabling the business to benefit from divergent opinions which can influence the progression if the business. Effective leadership is thus an important aspect for the success of an organization by ensuring that the employees are adequately motivated to perform their duties. An adequate motivation of the employees through the delivery of appropriate internal and external environmental frameworks will influence the increment in the productivity of the organization thus resulting to the organizational success (Carmeli, Gelbard, & Gefen, 2010). References Aritzeta, A., Ayestaran, Sabino, & Swailes, Stephen. (2005). TEAM ROLE PREFERENCE AND CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES. International Journal of Conflict Management. Archie B. Carroll and Ann K. Buchholtz. (2008). 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