Question #1
Follet’s central focus is the aspect of power in an organizational context: collaboration, self-management, and coordination. A critical study of what happens at the 3M show that there is an active application of Follet’s ideas in management. On the aspect of coordination, there seems to be no person who has powers to coordinate others at 3M. Rather, part of the coordination is left for the employees to perform tasks themselves. At 3M, employees are given an opportunity to take charge of their own actions by being allocated 15% of the time to direct themselves. There is evidence that 3M is employing Follet’s concept of self-management. Employees are given not only chance to coordinate their activities but also a chance to perform activities without the approval of management. The absence of management’s approval suggests that the employees have to practice self-management. A further illustration of the application of the concept of self-management is the freedom given to employees to take care of their initiatives and control over products to completion without necessarily relying on their managers or supervisors for directions or judgments. 3M also emphasize collaboration, a concept that is central to Follet’s idea of management. 3M promotes collaboration among employees by rewarding teams instead of individuals. This ensures that people collaborate as a team to accomplish their tasks.
Bernard emphasized about organizations as social systems, communication systems within organizations, and authority over subordinates. And like Follet, he also emphasized the importance of collaboration. At 3M, collaboration is promoted through the encouragement of employees to work together as a team rather than work under the direction of the manager. Leaders work together with team members to brainstorm and generate solutions. Bernard’s emphasis on communication systems is also evident at 3M where the organization has developed a strong climate of communication and sharing. 3M acts like a social system as espoused by Bernard since the company facilitate communication among the employees by bringing together all the company’s employees from various cultural background and areas of expertise. There is also the concept of authority over subordinates at 3M where managers play the role of recognition of the employees through peer-nominated award programs. Leaders are also charged with assembling team members to get a solution whenever there is a challenge to be handled.
Question # 2
There are certain global and technological forces can make a positive impact on a company like 3M in many ways. The global forces include political, socio-cultural, and economic forces. An improvement in the economic situations of many countries results in the huge demands for 3M’s products and services. The company expands, access more markets, and earn a lot of revenue. On competitive forces, when competitors face challenges and quit the market, 3M will get an opportunity to increase its market share. When the company has a competitive advantage over others in key aspects such as human resources and technology it is capable of competing with others for increased market share. If 3M has access to the most advanced technology, it is capable of delivering innovative products which attract a lot of customers. The company can also employ access to the best technology to cut costs and improve other business processes such as quality. Global forces such availability of markets where 3M can outsource some services and products at a cheaper cost can afford the company to cut costs and compete effectively. Access to cheap and highly skilled labor give 3M an edge in not only cutting costs but also the development of innovative products. Political forces such as peace and stability, relaxation of import tariffs and other constraints to importation or exportation of key components and products can enable 3M to enjoy doing business in a conducive environment and at competitive prices. When there is no pressure or lobby group complaining about 3M’s social responsibility or when there is no society that is demanding 3M to engage in social responsibility, then the company can cut its cost associated with social responsibility programs or court cases since it enjoys the good will of the people.
