Conceptual Skills for Managers - Annotated Bibliography Example

Conceptual Skills for Managers Modern managers are exposed to modern threats and opportunities whenever it comes to decision making and problem solving. Famous business philosopher Gardner (1993, p.2) defines management as “the process of persuasion and example by which an individual (or management team) induces a group to take action that is in accord with the leader’s purpose, or the shared purposes of all.” In business organizations, conceptual management’s role is typically performed by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Some notable CEO’s with stronger conceptual skills in American history include Bill Gates (of Microsoft), Jack Welch and Jeffrey Inmelt (of General Electric), Steve Jobs (of Apple), Alfred Sloan (of General Motors), Sam Walton (of Wal-Mart), Lee Iacocca, and Warren Buffet. In the section that follows, we shall examine the management style of Jack Welch. Authentic managers desire to serve genuinely and are specifically interest in facilitating individuals than they are in authority and power, prestige or money. The authors says that most of the managers are directed by the specific qualities of passion, hear and compassion as they are by the characters of the mind, imagination and are of conceptual skills. George supports a single global standard for ethics and defines five distinctive dimensions of the particular term ‘authentic management’ as: understanding their primary purpose-passion; practicing hard values-behavior; leading entirely with heart-compassion; establishing relationships- connectedness; representing self-discipline- steadiness by using emotional quotient. Goldsmith, Greenberg (2003) conducted a survey of two hundred future chief executive officers in one hundred and twenty international organizations to exhibit their attitudes and approaches connected to global management. Their main approach was to inquire about people as to how they view the future of management. One main finding was that the future managers in the global arena would require having a monetary and financial understanding of the global economy, an awareness of variety of cultures, an understanding of regional and global markets and an ease with diversity tension- the capability to direct this energy more effectively with maximum conceptual skills. Katz (1990) stressed the necessity to falsify and nurture partnership from belief in the capabilities, accountability and trust of partners. They suggested that for the purpose of retaining managers organizations should exhibit respect, create flourishing environments, provide extensive training and coaching, reward achievements, provide feedback and last but not least listen. Listening, as per authors, is the most probably the one absolutely essential capability for a global conceptual leader to become successful as listening in fact leads to learning. The notion of learning is about other, self, firm and the industry. Goldsmith, Greenberg state that the there are specific items that evolved from their work as most significant for the future. They are thinking globally; appreciating cultural diversity; developing technological know-how; building alliances and partnership; and sharing management. Irrespective of which management style is adopted, Mintzberg states that business managers (CEOs) typically accomplish a set of ten roles, divided into interpersonal roles (where the CEO performs the figurehead role, and acts as both the leader and the liaison), informational roles (where he plays the role of a disseminator, spokesman and the monitor), and decisional role (where the CEO must act as a disturbance handler, resource allocator, negotiator, and entrepreneur). According to Katz, in the performance of these roles, effective CEOs share a set of common characteristics: they are able to craft an engaging vision for the organization and to secure buy in and support from the followers, they encourage risk taking and innovation, they are able to instil accountability in the followers, communicate extensively with the followers with opportunity for feedback, and have the capacity to both accept and handle unintended outcomes. In performing their management roles, Baldoni (2005, p.11) states that CEOs typically go through seven steps, which include: “vision, alignment, execution, risk, discipline, courage, and results” (Katz 1940). Holton, E. F. and Lynham, S. A. 2000. Performance-Driven Management Development. Advances in Developing Human Resources, May 1, 2(2): 1 - 17. Holton and Lynham in their article, Performance-Driven Management Development, 2000, describe about management tasks. High-performance management is the basis of a successful business which is profitable and triumphant due to the capabilities of leader to handle his/her employees or subordinates. The leader has the responsibilities of leading and management of subordinated people. Leader should also manage and lead managerial and directional systems so that he/she may be able to attain the set goals and objectives that are set by the higher authorities of the company or organization. Designing and management are the primary concerns of a leader and he/she should be able to cope up with his/her set duties. Wilson, L. S., Boudreaux, M. A., and Edwards, M. 2000. High-Performance Management at the Individual Level. Advances in Developing Human Resources, May 1, 2(2): 73 - 103. Wilson, Boudreaux and Edwards wrote an article, High-Performance Management at the Individual Level, 2000, which was related to the performance of the leader as a single person’s responsibility. According to the writers, the employees play a crucial role for development and establishment of an organization. They are the pillars of an organization or company. As the employees play a crucial role for the organizations, so the managers should realize this factor and should keep into consideration how they can lead the employees to show their utmost skill for the improvement and betterment of business or any other work. The article describes that the leader should be capable to identify and locate employee’s performance and his/her potentiality for the working environment. The writers have identified certain aspects that the managers should employ to get the maximum output from their subordinates. Ellinger, A. D., Watkins, K. E., and Barnas, C. M. 1999. Responding to New Roles: A Qualitative Study of Managers as Instructors. Management Learning, December 1, 1999; 30(4): 387 - 412. Ellinger, Watkins and Barnes in their article, Responding to New Roles: A Qualitative Study of Managers as Instructors, 1999, describe that those organizations that have an aspiration to overcome all the other organizations and to show them as a leading group of people have to encourage and motivate their managers as well as their employees to work better not only by using their physical skills but their brains and conceptual expertise too. They think that the managers should be able to take on new parts such as coaches; instructors and teachers so that their subordinates work maximally to help the organization a better and established status. The mangers have to put on new roles for the betterment of the company according to the writers. This article discusses the educational changes that are required for the management of a company out of those prime important were the conceptual skill building among managers. This article also gives an account of a company in which the managers took on tutorial role for the betterment of their thinking skills as corporate managers. The article shows a clear difference between managers who adopt an instructional attitude and others who adopt the conceptual way of doing things. Conceptual managers were found more productive and ended up with more successful and relational decision making. Gronn, P. 1996. From Transactions to Transformations: A New World Order in the Study of Modern Management? Educational Management Administration, January 1, 24(1): 7 - 30. This article reviews recent developments in managerial practice. It discusses the shift towards the language of performance outcomes used increasingly to describe manager and the changing political and economic environments in which educational managers’ act. Theories have polarized around transformational and managerial expertise, the former emphasizing the personalities and action of individuals, and the latter stressing a rational, structural approach, emotional and decision making. Both create the impression of newness and difference but display strong continuities with previous theories of management. The significance on follower perspectives of conceptual powers of mangers is highlighted and alternative methodological approaches emphasizing historical and comparative contexts are outlined. The paper concludes with an example of visionary managers’ approach of thinking and decision making. Jeff, R. Hale, Dail L. 2007. Fields, Exploring Servant Management across Cultures: A Study of Followers in Ghana and the USA, Nov 01, 3: 397-417. Jeff and Dail in their article, Fields, Exploring Servant Management across Cultures: A Study of Followers in Ghana and the USA, 2007, indicate the existence of a term that is “servant management”. According to Jeff and Dail, the recent researches show that the word, servant management is enough worked at in America where in conventional management mangers are not allowed freethinking and they are bound to make decisions ‘on the track of management’ this practice also knacks managers from developing conceptual powers needed to cope with day to day challenges of the business. This article focuses its attention towards the exploration of followers in Ghana and the USA who were under the impact of servant management propositions that were three in number. In the article, it is explored that the followers have to work under servant management and they also consider this kind of management as effectual and successful though the outcome of such practice is not always productive and progressive for the business. Both the cultures of Ghana and USA were scrutinized to come up with a result related to servant management. The people of Ghana were found to be going through the servant management less as compared to the people of USA, surprisingly. The people of Ghana associated tough linkage between management and its set goals and ambitions showing a clear path linking managers’ conceptual power and its use in daily management affairs. According to the people of Ghana and USA, an effective management is only possible in terms of humbleness and modesty freedom to think innovatively is granted to the managers. Harter, Nathan, Ziolkowski, Fred J. and Wyatt, Stephanie. 2006. Management and Inequality. Aug 01, 2: 275-293. Harter, Ziolkowski and Wyatt, in their article, Management and Inequality, 2006, start with the general description of managers that is their distinctiveness as compared to other people with less conceptual and innovative ability. The writers of the article also identify certain features that are associated to the managers such as they are directed towards some goal or mission which they are going to achieve at any cost. The writers of this article are sure that the management is in habit of unequal and higher attitude which is unjust and unfair. For their tasks that they are forced to do by their strong ambitions, they motivate and compel their subordinates to act as they like them to do and don’t show interest in developing managers’ conceptual power. The writers say that top managers are interested in the achievement of their set goals and missions on the cost of any thing; that may be a reason of neglecting conceptual power development failure in most of organizations. Harter, Ziolkowski and Wyatt say that during the historical periods, many other writers have tried to find some positive values in the managers that should be equivalent with the democratic values such as egalitarian values and only power they found rare but common among successful business managers was managers’ ability to conceive things in a faster but innovative way. According to the writers of this article, egalitarian values are just and positive but the managers are not inhabit of following these values and they act according to their own whims that encourage them to develop their mental and decisive participation in daily business by using the innate conceptual powers they possess. Equality and impartiality are the values that are considered suitable in terms of promoting conceptual powers among managers but this is not the case with current management. Top managers and their followers are considered as separate and unequal beings. Harter, Ziolkowski and Wyatt in this article depict that inequality should be there in society so that one individual can be given a higher position as compared to others. They are sarcastic in showing that unequal attitude is necessary for being a conceptual manager. Parry, K. W. and Hansen, H. 2007. The Organizational Story as Management. Management, August 1, 3(3): 281 - 300. Parry and Hansen, in their article, The Organizational Story as Management, 2007, explain that management is given importance and prominence because of the fixed visions and objectives which are set by them so that their subordinates including them can act upon these set objectives and can also try their utmost to gain these objectives. Managers also inform the lower staff some promotional stories and incidents that encourage them to move forward and advance for a common perspective and mission, which is the betterment of their organization, company or society and ultimately such efforts lead towards a more advanced level of conceptual involvement by these leaders. The article by Parry and Hansen discusses managers not as a combined word of management but managers as individuals and they stress that a modern manager cannot be a good manager unless they use their maximum conceptual potential in their business and personal lives. This article also highlights that for different visions connected to management and managers, a particular language is employed. The stories and incidents told by managers to make their subordinates work are considered as working just like the managers. They are considered just like the managers because they have the same impact on the subordinates as the managers have this approach stops subordinates from innovative and conceptual fronts. These stories also encourage the staff members to do a task same as the managers encourage people to move forward by doing a particular task without using their conceptual power and decision making. According to Parry and Hansen, the stories told by the managers also do the management job and that is of encouragement and compelling the co-workers to do a particular set of activities and such stories and roles can be effectively used for enhancing conceptual powers of the mangers. Parry and Hansen assign the role of management to the stories that are told by the managers to motivate their staff members and develop their conceptual powers further. This article highlights the importance of conceptual power for the structuring of ideas related to management. Clifton, J. 2006. A Conversation Analytical Approach to Business Communication: The Case of Management. Journal of Business Communication, July 1, 43(3): 202 - 219. Clifton, in his article, A Conversation Analytical Approach to Business Communication: The Case of Management, 2006, elaborates that for applied research methodology, the conversation is not given much importance and prominence. Conversation analysis is given the least value and significance in terms of business transactions and communication while it plays a vital role in all kinds of communications whether it is business communication or any other kind of communication. It should not be ignored or neglected. Clifton gives the example of management in which again communication plays a significant role. This article highlights the importance of managers’ conceptual ability in business communication specially in management meetings that are common in business organizations and companies. The article suggests ways that how can the conceptual development be improved and made better for the managers. The basic phrase that is considered by the management is “What is going on” which is also considered as a powerful phrase in terms of businesses conversations. Clifton associates the conversational analysis done at the business meetings with the entire social context and explains that in real and original conditions, a manager should always keep in consideration the importance of conceptual analysis. The management is continuously linked with conversation and communication but they feel it unimportant because it is unobserved in spite of being there. This article is helpful for the researchers who are involved in researching the topic of management communication and innovative conceptualisation of day to day business. Lynham, S. A. and Chermack, T. J. 2006. Responsible Management for Performance: A Theoretical Model and Hypotheses. Journal of Management and Organizational Studies, January 1, 12(4): 73 - 88. Lynham and Chermack, in their article, Conceptual Management for Performance: A Theoretical Model and Hypotheses, 2006, inform that there is not particular literature related to management. According to the writers, there is not literary theory associated to the management of any kind. Lynham and Chermack describe that all the previous works that are done related to management talk about only the efficiency and effectiveness of management and also elaborate the functions that are associated to management at multiple levels such as for a single person, for a team or for company or organizations’ level. According to the writers of the article, it is being said that there was some importance or prominence that was given to the entire impact of management and a very minimal value was given to the people concerned to imagination and conceptualization and the tasks and works that were connected to them. The article discusses theoretical literature that should be developed for correct and in-depth understanding of conceptual needs of modern manager and its impact on people and their presentation of tasks and works. References Baldoni, J. 2005. How Great Managers get Great results. McGraw-Hill Companies. ISBN-13: 9780071464871. Byrne, J. 1998. “How Jack Welch Runs GE: a Close-Up Look at how America’s No.1 Manager Runs G.E.” BusinessWeek. Retrieved on 12 Mar 2008 from http://www.businessweek.com/1998/23/b3581001.htm Gardner, J. 1993. On Management, New York: Free Press. ISBN: 0029113121 Krames, J. 2002.The Jack Welch Lexicon of Management. McGraw-Hill Professional. ISBN: 0071381406. Kreitner & Kinicki. (2003). Organizational Behavior, 6th Edition. McGraw Hill Companies. Katz, R. (1974). Skills of An Effective Administrator http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/b02/en/common/item_detail.jhtml;jsessionid=OFFURVEPI1YLCAKRGWDR5VQBKE0YIISW?id=74509&referral=2340 Wilson, L. S., Boudreaux, M. A., and Edwards, M. 2000. High-Performance Management at the Individual Level. Advances in Developing Human Resources, May 1, 2(2): 73 - 103. Ellinger, A. D., Watkins, K. E., and Barnas, C. M. 1999. Responding to New Roles: A Qualitative Study of Managers as Instructors. Management Learning, December 1, 1999; 30(4): 387 - 412. Holton, E. F. and Lynham, S. A. 2000. Performance-Driven Management Development. Advances in Developing Human Resources, May 1, 2(2): 1 - 17. . References: Goldsmith, M., Greenberg, C. L., Robertson, 2003. A. and Hu-Chan, M. Global Management. Jugdev, K. 2002. Project Management Maturity models: The silver bullets of competitive advantage. Project Management Journal 33(4): 11 Katz, L, 1999. An Introduction to the Nation of Wales. Paper presented at the Local Government Convention. Read More