Management Portfolio: Management Functions - Coursework Example

MANAGEMENT PORTFOLIO Management Functions Introduction Managers are among the key foundations of any organization. The fact that they are constantlyfaced with the challenges of dealing with the employees or staffs of the institutions that they work for, the managers are expected to perform their duties not only for their organization but also for their employees as well. With the emergence of the developments of the management systems today, the idea of managing people takes a better lead as the years progress. In this paper, the author, to be able to come up with the necessary details that are needed to complete the study being hosted herein interviews two educational managers. The said interview does take place based upon the aim of putting a clear description on how managers affect the way organizations are further operating for the people that they serve. To be able to briefly yet clearly define the role of the manager in a certain pattern that does help the readers gain a clear understanding of their importance in the companies or institutions, the author of this paper tries to breakdown the necessary informations that were garnered from the performed interviews. In addition, the said interview shall be summarized and analyzed in the paragraphs that would follow. To begin the discussion, it is important to first have a clear understanding on who a manager really is. His major qualities and his skills that are required for the excellence of the service that he is expected to render his organization shall be introduced and further discussed. This is taken into consideration by the author of this paper to be able to outline the basic factors that contribute to the excellence of managerial applications that are supposed to be practiced by managers in every organization. Who is a Manager? Managing is a skillful job that requires a person to have his own operating skills. His ability to correlate with the subjects that he ought to manage is highly given importance by the organization. This is the reason why managers are considered the main foundations of the people force of each organizational system. Usually managers are the ones who are assigned to take the position of the ‘leaders’ of any working team. Hence, to be able to become a fine manager, there are necessary skills and characteristics that are needed for a person to be a competent manager. Someone that an organization would actually value so much: CHARACTERISTICS of a competent manager 1. Ability to show empathy Empathy is a feeling that a person has towards people who are oppressed and feeling low. At some point, this feeling is referred to as being able to “become as other”. Hence, if a person is able to feel how his subordinates feel, he would normally be able to take responsibility of the duties that a manager should complete. 2. Ability to understand the needs of others Mostly, this ability is highly connected with empathy. However, it requires more than just the feeling and the concern. It requires further research that must be done by the manager himself. A close look on the demands of the people would naturally help in the consistency of the role of the manager in an organization. It has been mentioned earlier that they are expected to oversee the process that could help in the improvement of the relationship of the upper sector of employees towards the lower level of workers. Hence, to be able to do so, the managers are expected to have an exceptional ability to understand the needs of other people. 3. Ability to care for the needs of the organization It is necessary that managers are aware of the missions, the objectives and the idealisms that their organizations uphold for their clients or stakeholders at that. Hence, by knowing so, they are able to balance the ways by which the organization has been able to create ways to serve the demands of their clients and the demands of their own organizational sections. Capability to Control Organizational assets even at the middle of pressure the need of having a competent manager is especially important during times that the organization comes under pressure. The capability of the person to have a direct control on the people and how they are supposed to deal with the situation shall be of great use for the whole organization. 4. Capability to provide motivational strategies to the employees Motivation of the people is essential. The motivational strategies involve the salary scheduling and the way by which the employees benefit from working well for the company or organization id a part of this sector of their job. Hence, the capability of a person to create ways to motivate the people would not only being great rewards towards the employees themselves, but also towards the organizational heads and board members or owners. This managerial task indeed requires a strong skill of persuasion and authority at the same time. A person’s ability to wake the employees’ sense of urgency regarding emergency situations that puts the whole organization at stake would indeed make him a competent manager. Skills of A Competent Manager 1. Authority with firm TO be able to control others, a manger must posses a certain level of authority. This would help others identify him as a personality who is exacting respect and obedience from his followers. As said earlier, it is a manager’s task to have a strong control over his colleagues. Hence, his ability to show authority would make it easier for him to persuade others to understand his idealisms and follow through accordingly to his command. 2. Ability to justify leniency at some points for the organization’s sake At times, some organizational situations require a certain level of leniency. The ability of a manager on knowing which interest should be valued first during situations that would compromise his position as a manager of the organization and as a manager of individual workers shall be the basis of knowing who a competent manager is. 3. Ability to understand and balance the interests of the organizational administration and the lower-level employees Everyone is expecting to be served. This is the essence of being able to manage an organization. Once the manager is able to provide the organization and its employees the kind of service that they need form the management team, the co-existence of the people operating for the organization could be assured to grow even stronger. What Is A Manager? As outlined above, there are necessary skills that a manager should posses. Hence, once the said specific characteristics are found in a person, a managerial success could be assured. With the outline of the needed characteristics of an excellent manager, the necessary responsibilities of managers could then be further defined. According to Dr. Lilian Gilbreth, an International authority on scientific management and human relations, there are six major responsibilities and objectives that define a competent manager: 1. To promote the practice of scientific management in a certain country This refers to a fine pattern that has the possibility of being a model or pattern to other managers, which they could follow for the completion of their duties towards the organizations that they ought to work for. 2. To professionalize management and industrial engineering Management is a science, and practicing it requires a certain level of fervent observation that would help in the progress of the strategies that management applies. Professionalizing the pattern and making the necessary progressive changes for the systems used in human resources control would increase the competency and the trust that organizations put upon the shoulders of the management teams. 3. To undertake and encourage research in industrial management Further studying the necessary factors that contribute to the effective application of managerial processes, it could be seen how the managerial positions and roles could still be further enhanced. Hence, conducting researches on the said matter shall equip a competent manager with further skills, which he could use in his job. 4. To provide technical guidance and leadership to practitioners and students of management and industrial engineering This involves the ability of the managers to give their subordinates with the necessary knowledge they need to be able to operate well for the organization’s sake. Once the managers are able to help their subordinates with the necessary points of consideration that they have to take for their job positions, it could be expected that other employees would be motivated to have the leadership essentials that they need to continue being highly useful for their organization. 5. To promote an exchange of ideas and information among members It is important to motivate others to share their thoughts on vital issue that concern their dignity in the organization. It is among the manager’s responsibility to promote group involvement in the organization. 6. To maintain high professional standards among its members It is important for managers to maintain a high level of standard especially with the service that they specialize in. Hence, being able to provide the institutions or the organizations that are serviced by managers, the existing system in the organizations are expected to have a strong influence upon the fulfillment of the missions and objectives of the organizations for the people that they ought to serve. The said six major missions and objectives that are outlined herein are indeed a pattern of the ideal points of consideration that managers should think about and apply as they complete their duties towards their stakeholders. When it comes to educational management, the person interviewed for this paper mentioned, “Excellence and quality is always carried in consideration by educational managers. Their ability to uphold the standards of high-leveled educators to the students identifies them as a source of foundation for creating a highly intellectual society” (Noble, 2007). The ladder of success towards an excellent educational management for the interviewee is based upon the determination of the person who manages to provide the students with the necessary things and knowledge, at that, that they needed. An educational manager is expected to become aware of the performance of the students and the faculty members that are under his supervision. Hence, the existence of a competent manager in educational institutions is indeed vital. Not only to ensure that the institution is providing the students or clients with the expected service that they deserve but also to make it possible for the institution to reach its highest potential of being best is the educational manager’s responsibility as well. The Essential role that a Manager Plays According to Tan, an administrator and at the same time an educational manager of a small Korean ESL institution, “management is intended to accomplish predetermined objectives or goals. Providing maximum profits for owners, optimum benefits for personnel, best service for customers [students and their families], and extensive participation in community affairs are possible only when management is cognizant of the latest development in their own concern of industry” (2007). True, the management team’s role in a business organization is not at all that different from the role it plays in educational institutions. The stakeholders are different but the demands are almost the same. This simply boils down to one point of concern, “excellent service”. Managing the whole team of the educators and other professionals who are involved in the job is indeed a challenge that managers have to face. The following are among the main functions that managers, educational managers at that, which managing personnel ought to take concern with n their duties: Planning This involves the strong ability of the person to pre-arrange the activities that are about to take part in the whole year appointment of the educational institutions that they are working for. The constancy of the work that is required by planning is the main function that a manager performs. By being able to plan, a manager becomes highly trusted by the organization to render fine and directed service to the clients of the organization. Organizing This usually involves the people force, which includes the faculty members as well as the non-teaching staff of the company. The manager is expected to have direct influence and connection with the people that are working hard for the organization. His ability to control the activities that the personnel should complete could help in the organization’s systematic structure of hierarchy. Directing Making it clear that the personnel are assigned to do certain tasks, the managers are supposed to complete a schedule of appointed tasks for each individual who is a part of the organization. Controlling Checking the works accomplished by others against the plans or standards as well as adjusting the new developments or unforeseen circumstances is necessary for a manager to observe. In this way, he would be able to further control the organization’s activities. (Source: Virgilio Tan. Academic Administrator/Educational Manager. 2007) Communication and Management With the interview performed, the author of this paper has noticed that there are certain similarities on how Mr. Noble and Mr. Tan dealt with the challenges that they have to face in their jobs. The response of both interviewees concerning the most important character of a fine manager addresses to one certain factor, the ability to communicate. Mr. Tan further elaborates the idea of communication as directly referring to it as a source of professional link between the subordinates and the subjects of authority with which the manager is appointed to take over. Both interviewees further pointed out that being able to communicate with the stakeholders of the organization makes the manager more competent and knowledgeable when it comes to his job. Mr. Noble further adds: “Both internal and eternal communication are important. If communication does not exist in the managerial activities, it is certain that there would be no good work done and no fine results to be expected. Hence, by knowing this, it is then certain that communication is indeed vital in the manager’s creation of a professional and accountable environment that could contribute to the success of his job completion. The Leadership Theories and Their Application According to Mr. Salvador Noble, an Educational Manager for a local High School Institution, there are two major leadership theories that he applies in his job to be able to complete the task that he is supposed to take notice of everyday. The said theories, as he mentioned are as follows: Role Theory According to an Internet source, role theory is further defined to be based upon the basic psychological beliefs of the people in the society that includes the following: a. People define roles for themselves and others based on social learning and reading. b. People form expectations about the roles that they and others will play. c. People subtly encourage others to act within the role expectations they have for them. d. People will act within the roles they adopt In applying this theory with his colleagues and the school students, Mr. Noble further claims that when he helps them realize their worth as a person, they are better able to perform their expected duties. Path-goal theory of leadership This theory is further defined by the similar internet source as mentioned earlier which claims: “The Path-Goal Theory of Leadership was developed to describe the way that leaders encourage and support their followers in achieving the goals they have been set by making the path that they should take clear and easy.” (Internet) With the application of the said theory, Mr. Noble says that his colleagues are able to comprehend better as to what their important role plays for the institution they work for and thus they perform even better. CONCLUSON Upon learning the essential factors that contribute to better managerial skills as well as the effective application of two major leadership theories that are referred to by one of the interviewees to be an essential part of management, the author of this paper is able to understand the importance of management in a better view. It has been further learned by the author of this paper that the role of managers and leaders in an organization is indeed essential for the institution’s existence in the society. Organizational administrators and owners give managers a high regard. This is the reason why it is essential for them to take their own place in providing their institutional subordinates with the ample service that they deserve from the managers. Certainly, through further studies and observation, the management systems could be well defined and further developed for further managerial progress. Certainly, this study has equipped the author of ample knowledge that would naturally help him understand that to be able to become a competent manager, one must be able to effectively utilize the resources of the organization. By doing so, he would be able to come up with the best possible results and benefits not only for the staff of the institution but also for the organization itself. Managerial competency indeed does not only depend on the individual performance that one portrays, on the contrary, it relies on the ability of the manager to co-relate and co-exist with his subordinates in a harmonious relationship. Annotated Bibliography Salvador Noble. School Administrator/ Educational manager. Local High School in Texas. Date Interviewed: January 14, 2007. Mode of interview: Online correspondence. Mr. Salvador is a fine Educational manager who was referred to the author by the students he once handled. He is highly regarded for his ability to perform well even in the middle of tough situations that involve his faculty members and the students. Virgilio Tan. ESL Korean School Administrator/ Educational manager. Online ESL Institution; Philippine based. Date Interviewed: January 14, 2007. Mode of Interview: Online Correspondence. Mr. Tan is known for his ability to understand the needs of his colleagues and his students amidst their cultural differences. Benjamin Prasad S. (1989). Advances in International Comparative Management. The existence of the developments in the field of management in an International view is indeed a breakthrough for managers who are dealing with people staff from different cultures as brought about by the effects of Globalization. John C. Maxwell. (1999). The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader: Becoming the Person Others Will Want to Follow. A leader is expected to do certain tasks. The constancy of the leadership qualities of a person shall indeed bring great hopes towards the organization that a certain leader is working for. Marlene Caroselli. (2000). Leadership Skills for Managers. Leadership for managers is a skillful job that requires a certain effort of applying fine managerial tactics. The ability of a manager to take the lead is a certain factor that contributes to a person’s competence as a manager. Tony Bush. (2003). Theories of Educational Leadership and Management. There are certain theories that serve as the foundation of a strong managerial ability. This book further explains the factors that contribute to better application of the said theories. Other sources: The origin of emotions. Role Theory. (2007). http://changingminds.org/disciplines/leadership/theories/role_theory.htm. (November 25, 2008). The origin of emotions. Path-Goal Theory of Leadership. (2007). http://changingminds.org/disciplines/leadership/styles/path_goal_leadership.htm. 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