Image of Managers - Assignment Example

Running head: Managerial roles Managerial roles: A discussion Insert Insert Grade Insert Name March 25, 2011 "The image of managers as rational and analytical planners, decision makers, and issuers of commands does not stand up to scrutiny when researchers examine what managers actually do" Various organizations are set up to provide for the needs of the individuals in a given society. These organizations are in turn forced to establish certain goals and objectives that need to be met as mechanisms of meeting the different human needs. Regardless of the nature of an organization and the kind of services that the organizations offer, the most valuable resource to the organization is the human resource. They are the implementers of the operational strategies that have been set in the organization. The employees may be attached to the organization simply because they strive to earn a living out of it. The other members of the organizational community may be attached to the organization as their economic activity or as a source of some satisfaction. Besides, the nature of human being that deviates from the ideal situation does not allow them to operate collectively towards the achievement of common objective. There is a lot of diversity among the human resource. There is also need to plan the activities of an organization and make appropriate decisions at certain points in the organization. These require some kind of management, a way of passing information and coordinating the activities in the organization (Watson 2003, p4). The roles of the various employees need to be defined, there is need to supervise how the employees perform the tasks as a way of appraisal or dismissal, and there is a need to review the organizations objectives and evaluate the overall performance of the organization. There is a need to establish proper relation with the individuals that are outside the organization as well. The diverse need of the community that surrounds the organization including the employees of the organization is what makes management one of the challenging roles in an organization. A manager who partly owns a company will provide a different managerial approach than the other one who has no share in the organization (James, 1999, p.2). The role of managers in an organization has received various scrutinies due to the ambiguity that exists in defining term itself. The operations in a given organization may not go on smoothly not because the top management consists of incompetent personnel but because the managers are not doing the right things. Watson (2001) thus describes management in three different aspects: management as a function, management as activities and management as a team of people (p.35). The kind of manager that Watson mentions includes both the middle manager and the senior manager. The roles of these managers are not specific and often change depending on the level of the hierarchy in which the manager falls. The different divisions that exist in given organization do not make it easy to tell the exact role of a manager. The managers themselves perceive the management role as that of leading a group of individuals or managing some kinds of property in an organization. It is thus difficult to identify a manager through the work that is performed. The roles also change with the changes that occur in the related sectors (Shelley, 2010, p.3). The way that the managers themselves view the management role has an influence on the overall performance of that manager (Stewart, 2002, p.39). The performance will also be affected by how other individuals perceive the role of the manager in the organization. The image that is mentioned here refers to the picture that is created in the minds of both the managers and the members of the community in an organization on the managerial roles. It refers to how the managers view their roles and how the employees and other stakeholders view the roles too. Some managers consider themselves as administrators and have very little to do with their professional occupations. They are more concerned with the staff under them (Gamble et al, 2009, p.8). The traditional view of the role of managers is contained in most of the olden management textbooks. They described the roles of a manager as planning, organizing, recruitment of the staff, leading and directing the employees, and financial management. The managers were then viewed as ‘cool, reflective, objective individuals, systematically planning tasks which they pass down to subordinates in order to fulfill clearly stated and unambiguous organizational objectives’ (Watson, 2001, p.36). The managers assume that everything shall proceed as scheduled without any form of alterations. The subordinate staff or the employees are to receive orders from the top managers and execute their assigned duties without much ado. The management roles are specific and the managers are not to go beyond the stipulated roles. The managers in this traditional view do not have to engage their subordinates and the other employees of the organization in any decision-making activity within the organization. Every stakeholder in the organization is assumed to have an ideal behavior, they are assumed to be responsible, reliable, transparent, honest, and of high integrity. In this case, the success of an organization is viewed as being dependent on the ability of the managers to make rational decisions. The decision-making and other management roles are executed based on the principles of rational behavior in the employees and other stakeholders. The above description of management role is not applicable in the real life situation. The described qualities are actually, what are required of any potential employee. However, finding the required combination in an individual may not be easy. Some other forces may also influence an individual of high integrity into indulging in some kind of misconduct that is destructive to the organization. Some kinds of adjustment need to be incorporated. In deed, it is appropriate to determine the role of managers at the different levels in the management hierarchy and at the different functional departments of an organization. However, there is need for a kind of flexibility in how the managers execute their duties. The human nature consists of a dynamic system with some phenomena following no predetermined courses. Some kinds of flexibility should be adopted in order to manage some emerging issues in an organization. The literature that is provided by several researches like Burns and Stalker (1994) describes the new picture that is seen on the roles that a manager should perform in the organization. The researches show that the roles that are played by the managers vary from one manager to the other. They reveal how the managers spend their working days differently partly due to the difference in the way they are brought up and partly due to the organizational culture (Floren & Tell, 2003, p.8). The different kinds of individuals that are met in an organization, the prevailing environmental conditions within and outside the organization as well as other factors like the government policies have an influence on the activities of an organization and the subsequent roles assumed by the managers (Govender & Paramasur 2010, p.1). In trying to understand what the managers do, the researches included other questions like the time spent by the managers in an activity, the individuals that the managers associate with, and the other activities they do outside the organization (Hales, 1986, p.3). A potential manager should be in a position to solve any emerging issue. The new view of a manager is that dynamic individual who is faced with different situations each day. They act as facilitators, coordinators, directors, monitors and even evaluators (Govender & Paramasur 2010, p.4; Skytt et al 2008, p.7). The managers meet different individuals with different needs every time and they are faced with various distinct problems to be solved regularly. The management is characterized by a series of consultation from within and without the organization. They need to be outspoken with excellent communication skills It involves a creation of a kind of good relationship among all the stakeholders of an organization. It is important to note that it is not only the view of management given by the researchers that is appropriate. Even the classical view of the roles of the management can be appropriate if only the managers and the other employees were to do the right things. A kind of blending need to be done between the view of the managers as rational planners and decision makers and the view that management is a collective responsibility that requires the inclusion of both. Too much use of one approach to management will definitely lead to poor performance in the organization. On one hand, if the management is too superior to give the employees a say on certain managerial decisions, the employees will be demoralized, as they will not feel part of the organization. This will be a failure on the management. Besides, the low-level implementers are often better placed in identifying the areas that need reinforcement than the top management. The organizations that are known to perform well are those where the employees and even the managers are able to shift between various activities in the organization. This often leads to a reduction in the workload that might be experienced in some activity of a given project. On the other hand, the decision making process in an organization would not be very easy if all the authority was decentralized. The diversity that exists among the human resource, the different needs of the individuals and the different views may lead to emergence of various options from which a decision has to be made. The rise of technological advances in business operations puts pressure on the managers that have to manage some facilities they do not understand properly (Kotter, 1986, chapter 2). Besides, the concentration of an individual in some field of application often allows for innovation, as the individual is able to learn and acquire more knowledge that is relevant to the application. Managing the above managerial challenges need a mixture of theory and practice (Watson, 1986, p.2). In order to manage the emerging problems, the line managers need to define the roles of every individual and train them on these roles (Dwyer, 2010, p.3). There has to be some kinds of functional approach given to the management practice like planning, coordinating activities, and giving directives among others. The managers have to be sensitive to the unpredictable human rationality and develop ways through which this can be managed. There needs to be a decentralization of authority and the inclusion of other stakeholders in the decision making process. However, this needs to be done only to the extent that it does not interfere with the decision making process. What this essentially means is that there needs to be a limit beyond which the decision-making activities need to be reserved for the top management. There needs to be a set of principles that define the culture of a given organization. Every member of the organization needs to adopt the culture and the disciplinary actions are to be taken based on the given principles. Reference List Burns, T. and Stalker, G., 1994. The management of innovation. Third edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Dwyer, A., 2010. Medical managers in contemporary healthcare organizations: a consideration of the literature. Australian Health Review, Vol. 34, Iss.4; 514. (Online). Available from: http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=6&did=2259856801&SrchMode=1&sid=2&Fmt=6&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1301149445&clientId=29440 [Accessed March 26, 2011]. Floren, H. and Tell, J., 2003. What do owner-managers in small firms really do? Replicating Choran, Mintzberg, and Kurke & Aldrich. A paper for the Small Enterprise Association of Australia and New Zealand 16th Annual Conference, Ballarat, 28 Sept-1 Oct, 2003. (Online). Available from http://www.cric.com.au/seaanz/resources/34FlorenTellWhatdoownersreallydo.pdf [Accessed March 26, 2011] Gamble, J. et al. 2009. A case study of occupational therapy managers in NSW: Roles, responsibilities and work satisfaction Australian. Occupational Therapy Journal Vol.56, 122–131. (Online). Available from: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&hid=25&sid=5672c47c-7d0e-4641-8703-1ea405ff9d8a%40sessionmgr12 [Accessed March 26, 2011] Govender, P. and Paramasur, S., 2010. Evaluating the roles and competencies that are critical considerations for management development. South African Journal of Industrial Psychology, Vol. 36 Iss.1, 1-11. (Online). Available from: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&hid=25&sid=5672c47c-7d0e-4641-8703-1ea405ff9d8a%40sessionmgr12 [Accessed March 26, 2011]. Hales, C., 1986. What do managers do? A critical review of the evidence. Journal of management studies, Vol. 23, Iss.1. (Online). Available from: http://www.iluv2teach.com/mgt304/hales.pdf [Accessed March 26, 2011] James, H., 1999. Owner as manager, Extended Horizons, and the Family Firm International Journal of the Economics of Business, Vol. 6, No.1, 41-55. (Online). Available from: http://web.missouri.edu/~jamesha/articles/james_IJEB1999.pdf [Accessed March 26, 2011] Kotter, J., 1986. The General Managers. New York: The Free Press. Shelley, L., 2010. Research Managers Uncovered: Changing Roles and ‘Shifting Arenas’ in the Academy. Higher Education Quarterly, Vol. 64, No.1, 41-64. (Online). Available from: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&hid=25&sid=5672c47c-7d0e-4641-8703-1ea405ff9d8a%40sessionmgr12 [Accessed March 26, 2011]. Stewart, R. 2002. Evidence-based management: a practical guide for health professionals. Dew Delhi: Radcliffe Publishing. Peterson, K. 2010. The Pivotal Role Played by the Project Manager. Kitchen & Bath Design News, Vol. 28, Iss.10; 32. (Online) Available from http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=8&did=2158022741&SrchMode=1&sid=2&Fmt=6&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1301149445&clientId=29440 [Accessed March 26, 2011] Skytt, B. et al. 2008. The roles of the first-line nurse manager: perceptions from four perspectives. Journal of Nursing Management, Vol.16, 1012–1020. (Online). Available from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&hid=25&sid=5672c47c-7d0e-4641-8703-1ea405ff9d8a%40sessionmgr12 [Accessed March 26, 2011] Watson, I., 2003. Applying knowledge management: techniques for building corporate memories San Francisco: Morgan Kaufmann. Watson, T., 1986. Management, organization, and employment strategy: new directions in theory. London: Taylor & Francis. Watson, T., 2001. In search of management: culture, chaos and control in managerial work. London: Thompson Learning. Read More