Reflexive Managers in Contemporary Organisations - Term Paper Example

Introduction In every organisation, an efficient and competent workforce is mandatory as it is the main driver of its success. On similar level, it is vital for the entities to focus on the managers’ capabilities, leadership style and personal characteristics so that they can create a cordial, supportive and participative work environment (Hegarty, Kelly & Walsh, 2011). Additionally, the scholars of the Organisation and Management fields have employed various attempts of identifying those factors which enhances the manager’s leadership and management abilities (Scaife, 2010). Every manager has to realise that there is dual responsibility associated with this position as the individual has to both accomplish the organisational objectives and provide guidance to the subordinates in giving their best efforts. Moreover, the managers have to perform their self-assessment to review their own set of competencies and make sure that they possess the proficiencies required for assisting the subordinates or employees in contributing effectively within the enterprises (Cunliffe, 2013). In order to provide appropriate resources to the managers, the theorists of the organisational management field have stressed the need of utilising the reflection process within their job responsibilities. In present era, everyone has to act as a reflexive individual who continuously and critically thinks about the way an action is taken by the person. This analysis will allow the individual to assess the act from various perspectives so that he/she can review the perception held by the person and how others will perceive it (Bradbury, 2010; Gunia et al., 2012). Also, most of the contemporary organisations are supporting the designing and implementation of the training programs for the management positions in which managers are given adequate training for becoming the reflexive practitioners or reflexive managers (Broussine& Ahmed, 2013). The overall aim of such training sessions is to develop the critical thinking and self-assessment techniques in the managers so that they can reflect upon their own course of actions and be assured that a positive, complying and appropriate perception is created in the minds of the subordinates (Bolton, 2010). Moreover, it is stated byHibbert (2012) that reflexive manager is mandatory for the modern day organisations as the expert has to critically evaluate his/her own practices at three instances i.e. before, during and after the decision/action so that the practices and identities can be disrupted and changes constructively. In this paper, first the significance of reflective practice is discusses so that it can highlight the importance of having reflexive managers in present day organisations. Then, a reflection process developed by NiklasLuhmann (1982) will be discussed which will shed light on the implication of a systematic procedure required for enhancing the firm’s performance (Cotter & Cullen, 2012). Furthermore, the technique will be beneficial for the managers as they will learn the worth of undertaking self-reflectiverun-throughs. Finally, the implication of the concept in real firms will be demonstrated so that there is a snapshot of the practical applications of the framework. Significance of Reflection process Recently, the organisations globally have revamped their structures in response to the ever changing and rapidly developing business environment (Cunliffe, 2013). With the help of new structures, the companies have been able to respond to the market requirements proactively. But equally important is to prepare the managers to realise the importance of modifying their roles and practices so that they can demonstrate proper work behaviours (Walsh, 2009). Thus, the managers have to become reflexive practitioners so that they can even analyse their own performance and actions and modify those practices which hinder the business activities (Hibbert, Coupland&Maclntosh, 2010). There is growing demand for the creation, development and encouragement of the reflexive managers in the contemporary organisations because of the following crucial reasons as depicted byAdriansenand Knudsen (2013): 1. Complex organisations and market – These days organisations are assigning the responsibility of managing the wicked dilemmas which can be social, political or technical. The challenge for the firms is to formulate a solution on the basis of their experiences as there are no clear cut remedies for such problems. Thus, there is immense need of a reflexive management approach which can comprehend, manage, implement and solve the complex problem. Moreover, it assists the firms in building up of an exploratory and open problem-solving procedure. 2. Cacophony – Due to complex organisational structures, the enterprises have to take account of an array of factors which impact their operations. Every firm has its own set of value codes, orientations or rationales which are often in the form of clashes i.e. economic efficiency v/s quality, stability v/s change, trust v/s control, collective v/s individual and others. In order to address this issue, a reflexive manager analyses the values and responses of the employees on frequent basis so that any concerns raised are addressed and paradoxes are managed adequately. It even assists the management in regulation and prioritisation of the unique ideas which can open new avenues for excellence. Also, it allows the firms to capitalise on thoughtful, critical and productive thinking paradigm of the competent managers. 3. Capability of the enterprise – Majority of the organisations give importance to the creation of high performance working culture so that the employees and even managers are evaluated on the basis of their outcomes and performance capabilities. With the help of reflection oriented framework, better actions can be depicted and there are more chances of achieving the results in optimum level which is coupled with better alternative of problem solving process. 4. Contingency planning – As the world is accelerating at a fast pace and developments are taking place with high speed, nothing is impossible but there is no complete certainty about anything. It has become mandatory for the firms to develop effective knowledge management system so that adequate and worthwhile information is shared. The business environment which seems to be stable such as the organisations, its infrastructure, the staff members, the customer profile, the environmental factors and others have the ability of changing at any instance. In order to comply with the market dynamics, it is imperative for the firms to focus on reflexive management theory so that the managers continuously reflect on their practices so that they can persistently undertake the activities of unlearning, relearning, dissolving and recreating themselves. With the help of this tactic, the management will be able to encourage the employees to think uniquely so that innovation can be prompted and the organisation can exploit the opportunities available in the market. 5. Calendar schedule and timing – Due to fast pace and ongoing Just-in-time business operations, it is challenging for the managers to take out time for analysing their course of actions. But such exercise unleashes those areas which are often unexplored by the management and such method makes valuable contribution in an organisation’s growth prospects. In simpler terms, reflection is defined as a complicated activity which is aimed at the investigation of a person’s own course of action in specific situations which involve the reviewing of an experience, analysing the cause and effect, and finally concluding about a prospective action in future so that there is a change in the conceptual perception (Walsh, 2009). Dewey in 1933 was among the pioneers who introduced the concept of reflection as a special form of thinking and he viewed it to stem from the hesitation, perplexity or doubt which is directly related to the situation experienced by a person (Cotter & Cullen, 2012). Such exercise allows the managers to move away from the routine based action/thinking (driven by external or traditional authority) to the reflective action (comprising of critical, careful consideration of already possessed knowledge). The major emphasis is on learning from doing an action i.e. practice so that something can be learn from an experienced situation (Cunliffe, 2013; Scaife, 2010). Reflective practice idea proposed by Dewey gained acceptance when it was reinforced by Schon in 1983 (Broussine& Ahmed, 2013). The scholar identified the importance of reflective practitioner especially in the organisations so that the individual is aware about the implicit knowledge and undertake learning phenomenon. Reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action were the two main concepts developed by Schon as he stressed their roles in the organisations. Also, he shed light on the embedding of reflexivity concept within the firms on individual level so that everyone performs self-assessment and make sure that the practices are in alignment with the organisation’s culture (Bradbury, 2010; Gunia et al., 2012). Atkins and Murphy (1993) recommended three stage model for reflection i.e. awareness about uncomfortable feelings and thoughts, critical analysis of these aspects and development of a unique perspective. Even Kolb’s experiential learning cycle or Gibb’s reflective cycle proposed in 1988 emphasises that reflection is an ongoing cycle and every reflexive manager has to incorporate it in routine schedule so that every aspect is effectively monitored (Hegarty, Kelly & Walsh, 2011). One of the theories on reflection practice has been developed by NiklasLuhmann (1982) which is in compliance with the requirements of the reflexive managers required in contemporary organisations. The scholar developed a systematic approach for reflexivity so that there is clarity about the process which has to be implemented for undergoing a productive reflection exercise (Gunia et al., 2012). According to NiklasLuhmann, reflection is basically the ability of an individual to undertake a critical analysis of one’s own speech, thoughts, beliefs, actions, values, personality and all aspects of oneself. It even allows the person to put oneself in other’s person’s place and take that position so an imagination can be created which can open new opportunities for speaking, acting and thinking (Bolton, 2012). He even emphasised the importance of creating relationships within the system so that existing frameworks and norms can be challenged. Even reflection has to assume a Meta level position so that gaps or distances can be identified in the current fields, frames, results and relations and reformulate the existing structures in differentiated form (Adriansen&Knudsen, 2013). On similar level, the reflexive managers have to perform their self-assessment and reflect on their actions in all three phases i.e. before, during and after so that a detailed and in-depth review can be conducted (Scaife, 2010). One of the leading firms which has embedded the reflexive management culture is British Oxygen Company (BOC) which is a part of the Linde Group. In the organisation, every manager has to maintain a diary in which the individual records the actions on daily basis. The person has to reflect upon the decisions, actions, behaviours and performance to assess the effectiveness of the course of actions. Moreover, the managers are given feedback about their reflective diaries so that they are assured of their appropriateness. When any loophole or discrepancy is identified, the managers tackle the aspect with opportunistic viewpoint and work on those grey areas so that the personal or organisational or departmental attributes are refined (Broussine& Ahmed, 2013). In order to make sure that the reflexive manager is able to integrate reflection practice with the other management responsibilities, NiklasLuhmann has identified four dimensions of the entire reflection process (Cotter & Cullen, 2012). According to the expert, the manager should have the following capabilities: 1. To act and build oneself as a manager referred to as Construction 2. To observe and even reflect on the way of thinking and acting known as Reconstruction 3. To reflect and ponder upon the self-observation results which is called Deconstruction 4. To change the way in which management task is performed so that transformation can effectively take place (Hibbert, 2012). Almost all of the scholars of both learning theories and sociological systems concepts i.e. Bateson, Argyris, Mezirow, Schon, Dewey, Dreyfus and NiklasLuhmann have identified these common four dimensions, levels or order of the reflection procedure (Cotter & Cullen, 2012; Cunliffe, 2013). However, on the fundamental level, the managers have to be motivated to undertake such an effort so that the management within the firm gets enhanced. All leaders of the companies have to be reflexive in their routines so that they act as reflexive managers. Importance of reflexive managers As the business environment is getting competitive and changes are taking place at a fast pace, the organisations have to be created in such a way that they can respond to the market demands proficiently. Moreover, the strategies of the companies have to be flexible and adaptive so that the modifications can be undertaken quickly. The primary purpose of having reflexive managers within the organisations is to develop a management which accepts challenges with positive outlook and possesses expertise in solving the problems in strategic manner (Cotter & Cullen, 2012; Hibbert, 2012). With the help of reflexivity within the firms, the managers have the ability of analysing their external environment on frequent basis as it also impacts the working and behaviours of the managers. In addition to performing their internal assessment, a reflexive manager also evaluates the external forces which shape a particular course of action. It has been mentioned by NiklasLuhmann that the systematic structure of reflection practitioner will consider the environmental, political, social and technological elements of the business world so that the reflection process undertaken by manager is productive. Furthermore, such attempts of the managers reveals the areas which were not addressed by the management before this endeavour (Cunliffe, 2013). For instance, when the performance of Tesco was declining, the management team decided to reflect on their policies and carry out their self-assessment. All managers were given training to embed the reflexive manager characteristics within their personalities and make reflection a routine task. After a month, it became apparent that the root cause was the behaviour demonstrated by the managers as it was viewed by employees as being autocratic, authoritative, unfriendly and uncomfortable. Moreover, the managers even agreed that they were acting as strict supervisors rather than as coaches and customers were even dissatisfied because of incompetent personnel at the outlets. As a result, the managers decided to reform their work behaviours and developed policies in alignment with the corporate business strategy. Although the entire process was exhaustive and time consuming but the results of the retail giant started showing positive direction. Hence, the reflexive managers incorporated all four dimensions of reflection practice i.e. construction (awareness about issue), deconstruction (identifying the main causes of the problem), reconstruction (developing new and complying solutions) and transformation (implementing the innovative perspective) (Bradbury, 2010; Cunliffe, 2013). According to the scholars such as Schon, Dewey, Gibb, Kolb and NiklasLuhmann, the reflective practitioner has to reinforce that the primary purpose of the entire reflection exercise is to evaluate a situation from all angles and not concentrate on few limited parameters (Broussine& Ahmed, 2013). For instance, when the managers become too much obsessed with their own perception and are not willing to evaluate the situation from other’s viewpoint, then the results are not productive. Therefore, it is recommended that the reflection should be critical and constructive so that the knowledge which is analysed tends to support the organisation in enhancing its processes (Cunliffe, 2013). Since all managers possess some worthwhile knowledge, it is important to share it with other members of the organisation so that everyone gets benefited. Furthermore, the reflexive managers make sure that they analyse their own course of actions and also review the organisational core elements so that any discrepancies or deviations are addressed soon before they create problems for the enterprises (Gunia et al., 2012). With the help of critical thinking ability and capability of recognising factors which can impact the firm’s performance, a reflexive manager is able to reframe the organisation’s strategy so that it is in compliance with the requirements of the market. Moreover, the reflexive manager believe that the employees view them as role models and it is important for them to show that they are open to criticism and are willing to modify their behaviours so that they are competent and meet the requirements of the contemporary business world (Hegarty, Kelly & Walsh, 2011). In order to train the managers to undertake reflection practice on continuous basis, it is imperative to provide the mandatory resources to them. Moreover, the organisations have to equip them with the competencies required for acting as reflexive managers so that they have clarity about their role and can make significant contribution in enhancing the firm’s performance (Cotter & Cullen, 2012). In some instances, the reflexive managers get carried away with this approach as they tend to misuse the power given to them. Sometimes, the managers feel that reflecting on their actions on daily basis is burdensome for them and they fail to comply with the role of a reflexive manager. However, the organisations have to realise that there is requirement of creating a balance between the role of manager as being reflexive and being completely management oriented. Hence, the managers have to employ those processes which will allow them to reflect on their actions i.e. before, during and after the complete procedure. Conclusion In modern organisations, the managers have to integrate the concept of reflective practitioner so that they can evaluate their own course of actions. Furthermore, the scholars such as Schon, Dewey, Gibbs, Kolb and NiklasLuhmann have developed various models for performing reflection process. Despite all the frameworks proposed by the experts, the reflexive manager has to undertake the task with positive outlook and make sure that the entire process is performed with opportunistic viewpoint. As the business environment is dynamic and changes take place at a fast pace, the reflexive managers have to evaluate both internal and external factors impacting the organisation so that they are assured that the strategy is supportive of the organisation’s vision. Additionally, the decisions/actions/behaviours of the managers have to comply with the agile and proactive strategic requirements of the corporate world so that they can respond to the market proficiently. At the basic level, there are four dimensions of reflexive managers i.e. construction, deconstruction, reconstruction and transformation so that the new perspectives can be effectively integrated in the existing paradigm. The managers have to move away from an autocratic approach towards leadership to participative one so that the organisational culture is supportive for creating a knowledge management systems. Hence, the reflexive managers are mandatory for the contemporary organisations because they need to possess excellent critical thinking and analysis ability. References Adriansen, H.K. and Knudsen, H., 2013. Two ways to support reflexivity: Teaching managers to fulfil an undefined role. Teaching Public Administration, 31(1), pp. 108-123. Bolton, G., 2010. Reflective practice: Writing and Professional Development. USA: SAGE Publications. Bradbury, H., 2010. Beyond Reflective Practice: New approaches to professional lifelong learning. London, UK: Routledge. Broussine, M. and Ahmed, Y., 2013. The development of public managers’ reflective capabilities. Teaching Public Administration, 31(1), pp.18-28. Cotter, R.J. and Cullen, J.G., 2012. 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