Why Is Space an Important Frontier for Managers to Consider - Assignment Example

Essay Question: Why is ‘space’ an important frontier for managers to consider? How does it reflect the constant tension between autonomy and control that exists in most management strategies? Environmental, technological, Social, and economic factors are forces that have continuously shaped the relationship and interactions between organization’s managers and employees. The work environment, which entails the worker’s work space, plays a significant role in the attitude and output of any employee. It is, therefore, important that managers in any working environment, for examples in companies or organizations, should apply policies and controls that, are not only conducive to the organization’s development but also provides employees with an ample working space, which allows the them to exhaustively deploy their talents and expertise (Human capital institute 2011, p.1). The discussion in this paper revolves around the effects and importance of working space, to companies’ managers’ work and how it influence the employee’s success at work. The paper also addresses the issue of tension that may arise between autonomy and control in most management strategies relating to the workplace space. Factors such as business out sourcing, mobile working, and other technological advances, have greatly changed the outlook and considerations of the working space (Khanna & New 2008). The physical work environment’s organization and quality is governed by the managerial act of providing reasonable working space for the employees, thus avoiding any tensions that might derail the work’s objectives. The traditional workplace space is gradually diminishing by day, with the improvement in globalization, ICT (Information Communication Technology) infrastructure, communications, and market upheavals. In the place of the traditional working space, is arising another workspace that is more mobile more virtual, and more social. The new mushrooming workspace is somehow more transitory, because employees looking forward for getting lifetime employment get themselves continually joined by partners performing outsourcing and new employee staff. Managers can not any more rely on previous assumptions on how work can be best done given the new generation of employees have not been raised in the cubical type of work space, and are more technologically oriented (Barnes 2007, p. 247). Before the technological advancements, that has reshaped the mature of the work, working space and how the work is done, managers saw, that providing boundaries in the work place constituted and regulated the inside and the outside domains of an organization. The frontiers have been conceived in different ways including worker identities, time management and gender roles (Baldry 1999, p.537). The development of the work non wok frontiers was a reflection of power and control relations that tried to give work more amenable to the process of production. The social structure of the work place served to give strength to hierarchical categories in the company and power relations and divisions regarding gender. A question may arise as to why work buildings are constructed the way they are. The only appropriate answer could be that they are made that way not only, primarily to provide controlled particular labour processes, but also to provide a healthy work space (Baldry & Hallier 2010, p.152). The current personalization of working space due to the ability to do work even at homes and other remote places has changed the role for mangers and boundaries to the employees. Technology has really transformed the perception of the space in management of companies or organizations. The advancements in technology have led to continuous evolution of workspace, rendering it difficult for effective monitoring of the employees by the managers (May, Oldham & Rathert 2005, p.23). These changes have also reinforced the gender equality and possession of the work place space. According to Bradley Harriet (1998), men were dominating in the work places due to the space allotted to them. There are negative aspects relating to personalization of workplace and working away from a centralized office. The shifting of work place space to the remote places or homes has led to a reduction in teamwork and isolation of employees and other organizational members, which results to law consultative and interaction levels that may lead to decrease in productivity, and inadequate managerial control. Many of the unstained employees in unsupervised areas are highly devoured of organizational workspace management. The old work place space was characterized with individual allocation of rooms, cabins, or carbonates furnished with tables and chairs. This ensured ultimate organization in companies, leading to easy management, credibility, and accountability. Other than the above-mentioned points, frontiers at job places provided more privacy and confidentiality domains to the employees. This provided ample working environment for the employees, which in turn helped in building of confidence and boosting of worker ship (Baldry, Bain & Taylor 1997, p.522). Indeed, organizational performance, managerial operations, and employees can greatly be affected with the lack of workspace institution. Lack of consideration of work place space and environment, may in turn affect productivity of any given organization. The aspect of space in any organization has lead to constant tension between autonomy and controls that in most managerial strategies. Most employees feel that they have the right for self governance, and therefore being subjected to control by the managers in the work space builds up a stress. Most of the high-ranking managers always resort to control as their managerial strategies than adopting autonomy. The issue of space in workplaces should give more autonomy to the employee, with minimal control and supervision from the managers. Other writers suggest that a jovial and fun field environment should be created in organizations to check autonomy in any service work. Lack of adherence to such suggestions by the manager, generally contribute to tension between the employees and managers (Bernard & Verstegen 2011, p.117). The management prefers to exercise direct control while employees prefer autonomy, which builds up their confidence, effectiveness, and productivity. Control even in normal life aspect diminishes self-belief, as it gives an impression that someone dominates and has authority over others. The issue of control after allocation of space to employees can lead to the crippling of the organization. Experts, skilled, trained, or experienced workers are now prone to tense situations, with the managers who try to impact control on them, being that they are already conversant with their roles and duties (Djukic, Kovner & Norman 2010, p.441). The rise of tensions between autonomy and control are occurrence that the management needs to bring to control by adopting new strategies like consolation and discussions, to help clear the tension issues that might parallel organizational operations. In putting space forward as a frontier, it ought to be noted that, the quality of management and organization is affected by an employee’s work experience and interaction in their workspace as mentioned above. Physical work environment in an organization is typically confined to the specific location and space in which organizational activities and process are conducted. Employees’ attitude and experience are shaped by organizational managerial and coordination quality of the managers (Melancon & Noble 2009, p.12). Their seating of arrangements and placement of employees in the work place space in a proper manner, indicate their levels of governance. Proper management of office workspace goes down to cater for the health of the employees. Individual wrangles are minimized and rubbing of shoulders avoided due to allocations of individual space. It is important to note that a well-managed workspace should provide favorable condition for employees to work in. Well-fitted and furnished carbines, proper circulation air, controlled temperature and adequate lighting in the workspace, are some of the considerations that should be made by the managers, while organizing for organizational workspace. Such work places were the workspaces where individuals could report daily to perform the organization’s duties and activities (Felstead, Jewson & Walters 2005, p.420). An overall examination, suggests that, most organizational work is increasingly detaching from personalized and individual rooms of space designated by a cell or by allocation of desk. The work is however being performed in different places such as in the home, in assorted locations in and around the office and the train, planes and car. The physical shape of offices and their location are transformation. In concluding this paper, I do advocate for the provision of space to the workers of any company or organizations that have not yet been affected by the technological advancements. It is true that, the physical work environment and space dictates the attitude, input and output of the employees. The issue of space should not be used by some of the manger in higher positions as a means, of exerting control over their employees (Blackorby, Brett & Cebreiro 2007, p. 57). Autonym of workers should be encouraged instead. Space at a workplace secludes the workers into individual working areas in the office as an indication of different levels of specialization and proficiency, and not as a sign of difference in the hierarchy and positions. Provision of space is for the improvement of employees working environment and not for exercising managerial controls on the employees and other members. The difference in the perception of workspace, leads to mounting tension between the want of self-governance and control of employees in an organizations (Venezia, Allee & Schwabe 2008, p. 61). Finally, space should not be perceived as a deliberate structure purposed for social control, and that the social ordering in the workplace is intended to signal behavior and status of the managers. It is important and necessary for employees to practice cooperation in order to get rid of tensions relating to managerial control. This should lead to controlled supervision and allowing employees autonomy. Space is indeed an important aspect for managers, but harmony should be practiced to foster constructive working spirits and diminish frontiers of control that dominate working environment. List of References Baldry, C 1999, ‘Space - The Final Frontier,’ Sociology, Vol. 33, no.3, p. 535-553. Baldry, C & Hallier, J 2010, ‘Welcome to the House of Fun: Work Space and Social Identity,’ Economic and Industrial Democracy, vol.31, no.1, p. 150-172. Barnes, A 2007, ‘The construction of control: the physical environment and the development of resistance and accommodation within call centers,’ New Technology, Work and Employment, vol. 22, no.3, p. 246-259. 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