Introduction to Management - Literature review Example

Heading: Introduction to Management Your name: Course name: Professors’ name: Date Introduction Today, there are many organizations that are competing for customers in various ways. Competitive advantage is of utmost importance for any organization that desires to be on top of others. In order to achieve an effective competitive advantage, an organization ought to ensure that it delivers quality services and products to its clients. Therefore, this paper explores ways of managing an organization in order to achieve a strong organizational culture, and how this is going to aid in the creation of a quality-driven business firm. In order to succeed in this, the paper will address the concepts of organizational culture and quality-driven organization. The focus of this paper is on a service organization, specifically a hospitality organization. Organizational culture Pfister (2009, pp. 1-10) says that culture is usually developed when individuals work or leave together. Culture refers to a people’s way of living, in terms of traditions, customs, ideologies, beliefs and values (Schein 2009, pp. 37-40). Most important, organizational culture entails values, beliefs, and attitudes that help in the definition of a company. Just like any other culture, organizational culture has a tendency of developing spontaneously, whether it is nurtured or not (Schrodt 2002, pp. 13-16). In a hospitality organization, the personnel serves the clients directly; hence enabling them get to taste what the business is about whenever they relate with the employees (Pfister 2009, pp. 1-10). Therefore, managing a hospitality organization is vital in the delivery of the appropriate impression all the time. Alvesson (2008, pp. 35-40) maintains that training and hiring are crucial in the development of an effective organizational culture. This is because culture is concerns people more than the organizational policies, particularly in a hospitality business. Additionally, Pappas, Flaherty, & Hunt (2007, pp. 7-11) asserts that the development of a desired organizational culture requires one to define the values and mission, but the vital second step is to find people that are committed to the developed principles. The choice of the appropriate people in a hospitality business promotes the service levels and retention rates (Schein 2009, pp. 37-40). For instance, if the business is about offering a bed and breakfast dedicated to quality service, the interview questions should include focus on detail in the hiring process. Upon acquiring the right labor force in the business, it is vital that the management nurtures the desired positive qualities (Marques, Allevato & Holt 2008, pp. 12-18). Ultimately, the organization should focus on the personnel that are trained to be courteous and client-focused in order to achieve its objectives. Additionally, it is vital that the hospitality organization fosters commitment in order to success in the development of the appropriate organizational culture (Driskill 2011, pp. 23-35). This implies that once it has hired individuals that fit its culture, it is crucial that secures their long-term commitment in order to realize its vision. Nonetheless, Schabracq (2007, pp. 7-15) says that there is a lot more that the needs to be done in the organization so as to get individuals that are engaged in the organization’s mission. For instance, if the firm believes in the continuous improvement of service, then the management should inspire the employees by practicing continuous improvement at every organizational level. Besides, Schein (2010, pp. 7-20) says that it is important to invest in the development of the worker skill sets by allowing the workers to attend seminars and conferences, and ongoing education courses. In order to make the workers deliver specific experience to the clients, the management ought to make the experience an actuality in the organization (Pappas, Flaherty, & Hunt 2007, pp. 7-11). This implies that the workers should feel the culture emphasized in the firm if the y are always enthusiastic. Developing a story is also vital in the development of an effective hospitality organizational culture. Every culture has a great story, and the organization ought to possess one too. This can be achieved by writing a history of the company’s origin and milestones and where it is going. This is influential in that make the workers feel that they are involved in a big thing. Moreover, Driskill (2011, pp. 23-35) maintains that this enables the clients understand the origin of the company values. Here, it is fundamental to think about reasons for starting the business, for instance, offering the most delicious meals without any pretext (Marques, Allevato & Holt 2008, pp. 12-18). This attitude can be embodied in the workers; hence understanding what the business is and its past. Further, Schabracq (2007, pp. 7-15) notes that development of hospitality organization culture involves a feeling more than introducing certain programs. Here, it is important to start with the business values, then brainstorming on ways of making them a reality in the organization. In this plan, the worker perks like bonuses and free day care can either be included or excluded. Another thing that can be incorporated in the business is high level of trust between employee groups and the manager (Schein 2009, pp. 37-40). Therefore, it is imperative to decide on the values that are critical before making plans that enable the workers to live them. Views on organizational culture These involve competing opinions about organizational culture according to the pessimists, realists and optimists. To start with, optimists argue that culture can be employed as a mechanism to ensure organizational cohesion and unity (Schrodt 2002, pp. 13-16). This demonstrates the existence of organizational cultures as well as the desirable and possible cultural control by the senior management. Furthermore, optimists assert that failure of firms to manage cultures denies them the opportunity to control their human resources. In addition, optimists argue that there is a possible positive relationship that exists between business performance and organizational culture (Koutroumanis & Alexakis 2009, pp. 10-17). On the other hand, pessimists maintain that organizational culture seeks to create a mono-culture in which competing views or alternative opinions are not tolerated (Koutroumanis & Alexakis 2009, pp. 10-17). They say that the act of excluding those seen as unsuitable in the selection and recruitment process, and elimination of optional values through training, organizational culture seeks to reinforce core corporate values. In addition, they argue that any move to confront the present culture is seen as a crime against it (Marques, Allevato & Holt 2008, pp. 12-18). As a result, organizational culture is a remedy for resolving vagueness and indeterminacy. According to pessimists, corporate culture considers slavery as freedom and ignorance as strength. Moreover, they note that culture is a complex matter that the optimists have simplified (Schrodt 2002, pp. 13-16). They maintain that culture is situated in the human consciousness deepest level of which neither managers nor researchers have adequate knowledge to affect. On contrast, Trefry (2006, pp. 11-18) says that realists neither oppose nor support organizational culture management. Instead, they campaign for full explorations of the employment of the concept so as to develop more understanding of the cultural change. Pappas, Flaherty, & Hunt (2007, pp. 7-11) argues that some of the elements considered in the determination of the organizational culture include language, symbols, metaphors, heroes, stories, history, ethical codes, primary assumptions, behavioral norms, beliefs, values and attitudes, rites, rituals and ceremonies. Basing on the aforementioned elements, organization culture is categorized into three levels. To begin with, there is a level that concerns creations and artifacts that construct the social and physical environment of an organization (Koutroumanis & Alexakis 2009, pp. 10-17). This level is the most outward expression of corporate culture as it entails dress code, logos and spoken and written language employed in a hospitality organization. Secondly, there is a level that entails beliefs, values and attitudes that become popular in the way every organizational members rationalize their behavior and actions (Trefry 2006, pp. 11-18). The strength or weakness of organizational culture is determined by how the employees hold the core norm and values in the organization. Thirdly, Schrodt (2002, pp. 13-16) maintains that there is a very fundamental level that relates to tacit and basic assumptions that affect how organizational employees think, perceive and feel. Quality management in hospitality organization The main aim of every hospitality organization is to ensure the satisfaction of its customers. The ability to effectively satisfy its clients determines the organization’s quality level (Cullen 2001, pp. 12-30). Moreover, in such an organization, success is largely determined by the employees. The employees ought to comply with the rules, service or business philosophies, and policies. The staff’s responsiveness in the process of serving guests, interpreting rules and implementing high-quality services and products, establish the organization’s success. In order to develop a quality-driven hospitality organization, there is a need to integrate empowered, place of work practices that stimulate greater worker performance (Marques, Allevato & Holt 2008, pp. 12-18). In other words, the implementation of the traditional staff practices is insufficient to determine the business’s success. Allevato and Holt (2008, pp. 12-18) asserts that there is a need to reconsider the traditional approaches in the management of people. This reconsideration is necessitated the “paradigm shift” of the industry management of the human resources. This model shift is compelled by external forces in the hospitality industry that include teamwork, more information sharing, empowerment, organizational designs, new induction and training models, and changed employees’ general expectations (Marques, Allevato & Holt 2008, pp. 12-18). Nonetheless, most important, it is stimulated by the king customer concepts. Marques, Allevato and Holt (2008, pp. 12-18) further say that total quality management in the organization can only be attained through highly-empowered, motivated, and trained team of workers. Sometimes, guest challenges are unforeseeable; hence, the staff should feel empowered to n order to correct the challenge instantly. Since such an organization is a service business, it is inappropriate to have a set of rules that is rigid. Having guidelines is appropriate, but people should be granted the freedom to make various interpretations (Cullen 2001, pp. 12-30). Additionally, Marques, Allevato and Holt (2008, pp. 12-18) maintain that success in an organization is achieved through a commitment to develop the employees, and recognize them as representatives of some assets, which is bound to appreciate with time. The organization should strive to achieve a wide employee interest, contribution and participation in the continuous improvement process. There is also a need to prepare the management so as to share some of the authority and responsibilities. What is more, Schrodt (2002, pp. 13-16) points out that total quality management in a hospitality organization is achieved by ensuring that every member has an explicit understanding of what is needed and how the involvement is linked to the hospitality firm as a whole. The more the employees understand the business they are handling and what goes on around them, the bigger the role they play in the continuous improvement. People should be encouraged to manage, control and enhance the processes, which are within their scope of responsibility. Moreover, Cullen (2001, pp. 12-30) notes that the use of teamwork approach facilitates the development of a quality-driven hospitality organization. Teamwork has got central form of a corporate design. Here, it is worth noting that an effective teamwork requires one to learn the art of becoming an excellent team leader and team player. Moreover, it is imperative to know that team designs expect leaders to share more authority with other members of the organization; especially the subordinates, and now, the lower rank team leaders are facing a greater responsibility. This implies that the employees’ skills become more significant, and even their seniors ought to learn to follow. Additionally, teamwork has power to discover the present approach to leadership, the latest approach that needs the traditional managers to change their way of thinking, which concerns the workers into doing what is appropriate for the organization (Schrodt 2002, pp. 13-16). This approach is also managers becoming facilitators, teachers and coaches, instead of administrators, bureaucrats, directors, inspectors and control agents. Here, the managers must become team builders and strategy developers of employees’ commitment. Moreover, the managers maximize the employees’ value by enhancing the firm resources, fostering teamwork, and rewarding individual and team contributions. Further, Cullen (2001, pp. 12-30) says that a quality-driven hospitality organization can be developed and managed ensuring that the teamwork is mature and well-trained, other than focusing on individual members of the firm. The application of teamwork approach is influential in the improvement of quality decision making, and staff commitment in the organization. Cross (2000, pp. 195-200) assert that teamwork also enables members to share in the decision making and problem solving than it would be with a single member. Moreover, it allows the members to own the organizational plans, and strive towards the transformation of those plans into reality. What is more, teamwork provides collective wisdom, energies and talents that are essential in the achievement of the set objectives. In addition, Graen (2003, pp. 73-78) notes that since collective wisdom is better than individual wisdom, the organization is going to grow into a quality-driven business. It is note-worthy that any organization that employs teamwork prospers in its operations because of the collective knowledge, wisdom, talents and skills. Another factor that helps in the management of a hospitality organization into a quality driven business is diversity (Cross 2000, pp. 195-200). This is a concept that implies that the every organizational employee or applicant is treated fairly regardless of their ethnicity, race, origin, belief or religion, disability, nationality, age, gender, sexuality, or responsibility for beneficiaries. Explicitly, Champoux (2011, pp. 28-36) notes that promotion of diversity in a hospitality organization is instrumental in improving the employees’ performance since none of them will feel discriminated upon. Consequently, this improves the overall quality of the company; hence, widening its customer base over the competitors’ (Graen 2003, pp. 73-78). Besides, by providing services and products, which meet cultural, religious, linguistic and ethnic needs of the clients, the organization is certain to develop into a quality-driven business. This is achievable through training the staff in anti-discriminatory practices and executing their duties in a manner that is neither person-centered nor judgmental. Training employees to understand discrimination that some people from susceptible groups in the society may experience and this knowledge will enable to them to appropriately act in their support. Diversity also helps in the retention of human capital in that it enables companies to hire qualified and talented people; hence, improving their diversity (Champoux 2011, pp. 28-36). This fluidity will enable the organization to achieve the best talents who are influential in promoting its quality (Graen 2003, pp. 73-78). Here, the idea of retaining competent employees is influential in saving the company high costs of hiring and training new employees. What is more, the habit of hiring and training new staff also drags down the organization’s quality in that the new personnel takes long to adapt to the organizational culture (McLaughlin & Kaluzny 2004, pp. 150-155). This is demonstrated by the fact that current firms are taking main financial blows that are brought about by the costly ramifications, which arise from incessant and rapid brain-drain, employment replacement costs, and production delay, reduced organization knowledge base, reduced corporate morale, intellectual property loss and retraining expenses. Graen (2003, pp. 73-78) points out that diversity also attracts the best heterogeneous gifts and skills, and retains talent and compositional integrity of the business. Additionally, diverse environments motivate appreciation for all members of the organization and their differences, entrepreneurial innovation, a variety of client focus, quality performance, human communication and interaction, and a working environment in which everyone can survive. Champoux (2011, pp. 28-36) also notes that diversity also improves the employees’ developments and wellness in a hospitality organization. Schrodt (2002, pp. 13-16) argues that promotion of quality in a hospitality business can also be enhanced by ensuring that there are quality standards in the in all service delivery areas, continuous improvement, and acquisition of good results for service users. In addition, it is important to promote good practice standards, and comply with the statutory requirements as well as recognizing the need for diversity and innovation. Conclusion Evidently, quality is a great determinant of an organization’s success. Organizational culture is also influential in promoting a business’ performance and its quality. Organizational culture is viewed differently by the realists, pessimists and optimists. There are various ways in which an organizational culture can be managed and developed into quality-driven organization. Some of these ways include promotion of diversity that, in turn, enables enhances employee development and wellness, retention, and the organizational quality. Besides, extensive training and motivation of employees boosts a firm’s quality performance. Additionally, commitment and teamwork are influential in the promotion of organizational culture as well as quality performance. As a result, the integration of the aforementioned factors and measures is vital in the effective management of corporate culture and development of a quality-driven hospitality organization. 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