Management Theories and Manager Report to a Contractor - Book Report/Review Example

Introduction Leading and managing projects is a complex task as the manager or leader needs to analyse the project from different perspective (Mumford, Zaccaro, Harding, Jacobs, & Fleishman, 2000). The manager is not only responsible for completing the project within the required time and funds, but he has to make sure that the workforce is able to perform their task on time so that the overall project is delivered to the client within the specified duration (Witzel, 2003). This report is about a construction related project and I have been appointed as the Site manager and now it is my responsibility to improve the overall progress of the project and make sure that it is completed within the time. The main project is to construct a 5.5 storey car parking with 575 spaces. The overall project scope includes designing of the project, tendering and selecting the contractors for the project, analysing and monitoring the overall progress of the project so that it is completed within the time frame. There are different activities in the project and at the moment the project is in the steel frame work is in progress. The report has been divided into two parts; the first part of the report discusses about the problems that the project is currently going through and as I have been appointed the site manager, how could I improve the progress of the project. Task one The first part of the report will identify the problems that have been faced in managing of the project. Problems in the project have caused delay in the overall completion of the project and these problems would be highlighted and analysed in this part of the report. Low levels of Morale of employees and job dissatisfaction The employees working on the construction project have lower morale levels. Morale is defined as the enthusiasm or the spirit that an individual has in order to accomplish a task (Koontz & Weihrich, 2006). Higher level of morale encourages the individual to complete the task with more dedication and commitment (Marchington, and Wilkinson, 2005). Also it has been found that the employees are not satisfied with their job (Henry, 1995). Job satisfaction defines the level of satisfaction of the individual from his employment. Higher job satisfaction will encourage individuals to perform the tasks within the time given and will also make sure that the quality of the work is high (Miner, & Crane, 1995). As I have been given the responsibility of site manager so I will be analysing the behavior of the individuals working at the project and I will try to identify the main causes that have resulted in the lower morale of the employees and job dissatisfaction. Once the factors are identified I will be able to factors and then try to come up with appropriate solutions. However one of the solutions that I believe to motivate the individuals at the project is to analyse their level of needs as described by Abraham Maslow and then try to satisfy their needs accordingly. Delays in the project Milestones One of the problems that the project is current going through is the delay in the project milestones and this is causing the overall project to delay. As the employees are facing issues like job dissatisfaction and lower level of enthusiasm therefore this has also influenced the time of the project and the project is being delayed because of these reasons. Although, the main reasons for the delay in the project would be identified by me once I am on the site as I will be analysing the problems that have caused delay in the project in more detail. However, one of the issues that could be the reason for this delay is the lower morale and commitment level of employees. Although the main reasons for the delay in the project are yet to be identified however if the reason is the lower level of morale and enthusiasm and it is important at this point of time to motivate the employees so that they could give an extra effort to make sure that the project can be completed within the time specified. There are different ways of motivating employees and therefore I will be analysing and evaluating how to motivate employees. One of the easiest ways to motivate the employees is to explain and reflect the final results that they will be getting or the rewards that are associated with the project. According to expectancy theory, employees will be motivated if they are aware of the outcomes and therefore if there are any rewards associated with the completion of the project within the time, then it would motivate and encourage employees to give extra effort to make sure that it is completed within the time (Bratton, Sawchuk, Forshaw, Callinan, & Corbett, 2010). In addition to this, according to two factor theory given by Fredrick Hertzberg, there are certain factors that their presence motivates an individual however if these factors are not present then it would not discourage them or demoralise them (Salaman, Storey, and Billsberry, 2005). These factors are called the motivational factors. On the other hand, there are other factors which are termed as the hygiene factors and presence of these factors does not motivate an individual however its absence would lead to discouragement and demoralise the individuals. It is important to analyse these factors and as they can influence the productivity (Ulrich, and Brockbank, 2005). Some of the hygiene factors with respect to this project would include the policies adapted by the company, working conditions, attitude of the manager, safety, quality management etc. therefore as I take the responsibility as the site manager I will analyse these two types of factors and will try to make sure that the morale level of employees is high and they are not only satisfied but motivated as I will focus on providing them the hygiene factors as well as the motivational factors. Communication Communication is very important in completion of the project as different members have to communicate to make sure that it is going in the right direction (Zaccaro, Rittman, & Marks, 2001). Communication is also one of the issues that the current project is being going through and because of poor communication between employees working at the project and the contractors would have resulted in delays of the project. Price (2007) said that employees have to work in collaboration and in coordination to achieve the organisational goals and objectives. Improper level of communication can lead to inefficiency and ultimately failure of the project and organisation not been able to achieve its organisational goals (Krajewski, Ritzman, & Malhorta, 2007). Once I take on the position as the site manager, I will be having meetings with employees at different levels as well as the managers that have been directly or indirectly related to the project. Also I will also be discussing the issues with the contractors and subcontractors to make sure that the project progress is satisfactory. This will also be helpful for me in a way to know the insights of the project and at the same time interact with employees at different levels, so this would also encourage employees that the site manager is concerned about the project completion and thus they would work harder. Working relationships have an important role to play in the productivity of the individuals and if employees have friendly relationships with people at work then this would help in producing positive and better results. Hawthrone studies conducted by Elton Mayo also concluded that there is a positive relationship between the working conditions that include the relationship with people at work and productivity. With this study, it has been found that employees that work in isolation are not able to achieve the same level of results in comparison to the employees that work in teams. Therefore it is important to have friendly working relationships and this would help in completing the project in time. Subcontractor is no more focusing on this project There are different parties involved in a project and if there is a delay from any party then the whole project can be delayed therefore it is important to make sure that different parties of the project are working accordingly on the project to meet the project deadline (Chase, & Aquilano, 1977). The project has been delayed because of the poor performance of the subcontractor. The problem is that the subcontractor is also working on other projects besides this project and therefore they are not focusing on completing this project and this project is no more a high priority project for the subcontractor. In order to solve this problem that the project is currently facing, I will be using the services of an external consultant or an external auditor to analyse the overall project progress. As the auditor would be an external individual therefore his recommendations and views would be unbiased. Once the recommendations have been received, I will be discussing them with the subcontractor manager to make sure that the recommendations are followed. As the recommendations have been discussed with the subcontractor manager and if they are not followed, then I will be taking strict actions against the subcontractor; this might include giving warning to the subcontractor or terminating the contract with the subcontractor. If the contract is terminated, then I will be inviting the second best subcontractor to work for the project. As a leader I am responsible for the completion of the project and I have to take strong decisions to make sure that the project is completed within the time and with high quality (Kaiser, Hogan, & Craig, 2008) and even if I have to terminate the contract of the subcontractor then I would not hesitate. Task two The productivity of the project is important in making sure that the project requirements are met on time and the project is completed within the required time. If the productivity of the employees working on the project is low then it will influence the completion of the project as well as the cost of the project. Delays in the project could lead to higher cost in the project as the resources would be used for more time than initially planned. Therefore it is important for the project manager or the leader to monitor the progress of the project from the very first day so that the project is completed within the budget that has been set by the management (Schemenner, 1984). After analysing and observing the progress of the project as a site manager, there have been different problems found that have been the reasons behind the delay in the project. Some of the main problems that have been identified by me as a site manager include the fixing methods, the workflow and the employs of the steel frame subcontractor have intrinsic issues and these have resulted in lower productivity. As a site manager I will be preparing a document to convince the subcontractor to use some of the techniques that would improve the productivity of the project like lean construction. One of the suggestions that I would like to give to the subcontractor to improve the project progress is to implement a lean construction technique. Lean construction is about the overall management as well as improvements in the construction projects so that the final deliver is what the customer is expecting. There have been different ways that the lean construction has proposed to improve the productivity and these are: 1. Reduced costs By reducing the overall project cost and keeping the same levels of output, the project manager can achieve productivity in the project. 2. Managing the growth of the project Growth in the project can also be achieved if the project manager is able to increase the output of the project at a better pace than the input. 3. Re-engineering: Productivity can be enhanced if the output is increased by re-engineering the tasks but keeping the same level of input. 4. Paring down The other technique that could improve the productivity is by paring down in which the output as well as the input is decreased however the reduction in input is higher than the reduction in output therefore this leads to improvements in productivity. 5. Effective working Productivity can be increased by working effectively. In this technique, the output will be increased but at the same time input will be decreased meaning that emphasise is on the overall efficiency. These five techniques can improve the productivity of the project. However, as a site manager I will try to use techniques like effective working and managing the growth as these methods will improve the output of the project and thus project can be completed quicker. Also there are certain principles of lean accounting that could improve the productivity and one of these principles is about elimination of waste. In lean management, waste does not only include waste of material or goods, but it includes eliminating wastes because of inefficient resources including human resource. Therefore as a site manager, I will be analysing the areas where the waste is high and will take steps to minimise the impact of these waste. Conclusion Managing project is a complex task as the site manager or the project manager needs to make sure that the resources are used in the most appropriate manner. Also he has to make sure that the progress of the project is right on track so that the overall project is not delayed and it is completed within the required time. This project of construction has been delayed and the level of morale of the employees is very poor and it has influenced the productivity and performance of the employees and the organisation. In addition to this, the subcontractor has also been involved in other projects which have caused delay in the project. Therefore as a site manager these issues need to be tackled. Also it is important to improve the productivity of the project and in order to improve the productivity, there have been different ways discussed. Lean accounting techniques can be applied to improve the productivity of the project and these techniques would be helpful in ensuring that the project is completed on time and within the budget. Reference list Bratton, J., Sawchuk, P., Forshaw, C., Callinan, M. & Corbett, M. (2010). Work and Organizational Behaviour, 2nd edition, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan. Chase, R.B. , & Aquilano, N.J., (1977). Production and operations management: A life cycle approach, Homewood, Ill, R. D. Irwin. Henry, C. (1995). Human Resource Management: A Strategic Approach to Management, Oxford, Butterworth-Heinemann. Kaiser, R. B., Hogan, R., & Craig, S. B. (2008). ‘Leadership and the Fate of Organizations’, American Psychologist, vol. 63, no.2, pp. 96. Koontz, H. and Weihrich, H. (2006). Essentials Of Management, New Delhi, Tata McGraw-Hill Education. Krajewski, L.J., Ritzman, L.P., & Malhorta, M.K. (2007). Operations management: processes and value chains, London, Pearson Prentice Hall. Loader, D. (2006). Fundamentals of global operations management, 2nd end, England, John Wiley & Sons. Marchington, M., and Wilkinson, A. (2005). Human resource management at work: people, management, and development, London, CIPD Publishing. Miner, J., & Crane, D. (1995). Human Resource Management : The Strategic Perspective, London, HarperCollins College Publishers. Mumford, M. D., Zaccaro, S. J., Harding, F. D., Jacobs, T. O., & Fleishman, E. A. (2000). ‘Leadership skills for a changing world solving complex social problems’, The Leadership Quarterly, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 11-35. Price, A. (2007). Human Resource Management in a Business Context, 3rd edition, London, Cengage. Rotemberg, J. and Saloner, G. (1993). Leadership Style and Incentives. Management Science, 39 (11), 1299-1318. Salaman, G., Storey, J., and Billsberry, J. (2005). Strategic Human Resource Management: theory and practice, London, Sage Publications Ltd. Schemenner, R.W. (1984). Production operations management: Concepts and situations, 2nd edn, Science Research Associates, Chicago. Ulrich, D., and Brockbank, W. (2005). The HR value proposition, ,Boston, MA, Harvard Business School Press. Witzel, M. (2003). Fifty key figures in management, London, Routledge: Taylor & Francis Group. Zaccaro, S. J., Rittman, A. L., & Marks, M. A. (2001). ‘Team leadership’, Leadership Quarterly, vol. 12, no. 4, pp. 451-483. Read More