Understanding Management Theory - Essay Example

Management Student Name: Instructor Name: Course Name: Date of Submission: When one does a job alone, it is always hard as compared to a job that is done by a group of people. This is because a group of people will integrate their skills with respect to their area of specialization, on accomplishing their tasks; the final outcome is a perfectly done job. However, as we talk about people doing a particular job in a team, it is important to put in place proper means that will enable the whole team to work efficiently. There is a tendency of most teamwork to be done poorly because of non-cooperation from team members. Therefore, management is defined as all the activities and tasks done by an individual or a group of people in ensuring that planning and controlling of the activities of others are in place in order to achieve an objective that could not be achieved by the others working independently. According to Peter, management was not valued initially compared to today where it is valued a lot both by the developed and the undeveloped countries. “To them the economy was impersonal and objective” (1981, p. 21). Being in charge of a team, as management demands, comes with a lot of challenges that contribute to the smooth running of the group but, the main being decision making. In decision making, this is whereby the manager or the person in charge makes a choice, which will have an impact on the running of the industry. This therefore, has to be done after analyzing the situation of the industry, and checking for areas that require change. Heinz (2012), argues that management as a whole entails the following components; planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling (p. 1). These components are mainly done by the manager. Planning; the concerned departments set the objectives or goals of an organization. This involves the decision making process since they have to decide what the institution is aiming. Thereafter, all the possible means of achieving them are also set. They are sets of rules or instructions that the institution will adhere to. Organizing; the stakeholders come up with a formal structure, where specific people are expected to fill it up, respective to their area of specialization. Example, the structure may state that only ten slots are to be filled by the people in ICT department. Staffing; this is whereby the manager ensures that the set structure is filled at all times. It is made possible by replacing any space that may be left vacant following the absence of a worker. Directing; also referred to as leading involves influencing people to work up to the task allocated to them. Mainly done by the manager or the supervising officer. Controlling; this is fundamentally monitoring the work of the industry. The running of the industry is examined by considering the goals and how the structure is expected to work. If it does not conform to the set standard, then a new structure is implemented to replace the current one. Managerial skills In an organization, the manager is the one in charge in ensuring that all activities and operations run smoothly. All the directives in an organization must originate from the manager. According to Heinz, a manager must portray a set of skills that will enable the smooth running of an industry (2012, p. 11). These skills are: Technical skills; a manager must have the skills to handle most of the tools and equipment’s found in the industry. The decision to choose, on the correct tool, to be applied lies on the respective departments. For a manufacturing industry, for example, individuals must expect to find machines that are used in the manufacture of products. The manager should have the adequate knowledge of the operation of the tools and equipment’s. Conceptual skills; these are the skills that enable one to see the elements that may lead to a certain situation and understand how these elements are related in one way or the other. Human skill; this is the ability of creating an environment that is conducive for working. A manager should analyze each and every worker’s environment and works towards creating one that will enable the worker feel secure. Management goes hand in hand with the economy, and this implies that the management team needs to work together in a harmonious way to ensure that all decisions made are compatible to the mission, vision, and goal of the organization. In the 1870s’, small organizations developed into large organizations. The introduction of large organizations saw an improvement in management since they had to employ new techniques of managing a firm in order for it to cope with the ever growing economy. The Mining Industry Australia is a country that majorly relies on mining, to boost its economy. The mining industry involves the constant exploitation of the natural resources, which are transformed into finished products, which are then exported. An estimated income of $A 2 billion per year is earned from the mining industry. Besides income from exporting these products, it has created employment for most of the persons in the country and this has contributed to improved living standards for the inhabitants of Australia. As we praise the mining industry for the significant role it has played in boosting the economy, matters concerning environment protection should not be assumed. The government is the overall governing body that manages all the industries in the country. Australia being a country rich with minerals, a lot of wastes from industries, inform of chemicals, is produced into the environment. Severe environmental degradation is evident in most parts of the country. Example of these industries is such as those associated with the long-closed Rum Jungle uranium-copper mine in the Northern Territory and the Mount Lyell mine in Northwest Tasmania (Anthea and Peter 2002). Here, copper has been mined for over 100 years, and images of past performance are of immense concern to the environment today. The focus of the Australian government is to derive an innovated way of channeling these wastes and prevent the pollution of the environment. Roy, argues that the productivity performance in Australia will only depend on the innovation ability and the performance of the firms (2009, p. 9). These firms include multinational industries. In addition, it is vital to consider the methods used in mining. Most of the methods used in mining industries are outdated and were used in the past times. Some of them are harmful and are a risk to human life. The Australian government has laid down policies that govern the methods used in mining. However, in replacing these methods the managers make a decision on the methods that are safe. It is not that easy deciding on how the minerals are to be mined since they have to make a deep analysis about the mining process first before setting down. Some industries have incorporated advanced and sophisticated methods of mining that are in line with the recent technological advances. This has hastened the whole process since it reduces the time that could have otherwise been wasted by the human labor. In the long run, it is evident that decision making theory is relevant in the mining industry and contributes to the smooth running of the industry. Industrial engineering Engineering is a branch of technology that deals with the construction of infrastructure. The construction industry involves building structures that will physically be located in a place. Engineering has in the years developed due to the introduction of modern forms of technology. Engineers have tried to come up with new and improved techniques that have generally contributed to the expansion of infrastructure. Today, the buildings built are of a sophisticated nature due to the complexity of its design and plan. John argues that engineering management involves management of physical assets of a business and coming up with new processes that will work much easier as compared to the older ways of the process (1999, p. 3). Generally, engineering management requires that the responsible persons think hard and come up with projects that will work in the desired form. The physical assets surrounding an industry cannot be separated from the workers since they are the one using these assets. Engineering management is therefore, important as it ensures that these assets are working in a way that meets stipulated projections of the company and utilizes resources without wasting them. The experts have a task of constantly checking and monitoring the assets and keeping them on their toes in order to ensure that they produce the desired result. In designing what kind of assets are to be used in the industry, a decision are made as to what is to be used in the industry. One may ask “what is the relevance of engineers in management?” Well, I am not an engineer, but what I could actually reply to this is they are the real managers in a business environment. The physical assets include the tools and equipment’s used in production of products and includes machines. All these systems are designed, implemented and monitored by the engineers. The real managers in an organization depend on the engineers in making most of their decisions. Before a decision is made, the engineers within the organization have to be consulted, where they then check on the effects of the novel systems to be implemented. Lawrence, Franklin, George and Harvey (2005, p. 3) explains that managing an industrial enterprise is complex due to factors that include extended government control over the enterprise through the creation of policies and laws. Bodies governing the industries have also been increased in the recent past. This makes the working of the industries a bit difficult since they have to conform to sets of rules and regulations; where failing to follow them will lead to strict measures impounded on them. However, with the technological advancement, most of the practices have been reduced from being complex to simple. Example is transactions of the industries with the governing bodies have automated most of their operations, which include money transfer and other transactions. Management techniques These are ways in which something is done, or the kind of methods that are employed to realize or accomplish a desired result. A manager should be well equipped with the proper techniques that could otherwise be employed in an industry (Heinz 2012, p. 9). Some of the skills include: Budgeting; the managers should come up with the correct plan for the industry. This is the correct structure of the organization and should state the expenditure of the organization. This will go a long way in planning for the industry and reducing any loss that could have been incurred due to lack of budgeting of the organization’s needs. Cost accounting; here, the manager should come up with the total cost of the normal or daily expenses and allocating for it. Network planning; a manager should form a network between various departments and ensure that they have a positive relationship. Good relationship between different departments will ensure that all the workers work towards achieving a common goal of the organization. Network planning does not involve only the departments in an organization, but also a network between various organizations. The management process entails three basic elements, which a manager must deal with. These are the environment that the manager meets with it on a daily basis. They are ideas, things and people. As started above, conceptual thinking involves checking for the elements making up a situation and trying to understand how these elements relate to each other. A manager must therefore, employ the conceptual skill in order to link the three elements in trying to understand the state of the organization and planning for the organization. Management also includes managing the social responsibility and social impacts. Today, the success of an industry is determined majorly by the society since they mutually benefit from each other. A manager must decide on what is the superlative way of rewarding the society or giving back to the society. This may include provision of jobs to the society and giving them benefits, like selling them products at a low price as compared to the normal price (Peter 1986, p. 33). References List Anthea, T & Peter, A 2002, Best Practice Environmental Management in Mining, Environment Australia Press, Australia. Gareth, R 1998, National Profile of Chemicals Management Infrastructure in Australia, Kingston Press, Environment Australia. Heinz, W 2012, Management, California University of San Francisco Press, San Francisco. John, W 1999, Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management in Australia, Mechanical Engineering Department Press, Monash University, Australia. Lawrence, L, Franklin, S, George, S & Harvey, A 2005, Industrial Organization and Management, McGraw-Hill Book Company Press, Toronto. Peter, F 1986, MANAGEMENT Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices, Truman Talley Books, 2 Park Avenue, New York. Roy, G 2009, Management Matters in Australia: Just how productive are we? University of Sydney Press, Sydney. Read More