The Management Principles - Assignment Example

MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES due: Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Task 3 Introduction 3 Manager 3 Management 3 Organisation 3 ii. Managers are important since they develop good public relationships for the business, and this is good for the success of the business since it attracts customers and good quality employees to the business. For example, a hotel manager could come to the defence of the cooks and waiters in case the hotel is under attack from the public after a food poisoning incident. 4 iii. A good manager instils discipline in the workforce. They see to it that the workers adhere to the expected code of conduct and ethical values, keep time and meet deadlines. This is important to the image of the business organization. For instance, a manager in a milk processing ensures the workers arrive on time, observe their work schedules and meet the hygienic standards. 4 vi. Managers identify opportunities in the business environment and initiate projects to capitalize on the opportunities. This leads to the growth of the business. For example, a manager in a software development company could identify and take advantage of a better version of a compiler that is available in the market. 4 Conclusion 4 Task 2 5 Introduction 5 Organization structure & its significance in achieving organisational success 5 Organisational chart & main decisions taken by managers at top, middle and first line levels of Virgin Atlantic Airways 5 Conclusion 10 Task 3 10 Introduction 10 Virgin Atlantic Airlines 11 Vision 11 Mission 11 Corporate strategy 11 Why SWOT analysis is important in carrying out strategic management process 12 Can the performance of the company be improved by changing its culture? 12 Conclusion 12 Bibliography 13 Task 1 Introduction All forms of organizations require a form of leadership to ensure they achieve their goals and purposes. This leadership is provided by the management which oversees all the activities of the organization and is accountable for all the successes and failures of their organizations. Manager A manager refers to an individual who coordinates the human, financial, physical and information resources in an organization, with the intent of achieving the set goals and objectives of the organization (Lussier 2012: 6). Management Management is the process that involves coordinating people and the available resources in order to effectively meet the given objectives of the organization (Lussier 2012: 6). Organisation An organisation refers to a social entity that is driven towards achieving a set of goals and objectives. Organizations are organized in a particular structure that enables them to achieve the set goals and objectives (Daft 2008: 10). Why mangers are important for the success of an organisation Managers are liable for the smooth running of the organization. Managers are imperative to the success of a business organization in that; i. The manager ensures the business receives maximum profit at the lowest cost of operation. For example, the manager of an airline company ensures the planes are regularly serviced to ensure the fights not disrupted in case of a breakdown leading to more losses. ii. Managers are important since they develop good public relationships for the business, and this is good for the success of the business since it attracts customers and good quality employees to the business. For example, a hotel manager could come to the defence of the cooks and waiters in case the hotel is under attack from the public after a food poisoning incident. iii. A good manager instils discipline in the workforce. They see to it that the workers adhere to the expected code of conduct and ethical values, keep time and meet deadlines. This is important to the image of the business organization. For instance, a manager in a milk processing ensures the workers arrive on time, observe their work schedules and meet the hygienic standards. vi. Managers identify opportunities in the business environment and initiate projects to capitalize on the opportunities. This leads to the growth of the business. For example, a manager in a software development company could identify and take advantage of a better version of a compiler that is available in the market. Conclusion In conclusion, a manager who handles all the above roles effectively will result in achieving all the organization’s goals and objectives effectively and efficiently; thus leading to the success of an organization. Task 2 Introduction For the triumph of any organization, there has to be a competent management that leads a well-organized team of subordinates. It is the function of the Top-level management of the organization to develop the right structures to ensure effective running of the organization. Organization structure & its significance in achieving organisational success An organization structure shows the relationship between different individuals in an organization hence showing the flow of information and the order of hierarchy. It is developed by grouping related tasks into departments and determining how the various departments relate to each other vertically and horizontally in terms of the authority assigned to each. Organization structure is important to an organization in that it prevents chaos and brings about order in the relationships and communication channels; thus bringing success in a company (Aquinas 2010: 94). Organisational chart & main decisions taken by managers at top, middle and first line levels of Virgin Atlantic Airways The company under discussion will be Virgin Atlantic Airways. Below is the company’s organisational structure. Fig. 1.0 The organization chart for Virgin Atlantic Airways. Source: Virgin Atlantic Airways (2014). Virgin Atlantic Airways. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://www.theofficialboard.com/org-chart/virgin-atlantic-airways Virgin Atlantic Airways is a multinational company headquartered in the capital of the UK. According to the organization chart shown in the fig. 1.0, the top-level management constitutes the Board of directors, a managing director, the company’s chief auditor and the Personnel in charge of corporate affairs. The main functions of the top-level management (CEO & chairman) are long-term strategic planning and organizing (Naoum 2001:77). This level of management deals with: 1. Forecasting - This involves anticipating any changes in the business that could affect the organization such as; Changes in the political environment that could affect the telecommunication industry, emerging of new competitors in the aviation industry, Changes in the available technology that could affect the industry and enactment of any government laws and regulations that could affect the industry. They would then develop policies to counter these challenges, for example; Cancel flights to specific regions of the world where there is political unrest or any terrorist threats. Start projects that would counter their competitors. Defend the image of the organization in case of any damaging publicity by holding press conferences. 2. This level of management develops long-term goals, objectives and policies for the organization such as; Expansion programs of their airline services to other countries where their services are not yet enjoyed. 3. They mobilize the resources of the organization to achieve the set goals and objectives, for example; Reorganizing there organization structure to fill up for any gaps in the human resource sector. Reassigning flights to other routes that have a higher demand than others. 4. They are the final authority and decision-making body of the organization. They decide on matters such as; Which senior employees gets hired or fired. The middle-level management is composed of the general managers in charge of the finance division, operations division, marketing division, information technology division, personnel and administration division and the business airline division(Koontz & Weihrich 2007: 7). Their main functions are: 1. They are charged with the responsibility of implementing all the policies of the organization such as; Hiring or firing a senior employee after receiving approval from the top-level management. The financial manager assigns financial resources to the various departments according to the budget approved by the top-level management. The lower level management is in charge of directing the day-to-day running of the organization activities. This level is mainly composed of supervisors (Koontz & Weihrich 2007: 8). The lower level management has the following responsibilities; They measure the performance of the workers and report to the middle-level managers. They settle disputes among the workers and forward their complaints to middle-level managers. They decide on the best ways to implement the decisions of the middle level managers such as when and how to service the planes. They decide on the emergency strategies in case of any emergencies. They decide on the best motivation strategies and forward them to the middle-level managers for approval. Conclusion The shape of an organization structure is important to its eventual success. It determines how well information flows between the various levels and departments in the organization, and this is important to the eventual success of the organization. Task 3 Introduction The success of any organization depends on its management’s strategic plan. The strategic plan involves forecasting into the future of the organization, developing long-term and short-term goals and objectives and the way forward on how to achieve these goals and objectives. To give an illustration of strategic management, here is a study of the organization, Virgin Atlantic airlines. Virgin Atlantic Airlines Virgin Atlantic is a British commercial airline with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. It has flights operating between North America, Africa, the Caribbean and Asia. It was founded in 1984 by Randolph Fields and Richard Branson. Vision The vision statement of the organization is; “To be a leading airline on sustainability, driving solutions for our industry”. The vision statement tells us what the airline intends to achieve in the long run. The airline intends to be at the top in offering aviation services and to provide the required solutions in their industry (Cichocki & Irwin 2011: 89). Mission The mission statement of the organization is; “to embrace the human spirit and let it fly” (Flouris & Oswald 2006: 16). A mission statement spells out in general what the airline intends to do In order to realize the vision statement. The mission statement when pursued effectively leads to the achievement of the vision of the airline (Cichocki & Irwin 2011: 89). Corporate strategy The strategic initiatives of the organization are as follows: i. The objective of the airline is to make a profit and be an airline that both employees and customers love. ii. Improving our customer service for our business and leisure travels. iii. Offer the best enterprise product in the air by increasing the leisure business. Why SWOT analysis is important in carrying out strategic management process The corporate strategies of the airline were arrived at after subjecting the organization to a careful SWOT analysis. SWOT analysis is the analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The SWOT analysis takes into account the potential of the airline in terms of the available market, available funds for expansion, the quality of the human resource and all other unexploited areas that will aid the airline achieve its goals and objectives (Böhm 2009: 2). The airline then analyses its weaknesses in terms of bad publicity if any, seeks to improve the quality of their services and to maximize on the level of innovation so as to deliver the best services to the customers. They then maximize on its opportunities bearing in mind the progress of the competitors. Can the performance of the company be improved by changing its culture? An organization culture is a unique way an organization presents itself to the public; the unspoken beliefs and norms that identify the organization to its surrounding. Virgin Atlantic airline has a unique culture. This is displayed mainly by its founder and employees. The airline emphasizes on fun-loving, innovation and competence. This culture keeps the employees motivated and dedicated. Since the airline was built on the foundations of innovation, the employees have embraced the culture and this has enabled the airline to thrive since it gives each employee the freedom to make decisions in their areas of operation. Changing of this culture would destroy the very foundations on which the airline was built, and this will not bring a positive effect on the organization (Cunliffe 2008:58). Conclusion The objectives and the goals of the airline are the specific tasks that the airline has to focus on to achieve its mission and vision. Thus, a carefully designed organization culture and strategic plans are essential for the development any organization. Bibliography AQUINAS, P. G. (2010). Organization structure and design: applications and challenges. New Delhi, Excel Books. BÖHM, A. (2009). The SWOT Analysis. München, GRIN Verlag. CICHOCKI, P., & IRWIN, C. (2011). Organization design: a guide to building effective organizations. London, Kogan Page. CUNLIFFE, A. L. (2008). Organization theory. Los Angeles, SAGE. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=435379. DAFT, R. L. (2008). New era of management. Mason, Ohio [u.a], Thomson/South-Western. FLOURIS, T. G., & OSWALD, S. L. (2006). Designing and executing strategy in aviation management. Aldershot, England, Ashgate. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=438456. KOONTZ, H., & WEIHRICH, H. (2007). Essentials of management: an international perspective. New Delhi, Tata McGraw-Hill. LUSSIER, R. N. (2012). Management fundamentals: concepts, applications, skill development. Mason, Ohio, South-Western. NAOUM, S. & NAOUM, S. (2001). People and organizational management in construction. London, Telford. VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRWAYS (2014). Virgin Atlantic Airways. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://www.theofficialboard.com/org-chart/virgin-atlantic-airways Read More