Why We Have Managers in Organizations - Essay Example

WHY WE HAVE MANAGERS IN ORGANIZATIONS Name: Lecturer: Course: Date: Introduction The managerial position is fundamental in any particular organization. This is basically because without a manager the process of management, which is getting things done through people in order to meet organization objectives, will not be actualized. A part from getting things done through people (managing personnel), managers also perform various crucial roles within the organization. One of the key roles is the decision making function. Each day personnel, financial, policy and budgetary decisions have to be made by a manager. Another key function of a manager is to run the operations of the organization where he / she is responsible for the day to day operations of the business. Managers also implement the vision and strategy of the organization through strategic planning and providing a solid direction the organization. This paper seeks to provide an in-depth analysis of why we have managers in organizations. In addition, the paper will examine how the functions, roles and skills of managers can influence the organization’s performance and the employee’s job. One reason as to why we have managers in organizations is for the purpose of leadership. McCrimmon (2010) discloses that function of managers in the post-industrial organizations has been reinvented to that of leadership. In the previous year’s essentially the 1980s, McGregor’s theory X was used whereby people were believed to not be responsible and therefore they required to be controlled. Consequently, the role of a manager was to control the employees. Today however, there has been a shift to the McGregor’s theory Y which highlights that people are responsible and can therefore be trusted and hence a manager is a leader who can get things done through them. The shift in the perception of the role of a manager has made leadership to be a central domain in organizations. For instance, a study conducted by Klagge (1997) revealed that middle managers in team based and flattened organizations bring leadership in the organization as integrators of developing organizational unity, rewarding employees and encouraging team work. Also, in order to be effective leaders, managers should possess skills such as the ability to inspire and motivate the workers, the manager should also be friendly, a risk taker, creative, fun, caring, opportunistic, hardworking and competitive. The existence of managers who have good leadership in the organization is essential in the promotion of organizational performance. For instance, the existence of transactional leadership enables the organization to achieve their existing objectives more effectively by connecting job performance to valued rewards by ascertaining that employees have the resources required to get the job done ( Zhu et al, 2005). Visionary leaders on the other hand develop a strategic vision for the organizations future; they then communicate the vision and work with the employees to ensure that the vision is attained (McShane and Von, 2000). Leadership also assists in enhancing employee’s job satisfaction. The Fiedler’s contingency theory of leadership propagates that leader member relations are very significant, whereby a manager should relate well with the employees. In the event that a manager has a good relationship with the employees, then job satisfaction can be attained based on the fact that employees will be motivated, mentored and rewarded effectively. Managers also exist in the organization in order for the organization to attain its objectives through the employees. Every organization is established with an objective. This may include; making profits, increasing innovation and being dominant in the market. These objectives cannot be attained without the existence of employees. Consequently, the role of the employees in the organization is to maximize the interests of the organization in order to attain its objectives (Mukherjee, 2012). Employees may sometimes exhibit behavior that may hinder the attainment of organizational objectives. On the other hand, employees may also display behavior that can promote the attainment of organizational objectives. In both scenarios, a manager takes up a critical function of ensuring that employees meet organizational objectives. In the event that employees are performing poorly a manager sets performance targets for the employee, motivates them to work harder, disciplines employees who go against the regulations of the organization and also suspends employees on basis of poor conduct and performance. In the event that employees perform effectively, the role of a manager is to act as mentor and as a motivator. By performing this particular functions the organization is bound improve its performance. In addition, if employees are well mentored and motivated then they are bound to attain job satisfaction. Another basic reason why we have managers in organizations is due to the dynamic business environment which requires effective response. For instance the recent 2008-2009 financial crisis demonstrated just how significant the role of a manager is. Organizations that were well managed were able to be resilient even amidst difficult financial conditions. However, organizations that had poor management such as Enron collapsed. Mintzberg emphasized that in order to meet the many demands that face organization; managers have to take up multiple roles (Mintzberg, 1993). The changing business environment demands that organizations should develop faster response in order to ensure that the organization effectively continues with its operations. The multiple functions performed by a manager therefore signify the importance of their presence in the organization, essentially when dealing with the changes in the business environment. For instance, a manager can act as an investor in the event that the company has lost revenue due to a decline in business activities. This is by making crucial investment decisions and allocating resources in order to obtain the best returns. Also, the manager can take up the role of a financial analyst and decision maker by making decisions that are bound to profit the organization. Managers are also essential in organizations based on the fact that they can assist the organization to attain a better balance of power. Managers occupy a higher hierarchy in the organization, as opposed to the employees. This makes them have more power which is the ability to influence. In the event that managers did not exist in an organization, power struggle would exist among employees. The existence of managers in the organization therefore assists in developing a better balance of power. However this does not imply that the manager does not involve the employees in key organizational issues. The role of the manager in creating the balance power involves involving employees in strategic decision making. In addition, a manager should delegate roles to employees through approaches such team work. Managers also need to engage their workforce in planning activities and sharing the vision of the organization (McCrimmon, 2010). By involving employees in such activities, employees become more committed to the organization which can enhance the performance of the organization as well as develop job satisfaction. Conclusion The discussion has presented various perspectives concerning why we have managers in organizations. Some of the points highlighted include the fact that the existence of managers provides leadership. Also managers assist in attaining organizational objectives through the use of employees. The existence of managers also enables the creation of a balance of power within the organization and also assists the organization to deal with the changing business environment. In conclusion, it can be stated that managers are indeed significant in promotion of organizational performance and enhancing job satisfaction of the employees. References Klagge,J 1997, The Leadership Role of Today's Middle Manager, Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 3 ( 3),p 11-19. McCrimmon, M 2010, A New role for management in today’s post-industrial organization, Ivey Business Journal. Mintzberg, H, 1993, The Nature of Managerial Work, New York: Harper & Row. McShane, S and Von Glinow, M 2000, Organizational Behavior, Burr Ridge, IL: Irwin/McGraw. Mukherjee, 2012, Print Of Management and Organizational behavior, Tata McGraw-Hill Education.. Zhu, W., Chew, I and Spangler, W 2005, Transformational Leadership and Organizational Outcomes , The Mediating Role of Human Capital Enhancing Human Resource Management, The Leadership Quarterly, 16(1): 39- 52. Read More