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Modern Management Approaches
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Behavioural Approach
This is an improved and more matured version of human relations approach. The various contributors of this approach are Douglas Mc Gregor, Abraham Maslow, Curt Levin, Mary Porker Follelt, Rensis Likert etc. Behavioural Scientists regard the classical approach as highly mechanistic, which finds to degrade the human spirit. They prefer more flexible organization structures and jobs built around the capabilities and aptitudes of average employees.
The behavioral approach has laid down the following conclusions.
(1) Decision-making is done in a sub-optimal manner, because of practical and situational constraints on human rationality of decision-making. The behaviorists attach great weight age on participative and group decision-making.
(2) Behavioral Scientists encourage self direction and control instead of imposed control.
(3) Behavioral Scientists consider the organization as a group of individuals with certain goals.
(4) In view of behavioural scientists the democratic-participative styles of leadership are desirable, the autocratic, task oriented styles may also be appropriate in certain situation.
(5) They suggest that different people react differently to the same situation. No two people are exactly alike and manager should tailor his attempts to influence his people according to their needs.
(6) They recognize that organizational conflict and change are inevitable.
Quantitative Approach
Quantitative approach (also known as management approach) started during Second World War during which each participant country of the war was trying to seek solutions to a number of new and complex military problems. The interdisciplinary teams who were engaged for this purpose were known as operation research teams. These operation research teams developed quantitative basis for making military decisions. These quantitative tools later are used to make business, industry and enterprise decisions.
The focus of quantitative approach is on decision making, and to provide tools and techniques for making objectively rational decisions. Objective rationality means an ability and willingness to follow reasonable, unemotional and scientific approach in relating means with ends and in visualizing the totality of the decision environment. This approach facilitates disciplined thinking while defining management problems and establishing relationships among the variables involved. This approach is widely used in planning and control activities where problems can be defined in quantitative terms.
Systems Approach
A system is a set of interdependent parts which form a unit as a whole that performs some function. An organization is also a system composed of four independent parts namely, task, structure, people and technology. The central to the system approach is ‘holism’ which means that each part of the system bears relation of interdependence with other parts and hence no part of the system can be accurately analyzed and understood apart from the whole system. A system can be open or closed system. In open system, a system interacts with surrounding. An organization is open system because it interacts with it.
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Contingency Approach
According to this approach, management principles and concepts have no general and universal application under all conditions. There is no best way of doing things under all conditions. Methods and techniques which are highly effective in one situation may not give the same results in another situation. This approach suggests that the task of managers is to identify which technique in a situation best contribute to the attainment of goals. Managers therefore have to develop a sort of situational sensitivity and practical selectivity. Contingency views are applicable in designing organizational structure, in deciding degree of decentralization, in motivation and leadership approach, in establishing communication and control systems, in managing conflicts and in employee development and training.
Вариант 3
1. Сделайте презентацию на соответствующую тему
2. Выполните письменный перевод текста.
Managerial Roles
Another approach to study management is to examine the roles that managers are expected to perform. These roles can be defined as the organized sets of behaviors identified with the position. These roles were developed by Henry Mintzberg in the late 1960s after a careful study of executives at work. All these roles in one form or another deal with people and their interpersonal relationships.
These ten managerial roles are divided into THREE CATEGORIES. The first category of interpersonal roles arises directly from the manager’s position and the formal authority bestowed upon him. The second category of informational roles is played as a direct result of interpersonal roles and these two categories lead to the third category of decisional roles.
Interpersonal Roles
Managers spend a considerable amount of time in interacting with other people both within their own organizations as well as outside. These people include peers, subordinates, superiors, suppliers, customers, government officials and community leaders. All these interactions require an understanding of interpersonal relations. Studies show that interacting with people takes up nearly 80 per cent of a manager’s time. These interactions involve the following three major interpersonal roles:
Figurehead: Managers act as symbolic figureheads performing social or legal obligations. These duties include greeting visitors, signing legal documents, taking important customers to lunch, attending a subordinate’s wedding or speaking at functions in schools and churches. All these/ primarily, are duties of a ceremonial nature but are important for the smooth functioning of the organization
Leader: The influence of the manager is most clearly seen in his role as a leader of the unit or organization. Since he is responsible for the activities of his subordinates, he must lead and coordinate their activities in meeting task-related goals and he must motivate them to perform better. He must be an exemplary leader so that his subordinates follow his directions and guidelines with respect and dedication.
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Liaison: In addition to their constant contact with their own subordinates, peers and superiors, the managers must maintain a network of outside contacts in order to assess the external environment of competition, social changes or changes in governmental rules, regulations and laws. In this role, the managers build up their own external information system.
Informational Roles
By virtue of his interpersonal contacts, a manager emerges as a source of information about a variety of issues concerning the organization. In this capacity of information processing, a manager executes the following three roles:
Monitor: The managers are constantly monitoring and scanning their environment, both internal and external, collecting and studying information regarding their organization and the outside environment affecting their organization. This can be done by reading reports and periodicals, by asking their liaison contacts and through gossip, hearsay and speculation.
Disseminator of Information: The managers must transmit their information regarding changes in policies or other matters to their subordinates, their peers and to other members of the organization. This can be done through memorandums, phone calls, individual meetings and group meetings.
Spokesperson: A manager has to be a spokesman for his unit and he represents his unit in either sending relevant information to people outside his unit or making some demands on behalf of his unit. This may be in the form of the president of the company making a speech to a lobby on behalf of an organizational cause or an engineer suggesting a product modification to a supplier.
Decisional Roles
On the basis of the environmental information received, a manager must make decisions and solve organizational problems. In that respect, a manager plays four important roles.
Entrepreneur: As entrepreneurs, managers are continuously involved in improving their units and facing the dynamic technological challenges. They are constantly on the lookout for new ideas for product improvement or products addition.They initiate feasibility studies, arrange for capital for new products if necessary, and ask for suggestions from the employees for ways to improve the organization.
Conflict Handler: The managers are constantly involved as arbitrators in solving differences among the subordinates or the employee’s conflicts with the central management. These conflicts may arise due to demands for higher pay or other benefits or these conflicts may involve outside forces such as vendors increasing their prices, a major customer going bankrupt or unwanted visits by governmental inspectors.
Resource Allocator: The third decisional role of a manager is that of a resource allocator. The managers establish priorities among various projects or programs and make budgetary allocations to the different activities of the organization based upon these priorities. They assign personnel to jobs, they allocate their own time to different activities and they allocate funds for new equipment, advertising and pay raises.
Negotiator: The managers represent their units or organizations in negotiating deals and agreements within and outside of the organization. They negotiate contracts with the unions. Sale managers may negotiate prices with prime customers. Purchasing managers may negotiate prices with vendors.
Вариант 4
1. Сделайте презентацию на соответствующую тему
2. Выполните письменный перевод текста.
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