The 21st Century Workplace - Assignment Example

A manager is an individual who is responsible over a particular issue, for example units, sections or departments in an organization. A manager is tasked with giving direction to those under him and is relied upon to make decisions that affect the workings of that organization or company. The role of a manager working in a global, diverse and highly technological workplace has changed significantly. This is because companies have become global and brought on board a workforce that is diverse and in need of efficient management skills (Daft & Daft, 2007). Managers have had to take on the role of investors. This is because they are tasked with distributing resources with sole aim of getting good returns just like investors (Cheverton, 2004). To achieve this role a manager need to let employees have a say in what they are to do. Thus a discussions if not negotiations need to be employed to achieve the organization’s goal and objectives. Managers play the role of customers in any organization operating in a global workplace. This is because as nature of workforce changes as they become more involved in their work. They cease to be just hired employees but self employed persons offering their services to customers within the organization who in this case are the managers (Comfort & Franklin, 2011). This makes employees to be more robust in their duties. They also point out needs to managers and in the process improve on the organization’s productivity. Managers play the role of sports coaches. An example can be given of professional golfers who have coaches and managers. These two assist the golfers with all matters pertaining to golfing be it sponsorship or travel arrangements. Golfers however cannot be sacked by the managers. Actually it is the golfer who fires his manager (Daft & Daft, 2007). This implies that the sports managers though being a coordinator or advisor has no direct authority over the said golfer. This happens to be the direction that managers in the 21st century operating in a global workplace are heading to as in when put in charge of expensive talent they need to consider a lot of factors or consequences before they can arrive at the decision of sacking them. Managers play the role of partners. The relationship between workforce and managers grows to the extent of being partners as their influence spreads within the organization. They become partners within the organization who are relied upon to ensure that everything runs smoothly. A manager working in a global workplace needs to come up with a future and make it known to other people. This is to ensure that when he leaves the company it is in a better place than he found it. Here the manager needs to be on the lookout for available changes or opportunities as the future is always changing. Managers need not only to be familiar with their business environment , their customers, clients or people they are in completion with but need also but also ways to come up with a better future by having a long-term vision for their company (Cheverton, 2004). Managers need to come up with future plans or strategies that aim to improve the efficiency of the company. These plans or strategies should be communicated to the rest of the organization Due to the rapidly changing business environment of the 21st century, competition has increased globally as never heard before ideas come up interfering with the known business models. To address this, managers working in the global world have to come up with newer and better business models (Cheverton, 2004). This is aimed at reinventing the existing business models. Managers, in line with this, come up with ways that can make their companies have a competitive edge over others. This is done through concentrating on how to their products can be different from those of other companies in terms of quality among other things. Thus the level of innovation needs to be excellent in order to not only develop a competitive edge over their competitors but to also lead the company into the future. This role is thus crucial for any manager working in a global workplace. Managers need to better manage people who are employees of the companies they work for. This is because in any company employees or the workforce is crucial towards achieving set goals and objectives. Managers have a commitment to the people who work under them and need to make them feel wanted in the company as they are the ones who hold the key towards the organization’s future (Daft & Daft, 2007). Managers need to involve themselves with talent management with the company. As such they should spend a lot of time and apportion a good number of resources towards looking for and mentoring individuals perceived to possess talents beneficial to the company. Managers also need to develop teams of talented workforce for efficiency. Correct tasks should be availed. Workforce should be given chance to learn and take risks when necessary. High performance should be demanded from the employees with relation to the above. Managers working in a global workplace have also the role of integrating with an institutional strategy or plan. This implies that any activity carried out in the company has a meaning. Institutional strategy brings together the values, principles and purposes of the company in line with the organization’s ideological rules (Daft & Daft, 2007). Managers have the responsibility to not only adhere to values and principles of organizations but to share them with other employees. The manager has to be an example to those working under him by adhering to institutional rules and regulations. He needs not to involve all the stakeholders in running of the organization. It is the day to day happenings at organizations that form the basis for institutional values. As a business management student preparing to work in a global business environment one needs to take the following actions to support his career aspirations: A person needs to be familiar with diverse cultures. This is because of globalization that characterizes the 21st century. This has been brought about by multinational nature of numerous companies such as Coca Cola, Kodak, Sony among others (Comfort & Franklin, 2011). This cross-cultural nature of business means that an individual will have to work with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. One therefore needs to understand among other things language in use, employee-employer relations, customer relations, institutional values and ideals among other organizational requirements that will facilitate efficient management of companies. There needs to be research on changes that have taken place in the business environment prior to the 21st century. This is relation to for example how management was done in the 19th or 20th century and what factors necessitated the changes that are there today. This is not only to appreciate the current business management trends but also contribute towards other positive changes. For example one will be in a position to explain why 21st century managers need to carry out their work by tasking self managing knowledge employees who are so much different from the so called hired hands of the 19th or 20th century (Daft & Daft, 2007). Reflections from the assignment Graham Gibbs, a Learning researcher talked about application of structured debriefing to necessitate reflection through what he called Gibb’s model of reflection. To him stages of a complete structured debriefing are description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and personal action plans. This assignment gives an insight into the role of a manager working in a global, diverse and highly technological workplace. Unlike in traditional times, the global workplace has introduced changes that managers need to adapt to. Gone are the days when their sole purpose was to control and enforce organizational rules and regulations with an aim of ensuring efficiency. The assignment guides a person into appreciating that in order to succeed in the global market as a manager one needs to work with other people, to put into use their talents while developing more through a process of encouragement and reward for effort. Team work and information sharing need to be encouraged. Thus this assignment helps one appreciates changes that have taken place in the 21st century and how they have affected managers working in the global workplace. Prior to the assignment, the feeling was that managers’ objective was to achieve results through controlling people working under him, making sure that the same employees adhered to set rules and regulations irrespective of whether they are oppressive or not. Also, the feeling was that incase of information sharing, it should happen in a top down manner only as it is management that owns the organization and thus knows needs associated with it. The thought here was that what mattered were results and that these results were to be viewed in the eyes of the management. However, this is not the case as it is only through sharing of not only information but also ideas that organizations operating in the 21st century can prosper. proper management whereby there is sharing of information, letting low level employees know that they are partners in the organization, developing talent, leading by example through adhering to set rules and regulations especially for management and encouraging problem solving and creativity that organizations can make it in this century. Therefore for one to make it in the management career he or she needs to know of the changes that have taken place since traditional times. An organization which clearly encourages spirit of competition among its employees benefits a lot as it is through this that new talent and problem solving techniques are developed. However one is left to wonder about negative competition. Questions arise for example how management discourages negative competition among its employees as it is obvious that almost all employees want to impress their bosses, at times with complete disregard of workmates. In addition to this, the question of employees not respecting their bosses arise especially where management keeps including low level employees in decision making process in a bid to make them feel wanted or appreciated (Cheverton, 2004). One asks the questioning of whether it is wise to be too lenient to low level employees at the expense of the organization’s future. It is evident that having a domineering management whereby everything is dictated to low level employees is harmful for any organization. Seeing employees as means to achieve a goal in the 21st century as opposed to business partners is a quick way to kill any organization. However, also having management that is too close or generous to employees is equally harmful. Issues of disrespect, negative competition among employees and laxity are likely to arise. A balance needs to be struck. Management can have a warm relationship with employees without compromising on respect. This can be through rules and regulations that are not oppressive and that are understood by the entire organizational hierarchy. Those in violation should pay a price even if it is with their jobs. If managers and employees learn to respect and appreciate each other, there will be a feeling of interdependence whereby each side knows that it cannot work on its own especially in the 21st century with all its challenges. The assignment opens up ones understanding of the working of management in the 21st century. With regards to this, issues of why some management fails and why others succeed come into light. Also the realization that it is only those who are ready to adopt change that has occurred in the global workplace can succeed. However this change must be negotiated as indicated in Glenn Allen-Meyer’s book titled ‘Nameless Organizational Change’. Managers working in the global workplace need to come up with plans to improve relations with their employees while not compromising their standing in the organization, need to motivate them through actions such as talent identification and mentorship, provision of welfare services, well structured information sharing mechanisms among others measures. These action plans will lead to a better working environment and success in the 21st century. It is good to note that poor management has led to collapse of businesses such as the Washington Mutual which was sold to Morgan Chase after experiencing financial meltdown in 2008. Another example is the SwissAir which after experiencing financial problems related to management closed shop in 2002. Bibliography Comfort, J., & Franklin, P. (2011). The mindful international manager: How to work effectively across cultures. London: Kogan Page. Cheverton, P. (2004). Key account management: A complete action kit of tools and techniques for achieving profitable key supplier status. London: Kogan Page. Daft, R. L., & Daft, R. L. (2007). New era of management. Mason, Ohio: Thomson South-Western. Read More