Assessment of Future Leadership Requirements
In the assessment of the future leadership requirements of CU Coventry in communicating information about the move to nominated Change Agents/Senior Managers from across the business, attention needs to be paid on various management skills, diversity concepts, motivation, problem-solving, and decision-making practices. The report below discusses the importance of such factors and some of the risks involved.
2. Importance of Effective Management Skills
Management skills refer to the elements that enable the effective management of individuals or groups. Effective management skills allow the proper motivation of individuals. In this aspect, managers that can properly motivate their employees can become a worthy asset to their organizations. Inspiration has been shown to increase productivity and employee satisfaction. Managers that can motivate employees further provide a figure to be emulated. Recruitment agents, therefore, value managers that can inspire employees. Managers thus should be aware of areas of improvement and have a sophisticated approach towards implementing change to motivate workers to adopt the said changes. This approach is essential in limiting rebellion and creating a sense of motivation among subordinates. Managers should thus have skills that encourage employees to assume ownership of various projects, foster a dynamic and well-motivated environment, and reward employees appropriately (Whetten and Kim). Managers should also be supportive of employees that are under strain.
Effective management skills also enable organizations to adopt proper problem-solving skills. These skills can identify, confront, and traverse various issues that may come about in the workplace. Instinctive attention to detail is needed in determining problems, and active managers can identify problems before they are noted by everyone else in the workplace. Analytical skills are also highly correlated with problem-solving as data is essential in the analysis and interpretation of industry numbers (Whetten and Kim). Managers with proper problem-solving skills demonstrate a sense of resourcefulness, identification of problems before they happen and their sources, and troubleshooting of issues.
Effective management skills also create a business environment of professionalism. The atmosphere of professionalism is initially resonant of the leader and provides an example that can be followed. Honesty and honor are also intertwined with professionalism and thus offer strong moral principles. Professionalism also enables managers to show initiative and aids in pushing a strong culture of outstanding customer care services. Effective management skills further create a culture of innovation in the workplace. Change can enable businesses to counter competitors’ strategies, products, or services. Innovation also helps organizations to bring in new customers while maintaining the existent ones. Managers should, therefore, have an intuition for change. Innovative managers should thus be able to identify shortcomings and come up with pioneering solutions to these problems (Whetten and Kim). They should also be able to fashion new research models for novel product ideas and redesign productivity processes for efficiency. Further, they should be able to come up with new ideas for marketing drives.
Effective management skills also provide an excellent communication environment in the workplace. Proper communication skills are crucial for creating secure connections between managers and their juniors. The strong relationship limits the gaps between the management and the subordinates. Good communication is needed in verbal and non-verbal forms. Correspondence should be simple and understandable to make execution clear and straightforward (Whetten and Kim). An effective manager should thus have open lines of communication with their subordinates, proper negotiating skills, and adequate communication.
3. Importance of Diversity Regarding People, Cultures, Business, and Management Issues in an Organization
Diversity concept differs according to various business environments and organizations. This distinction is due to the existence of multiple policies and guidelines present in each organization. The adaption of a diverse working system is linked to the company type, the business culture, and the location of the business. About the company type, various organizations vary in size, culture, and rules that may or may not support the acquisition of a diverse workforce. The business culture may also influence the adaption of diversity as the culture dictates the vision and mission of the company about diversity hiring (Barak). Finally, the location of the business influences hiring as specific locations may lack diverse populations.
Diversity management, therefore, is involved with the administration of an organization that enables the contribution of all diverse groups despite their differences and relationships to be appreciated and used towards enhancing the competitive advantage of the business as well as the attainment of its goals and objectives (Barak). A proper diversity management practice is essential, and organizational leaders and managers need to become aware of the overall effects of a diverse working environment.
The first importance of diversity is a high level of productivity. The issue of productivity has always been existent for all managers. Due to the difference of company objectives, practices, and culture, different strategies may be used when handling diversity. Thus, an effective diversity management scheme needs to be employed. Management, therefore, is viewed by the diverse workforce as aware of its workers’ needs by instituting a proper compensation, reward, appraisal, and welfare scheme (Barak). This act will make employees develop a sense of belonging to the company, and their productivity will increase.
The next importance of diversity is that it enables the exchange of novel ideas and the development of teamwork. Teamwork has become an essential aspect in contemporary business practices due to its practical nature. The presence of a diverse workforce, therefore, brings in new areas of creativity that can be shared in group settings. Teamwork eliminates the approach to problem-solving from a singular perspective (Barak). Teamwork further shortens the time it takes to address organizational issues, which is essential in saving time.
Diversity also provides the opportunity for learning and growth. As employees are being introduced to new cultures and languages, their insight into the global business environment is enhanced. Their intellectual perspectives are also improved as subconscious negative notions on race and religion are eliminated. Further, diversity provides for effective communication practices in the workplace. The effective communication is created by fostering a feeling of resonance with various customer groups that vary based on culture or language (Barak). It is especially useful in customer care settings where representatives can be paired up with customers from a suitable location, making the customer develop a sense of loyalty.
A diverse workplace also provides for a diverse experience for the workforce. The different perspectives brought in by the various groups are essential for teamwork. The pooling of these perspectives can provide for a capable system that understands the manner in which to respond to multiple strengths and weaknesses (Barak). Therefore, each worker’s individuality can be used to complement an existent weakness in another person.
3.1 Associated Risks and Management Issues
There are, however, associated risks and business management issues that may arise due to a diverse workplace. The first is the high cost of diverse management. This predicament may be due to the high cost of diversity training for management. Another associated risk is the significant level of discrimination that may arise both from management and employees. Communication issues may also occur due to the culture clash and language barrier that may develop over long periods. Managers can, therefore, have a hard time controlling this collision (Barak). Finally, management may have a harder time incorporating different social groups in the workplace due to their differences in taste and preferences.
4. Management Theories on Motivation, Decision Making, and Problem-Solving
4.1. Motivation
Motivation is essential in increasing productivity in organizations. Various methods thus exist to help managers apply motivating techniques. Through the understanding of these theories, a manager can effectively apply either to improve motivation. The first theory on motivation is the X and Y theory by Douglas McGregor. The approach divides employees into two categories. The first category, X, are employees that have a disdain for work and inherently dislike responsibility. For motivation punishment, therefore, needs to be enforced, and rules should be established (Miner). The Y employees, on the other hand, are highly motivated employees, and employers are encouraged to provide opportunities for growth. Later the Z theory was developed by Dr. William Ouchi which aims at promoting social communication of employees and teamwork for motivation.
The hierarchy of needs theory by Maslow arranges the motivational needs in organizations in five stages. For an organization to properly motivate employees, it needs to move up the steps till self-actualization is achieved. The bottom needs are the physiological needs that include food, clothing, shelter, and sleep (Miner). The fourth and fifth wants are safety and belonging respectively. The last top two include self-esteem and self-actualization. It has been noted that successful organizations provide employees with growth opportunities and proper recognition, factors which cater for the two needs.
Elton Mayo developed the Hawthorne effect from a range of experiments developed in the early 20th century. The studies found that productive employees are aware that their performance is being measured and evaluated. Therefore, managers are encouraged to provide feedback and recognition for good performance. The opinion of the workers also needs to be taken into consideration by the management (Miner). The Equity theory by John Stacey Adams postulates that motivation is directly correlated to the perceived level of fairness and equity in the workplace. Therefore, equitable reward practices need to be employed, and favoritism avoided by management.
4.2. Decision-Making
Decision-making involves the identification of problems, the design of a course of action, and finally, the implementation of a chosen direction. The decision-making process is very complicated, and it cannot be confined to a single analytical model. There are, however, two theories of management that exist in decision making. The first is the rational or normative process that involves the maximization of efficiency. It is mostly employed in management economics and Operations Management (Pettigrew). The theory supports computational sophistication and maximizing behavior. The behavioral process, on the other hand, is concerned with how managers reach decisions. The argument is based on the behavioral study of individuals and groups in business environments.
4.3. Problem Solving
The human relations theory advanced by Professor Elton Mayo is considered one of the pioneering methods of human resource management. The theory states that managers should support their employees, and that this would, in tandem, provide an environment for better interaction through teamwork. The atmosphere is better for problem-solving and accountability. The theory has been used as a stepping stone for other human resource management theories. Another approach is the appreciative theory that is based upon the effecting of the best methods of problem-solving (Van et al.). The argument uses the various contributions made by employees and the organization’s strengths to solve problems.
An additional hypothesis is the total quality management theory that involves subordinate contribution and communication. The approach is customer-focused and also utilizes employee feedback and input. The simplex process is a problem-solving process that is divided into eight steps to effect change (Van et al.). The levels are phased in the identification and definition of the predicament, tabulation and evaluation of the solutions, and finally the implementation of the ideas.
5. Conclusion
In conclusion, as new transitions are made in assessing the future leadership requirements of CU Coventry in communicating information about the move to nominated Change Agents/Senior Managers from across the business, a better appreciation of management skills and their contributions towards improving productivity needs to be obtained.
6.
Works Cited
Barak, Michalle E. Mor. Managing diversity: Toward a globally inclusive workplace. Sage Publications, 2016.
Miner, John B. Organizational behavior 1: Essential theories of motivation and leadership. Routledge, 2015.
Pettigrew, Andrew M. The politics of organizational decision-making. Routledge, 2014.
Van Aken, Joan Ernst, and Hans Berends. Problem solving in organizations. Cambridge University Press, 2018.
Whetten, David, and Kim Cameron. Developing Management Skills: Global Edition. Pearson Higher Ed, 2014.
