Executive summary
The main objective and purpose of this consultancy report were to evaluate and analyze the activities carried out in the Mike Davis business and family and come up with a well-defined management framework regarding planning, organizing, leading and controlling. Moreover, the report also helps the businesspersons to have skills that will enable them to integrate the four principles of management to improve the state of the business at large. The report as well has the mandate of solving the problems that the business is undergoing in both days to day activities as well as over a long term. The report has, therefore, considered the interaction between the four functions of management and how one function affects the other either positively or negatively. Proper cooperation of these four functions of management, however, leads to a better and suitable business management that entails all the management criteria and functions. In the mandate and with the purpose of correcting the failures in the business, however, the report as well helps in providing well-stated recommendations that when well implemented can lead to a positive change and gain in the business. Mike Davis and family business problems are related to the management functions in the management sector. Integrating the four principles of management stands out as the main and basic recommendation that the business could stick to improve the business standards. These principles stand out as the main solution towards the major challenges that are experienced in businesses.
Introduction
Mike Davis and a family business are more of a family oriented business that was started back in the year 2000. Their main objective of starting the business was to ensure that they have a central place of collecting their funds as a business (Smith and Tushnma, 2005). Moreover, they also had an idea that whenever they get a family problem that required their attention they could find a place to get money from. Apart from this, however, the business had the mandate to ensure that some of the students in the family pursuing management courses had a platform that could enable them to practice what they learn in class. In the pursuit of coming up with the business ideas, they decided to follow the required channels and all the legal requirements (Hill and McShane, 2008). For this purpose, therefore, they developed a mission statement, which was “To aim higher to a greater height.”
Moreover, the business as well had well-defined functions about the departments that were available in the business set up. The main functions were, however, dependent on the departments available (Smith and Tushman, 2005). Production, human resource, purchasing, accounting and finance, marketing as well as research and development were the main functions and departments in the Mike Davis and family business. They had a set target of two million-profitability return annually if they had to work for twelve hours a day (Hill and McShane, 2008). With this, therefore, they had to add more efforts to ensure that the reach their set target.
However, in the process of coming up with a consultancy report, the Advantech consultancy firm realized that some problems that affect their business. The Mike Davis and family business apart from the mission statement they went ahead to share with their friends were as well having the same business set up (Lautrette et al. 2007). Moreover, the business had no skills and failed, therefore, to organize the resources in the business amongst the resources are the business personnel. Recruitment, job design, and training higher influences the business well-being are a failure (Suttle, 2016). Nevertheless, the Mike Davis and family business has less impact and concern about this. They highly underestimated their importance for the well-being of the business (Smith and Tushman, 2005). The business is as well assumed that motivation of the business employee will occur naturally and does not need them to influence (Hill and McShane, 2008). Moreover, after getting the best standards of organizational outcomes the business, however, failed to implement the best standards required.
Strengths and weakness of the business
The business has a great strength in planning. The business has ensured that it has its mission statement as well as the objective, which they need to attain within a given period. Planning, therefore, (Pedersen, 2010) is the core function of management. It involves the process of setting up objectives as well as determining the course of action will help in achieving and fulfilling the set objectives. In the process of planning for the organization, however, the organization needs to be aware of the environmental factors that affect the organization with the given setup (Lautrette et al. 2007). These environmental factors are inclusive of competitors, customers as well as the economic factors such as marketing. Moreover, the set objectives need to have more details regarding how objective will be achieved, when it will be achieved and who is responsible for ensuring that the goal is achieved. For the best results, however, the planner needs to have alternatives results for the course of action that will help in achieving the objectives (Pedersen, 2010). In the planning, process as well the effective and efficient implementation plans need to be formulated. Moreover, the planner needs to constantly check the success of the set plans and have corrective actions where necessary.
As well stated by Advantech consultancy firm the business has weak organizational skills. Their personnel are not well organized neither is there an organized level that relates to the job description and design to the employees (Advameg Inc., 2016). Organizing is as well a principle and function of management that entails creating and constructing an organizational structure as well as the proper allocation of available human resources to enhance the accomplishment of the objectives. In this case, therefore, a chart helps to represent the manner in which the organization is coordinated (Pedersen, 2010). The process makes up the organizational design of the organization in general. Moreover, organizing as well entails the decision to allocate each employee with the better decisions about their duties and responsibilities. In this case, therefore, it simply means that organizing as well involves job design (Advagem Inc., 2016). Departmentalization or clustering jobs into well-stated departments in an effective manner is the function of organizing principle in an organization. Therefore, a well-organized organization will, therefore, facilitate and lead to a better organizational framework.
The leading skills of this business, however, are somehow weak. The business states that they expect motivation of their employees to happen naturally (Advameg Inc., 2016). However, in the leading principle motivation should be part of the organizational functions. The principle of management is the function of management about leading is more of the process of influencing people, in this case, the employees towards the accomplishment of the set organizational functions. In the process of effectively leading, the manager needs to motivate the employees, communicate to them effectively and efficiently by the use of the designated power. Proper are well-exerted leadership skills by the managers will motivate the subordinates to work actively towards the attainment of the objectives (Advameg Inc., 2016). Moreover, to be effective and efficient in the process of leading, the managers need to understand the values, attitudes, personalities and emotions of their subordinates (Advameg Inc., 2016). In this case, therefore, motivation is the key principle towards energizing the employees to work towards the set objectives.
The business as well has weaker controlling principles in the mandate of controlling standards and performance of the business as well as the measurable outcomes in each case. Every organization or company has a given standard they-they pursue to reach within a given timeframe (Hill and McShane, 2008). Therefore, controlling is the function of management that ensures that performance does not deviate from the given set standard. Controlling is, therefore, more concerned about the performance of an organization of business. However, controlling is more concerned about establishing the performance standards, comparing the actual performance against the set standards, and implementing corrective action towards performance to match with the standards (Smith and Tushman, 2005). In most cases, however, the performance standard instated regarding profits that the organization incurs and what is the standard profit that they deserve to attain.
Nevertheless, the organization, therefore, needs to have ways of measuring performance. This can however, be done in various ways. Financial statements, production results, sales report, and customer satisfaction are some of the given performance measures that an organization can be use in the process of measuring their performance (Lautrette et al. 2007). However, controlling is an organizational principle that cannot exist on its own. It needs to be associated with planning to get the best time and procedure of having the financial or sales reports done (Pederson, 2010). Therefore, the management functions of planning, organizing, leading and controlling works out as the best way of correcting managerial problems that are experienced in a business.
Management model
In Outdoor Adventures Paintball Park, business Lewin’s change management model is essential (Hill and McShane, 2008. The model considers and determines change as the best way to solve management problems. However, to start the process of change one needs to understand the reasons behind the need for change before partaking the change itself. Change is a simplification of what to correct in the business (Smith and Tushman, 2005). Therefore, this management model is essential and useful for this business as it will give them a baseline of why they need to change and hat exactly need to be changed.
Roles and responsibility of the owners and employees
Owners
As the business owners there are some functions that solemnly need to be undertaken by the business owners (Suttle, 2016):
The owners have to lead the employees by giving them guidelines and instructions.
The owners as well need to provide all the required tools and equipment to ensure the smooth running of the business.
They should be at all times listen to the employee's complaints.
The owners as well need to implement the effective plans for the business.
Employees
The employees need to work by the given orders.
They should at all times be willing to listen to the authority.
In the case of any complaints, they need to follow the best channel required.
Communication
Communication strategy in Outdoor Adventure Paintball Park is from top to bottom. This is to mean that the manager holds the highest position when it comes to communication. Information is passed from the manager to the employees and the feedback taken back to the manager (Pedersen, 2010). However, in the process of decision-making, all the employees view is relevant and are considered in the process of decision making (Suttle, 2016). With this, therefore, the process of decision-making and communication is very relevant and appropriate to all.
Recommendations for improvement
For the Outdoor Adventure Paintball Park to have an effective and a smooth running business, the following recommendations need to be implemented.
The business needs to have a budgetary plan for motivating its employees.
The business planners need to ensure that they include the measures of performance in the process of coming up with the business plan.
The manager as well needs to ensure that the personnel in the business are well trained about the activities that are undertaken in the business.
As organizing is part of the management principle, the business should organize its available resources in physical and economic resources to suit their intended needs.
The business should ensure that the employees are given a full description of their job and as well as the design of the job to have the efficient and smooth running of the business activities.
In the process of recruitment, however, the business should ensure that skilled people are given the mandate of recruiting the people, and skilled personnel are selected.
Conclusion
In conclusion, therefore, it is essential to incorporate the four principles of management in business. They, however, act as corrective measures towards the wellbeing of the business health in attaining their objectives. Moreover, the principles will help shape the business and have a smooth running of the business. Incorporating all these principles will, therefore, help in changing Outdoors Adventure Paintball Park towards the positive.
References
Advameg Inc. (2016). Management functions - organization, levels, style, manager, school, company, business. Retrieved August 5, 2016, from http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Log-Mar/Management-Functions.html#ixzz411wrnCRJ Smith, W. K., & Tushman, M. L. (2005). Managing strategic contradictions: A top management model for managing innovation streams. Organization Science, 16(5), 522-536.
Hill, C. W., & McShane, S. L. (2008). Principles of management (pp. 404-20). McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
Lautrette, A., Darmon, M., Megarbane, B., Joly, L. M., Chevret, S., Adrie, C., & Curtis, J. R. (2007). A communication strategy and brochure for relatives of patients dying in the ICU. New England Journal of Medicine, 356(5), 469-478.
Pedersen, E. R. (2010). Modeling CSR: How managers understand the responsibilities of business towards society. Journal of Business Ethics, 91(2), 155-166.
Suttle, R. (2016). Roles of organizational structure. Small Business Chron. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/roles-organizational-structure-3795.html
