Issues on Manager's Roles - Example

BUSМ1162 АSSIGNМЕNТ 2 GUIDЕ INDIVIDUАL RЕРОRT Name: Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Introduction 3 Methodology 4 Literature Review 5 Theoretical Framework 6 Competing Values Framework 6 Discussion of Issues on Manager’s Roles 7 Competencies as a Manager of the People 7 Human Relation Model 7 Internal Process Model 9 Competencies that Require Further Development as a Manager 10 Application of the Game Theory 10 Performance Development Framework 10 Motivation of Employees towards Goals 11 Personal Action Plan 11 Building a SMART Action Plan 13 References 20 Executive Summary Management is an activity that companies use to ensure that they achieve all their aims in the long run of a business venture. In this business report, competing value framework as an analytical tool will be used to examine the abilities of a manager in managing people’s skills in a business organization. The theories that are used in the analysis of the concept of managing people’s skills are also considered as essential in this report. The application and use of these theories are being discussed in this essay. The report findings on the theories, both modern and traditional, are also discussed extensively with the recommendation being given for the development of a good managerial strategy in managing people’s skills. The modern concepts and theories are applied to most of the managers in the recent past, but some others prefer the traditional concepts and theories. But competent managers have to be able to apply both the traditional and modern concepts in order to cover all area especially those employees who are still not able to match up with the modern technology in the globalization age. Competing value framework is significant in the examination and organization of people in the business. The manager should consider the action taken in order to create a good working environment for the employees. When a manager creates a target and wants to achieve it he/she should consider communicating the same message to the employees and listening to the suggestions brought and also their status of the business. The manager should emphasize on standardized work activities and the understanding the culture of the people in the company. Introduction This report will be able to cover different concepts in managing people in an organization, the application of this concepts and theories in the current system of management. This report will be base majorly on the concepts and theories passed across in the competing value framework. This is a tool that is used recently by most managers in different organizations. However, this report will narrow down to the concept of management of people in an organization. The ways in which competent managers manage people in an organization, description of areas of managing people that require improvements, identification of knowledge and skills to be reinforced in management of people and lastly to develop personals action plan to impart significant skills and knowledge that have been identified. This will describe how managers can improve their skills in managing people in an organization using the concepts of competing value framework. It will also describe various managerial activities that result in a well-developed way of a manager working with employees. The concepts that manager should apply in determining their influence in the managing of workers in the organization so as to achieve the goals set by the organization. The Quinn models and its application will be used in the report. Aims of the report are illustrated below; To widen the understanding of the theories and framework used to undertake different managerial practices especially in the management of people in the organization. To examine managerial practices using the study of manager in this century and the activities that are performed by the managers towards the people in the organization. Come up with a reflection of how the frameworks used by managers affect the people in the organization and come up with the stand that is appropriate. Recommendation for the improvement of different areas by the managers in the organization. Methodology The report is based on the findings from the books that are giving analysis on managing people in an organization, literature review, and self-assessment tools from competing value framework and other tools. Literature Review From different books talking about managing people, I was able to realize various managerial roles and activities that helps to improve management of people in an organization. Different authors have been able to provide various views on ways of managing people. Through that I learned the following ways of managing people: Handling workers’ opinions whenever there is a need to implement new managerial activities. Interpreting worker’s reactions to new implementations. Engaging workers during decision-making process Self-assessment tools and assessment by others I have been able to asses my managerial role by developing a questionnaire for myself to complete the questionnaire and to recognize my roles as manager of people. The attached information gives an overview of the assessment of my roles as a manager of people. Other tools that I used to asses my roles as a manager was the use of questionnaires that were completed by other people in the organization (assessment by others). From the assessment, I was able to learn my roles as a manager and how it had an impact in developing other people skills and competencies in the organization. My personal views from different experiences are also discussed in this report. Adverse issues will also be addressed in the report so as to cover all aspects of management of people in an organization. Issues of team work in the organization, conflict management, change management and others are included in the discussion. Theoretical Framework Competing Values Framework According to Geraki, (2014), competing value framework was initially known to share common principles with control orientation and the functions of the organization. This link creates adhocracy, clan, hierarchy and market quadrats in the structural representation of the competing value framework. Managers have to be able to organize workers in a well-coordinated way to produce quality products and services to satisfy customers of the company, this shows that market quadrat is contrary to clan quadrat. However, adhocracy and hierarchy are opposing each other since the manager has to invest in different adventures that are new and their risk factor is not determined and at the same time ensuring that the business is running smoothly in its operation and capital sources are not affected (Mattocks et al. 2011). Below is a diagram to describe cultures in the competing value framework for an organization. The table below shows the impact of the each culture on the managerial roles. Culture Manager’s role Market Distributes duties, track production activities and encourage workers to produce quality products and services. Clan The manager should be fair, open, sensitive and considerate on various issues concerning the people in the organization especially workers who are not having stable conditions during work time. Adhocracy Persuasive and innovative with high convincing power for attracting more people to work with the company. Hierarchy Supervise and ensure that there is an organized way of doing things in the company as far as the production of workers is concerned. Team builders and key players in the execution of business ideas. Discussion of Issues on Manager’s Roles Competencies as a Manager of the People The issues affecting the manger’s decisions and roles are well addressed in the following models; human relation model and internal process model. Human Relation Model This model indicates how a human relationship between the employees and the managers affect the working environment of the business. A more friendly relationship existing between the worker and the manager enables the organization to prosper in different fields. This creates a ‘clan’ consisting of ‘family members’ as illustrated by (Thomson, 2012). The relationship between the manager and the people working in the organization is strengthening the trust and the loyalty they have for each other. The commitment of each member of the organization towards the aims of the organization helps in maintaining trust and loyalty among the manager and the people working for the company and long term cohesion among them. Developing a cohesive group A manager handles the development of a cohesive group of workers in an organization. The manager who encourages people to share ideas based on different issues affecting the organization will be able to enhance cohesion between the people in the organization. The level of cohesion developed in the will be able to facilitate the good relationship between employees and the managers. Sharing of ideas in the organization does not only bring cohesion but also motivates the workers since they realize that they are of great importance to the team. This will enable the organization to develop trust since the ideas being shared enables the each employee to think about the rest and the impact that he/she is providing to the organization. Empowerment is also another factor that a manager should consider in order to create a cohesive team in the organization. Managers should empower employees to gain self-confidence and self-motivation and, in the long run, the employees will be working together as a team. The manager should be in apposition to determine which employee needs to be empowered in order to produce successful output to the company. A manager who does not empower his employees ends up under performing since the cohesion among the employees does not exist. Conflict management In an organization, conflict arises when employees or the managers do not perform their activities as required by the rules of the company. Conflicting parties can cause a drop in the company’s income because they will not be able to work together to achieve the common goals of the organization. As a manager, when conflict arises between the employee and fellow employee, there should be an appropriate way of solving the conflict to keep both employees in line. A manager should be a problem solver to be able to exercise his/her powers as a leader of people in an organization. Whenever a manager fails to solve conflicts between either him and the employees or employee themselves, he fails in his roles as a manager. The behaviors of the employees should be looked into by the manager to ensure that there are minimal misunderstandings among employees. The manager should be able to identify different areas that can cause conflicts among the employees. Different ways of channeling conflicts in the organization have to be developed by the manager to prevent conflicts before they reach a level that cannot be easily solved. Encouraging workers to be passing information to the management in their working environment enables the manager to evaluate the cause of conflicts and to find possible solutions. The manager should handle a case where an employee is found to be relying on others when working as a group in a way that does not affect the whole group. Managers should always ensure that the organization is having a conflict free environment to be able to produce efficiently (Thomson, 2012). Internal Process Model According to Steers, et al. (2013), the internal process of an organization facilitates the development of a balanced and flexible organization that can attain its aims in the process of the development. An organization should always struggle to achieve stability in the process of development. A manager who succeeds in enabling the organization to acquire stability is considered successful. Reliability of information and use of lean theory The information provided by the manager should be reliable to the people working in the organization. When worker are provided with reliable information from the manager they can use that information in the production of services and products to the extent of achieving the main goal that the organization has set. This will enable the people in organization to avoid wastage of resources and time since they will not have to try other wrong alternatives before reaching the best alternative. The lean theory enables a manager to implement the necessary ideas as provided by the theory since they have been tested and found to be useful and efficient. The manager will be able to integrate socio-system that will eliminate internal variability while building a constant control system and optimizing the value stream through reducing different types of waste (Mendenhall, et al 2012). Competencies that Require Further Development as a Manager The following are competencies that are required to improve as a manager of the people. Application of the Game Theory The manager should be able to use the game theory to build a cohesive team that distributes members to different roles while insisting on the individuals to obtain the given objectives. This theory will enable the manager to be able to build a group that can attain a common aim and an advantageous competition among employees (Lahker 2012). Performance Development Framework This is a role that the manager has to develop in order to be able to control all activities that are undertaken by the people in the organization. A well-developed performance development framework by a manager enables the organization to have control over employees in the organization. When this happens, the manager is in a position to influence all workers in different departments of the organization. Through this, the organization can be able to achieve its targets. Motivation of Employees towards Goals The manager should be able to motivate employees to achieve certain goals for the organization. This is widely illustrated in the goal setting theory whereby the manager has to motivate the employees to achieve certain goals. This is used by many mangers since it is a realistic theory that enables the organization to achieve the aim of the required activity. This is achieved through rewarding schemes created by managers to motivate their workers. People management skills, knowledge and competencies needed to be developed 1. Motivation – This whereby the manager is supposed to motivate the people he/she is working with to gain quality results, 2. Setting goals- As a manager, the organization goals should set so as the organization can be able to achieve its main objectives. 3. Conflict management- a manager should be able to develop appropriate procedures for solving conflicts among employees. 4. Time management- a manager should be able to keep time to avoid any issue with time wastage when dealing with employees. 5. Cohesion and team work- a manager, should be able to encourage cohesion among the people in the organization. This will facilitate team work among employees. Personal Action Plan This is a well-developed measure taken by the manager to improve skills that are already obtained and new skills and competencies. This can be over a period of 12 months, the manager has to analyze and go through the feedback in the profile report and develop a personal action plan. This enables the manager to bring about change and improve the existing skills. As a manager, one should be able to know which level he/she is currently then identified what are the areas that need to improve and the areas that are well-established. There are three steps to attain an organized personal action plan: The requirement of current and future role. Identifying strengths and development area. Building a SMART action plan to implement changes and improvement. Requirement of current role As a manger of the people there are many roles associated with this post. i. The manger has to ensure that the people working in the organization are well taken care of from their salaries to their working environment. ii. The manager should be able to ensure that the employees are working under conducive environment. iii. The manager should also ensure that the organization respects the international rights of employees. iv. The manager should develop a functional communication system to ensure that all employee problems are submitted to him. v. The manager has to sacrifice his/her time to ensure that the activities of the people working under him are always in the right direction. The strengths and development areas From the above skills and competencies, the manager should be able to create cohesion and team work also being able to manage conflicts. As a manager areas of development should be conflict management and creation of cohesion and team work. Areas of development Ways to address it Conflict management Developing a committee to enquire into the cause of conflict, the people involved the determining the actions to be taken. As a manager, he/she should chair the committee. Cohesion and team work Forming groups of workers with the same interest and working in the same area of work or department. Encouraging teamwork through rewarding workers as a group will enable them to have a greater cohesion among themselves. The implementation of the necessary plans to improve the areas that need development. Encouraging workers as a manager to form groups Creating a pool of funds to be accessed by a team of people only Solving conflicts through a justifiable solution that does not influence the involved parties Communicating to workers, to reduce pressure and addressing potential areas of conflicts Building a SMART Action Plan Specific- well-defined goals. Measurable-clear way to achieve goals. Attainable- Realistic goals. Relevant-goals that directly affect the target party. Time-bound-time scale for completion of each goal. Developing, increasing, and evaluating most important of the skills, knowledge and competencies. Through a 12 month period, the manager should be able to implement the following to ensure that he/she improves the skills, competencies and knowledge in managing people. Developing and increasing skills, knowledge and competencies that a manager currently has; identifying the areas that the manager is comfortable in handling. This will be done through the assessment of the way the employee are relating to the manager. Within the first three months hold two meetings with the people in the organization then create an open forum for everyone to post his/her views about how the organization is running. Record their views and analyzes them to determine if they are satisfied with the kind of management that as a manager is offering. Identify various skills, knowledge and competencies that are appreciated by the workers and those that are not well appreciated. Implement the solutions of identified weaknesses in the next four months. In the next four months work closely with different departments while noting the changes and the responses that they give when given various directions. The implementation of the solutions will be seen by the way the employees will be responding especially in the cohesion and teamwork. The employees should be seen to be working together in a cooperative manner. If this is seen, the manager should be able to note down the areas that still need improvement and areas that have worked well using the skills administered by the manager. For the last six months, the manager should in a position to determine whether the skills and competencies he/she has are influencing workers either negatively or positively through the use of a survey. This will be able to give a full assessment of the manager’s skill, competencies, and knowledge. After this the manager, the last two months of the six months should be used to evaluate the impact of the manager’s skills and competencies. This will be done by the manager through the analysis of the survey, viewing the responses that are brought forward by the people in the organization. The result of the survey should be able to reflect the manager’s the ability to create, compete, collaborate and control the skills and the people in the organization. The survey on self-assessment and assessment by others A survey conducted by the manager to examine the impact of his/her performance is given below. Self-Assessment Listed below are some statements that describe managerial practices. Indicate how Often you engage in the behaviors, using the scale below to respond to each statement. Almost never 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Almost always As a manager, how often do you? 1. Come up with inventive ideas. __ 2. Exert upward influence in the organization. __title name 3. Clarify the need to achieve unit goals. __ 4. Continually clarify the unit's purpose. __ 5. Search for innovations and potential improvements. __ 6. Make the unit's role very clear. __ 7. Maintain tight logistical control. __ 8. Keep track of what goes on in the unit. __ 9. Develop consensual resolution of openly expressed differences. __ 10. Listen to the personal problems of employees. __ 11. Maintain a highly coordinated, well-organized unit. __ 12. Hold open discussion of conflicting opinions in groups. __ 13. Push the unit to meet objectives. __ 14. Surface key differences among group members, then work participative to resolve them. __ 15. Monitor compliance with the rules. __ 16. Treat each in a sensitive, caring way. __ 17. Experiment with new concepts and procedures. __ 18. Show empathy and concern in dealing with employees. __ 19. Seek to improve the workgroup's technical capacity. __ 20. Get access to people at higher levels. __ 21. Encourage participative decision making in the group. __ 22. Compare records, reports, and so on to detect discrepancies. __ 23. Solve scheduling problems in the unit. __ 24. Get the unit to meet expected goals. __ 25. Do problem-solving in creative, clear ways. __ 26. Anticipate workflow problems, avoid a crisis. __ 27. Check for errors and mistakes. __ 28. Persuasively sell new ideas to higher ups. __ 29. See that the unit delivers on stated goals. __ 30. Facilitate consensus building in the work unit. __ 31. Clarify the unit's priorities and direction. __ 32. Show concern for the needs of employees. __ 33. Maintain a "results" orientation in the unit. __ 34. Influence decisions made at higher levels. __ 35. Regularly clarify the objectives of the unit. __ 36. Bring a sense of order and coordination into the unit.__  Results Collaborate Create Q A Q A 9 5 1 4 10 4 2 3 12 5 5 3 14 4 17 3 16 6 20 4 18 5 25 3 21 4 28 2 30 6 34 4 32 4       5   4 Control Compete Q A Q A 7 5 3 6 8 6 4 6 11 5 6 7 15 6 13 6 22 7 19 4 23 5 24 4 26 5 29 6 27 5 31 4 36 4 33 7     35 6   5   6 Assessment by Others Listed below are some statements that describe managerial behaviors. Please respond to this instrument, giving your best judgment of the behaviors of__________________________ (Name of the person whom you gave to complete) Indicate how often this person engages in the behaviors, using the scale below to respond to each statement. Very infrequently 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Very frequently In doing the job, this individual: 1. Comes up with inventive ideas ____ 2. Protects continuity in day-to-day operations____ 3. Exerts upward influence on the organization____ 4. Carefully reviews detailed reports____ 5. Maintains a “results” orientation in the unit____ 6. Facilitates consensus building in the work unit____ 7. Defines areas of responsibility for subordinates____ 8. Listens to the personal problems of employees____ 9. Minimizes disruption to the work flow____ 10. Experiments with new concepts and procedures ____ 11. Encourages participative decision-making in the group____ 12. makes sure everyone knows where the unit is going____ 13. Influences decisions made at higher levels____ 14. Compares records, reports, and so on to detect discrepancies____ 15. Sees that the unit delivers on stated goals____ 16. Shows empathy and concern in dealing with employees____ 17. Works with technical information____ 18. Gets access to people at higher levels____ 19. Sets clear objectives in the work unit____ 20. Treats each individual in a sensitive, caring way____ 21. Keeps track of what goes on inside the unit____ 22. Does problem solving in creative, clever ways____ 23. Pushes the unit to meet objectives____ 24. Encourages subordinates to share ideas in the group____ 25. Searches for innovations and potential improvements____ 26. Clarifies priorities and direction____ 27. Persuasively sells new ideas to higher-ups____ 28. Brings a sense of order to the unit. ____ 29. Shows concern for the needs of employees____ 30. Emphasizes the unit’s achievement of stated purposes____ 31. Builds teamwork among group members____ 32. Analyzes written plans and schedules____ Collaborate Create Q A Q A 6 5 1 4 8 5 3 3 11 5 10 2 16 4 13 4 20 4 18 4 24 5 22 3 29 4 25 4 31 4 27 4           5   4 Control Compete Q A Q A 2 4 5 6 4 5 7 4 9 6 12 5 14 5 15 4 17 5 19 5 21 7 23 6 28 6 26 4 32 5 30 5                   5   5 References Ferreira, A. I. (2014). Competing Values Framework and its impact on the intellectual capital dimensions: evidence from different Portuguese organizational sectors. Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 12(1), 86-96. Geraki, A. (2014). Roles and skills comparison among principals in Greek schools Application of Competing Values Framework. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 1741143213513189. Hartnell, C. A., Ou, A. Y., & Kinicki, A. (2011). Organizational culture and organizational effectiveness: a meta-analytic investigation of the competing values framework's theoretical suppositions. Journal of Applied Psychology,96(4), 677. Mendenhall, M. E., Oddou, G. R., & Osland, J. (Eds.). (2012). Global leadership: Research, practice, and development. Routledge. Steers, R. M., Nardon, L., & Sanchez-Runde, C. J. (2013). Management across cultures: developing global competencies. Cambridge University Press. Thomson, R., & Thomson, A. (2012). Managing people. Routledge. Read More