Role of Managers
Managers are the primary force in an organization's growth and expansion. Larger organizations are particularly complex due to their size, process, people and nature of business. However, organizations need to be a cohesive whole encompassing every employee and their talent, directing them towards achieving the set business goals. This is an extremely challenging endeavor, and requires highly effective managers having evolved people management and communication skills. The Top Management The top level executives direct the organization to achieve its objectives and are instrumental in creating the vision and mission of the organization. They are the strategic think-tank of the organization. Senior Management The General Manager is responsible for all aspects of a company. He is accountable for managing the P&L (Profit & Loss) statement of the company. General managers usually report to the company board or top executives and take directions from them to direct the business.…
Is Management an Art or a Science?
Like any other discipline such as law, medicine or engineering,managing is an art – at least that is what most people assume. Management concepts need to be artistically approached and practiced for its success. It is understood that managing is doing things artistically in the light of therealities of a situation. If we take a closer look at it, Management, when practiced, is definitely an art but its underlying applications, methods and principles are a science. It is also opined that management is an art struggling to become a science. Management as an Art The personal ingenious and imaginative power of the manager lends management theapproach of an art. This creative power of themanager enriches his performance skill. In fact, the art of managing involves the conception of a vision of an orderly whole, createdfrom chaotic parts and thecommunication and achievement of this vision. Managing can be called "art of arts" because it organizes and uses human talent, which is the basis of every artistic activity. Management…
Management Defined
Management has been defined by various authors/authorities in various ways. Following are few often-quoted definitions: Management guru, Peter Drucker, says the basic task of management includes both marketing and innovation. According to him, “Management is a multipurpose organ that manages a business and manages managers, and manages workers and work.” Harold Koontz defined management as “the art of getting things done through and with people in formally organized groups.” All these definitions place an emphasis on the attainment of organizational goals/objectives through deployment of the management process (planning, organizing, directing, etc.) for the best use of organization’s resources. Management makes human Effort more fruitful thus effecting enhancements and development. Management is the process of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling an Organization’s human, financial, physical, and information resources to achieve Organizational goals in an efficient and effective manner. The principles of management are the means by which a manager actually manages, that is, get things done through others—individually, in groups, or in organizations. Formally defined, the principles of management are the activities that “plan, organize, and…
Management – Overview
In today’s volatile economies, every organization needs strong managers to lead its people towards achieving the business objectives. A manager’s primary challenge is to solve problems creatively and plan effectively. Managers thus fulfill many roles and have different responsibilities within the various levels of an organization. Management began to materialize as a practice during the Industrial Revolution, as large corporations began to emerge in the late 19th century and developed and expanded into the early 20th century. Management is regarded as the most important of all human activities. It may be called the practice of consciously and continually shaping organizations.
Organizational Change
One of the greatest challenges faced by organizations today is the volatility of the global markets. Globalization has greatly affected the market and so have opportunities for more growth and revenue. However, to serve such a diverse marketplace, organizations need to respond to and understand the needs and expectations of the marketplace. Organizations are required to constantly innovate and update their processes and operational efficiencies to collaborate with the expanding markets. Organizations that refuse to change or move forward are forced to exit the market or may be wiped out by forward looking companies. It is this movement or shift in an organization to improve the performance of the entire organization or a part of the organization that is referred to as Organizational Change. Organizational change is a process in which a large company or an organization changes its working methods or aims, in order to develop and respond to new Situations or markets.
The Organizational Process Chart
Following is a representation of organization process chart. A well-defined organizing process leads to improved communication, transparency and efficiency in the organization.
The Organizational Process
Organizing, like planning, must be a carefully worked out and applied process.…
Matrix Organizational Structure
A matrix structure is organized to manage multiple dimensions. It provides for reporting levels both horizontally as well as vertically and uses cross-functional teams to contribute to functional expertise. As such employees may belong to a particular functional group but may contribute to a team that supports another program. This type of structure brings together employees and managers across departments to work toward accomplishing common organizational objectives. It leads to efficient information exchange and flow as departments work closely together and communicate with each other frequently to solve issues. This structure promotes motivation among employees and encourages a democratic management style where inputs from team members are sought before managers make decisions. However, the matrix structure often increases the internal complexity in organizations. As reporting is not limited to a single supervisor, employees tend to get confused as to who their direct supervisor is and whose direction to follow. Such dual authority and communication leads to communication gaps, and division among employees and managers.
Geographic Organizational Structure
Organizations that cover a span of geographic regions structure the company according to the geographic regions they operate in. This is typically found in organizations that go beyond a city or state limit and may have customers all across the country or across the world. It brings together employees from different functional specialties and allows geographical division. The organization responds more quickly and efficiently to market needs, and focuses efforts solely on the objectives of each business unit, increasing results. Though this structure increases efficiency within each business unit, it reduces the overall efficiency of the organization, since geographical divisions duplicate both activities and infrastructure. Another main challenge with this model is that it tends to be resource intensive as it is spread across and also leads to duplication of processes and efforts.
Product Organizational Structure
This is another commonly used structure, where organizations are organized by a specific product type. Each product category is considered a separate unit and falls within the reporting structure of an executive who oversees everything related to that particular product line. For example, in a retail business the structure would be grouped according to product lines. Organization structured by product category facilitates autonomy by creating completely separate processes from other product lines within the organization. It promotes depth of understanding within a particular product area and also promotes innovation. It enables clear focus with accountability for program results. As with every model, this model also has a few downsides like requirement of strong skills specializing in the particular product. It could lead to functional duplication and potential loss of control; each product group becomes a heterogeneous unit in itself.
