Authoritarian Approach to Management - Assignment Example

Strategic Change I. What were the facts of the case? What was the problem? The facts of the case included the following: a. Patton’s vision for a highly structured and disciplined organization which became an authoritarian approach to management. b. Line workers were classified according to strict hierarchy. c. Patton’s rejection of suggestions from the workers. d. Worker’s suggestions on pay, job design, and office procedures were rejected. e. Workers were threatened, “if they don’t like the way the office is run, they can work some other place.” The problem was the authoritarian approach to management. Patton desired to take charge of every operational detail which resulted to an objection due to strict implementations of rules that were tight against the workers. An authoritarian approach to management is a one way system which shows unfairness towards employees. Such unfairness bridges resentments on workers against management and provokes uprisings and that is problematic. II. How would you relate the problem to other issues? Other issues related to the problem include the fact that the authoritarian approach to management builds high walls between management and employees which impedes development for the department. The old adage “two heads are better than one” certainly applies to such a management problem. It is necessary that management realizes the contributions of employees to the success of operations and their ideas or thoughts or opinions must not go unheard because suggestions coming from the men themselves doing the job are the most realistic ideas to be considered. Apart from the fact that an authoritarian management approach problematically impedes development, such a problem also raise the issue of growth on the part of the employees. Employment should contribute to the growth and maturity of an individual. However, when a problematic authoritarian management approach is used, employee development is difficult to achieve. When employee development is not promoted in a particular working environment, therefore there is no room for competitiveness. Such is an injustice towards employees, and affects the total impression about the country’s workers. When companies and/or government agencies/departments refuse to foster competitiveness towards its employees, the country will face problems in the fast pace of globalization. III. What alternatives exist for solving this problem? The alternative that exists to resolve the problem is to provide management training for directors and management teams to provide a wider perspective on management. Trainings for high ranking officials are quite unpopular however, it must be realized that management people are in most need for training to acknowledge a viewpoint outside of their own, to introduce a new practice to create a better environment, adopt an approach shared by other management trainees which has been a proven successful approach. All these and more are learned in trainings. Thus, with an authoritarian approach, trainings as an alternative to resolve the problem may open opportunities for change. Change that, will empower employees to open doors to success and develop competitiveness amongst employees. IV. What would the likely consequence be for the alternatives you have identified? The likely consequence for the alternative which had been identified (training for high ranked officials/management) is adopting change as the training open doors of opportunities for fresh ideas, and leadership education. Chances for authoritarian management will open to change and accept suggestions, the language of “we” instead of “I”. Trainings make a difference to create a better and more accommodating environment due to the realization made for the officials and managers during the process of the training. The consequence to Surname 4 develop competitive employees, contributing to the growth and development of the department where they are assigned. V. What strategy should be utilized to resolve this problem? Why does this seem to be the best strategy? The best strategy to resolve the problem is to provide training for the managers/high ranking officials in the effort to provide wider perspective and to open a realization of employee empowerment as the best tool for successful operations. Employee empowerment is carried through initiating trainings for managers/directors and other high ranked officials to share the success of such an effective strategy to resolve authoritarian management approach. Such a strategy can be considered the best solution to the existing problem because first and foremost top management should be straightened. Training is the therapy to loosen up strict and controlling management styles. In training, best practices are shared and from sharing open fresh perspectives without stinging authoritative egos of managers and/or directors. The training should focus on the idea of employee empowerment – sharing the effectiveness and contributory factors to run smooth operations by utilizing employee empowerment. It is important that trainings open a way of understanding for the directors/managers towards the advantage of employee management. It is essential that management understand that employee participation is a critical part for a smooth operations because employees Surname 5 fulfill the management objectives. Result is the most important part in every objective; and in a workforce, it is the employees who make it happen. Therefore, it is the best strategy to include employees to participate in meetings, contribute thoughts/ideas and empower them because they are the significant part of a company/agency/department who execute actions and deliver results. There is no better person to suggest what to do than those who know what is going on – the workers and allowing them to participate in decision making and taking in suggestions from them is the best strategy there is. VI. What are the relevant theories, concepts and/or principles that relate to your strategy? Relevant theory which relate to the strategy presented is the Employee Empowerment Theory which is followed by Management Training. To begin with, the top management should be a priority in training because success starts from the top which is the brain of operations. The Fortune Magazine and Hay Group revealed from their executive survey of Leadership Effectiveness, that “the most admired companies in the world all had one thing in common: an attentiveness toward nurturing the "emotional intelligence" of their leaders; in particular, a focus on the enhancement of such characteristics as self-awareness and management as well as social awareness and social skills” (qtd in “Success Starts at the Top: Personal Surname 6 Performance Training For Executives And Managers) – achieved from management training by developing individuals to open up to social skills to get over the authoritarian management approach. Upon addressing the concerns and needs of the management people, workers should be attended closely – their needs, concerns, etc. Empowerment theory is an ideal concept to involve workers in decision making and allow them the flexibility to express their talent to contribute to the growth of the department/company/agency. Rob and Margaret Brown emphasized that “…the winning difference in service and ideas can only be delivered by individuals able to act on their own initiative, the much-trumpeted 'customer focus' must mean empowerment. Employees working to rule won't provide the vital edge.” (qtd in “Employee Empowerment”). The employees therefore, should be given the flexibility to execute their tasks and not in a controlled manner to allow them to reveal their talents. Employees provided with such empowerment execute their tasks most effectively. Works Cited “Success Starts at the Top: Personal Performance Training For Executives And Managers. iPerform Leading Personal Performance. 2007. Retrieved June 10, 2008. http://www.iperform.com.au/managementtraining.html De Bono, Edward and Heller, Robert. “Employee Empowerment”. Thinking Managers. http://www.thinkingmanagers.com/management/employee-empowerment.php Read More