Three Important Changes Facing Management and How Each Affects His Job Technological Changes - Coursework Example

Student’s Name Tutor Course Date Three Important Changes Facing Management and How Each Affects His Job Technological Changes Technological changes in any organisation have a significant effect on the way different work processes are conducted. Many employees find it difficult to adjust to new technological changes because this requires them to acquire new skills to perform their responsibilities more effectively. Technological changes affect wage structures in a firm. A firm has to hire new employees with the required technological skills to perform different functions. This issue may cause conflicts in an organisation because some employees may feel that they are not being recognised by the firm for their efforts. They may feel that they are being neglected at the expense of the new employees hired to perform complex technological responsibilities. Business firms need to communicate to their workers about why technological changes are being implemented (Rue and Byars 63). This will eliminate unnecessary conflicts at the workplace. Technological changes affect the manner in which different processes in an organisation are run. These changes require a firm to change its operations to conform to the new technological changes which have been adopted. A business firm needs to take note of different technological changes that are likely to affect how various work processes are performed. A manager needs to collaborate with all workers to come up with effective working plans to ensure they are given tasks that are related to their skills and competencies. Managers need to put in place effective programs that allow workers to acquire new skills to make them have the required experience to perform different roles (Rue and Byars 67). This will eliminate workers’ fears of being declared redundant whenever new technological changes are implemented in an organisation. Business firms need to be more committed to their loyal employees to ensure they are equipped with appropriate technological skills to make them perform their jobs more effectively. Many firms have resorted to technological driven processes to boost their internal efficiency to enable them stay competitive in industries they are operating in. Technologically driven work processes enable firms to produce high quality products which are able to compete with substitutes in the market more effectively. Business firms need to make their workers aware about why such changes are necessary and how they will affect the quality of work performed. Workers’ fears should be addressed to enable them understand their roles more effectively (DuBrin 97). If possible, training programs should be developed to help employees acquire vital skills to help them perform their duties more effectively. Managers should allow their employees to give their opinions and feedback on proposed technological changes. This will make all stakeholders more willing to participate in processes that are intended to improve organisational efficiency. Changes in Human Resource Policies Changes in human resource policies are likely to affect the way a manager performs his duties in a particular firm. Managers who change the number of working hours are likely to experience resistance from their subordinates because this may lead to a reduction in their wages. Many employees are very sensitive on the number of hours they work in a day because it determines their earnings. Managers need to tell their employees why working hours are being increased or reduced to get their opinions on how such changes are going to be implemented. A firm may be experiencing a reduction in demand for its products in the market. A reduction in demand for a firm’s products makes it difficult for it to continue operating under normal capacity (DuBrin 107). Therefore, a business firm needs to communicate this issue to its employees to make them aware of how the situation impacts on their working hours in the firm. A business firm may be compelled by statutory laws to remit deductions from employees’ salaries to pay for taxes, pension and health insurance schemes as required by the government. Some of these changes may not be taken positively by employees because they may feel that the firm is deducting their earnings without a good reason. This may cause conflicts in the firm and may result in unnecessary disruptions at the work place (Jones and George 55). A manager needs to explain to all workers why their earnings are being deducted to make them prepare for changes they are likely to experience after this decision has been implemented. Employees need to be informed a few months in advance before the decision is enforced to make them understand how they are going to meet their financial obligations. This will give managers more time to listen to their concerns to ensure they put in place measures that protect workers from financial burdens brought about by these new changes. Changes in health and safety policies in a firm are likely to be resisted by some employees. In many industrial sectors, workers need to put on the right work attire to protect them from different hazards they may be exposed to in their work stations. Some employees may find it difficult to adapt to such policies and this is likely to create a lot of challenges for a manager (Jones and George 55). Business firms need to put in place effective training programs that make all workers aware about the importance of health and safety policies in the work place. Managers need to take time to make their employees understand that their organisations care about their health and wellbeing to make them appreciate why they need to work in a safe environment. This will make workers understand that they need to accept positive health and safety policies because they protect them from different risks and hazards they are exposed to at work. Changes in Industry Environment Changes which are experienced in a particular industry environment are likely to compel a firm to change its internal operations. A firm may be affected by high business costs and may be forced to outsource some of its less important functions to other firms. Outsourcing is a concept practiced by many firms which have decided to focus more on their core business functions. Outsourcing may cause some workers to be declared redundant; a situation that is likely to result in various misunderstandings. A business firm needs to put in place adequate measures to ensure all employees who are likely to lose their jobs as a result of these changes are compensated. Managers need to make their employees understand that such measures are intended to cut costs to ensure the firm remains more competitive in the industry in the long term (Campbell, Stonehouse and Houston 69). A firm may also be compelled to implement new changes to make its internal and external work processes more responsive to customers’ needs. As a result, a manager may ask his workers to improve the way they perform different tasks to ensure they achieve high quality results out of all workplace activities. Some workers do not have good customer care skills and this affects how they interact with a firm’s customers. A manager needs to make all employees working under him aware on the need to have good customer care skills to ensure they build trust and confidence in a firm’s clients. Employees need to be encouraged to listen to clients more to understand their concerns and experiences about a firm’s products and services. A firm needs to encourage its employees to take client feedback positively because this helps them improve their performance in the long term (Campbell, Stonehouse and Houston 75). The industry environment which a firm operates in may be affected by industrial unions which advocate for workers’ rights. A manager may be forced to institute some changes at the workplace to ensure they conform to demands of various labour unions where some employees working under him are members. As a result, he may have to reduce employees’ working hours as demanded by the labour union, a decision which may not be very popular with workers. New entrants in an industry may also make a firm to change its internal and external business operations. A manager may require all workers to collaborate more to ensure the firm’s products and operations become more innovative. Some employees in the firm may not be comfortable with these changes because they may not like working in teams. Therefore, a manager may be required to increase the morale of his workers to encourage them to collaborate with their colleagues (Campbell, Stonehouse and Houston 82). Conclusion Managers need to understand effective ways through which they can implement different changes in their organisations. They need to consult employees working under them to find out how the proposed changes will affect their work. They also need to develop proper systems that make employees understand what is expected of them to reduce unnecessary organisational conflicts. Technology, human resource policies and the industry environment influence the way an organisation performs its internal and external functions. A manager needs to understand strategies used by his firm in the market to ensure that its operations conform to the expectations of its employees and customers. Works Cited Campbell, David, George Stonehouse, and Bill Houston. Business Strategy. New York: Elsevier Science, 2002. Print. DuBrin, Andrew J. Essentials of Management. Peterborough: Thomson, 2003. Print. Jones, Gareth R., and Jennifer M. George. Contemporary Management. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2006. Print. Rue, Leslie W. and Lloyd L. Byars. Management: Skills and Applications. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003. Print. Read More