Busm4176 Introduction To Management: Theories Assessment Answer

What is management?

The lecture topic on the theories of management focusses on different theories of management that managers can use. The artefact offers an understanding of the theories of management by highlighting how different management theories can be used within the organization. Although management theories have been evolving for quite some time, there is no perfect theory that explains how the process of management needs to be done (Stoner 2005, p. 22). The best way is to apply the principles of different schools of thought so that a blend of activities can be used to meet organizational needs. The manager needs to get things done but meeting the goals of the organization through proper planning and setting plans to be achieved (Gomez-Mejia, et al. 2008, p. 24). On the other hand, there is a need to create harmony between employees by creating conditions of work that make them productive. Therefore, management is a broader concept for meeting organizational needs through the application of management thought.  

The artefact is important since it is helpful in meeting the needs of the organization. For example, the classical theories entailed managing organizations through planning, leading and coordination activities to meet the needs of the organization. By management, it means that the individual coordinates the tasks in the organization and coordinates tasks to ensure that they meet the needs of the organization. The role of the manager is thus achieving the goals of the organization by ensuring that the tasks are efficiently coordinated. Organizations exist as systems that have different parts with different functions. For an organization to work well, the manager has to ensure that all functional areas in the organization are working so that the organization can achieve its objective. System theorists argue that stability and harmony is the driver of organizational success. By this, the manager plays the role of ensuring all the systems in the organization work well.

What is involved in management in organizations?

Pink (2009) video offers highlights on motivation strategies that managers can use to achieve organizational effectiveness. According to the Ted Talk, motivation is an important element of employee efficiency since it creates conditions that drive employees to work better. Reeve (2014, p. 22) adds that since employees are humans they need to work in conditions that motivate them and make them see the value of what they do. This artefact criticizes the reward system of employee motivation and suggests that it only works in tasks with uniform work. This means that rewards cannot always lead to motivated employees since they do not change the conditions of work but only create incentives for work that apply in particular situations. For example when employees are given a target that they need to meet to get a reward, then it means that the employees are not motivated but rather only working to meet the rewards.

From management, employee motivation is an important factor since it increases employee participation and effectiveness by creating morale for work (Yusoff, Kian & Idris 2013, p. 19). Motivated employees see the reason why they come to work and love their work as compared to unmotivated employees. Herzberg suggests that managers need to create intrinsic factors that are inherent to the job itself to make the employee like the work that they do. This means that creating good working conditions makes employees more motivated rather than working on pay only. According to Pink (2009, pp. 2) reinforcement patterns of rewards cannot yield the best results but rather, motivation needs to be based on the conditions of the workplace itself. The video is important in my future management skills since it allows me to understand what needs to be done to make employees more productive. From this, I have learned that reward systems do not work in all types of work but rather the best way is to work on intrinsic values of work and creating conditions that need to be put in place to make the work more appealing to the employee.

What are the key functions a manager needs to address in order to be effective?

The third artefact is having the skill of emotional intelligence. Managers require the emotional intelligence skill to coordinate the organization well since they are the head of the organization. Each manager needs to do the emotional intelligence test so that they can be able to function well within the organization (Salovey, Mayer & Caruso 2003, p. 199). This artefact allows the manager tolerant about different kinds of emotional intelligence and how they relate to the work that they do. Managers require skills like communication, empathy, self-awareness and social skills to function well in the organization.  According to Cavazotte, Moreno & Hickmann (2012, p. 449), through this skill, managers can evaluate themselves and find areas on their competence functions that need to be improved. Through the EQ test, the manager works on developing EQ competencies, addresses gaps, and works. The outcome is functions of management is the application of emotional strategies to manage work. Since management entails different situations, this skill allows me to develop the right EQ for a manager thus making it easy to manage others.

Conclusion

The artefact on the theories of management analyses how different management approaches have been advanced and the role that each of them plays in the organization. These approaches have been evolving due to the different needs that organizations have been encountering. For example, the scientific approach started from the scientific revolution where organizations needed to increase production thus the theory focused more on the efficiency of processes (Kets 2003, p. 26). The manager needs to have competence in all the theories of management and know where to exactly apply the theories to meet the needs of the organization. By understanding the theories of management, it will be easy for me to manage the work environment and meet my management purpose. As a manager, the theories are important since they form the basis of managing the organization.

The second artefact relates to the concept of motivation where managers have to put strategies in place to create work conditions that make employees comfortable with their work. According to Pink (2009, pp.3), reinforcement patterns have failed to meet the intended motivation needs since the factors that motivate employees are intrinsic rather than extrinsic. This means that as a manager, I have to learn how to address the intrinsic conditions of work. This includes creating autonomy at work to make employees free and flexible with the work environment. This creates conditions that make it easy for employees to enjoy the work environment that they work in. The conditions include satisfaction, recognition of the work itself which makes employees to be motivated with work. This artefact will assist me in creating motivation conditions that will make work more productive.

Lastly, the emotional intelligence micro-credential artefact is important in making an individual informed with their EQ and how it can be applied in the organization. This skill makes it easy for identifying the important skill areas that I need as a manager (Harms & Credé 2010, p. 156). To address these skills I have to take EQ tests that will assist in identifying intelligence areas that I can work on and how the areas can be improved. Each of the EQ areas will ensure that I develop the right skills that make me a better manager. With each of the EQ skills, I will be able to apply emotional intelligence to the organization management practices that will improve my ability to work with teams. By having the ability to empathize with others will be able to address different

From the course topics that I have covered, management is a broad concept that entails different functions within the organization. As a manager, one needs to be empowered with the right skills for propelling the organization since the manager is the overall decision maker in the organization. Therefore, managers require knowledge of theories and other skills that make them informed on organizational processes and how they can become better leaders. The three artefacts are important since they focus on the areas of management that I need to master to become a better manager. These areas also ensure that I am able to meet the right conditions of the workplace as a manager and an employee of the organization.

References

Cavazotte, F., Moreno, V. & Hickmann, M., 2012. Effects of leader intelligence, personality and emotional intelligence on transformational leadership and managerial performance. The Leadership Quarterly, 23(3), pp. 443-455.

Gardner, H., 2003. Frames of mind. New York: Basic Books.

Gomez-Mejia, L. R., Balkin, D. B. & Cardy, R. L., 2008. Management: People, Performance, Change,. New York: McGraw-Hill. .

Harms, P. D. & Credé, M., 2010. Remaining Issues in Emotional Intelligence Research: Construct Overlap, Method Artifacts, and Lack of Incremental Validity. Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice, 3(2), pp. 154-158.

Kets, M. F. R., 2003. "The Dark Side of Leadership. Autumn , 14(3), pp. 20-30.

Pink, D 2009. The puzzle of motivation [Motion Picture]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation/transcript?language=en#t-1075111

Reeve, J., 2014. Understanding motivation and emotion.s.. London: John Wiley & Sons.

Salovey, P., Mayer, J. & Caruso, D., 2003. Emotional Intelligence: Theory, Findings, and Implications. Psychological Inquiry, p. 197–215.

Stoner, J., 2005. Management. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

The puzzle of motivation. 2009. [Film] Directed by D. Pink. s.l.: s.n.

Yusoff, W. F., Kian, T. S. & Idris, M. T., 2013. Herzberg’s Two Factors Theory on Work Motivation: Does Its Work for Todays Environment?. Global Journal of Commerce & Management Perspective, 2(5), pp. 18-22.