Personal Reflection Journal Assignment
In this reflective journal, I have dwelt on discussing several topics that include functions of management, goal setting, delegation of duties, centralization and decentralization, as well as vision and mission statements of firms. These critical areas shape organizations and determine their growth, expansion and eventual success.
Vision, value and mission statements
The vision statement gives a description of how the company would look in the future so that it can remain on a success path (Foreman, 1998, p.22). In developing the vision of my company, I have to keep the aspired future in mind. An effective vision statement has to challenge, inspire the stakeholders, and enable them aspire for a successful and future state of the organization.
The mission statement provides a detailed explanation of the reason a particular company or department in a company exists. It describes what the activities of the company are, and the overall intention it espouses. It spells out the organization’s priorities and the various methods it will use to fulfill the future expectation (Foreman, 1998, p.23). The purpose of the mission statement is to give direction to employees, customers, and other shareholders.
The values statement of my company will give a description of what the company believes in and how it intends to behave (Temkin, 2008, p.1). It will define the beliefs that are held deeply in my company, and the organizational culture principles. In a company that is led by values, the values provide the compass that guide the moral standing of the company and the people employed there. This compass will guide how decisions are made in my organization, and the standard procedure that actions will be assessed against. It is mandatory that for my organization to achieve a values statement that is effective, it first has to embrace existing values and utilize them to guide actions, decision-making, and attitudes on a daily basis (Temkin, 2008, p.1).
Management is described as a process that involves effective planning, regulation of organization's operations to fulfill a given set of purposes (Daft, 2008, p.7). Theoretically, the functions of management are separated from each other but practically, these functions overlap and thus highly inseparable. Each function will blend into the other hence affecting the performance of others. The functions include coming up with plans, organizing the activities, staffing, giving directions and controlling (Daft, 2008, p.8). Planning forms the basic function of management. It entails developing a course of action to be followed in future. The most appropriate path to be followed to achieve the set goals is decided. Questions I have to deal with as a manager includes what is to be done, when to do it, and how it is going to be done. Planning is necessary to ascertain proper utilization of natural and human resources, and avoid uncertainties and wastages.
Organizing involves bringing together financial, physical, and human resources for the achievement of goals of the organization (Daft, 2008, p.8). It also entails developing a relationship that will be productive amongst these resources, assigning of duties, creation of responsibilities, and delegation of duties.
Staffing is the third function of management. This function exists to put the right person to the right job. The activities that fall understaffing include planning the workforce needs, training and development of employees, setting the remuneration packages, and effecting promotions and transfers (Daft, 2008, p.9).
Directing encompasses the activities that guide employees to work efficiently in their tasks for the achievement of the organization goals and objectives. In my directing function, I will supervise and motivate employees, provide leadership, and pass information, opinion, and experience to employees. Controlling occupies the last position among functions of management. Controlling indicates measuring the actual accomplishment realized against the standard performance that was set earlier (Daft, 2008, p.9). Its purpose is to ensure the activities in my company will conform to the standards performance envisaged.
Centralization and decentralization
Centralization refers to the concentration of management and organs involved in decision making at the apex of the hierarchy of the organization (Zabojnik, 2002, p.6). This term also refers to the situating of the entire or most of the departments and managers heading the departments within a single facility. Advantages of centralization of authority include reduced cost for the company, uniformity in executing functions, encouragement of personal leadership, and improved quality of work. Disadvantages of centralization include delays in work, lack of secrecy, absence of loyalty in the workplace, and lack of special attention to special work
Decentralization refers to the dispersal of authority of decision making to the lower ranks of management (Zabojnik, 2002, p.5). Moreover, decentralization implies location of departments of the company in different places. This occurs when official activities of the firm are done at the functional department level. Majorly, decentralization is adapted when a business experiences growth in its size necessitating diversification. Advantages of decentralization to my company will include a reduced burden of high-ranking executives, increased morale and motivation, greater output and efficiency, and improved co-ordination of activities. Its disadvantages include increased costs, lack of specialization, absence of uniformity, and a requirement for more employees.
Goal setting
The goals of the company become effective if there is a clear vision of what the company hopes to achieve and how this is going to be done. Goal setting is fundamental because goals steer business in the right direction of success (Griffin and Gregory, 2011, p.150). Without clear goals, the business loses direction, and it ultimately crashes. Establishing business goals involves looking into what gives an edge to a business, and the future that the business aspires to achieve. In setting business goals, the long-term aims of the business have been to be determined. Long-term goals should be achieved within three to five years, and they fall within four general areas that include service, profit, growth, and social. After figuring the long-term goals, the short-term goals are developed. Short-term objectives are the launching pad towards achieving the big long-term goals. These goals have to be specified, measurable, focused on an action, realizable, and be achieved within a particular period.
Delegation of duties
Delegation happens when a senior authority confers upon a junior manager the power to carry out some tasks (Evans, et al., 2007, p.695-699). Here, superiors delegate authority to those who subordinate them. Delegation arises due to the existence of the scalar chain. The scalar chain presumes that not a single person can execute all the functions. Therefore, delegation serves to distribute the authority of operations to all levels of the firm starting from the top trickling down to the bottom. This distribution of authority is referred to as the scalar principle. This principle states that one must have a clear line of authority that runs from the top to bottom of the organization. The line of authority is called a command chain. The benefits of delegation include freeing up top managers to concentrate on planning or business forecasting, improving the superior-subordinate relations, and providing room for subordinates to sharpen their abilities and skills in preparation for taking over when senior managers retire.
Works Cited
Foreman, Keith. "Vision and mission." Strategic Management in Schools and Colleges (1998): 18-31.
Griffin, Ricky, and Gregory Moorhead. Organizational behavior. Cengage Learning, 2011.
Daft, Richard L. "New era of management." Thomson South-Western (2008).
Temkin, Terrie. "Defining Mission, Vision, Values." Philanthropy Journal. Institute for Nonprofits at NC State University, 5 Sept. 2008. Web. 16 Nov. 2014. <http://www.philanthropyjournal.org/resources/managementleadership/defining-mission-vision-values>.
Zabojnik, Jan. "Centralized and Decentralized Decision Making in Organizations." University of Southern California, 1 Jan. 2002. Web. 16 Nov. 2014. <http://www.wiwi.uni-bonn.de/kraehmer/lehre/seminarss09/papiere/zabojnik_centralized_decentralized_dec_mak_or
Evans, C., I.G. Chestnutt, and B.L Chadwick. "The Potential for Delegation of Clinical Care in General Dental Practice." Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group, 22 Dec. 2007. Web. 16 Nov. 2014. <http://www.nature.com/bdj/journal/v203/n12/abs/bdj.2007.1111.html>.
Quotes
Mission A public statement which defines the purpose of an organization: why it exists and what that means for customers-both internal and external:”The organisation’s statement of purpose intentions and priorities: its direction the basis for planning and decision making” (Scott and Walker, 1992, p.50) from (Foreman, 1998, p. 23).
“Organizational values also provide direction, especially if they speak, as I believe they should, to the organization's core beliefs. They are different from personal ethics, such as honesty and integrity. They are guiding principles for organizational behavior.” (Temkin, 2008, p.1).
Leading: “The management function that involves the use of influence to motivate employees to achieve the organization’s goals.” (Daft, 2008, p.10)
Controlling: “The management function concerned with monitoring employee’s activities, keeping the organization on track toward its goals, and making corrections as needed.”
Decentralization Here the decision-making authority is dele-gated to the worker with no interference from the manager. This includes delegating to the worker the authority to invest into the project of his choice. I will sometimes refer to this arrangement as delegation (Zabojnuk, 2002, p.5)
Centralization “Here the manager makes the project choice and the investment without consulting the worker” (Zabojnik, 2002, p.6)
Goal acceptance “is the extent to which a person accepts a goal as his or her own” (Griffin and Gregory, 2011, p.152)
Goal commitment “is the extent to which he or she is personally interested in reaching the goal” (Griffin and Gregory, 2011, p.152).
MBO “is essentially a collaborative goal-setting process through which organizational goals systematically cascade down through the organization.” Griffin and Gregory, 2011, p.152).
