Power in Management Power is easy to feel but difficult to define. It is the potential ability of a person or group to influence another person or group. It is the ability to get things done the way one wants them to be done.Both formal and informal groups and individuals may have power; it does not need an official position or the backing of an institution to have power. Influence can take many forms. One person has influenced another if the second person’s opinions, behavior or perspectives have changed as a result of their interaction. Power is a factor at all levels of most organizations. It can be a factor in almost any organizational decision. Power and Authority Sometimes power and authority is used synonymously because of their objective of influencing the behavior of others. However, there is difference between the two. Power does not have any legal sanctity while Continue reading
Management Theories
What is Research and Development (R&D)?
For a new business initiative it is essential to recognize the development stages through which the enterprise is likely to pass, and prepare for the issues and challenges which will be faced. For a business unit within a corporate it is important to recognize that the same development process applies — often with the same challenges! However, these challenges are sometimes eased by the protection of an established corporate parent able to soften the impact of negative cash flow and poor profitability at the relevant stages. Creativity becomes the responsibility of Research and Development (R&D), which is staffed by specialists in visualizing and realizing marginal or major product changes. Ever since companies such as Dupont and Bell Labs first took, and successfully traveled along, this road, setting up a separate R&D group has been a popular way to enhance value at the concept stage. There are many ways of distinguishing Continue reading
Goal-Setting Theory of Motivation
This approach to motivation has been pioneered in the USA by Edwin Locke and his associates in 1960s and refined in 1980s. Goal-setting theory of motivation suggests that managers and subordinates should set goals for an individual on a regular basis, as suggested by Management by Objectives (MBO). These goals should be moderately difficult and very specific and of type that an employee will accept and make a commitment to accomplishing them. Rewards should be tied directly to accomplished goals. When involved in goal-settings, employees see how their effort will lead to performance, rewards and personal satisfaction. Salient features of Goal-setting theory of motivation are as follows: Specific goal fixes the needs of resources and efforts. It increases performance. Difficult goals result higher performance than easy job. Better feedback of results leads to better performances than lack of feedback. Participation of employees in goal has mixed result. Participation of Continue reading
Contingency Approach to Management
The contingency approach to management emerged from the real life experience of managers who found that no single approach worked consistently in every situation. The basic idea of this approach is that number management technique or theory is appropriate in all situations. The main determinants of a contingency are related to the external and internal environment of an organisation. The process, quantitative, behavioral, and systems approaches to management did not integrate the environment. The often assumed that their concepts and techniques have universal applicability. For example the process theorists often assumes that strategic planning applies to all situations; the quantitative experts generally feel that linear programming can be used under all conditions; the behavioral theorist usually advocates participative goal setting for all superior-subordinate pairs; and the system advocates tend to emphasize the need for computerized information flows in all situations. On the other hand practicing managers find out that a Continue reading
Five Sources of Power Used by a Leader
A leader is a person who can influence the behavior of others without using force. Leadership also means that the process of influencing a group to achieve goals. There are three main types of leadership style, they are autocratic, democratic and laissez faire. Besides the three main types of leadership styles, there are also five sources of power that used by a leader, they are coercive, reward, legitimate, expert and referent. First, the autocratic style of leadership, it is also called the leader centered style. This type of style described a leader who tended to centralize authority, make unilateral decisions and limit employee participation. An autocratic leader always tells the people that what should be done, the employees have to perform the work without changing any of the orders. There are three main characteristics of autocratic leadership style, they are formal relations, centralized authorities and single man decision. Formal relations Continue reading
Participative Management – Concept, Principles, Implementation, Benefits, and Challenges
Participative management is a management approach that involves employees in decision-making processes and encourages them to take an active role in the organization. It is also known as employee involvement, employee participation, or democratic management. Participative management is a form of empowerment that enables employees to contribute their ideas, knowledge, and skills to improve the organization’s performance. This article will discuss the concept of participative management, its benefits, challenges, and implementation strategies. Concept of Participative Management Participative management is a management style that aims to involve employees in the decision-making process. It is based on the principle that employees who are directly involved in the work processes are best suited to make decisions that affect their work. Participative management recognizes that employees have a wealth of knowledge and experience that can be tapped to improve organizational performance. By involving employees in decision-making, organizations can harness the creativity and innovative potential Continue reading