Management, Leadership, And Marketing Concept - Example

Mаnаgеmеnt, Lеаdеrshiр and Mаrkеting Соnсерt Name: Institution: Management Management entails the ability to drive individuals towards the attainment of the goals and objectives of an organization by appropriately utilizing the available resources in an efficient and effective manner as well as meaningful coordination. According to Gomez et al (2008), it involves planning, directing, organizing, staffing, leading and controlling an organization towards the attainment of its goals hence it requires one to be a good marketer and also innovative. Management can involve one person as seen in the small business enterprises or a number of individuals like in multinational firms. It is a major factor for assessing the current and future of a firm’s worth depending on its quality and experience. To be a good manager an individual should have the capability to relate well with others, however apart from the natural inborn traits of management in some individuals, it is possible to develop some qualities of a good manager. Good management is an integral part of any business success especially in the modern world where competition is very stiff. With a good manager, a company/firm is in a position to have in place a good, hardworking, productive and efficient workforce (Kleiman, 2010). This is achieved through improving the competitiveness of the firm by increasing profits, and increasing the market share of the company. Additionally good managers are in a position to attract and recruit skilled and competent staff and are in a position to keep the employees motivated to maintain and improve on their job performance. I believe I have the potential to become a good manager as I have for sometime now acquired the ability to relate well with people at all times by easily adapting to their weaknesses and strengths. This is complemented by my ability to communicate effectively to people despite their cultural backgrounds and ethnicities. This is in accordance with qualities of a good manager as indicated by Kleiman (2010), that a good manager needs to have the ability to manage and maintain meaningful relationships with people at all times. This can be best achieved through identifying individual’s specific capabilities and their potential. According to Gomez et al (2008), a good manager should be able to listen carefully and be supportive to the other members of an organization so as to be able to solve problems and disputes effectively and in an efficient manner. This is because this way, employees feel free to approach their manager to raise certain issues knowing that their problems will be listened to thus they tend to be more motivated as well. With the experience I have attained to this point in relating to different people in clubs as well as other curricular and co-curricular activities, I believe I have what it takes to listen and support others to the best of my abilities depending with the resources at hand. This can well be attributed to instances where I have been involved in dispute solving between different individuals. Hoyle (1995), notes that, a good manager should be proactive and decisive when addressing disagreements. Disagreements bring forth new ideas and creativity hence they should be managed appropriately. My desire to keep learning and sourcing for more knowledge is a great strength that I can utilize to become a great manager, this is as noted by Kleiman (2010) that good managers are keen and able to learn from their mistakes and should be knowledgeable not only about the operations within the firm but also what is happening outside the company in the market. This encourages and motivates the team. Leadership Stodgill (1948) points out those Good leaders are made not born. Anyone with the desire and the will can become an effective leader through continuous education, training and experience garnered. Leadership entails the organization of a number of people so as to achieve a common task/goal by influencing them. It can either be process leadership whereby an individual applies his knowledge and skills to lead others or trait leadership where one is able to influence the actions of others by using their inborn traits. Apart from the skills and knowledge possessed by leaders, leadership is also influenced by other aspects such as; one’s beliefs, values, ethics and character. These attributes affords the leader some unique attributes that make them stand out. Leadership is made up of four factors which include; leadership, followers, communication and situation. The best and truly efficient leaders are identified by their high degree of emotional intelligence, which comprises of being self-aware, self regulatory, motivated and well equipped with social skills. A leader can either have or not have formal authority. A good leader is the one who is always on the forefront, with a strong personality and driven by a clear picture of the intended goal. Good leadership encourages positive contribution to an organization thus driving overall organizational success (Manfred, 2003). A good leader is expected to perform his tasks diligently and complete them in a timely manner (Hoyle, 1995). From this information, i bear that i can make a good leader since from past experiences i have been able to complete tasks in a timely manner while also meeting the set deadlines. I also believe i uphold good moral and ethical standards that are a key requirement for a good leader. This is characterized by my willingness to do well and harm no one as well as undue respect for the set laws, rules and regulations. Based from my past experiences of resolving issues in an objective, fair and reasonable manner I believe I have the right attributes to be a good leader. This is also indicated by Hemers (1997) who also notes that a good leader should be able and ready to take responsibility and be accountable for their actions as well as providing a clear direction and must act with conviction. A good leader should always embrace clarity in their assignment by issuing instructions and letting people solve the problems on their own without giving them directions on how to do it. My adaptability to change also is a good trait as expected of leaders. This is as indicated by Manfred (2003) that leaders should always act as an example as all the staff tends to look up to the leader on how to respond to circumstances. Hence, if the leader adapts positively to change the employees will follow suit while if they adopt negatively the same will be seen on the employees. It is however important to note that leadership takes several styles as required by different situations. These can either be, autocratic, laissez-faire, participative, narcissistic, and toxic or tax oriented depending on the effectiveness of the style and taking into consideration the varying interests of the individual members (Stodgill, 1948). One basic of good leadership is having a character that is honorable. Marketing Concept Marketing concept is the strategy employed by firms to identify the specific needs and requirements of their customers and act in such a way as to satisfy these needs while still maintaining a competitive edge over the competitors. A marketing concept is driven by an honest care and concern for customers and how to satisfactorily meet their expectations both in the short term and the long term (Adcock & Caroline, 2001). The concept should be in a position to effectively balance between satisfying the customer wants and realizing profits for the company. Most firms have not been practicing this but in the recent times most firms have adopted this strategy. To develop and have in place an ideal marketing concept, marketers need to ask themselves what the customer requirements are, and how these needs can be satisfied. It also involves conducting research so as to identify the various market segments and how big or small they are so as to be aware of what the customers wants are before developing a product. It also ensures that all the company’s efforts and energies are focused towards meeting the needs of the customers and making profits by the company out of satisfying the needs of the customers in the long-term. In order to remain competitive while adapting the marketing concept, most firms in the modern day have adopted an approach aimed at making the whole firm customer focused in that, their main aim is to satisfy the needs of their customers (Kotler & Keller, 2012). I personally have had an experience where the company exceeded my expectations, I had purchased some merchandise from one of the company’s stores, on receiving the order I realized some items were not as exactly as i had ordered and had to take them back. I immediately made a call to the store and the phone was answered immediately by a polite and courteous staff. On explaining my predicament to him, he was so apologetic and concerned. He asked me what my order details were and assured me that the correct order would be delivered within an hours time, within 30 minutes the firm had already sent their sales team to collect the prior merchandise and deliver the correct order, in addition to that I was surprised at receiving a refund of 10% as a compensation inform of a discount that I did not expect. Immediately the sales men left the manager of the store called me to apologize for the mistake and assured me that it would not happen again in the future while also confirming whether i was now satisfied. According to…. a firm exceed the expectations of customers by finding solutions to problems in a timely manner, correcting mistakes satisfactorily and timely as well and meeting their customer requests within the expected time, making follow ups and being courteous. Difference between Management and Leadership Leadership and management are different methods of organizing people and even though they usually complement each other, leadership is different from management in a number of ways. This are; Management entails planning, directing, organizing and coordinating other people to achieve a specific goal whereas leadership on the other hand entails to influence, inspire and motivate a group of people with a common/shared interest to contribute towards the accomplishment and success of their endeavor. My development so far has been much based on coordinating, planning and organizing people, hence it is more management oriented than leadership oriented. Management has its main focus and energy on putting in place systems and structures whereas a leader’s focus is on the people he’s leading and how he influences them. Whereas management is attributed to a short-range view of objectives, leadership is characterized by its long-term view of goals and vision. In leadership, the leader has followers whom he leads towards the achievement of their common goal while on the other hand, in management, managers have subordinates whom they control and direct on what to do in pursuance of achieving the set goals and targets. In leadership, the leader has a passionate method of addressing issues and tends to stir emotions while in management; the manager adapts a formal and a rational method in his duties. Either way what is important is the achievement of the set goals and objectives irrespective of who is in charge. Whereas leaders use conflicts as a source of new ideas and boosting innovation, managers avoid disputes and conflicts by all means. In my personal development I have come to understand that disputes enables one to identify a problem hence the best possible solution is offered to resolve them. I would therefore suggest that disputes are a source of ideas for a company. In leadership, leaders are followed naturally by individuals due to their charisma and personality traits while in management the manager is obeyed as expected by the formal authority he carries as a manager. In leadership the leader is instilled to lead the people by doing the right things unlike in management where a manager is put in place to do things in the right manner. In management, the manager is heavily dependent on the control he has being the manager while in leadership, the leader inspires trust from the people whom he leads. And while a leader facilitates the decision making process, the manager makes decisions by himself. Personally I have come to learn the importance of consulting with other people especially when it comes to making decisions. This is because one can learn new ideas that would have otherwise been ignored if they made decisions on their own. References Adcock, D., & Caroline, R. 2001. Introduction Marketing: principles and practice (4th Ed.). p. 15. ISBN 9780273646778. Retrieved 2009-10-23. Gomez. M., Luis, R., David, B., & Robert L. 2008. Management: People, Performance, Change, 3rd edition. New York, New York USA: McGraw-Hill. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-07-302743-2. Hemers, M. 1997. An integrative theory of leadership. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers. ISBN 978-0-8058-2679-1 Hoyle, J. R. 1995. Leadership and Futuring: Making Visions Happen. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc. Kotler, P. & Keller, L. 2012. Marketing Management 14e. Pearson Education Limited 2012 Kleiman, L., S. 2010. Management and Executive Development. Reference for Business: Encyclopedia of Business. 25 Mar 2011 [2] Manfred, F. R. 2003. The Dark Side of Leadership - Business Strategy Review 14(3), Autumn Page 26. Stogdill, R.,M. 1948. Personal factors associated with leadership: A survey of the literature. Journal of Psychology, 25, 35-71. Read More