In today’s competitive business environment, several organizations have come up with innovative ways of sustaining their competitive advantage and this has led to the setting up of line management division within various organizations. Generally, line managers oversee the administration activities leading to the production of specific products and services, with the overall aim of meeting the corporate objectives of the business. Bestowed with such heavy responsibilities, therefore, the role of line managers in fostering the success of a business cannot be underestimated. Nevertheless, line managers do not operate in isolation and not all the stipulated roles run smoothly as envisaged; there are other components within the organization that the line manager has to balance in order to succeed. For instance, the line manager has to take cognizance of the organization’s culture. Organisational culture determines the style of management, decision making and communication within the organization.
For several years, scholars have been divided on the question of whether it is leadership or organizational culture which eventually contributes to increased organizational incomes and productivity. Some suggest that organizational culture plays the major role, while others argue that it is effective leadership within the organization which contributes to the overall success. Despite the side of the debate we might choose to support, one thing is for sure: organizational behavior has an influence of the management style adopted by managers.
Organizational culture and the style of management adopted by the managers within that organization are two things which are inseparable. For example, the management style adopted by a line manager will be largely influenced by the organization’s culture. In simple terms, organization culture refers to the way people in a firm behave and act. This means that in every organization, there are some meanings that the people attach to their actions. Other aspects of organization culture include values, norms, beliefs and habits cultivated within that specific organization. Some of the explicit organizational cultures include bureaucratic, supportive and innovative. This classification largely depends on the national culture of specific regions. Nonetheless, the type of organisational culture adopted by an organization will determine some of the line management functions such as the leadership style.
One of the ways organizational culture affects management style is through the manner in which leaders within the organization set their personal and professional goals. If the top management in an organization encourages the middle level managers to plan ahead and deliver their goals, the line managers will also adopt a similar management approach. Likewise, if the top management does not involve the people in the middle management levels to participate in developing the organization goals, the line managers will also operate in a haphazard manner. Another way in which the organisational culture influences management style within the organization is through the manner in people perform their tasks and align resources in order to meet their goals.
Studies have revealed that organizational culture consciously and subconsciously influences the way people think and make decisions. Ultimately, it also has an influence on the way people perceive, feel and act. As a consequence, organizational culture has a direct influence on people’s performance and commitment to the organization. In the same way, the line managers, as well as the rest of the management, are also likely to align their goals and resources with respect to the organization’s way of doing things. Again, the national culture of that specific region or country will determine how the people within the organization perform their tasks. Another means through which organisational culture has an influence on the functions of line managers is through communication.
Communication does not only involve announcements from the top hierarchy, but also the day to day interactions within the organization. Line managers have the responsibility of motivating their employees and maintaining teamwork. This means that a good working relationship between the line manger and the employees is very important. It is a well documented fact that employees rate managers who effectively engage them highly, and this makes it essential for line managers to make employee development a priority. In order to achieve this, the line manager has to communicate and give clear instructions.
Also, the line manager has to go out of his way and know the interests of his team members. Depending on whether the organization has bureaucratic, supportive or innovative organisational culture, the means used by the line manager to communicate with juniors and superiors will also fall in line with such categories. For example, if the organization is bureaucratic, the line manager has to respect any communication and decision made by the superiors. It does not matter whether the line manager was involved or not. Whatever is decided by the top management has to be respected. This communication and decision making style varies greatly with what is practiced by organizations with supportive and innovative culture. They have to involve almost everyone in their decisions and the communication is made by designated authority within the organization. Another way in which organisational culture impacts line management is through the delegation of responsibilities.
Different managers behave differently within an organization, and each manager may have his/her style. It is also essential to note that decision making process could be different from the way the individual makes decisions when acting separately. Broadly speaking, decision making can fall into two distinct models: the normative model and the rational mode. The rational model asserts that people make decisions rationally through a series of steps which include: identifying the issue, generating solutions, selecting the most appropriate choice and implementing the solution. The normative model on the other hand proposes that people make decisions using limited information, and use shortcuts to make the decisions. The decision made also meets the minimum requirements of satisfaction.
Depending on the business environment, line managers may have to adopt either normative or rational model of decision making. In a fast food business, for instance, line managers have to make fast decisions, and in most cases they have to make decisions as quickly as possible with limited information. For example, if a customer complains about the quality of the food, and the line manager finds that the employees made a mistake, he/she has to make a decisions fast to make the customer happy. In such a situation, a refund may be given instantly. This is quite different from a bank environment whereby the sequence of events that occurred earlier have to be revealed before making a decisions. Therefore, the line managers in the banking sector are more likely to make rational decisions.
Despite these individual preferences, there is a major difference between the organizational culture of the west and that of the east. For example, while the organizational culture in the east is inclined towards bureaucracy, the organizational culture of the west is inclined towards support and innovation. The west here refers to countries such as the US, UK, Germany and Australia, while the east refers to countries such as Japan, China and South Korea. In the east, employees are expected to follow decisions made from the top, and loyalty is highly valued. On the contrary, the organizational culture of the west is more performance driven. Much of the work is decentralized and it is not abnormal for the leaders to delegate their work. There is also emphasis on employee participation and productivity.
In most western organizations, more emphasis is put on elements such as empowerment, clear vision, and employee job satisfaction. This “consideration” type of leadership yields more job satisfaction and more positivity within the organization. On the other hand, eastern organizations put more emphasis on authority and respect for seniority. This is meant to create more commitment within the organization. For example, a study done in Australia and in Hong Kong revealed that Australian managers encouraged innovative and supportive environments compared to their counterparts from Hong Kong. The study also revealed that the effect of the innovative and supportive organizational culture had more positive effect on employee commitment in Australia than in Hong Kong.
For global organizations, line mangers have to understand the national culture of the countries they are in, and how to manage the employees within that organization without victimizing their culture. For example, a fast foods business operating in Hong Kong would have to use the local talent to develop products and services that the customers within that area like, and take into consideration the culture of the people. Nonetheless, the line manager also has to deliver. The priorities set by the organization have to be followed and all the activities required to be delivered should be acted upon. This requires the line manager to encourage active career development among his team. Also, the line manager gas to spot potential and encourage the people to take up those responsibilities while managing their expectations at the same time.
Another key responsibility of the line manager is to set the climate. Simply, this entails crating time for the staff and encouraging them to share information amongst themselves. The organization has a duty to develop its people, and the real benefits can be realized if done properly. The managers also need to build developmental relationship within the organization. This requires getting to know the team by talking to them frequently, and listening to their concerns. The organization also has to offer opportunities for the development of the team members. Another important factor is by giving feedback. An honest assessment is required and frequent feedback given. Again, the line manager needs to tackle poor performance as soon as possible, and give praise where possible.
Irregardless of all these responsibilities, understanding organisational behaviour is essential for a line manager because he/she has to predict and influence the behaviour of other people. Understanding of organisational behaviour is also vital in improving interpersonal skills and enables the line manager to deal with the team members in a better way. Understanding organisational behaviour also helps the line manager to perform management functions such as planning, organizing, leading and controlling. With the knowledge of the how the employees react, the line manager can develop organisational goals and use skills that motivate the team to achieve the overall strategy of the team. It also helps the line manager to decide on who will tackle which function, and how the team members report their progress.
Above all, understanding behaviour of people within the organization helps the line manager to motivate people, direct them, and resolve any conflicts that arise within the group. Lastly, understanding organisational behaviour helps the line manager to monitor progress, compare the progress and correct where necessary. Studies have shown that when decisions are shared, the quality of decisions and acceptance of decisions is improved. The motivation of the workers and interpersonal relations between the employees are also improved. Another issue which arises close to this is delegation and empowerment. Some organizations encourage delegation and empowerment
In the current business scenario, most organizations face a shortage of resources. This had made human resource management an essential component in most organizations as they try to utilize the resources at their disposal to maximize their outcomes. However, some of the human resource functions are no longer a preserve of the HR managers only as line managers are required to perform some of those functions. But why is the practice gathering momentum? One of the reasons why organizations are hiring line managers is because they need someone to oversee the production of specific products or services and manage the process. Perhaps, given such a capacity, line managers have to interact frequently with other employees under them. Nevertheless, line managers have to understand what the people whom they work with because this is the secret to effective management. As a result, the line manager has to understand the firm’s organizational culture.
One of the key responsibilities of mangers within organizations is to promote characteristics that bring collective effort within the organization. Perhaps, the most important of these characteristics is organizational culture. Therefore, the success of the manger depends on the understanding of the organization’s culture. As one scholar suggests, most of the problems that confront managers arise due to the inability to implement their visions in line with the culture of the organization. This is something which is rampant because every leader comes into office with great ideas meant to shake-up the organization, but due to failure to understand the organizational culture resistance crops up and eventual failure.
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