Effective Management of Contemporary Organisations - Coursework Example

Individual Essay Name Course Lecture Date Introduction Irrespective of the inexactness and relative vulgarity of management theories, the development of management thought can be traced back to the first time when people tried to accomplish tasks and goals by working in groups. The schools of management thoughts are theoretical frameworks that are useful in the study of management. Each of the schools of thoughts is based on somewhat dissimilar assumptions about people and the organizations they work in. Since the study of management began, its study has progressed into various stages with practitioners and scholars studying different areas that they believe are vital aspects of essential management practice. Management is defined as the process of maintaining and designing a favorable environment in which the people working there can be able to accomplish their aims. In its expanded form, the definitions cover different aspects. First as people, the managers carry out the various managerial functions such as organization, planning, staffing, controlling and leading. It also applies to all kind of organizations, applies to managers at all organizational levels, and their aim is the same in that they try create a surplus. This essay sets out to offer a commentary on four major areas of management thought that can be considered to be most relevant when it comes to the effective management of contemporary organisations. The four areas that will be discussed are problem-solving, administration, human resource management, and organizational leadership. Discussion Problem solving One of the critical areas of management thought that is considered as been essential in the effective management of organizations is problem-solving. In regard to problem-solving, management is more about solving the problems that arise within an organization when it is struggling to achieve its objectives and goals. Effective problem-solving skills allow the employers and employees to analyze the problem, its severity and evaluate the impact of any possible alternatives. Workplace training that is intended to build up problem-solving skills ensures that the employees can work effectively with their partners, co-workers, customers and vendors (Cameron 2014). Trained employees and employers can make use of all the available resources to resolve any issues that may arise in a constructive manner. In addition, they usually view the problem from a professional viewpoint as opposed to a personal perspective. Employees need to be trained on how to identify a problem. For example, employees can come up with issues such as poor communication between workers and customer complaint. Employees and employers can apply the cause analysis to come up with possible triggers for the situation (Robbins et al. 2003). By determining the cause of the problem, participants are to determine what happened, reasons why it happened and how it can be prevented from occurring again in the future. After the identification of a problem, employees ought to propose some possible solutions. The proposed solutions should further the evaluated. By learning the art of making decisions effectively, workers will be able to work more effectively with others (Robins, Coulter & Vohra 2010). Human resource management The other key area of management thought is human resource management. Organizations are cannot be able to build and create a good working team without good human resources. The key functions that the human resource department is tasked with are recruitment, training, performance appraisal, motivation of the employees just to mention a few. In regard to recruitment and training, HR managers need to come up with the right strategies to aid them in hiring the right people. Additionally they ought to formulate the criterion that suits a certain job description; they should also point out the obligations, as well as the scope of the tasks of the employees. After recruitment, training ought to be offered to the recruit based on the organizational requirement. Through the training, the employees will be provided with the opportunity to sharpen their skills and at the same time develop particular specialized skills to enable them take up new roles (Wren, 2011). Another aspect that falls under human resource management is performance appraisals. HRM encourages the employees within an organization to work to their full potential and offer suggestions that can make any necessary improvements. The team also communicates with the employees occasionally and provides information relating to their performance. This is usually beneficial since it helps the employees to have an outline of the anticipated goals, and thus they can execute the goals by inputting a lot of efforts (Parker & Ritson 2005). When performance appraisals are conducted regularly, they act as means of motivating the employees. The human resource department should also maintain a pleasant work atmosphere. This is essential since the performance of employees is closely linked to the working culture or work environment that triumph within the workplace. A Good working condition is an important element that all employees expect the human resource team to provide. A clean, safe and healthy environment is bound to bring out the best from the employees. It has also been argued that a friendly atmosphere in the workplace increases the job satisfaction levels of the employees (Wren & Bedeian 2008). Administration Good administration is the other relevant area in regard to effective management of organizations. Administration entails the following of the already laid down policies and procedures for the control, execution, delegation, communication and crisis management. Good management facilitates the achievement of organization's objectives by offering a framework under which the function of control and coordination can be undertaken efficiently. Through proper management, an organization can be able to expand their operation in other areas (Mckeown 2012). Through administration, managers and departmental supervisors can take a systematic division of work in addition to the consistent delegation of authority thus facilitating the taking up of new roles and meeting any upcoming demands. Good administration ensures that there is flexible growth, and thus organizations do not lose control over certain activities thus the organization can place balanced emphasis on various activities. Good administration is also useful in the effective management of contemporary organizations since it fosters coordination. Administration also ensures the continuity of an organization. It can achieve this by offering a wide scope of development and training of future management team. Good administration provides avenues for the development and promotion of employees through extensive decentralization and delegation of authority. Good administration facilitates cohesiveness and order in an organization. Better utilization of human talent and technology and division of labor play an essential role in improving the quality and efficiency of work. By offering clear and concise communication channels between employees in the organization, there is the facilitation of coordination (Meier & Bohte 2000). Consequently, proper administration is the foundation or backbone of effective management of contemporary organizations. Organizational leadership Another area of management thought that can be considered to be most relevant when it comes to the effective management of contemporary organisations is organisational leadership. Good organisational leadership is vital for any business, government and other groups that shape the manner in which we work and live. Leadership is seen as important aspects when it comes to an organisation success (Heames & Breland 2010).Leaders are the significant human resource in all organisations. Most people think that most companies compete in terms of products, but in reality companies compete more by means of their leaders as opposed to products. Better leaders usually develop better employees, and the two combined produce better and unique products. The imperative role played by leadership in management cannot be exaggerated. To get things done in the right way by the employee, the management team need to offer leadership in an organisation (Schermerhorn et al. 2014). Teamwork is also essential to the realization of organisational goals. Managers need to influence the team to accomplish work through leadership and authority. With good organisational leadership employees are bound to enjoy working in an organisation. Most employees usually take up jobs in organisations where there is good leadership (Bedeian & Wren 2001). Employees do not feel comfortable working under a leader who does not value their opinions when it comes to decision-making in the organisation. Conclusion Based on the above discussion, it is clearly evident that the schools of thought differ based on what certain practitioners or scholars found to be important issues to them and what they found was worth studying in details. The essay points out four key areas that are relevant when it comes to effective management of organizations and they are human resource management, problem-solving, administration and good organizational leadership. With excellent human resource, an organization is bound to excel and be effective since all the employees will be working towards the achievement of set organizational goals and growth of their skills in the various fields. Also with good organizational leadership the employees will be offered with the right leadership to facilitate proper functioning of the organization. Good leaders are bound to show the importance of teamwork in organizations. Managers need to influence the team to accomplish work through leadership and authority. Good administration will also be essential since it will guide the employees in all critical areas. For instance through proper administration employees will be able to know what is expected of them, and there will also be coordination between them. This means that all employees will be working effectively with others. 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