Managers in Global Business Environment - Essay Example

Students Name: Instructor’s Name: Course Code and Name: Date of Submission: Managers in global business environment The essay gives a clear insight on the topic ‘Managers in global business environment’ and on the issues of culture meaning, importance and relevance in management and dipping into the ways people from diverse cultures share values needed in global environment work. Global management involves approaching strategic and organisational issues in an open-minded and curious way where different culture settings are involved (Kotter & Heskett 1992). The topic is important as it shows the impact and skills in globalisation which enhances international business management. Culture can be seen as the most used way of life, thoughts and beliefs developed and also transmitted by people with or without their conscience to subsequent generations (James & Szeman 2010). In a business organisation, there exists culture which gives value in defining what is wrong and right and specifies preferences and behaviours in the organisation. There are various characteristics of culture in an organisation;-attention to detail, orientation of people, orientation of outcome, orientation of the team, stability, aggressiveness and detail attention (Schein 1992). Management has been viewed in different ways classically. Various theories have been formulated by classical thinkers and still have some relevance in today’s management setting. The scientific management theory by Fredrick Taylor was created in early 1900s. It emphasises on employee productivity increase (Kanigel 1997). It advocates systematic study of workers and their responsible work. Its goal was provision of necessary tools for output and efficiency maximisation but its main line was for menial jobs hence being unfavoured by many a school and company (Kanigel 1997). It bases on four main principles;-standard method for doing each work, selection of workers based on skills, avoidance of interruptions by planning, increase of wages and incentives. Another theory is Max Weber’s theory of bureaucracy. This theory is built on Taylor’s outlined principles. Weber also advocates standard ways and a defined chain of command. He also emphasises efficiency and warns on problems of technology use at emotion’s expense. Elements of his theory include;- well defined job roles, authority hierarchy, standardised procedures, clear record keeping, and employee hiring based on skills (Wren & Bedeian 2009). Traditionally, management is viewed in a military style, where it is disciplined, organised and there is hierarchy in authority. The chain of command is strictly followed. In this view, management ability is derived from positional power (Mitcham 2005). Unlike the modern way of management, traditionally, soft skills are not required in management. The organisation is viewed as a collection of specialised people intertwined with functional chain of command. People are seen as goods, interchangeable virtually and their contribution is passive (Mitcham 2005). Management views quality as absence of defects. Cooperation is rare in traditional management unless for personal interests and hence there is limitation of cultural exchange. Management has a reluctance of change of problem’s solving formula (Schein 1992). Negotiations are only happen in the traditional issues like job safety and salaries. There is no potential for collaborating and hence limitation of involvement of employees. Generally, multi-cultural setting in traditional management is rare. Globalisation takes place minimally and therefore no need to look for a common identity. Cooperation is not encouraged and hence cultural differences are rarely known. Cultural and social identities are not defined clearly as only individual identity is seen. Classical views have been reviewed and there have been alternative ways put forth to see the management role. It has been viewed in the post-cultural setting that there needs to be reconstruction in the manipulation and manoeuvring of subjects in the organisation. A range of theoretical perspectives have been applied to conceptualise management role and reality. Labour process theory can be viewed by some people as a backward method of managerial functional definition. Labour process’ primacy to the managerial work positioning. Peter F. Drucker’s thoughts and ideas generate liberally generated review when it comes to scientific base of management. Management, as seen by him, should not be viewed scientifically like in the traditional case but should also be looked in the artistic point of view (Drucker 1973). He delivers a new way of viewing art and also its need in co temporal management world. Organisational management theory and practice has never looked innovation and creativity to be a synonymous with it (Drucker 1982). In typical sense, they have not been viewed as aesthetic yet it is artistic in nature. Seen as an artisan work, it has properties and skills that can be employed to reduce management complexity. This discourse has been shaped well by Drucker’s ideas and thoughts. It has enlightened scholars to look at ways art can be used in the transformed organisational management. Today, more processes and approaches are realised due to the changing nature of organisations. It is realised that Drucker’s ecologic and holistic management approach is needed in the world than it was before. This is especially in the liberal art concept he brought out. Management consequences have brought about the need to rethink about managerial role. A scholar like Taylor has gone further in identifying key processes that he considers to be specific in the manner in which art and metaphor tend to bring to individual development, for example, through the transfer of artistic skill, through techniques of projections, through essence evocation and through artefacts creation (Kanigel 1997). These trends in the discourse are shows of the impact that Drucker’s concept on management’s convergence and aesthetics have taken. They also give the point that management’s key positions are artistic in nature. Bureaucracy is no longer seen as an efficient and effective management approach and is regarded as only suitable in the military sector. Decentralisation is seen as a good perspective in the management of organisations. Structural change is forced by politics and power and motivation and creativity takes a good role in the act. Communication in the workforce is seen as an element of managerial improvement. Managerial role is rethought in perspective of shifting objectives with variables that simplify complexities and diverse structures. Hierarchy should not be very complex and therefore not specific definition is absent. Goals should be less casual and be more diverse in a way that more factors influence them. Factors like strategic plans and individual responsibility should be among them (Ronayne 2013). It is seen that managers should clearly define organisational structure, organisational flow charts and job descriptions. Problem solving should be based on competencies and expectations of functionality should be regarded in the authority (Ronayne 2013). Above all, working relationships should be put upfront. This encourages cultural mixing in the organisational set-up. In organisational setting, there exists variation and mixing of cultures depending on the size of the firm and diversity in terms of places it operates. These values and standards of performance guide management in creating employee relationship and interaction and also the level of management. The manager’s role will depend on how the business wants the above elements to be carried out (Kotter & Heskett 1992). Manager’s role is affected by culture in the following ways in a business culture;- First of all, a manager has a disciplinarian role. He or she can act as a disciplinarian particularly in small business set-up Employee behaviour may be warned by word of mouth or written warnings being given to non-cooperating employees. Interpersonal relationships in this role may be limited as authority is seen first before co-worker view is seen. Secondly, he has employee interaction role. A disseminated business culture will allow a manager to interact with employees because they are involved in the organisational strategies. This is enabled by the fact that managerial role is reduced to that of the floor-level worker. This is accomplished more easily in a small business than a large one. Better working relationships are enhanced while performance supervision is still enhanced. Manifestation of employees is not seen as the human side of the managers is tried to be seen. He also has an example setting role. In the organisation, he serves as a culture’s model for employees’ emulation. Employees’ teamwork must have direct work with the manager and fostering of team atmosphere. Change in business culture requires the manager to be adaptive and versatile to changes in the environment. His way of illustrating desired company culture will determine employee adoption. When it comes to rewards, he is obligated with the role of rewarding proper behaviour. Employees’ display of desired behaviour may be rewarded in the form of praise or higher grading reviews. This is a good way as it depicts valuing of employees place in the organisation and standards are maintained. Communication is also another important role in business. It involves sharing of information with the subordinates and managers of other departments. Effective communication will lead to efficient goal achievements and better control of undesired priorities. Subordinates recognise what the manager wants through effective communication. Lastly, there is the role of promoting coaching. Nowadays, coaching has become a must-have in the management and business profession as a whole. Creation of a coaching culture has been on the rise with the broadening of coaching. A manager should know goals of coaching and how to use them. Ambiguous cultures may change a manager’s role as in the case where his decisions are not supported and empowered (James & Szeman 2010). His attitude may be affected to a fearful and non-responsive to issues arising in the company. Companies with ethical culture may foster strong values to the manager. The companies in a global setting have international level assignments. Globalisation assignments entail tasks involved in international corporations. These occur because of differences in culture and nations. According to International Monetary Fund (2000), these assignments involve the following major aspects; - Trade and transactions, capital and investment movement, disseminating of knowledge, control of cross-boundary pollution and migration and movement of people (Cuadra-Montiel 2012). Globalisation involves international trade and transactions involving businesses like franchises, mergers and acquisitions and international partnerships. Major companies use these types of business creations for them to cope global competition. Managers assign themselves in finding suitable companies to merge or partner with. Additionally alliances have been created to protect international companies such as creating regional alliances to check upon tax discrimination and other forms of product. Franchises have been a common way of business trading especially in fast food products such as the McDonalds franchises. There is also movement of capital and investment. These involve movement of capital from a cross-border investor to a financial institution of another country or region. Institutions opt for foreign direct investments (FDIs) and these include long-lasting investments and enterprises which sets up takes over and acquire stakes in the institutions. Other investments include investments in real estates security investments such as bonds shares units and bills, loan and credit granting and operations such as personal capital operations, endowments and legacies. Knowledge dissemination is assigned globally. Important knowledge necessary to companies is found to be spread to most counties in the world. Competitive advantage is found in making use of that knowledge. Multinational companies have models of how they share or get knowledge. Knowledge sharing is facilitated by factors like motivation and availability of time while it is inhibited by factors like linguistic and geographic distances, non-functioning relations and technical expertise. Companies make checklists of ways to share knowledge in separate time zones and management reflects on their sharing processes at the time. To many managers in global environment, control of cross-boundary pollution major concern about the environment by companies is the taking care of environment. Companies dealing in manufacturing and other bad use of environment take the lead in controlling pollution. Permits are not given without consideration of the company in helping reduce environmental pollution. Managers tend to search for reservations from authorities to get permits in operations example is Karelian Diamond Resources company permit to mine in Lapland Region Finland. This is in The Tana River which is in Finland-Norway border. This is after giving a major suggestion on environmental impact. Furthermore, employee migration is another global assignment. It involves people movement with settling intention either temporarily or permanently. Economic migration has become a major trend in the globe. Multi-national companies may send their experts to other countries with their franchise or chain so that their work may bring more profits to the company. Companies plan where they can shift their chains. If the host country does not offer a good environment the chain is shifted to a better place. Managers are put to task with strategies of doing this work. In addition to assignments, in global management, there is involvement of developing skills necessary in dealing with different cultures. Global management skills are needed in the business world because traditional skills nowadays are seen as redundant. These skills enhance effective in the global environment as national differences are countered better than it was before. Understanding the impact of globalisation will therefore enable adaptation and survival in international setting (Steers et al 2013). Global management skills would be put under a framework consisting of interpersonal competencies, knowledge competencies and personal competencies. Development of any of the elements relates with the other hence there are interdependencies. The foundation of this is started by great understanding of global managers (Steers et al 2013). The role of the global manager derives the skills needed in the field. Identifying the type of managers in the global field, i.e. business managers, functional managers and country managers, is important nurturing skills to the manager. In developing of skills, competencies that enable accomplishing of tasks and impacting of knowledge are taken care of. Managers acquire the skills through various ways. They enable effective work. The ways include; work shadowing, teaching of management skills at college level and through coaching at work (Vanbrabant 2012). Global managers use work shadowing to train their trainees. Investigations about what one wants to pursue in career and talking to experienced people will enable gaining of skills in the field. Problems encountered are noted with the ways used in solving them in the past. Another way of learning these skills is by teaching of the skills at college of the analytic and personal skills are learned through course work at business schools. University syllabus tackles co temporal issues in the world and this develops students in global management. Coaching at company level is necessary for business. As part of multi-national companies’ routine, coaching of managerial skills is put forth for enabling adaptability by the employees in the global setting. This may be through internship, seminars and other ways. These ways develop good skills and give starters a push to carry their work with the needed familiarity. As I finish, I have learned a lot in this course. My sheer knowledge in global level forum has been boosted. In my learning, global management needs an all-round person who can motivate others, appreciate culture of other places. A good global leader is one who can accomplish company’s goals, be able to do global assignments and be aware of their existence and also be able to develop global skills to other people in the organisation. I have learned to apply communication skills, interrelation skills, setting of example and employee rewarding in my career. REFERENCES Cuadra-Montiel, H 2012, Globalization- education and management agendas InTech, USA Drucker, P 1973, Management; tasks, responsibilities, practices. New York: Harper & Row Drucker, P 1982, The changing world of the executive New York: Harper & Row International Monetary Fund 2000, Globalisation Issues, International Monetary Fund, Washington, DC James, P & Szeman, I 2010, Globalisation, and culture, vol.3 Global-Local Consumption, London: Sage Publications Kangel, R 1997, The one best way: Fredrick Taylor and the enigma of efficiency New York, NY, USA: Penguin-Viking. Kotter, JP & James, L 1992, Corporate culture and performance. New York: The Free Press Mitcham, C 2005, Management Encyclopaedia of science, technology and ethics Macmillan, USA Ronayne, D < dronayne@halogensoftware.com > 2013, ‘Rethinking the role of the manager’ weblog post, 27 May, The Talent Space, viewed 1Sep 2015 < http://www.halogensoftware.com/blog/ > Schein, E 1992, Organisational culture and leadership: A dynamic view. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Steers, RM et al 2013, Management across cultures Cambridge University Press Vanbrabant, D 2012 ‘ International management skills: the importance of understanding cultural differences,’ The Next Women, 2 May viewed 1 Sep 2015, < http://www.thenextwomen.com/home/aricles/ > Wren, D & Bedeian, A 2009, Chapter 10: The emergence of the management process and organisational theory. The evolution of management thought, Wiley Read More