Management is most often defined either as a set of activities, aimed at achievement of organizational goals or a process of planning, organizing, leading and controlling human organizational resources. According to B.Dyck and M. J.Neubert (2008), defining management is most frequently connected with referring to its basic four functions, which are planning, organizing, leading and controlling (7). Despite the fact that lots of textbooks and surveys are dedicated to management, each managerial situation is unique due to uniqueness of combination of external and internal factors, which affect an organization. Due to the fact that the organization becomes subjected to influence of these factors, managers also have to take them into account. Therefore, we can state that abovementioned managerial functions can be affected by a variety of external and internal factors.
Accordding to J.Prokopenko (1987), external factors are those ones, which are beyond the control of the enterprise, whereas internal factors retain within its control (9). To exemplify the influence of external and internal factors on management’s basic functions we would like to address the case of the call center.
Management’s function in the call center can be influenced by such external factors as political, legal, socio-cultural, technological and environment factors. Political and legal factors (e.g. tax legislation changes, novelties of corporate& companies law) predetermine the way call centre’s expenditures and income are planned. These factors also exert significant influence on staffing policies. For instance, high taxes in the country of call centre’s registration can make management change staffing policies and start outsourcing. Toughening of state’s control policies may affect the way managers exercise control functions. Socio-cultural peculiarities of call centers target are to predetermine the way managers organize the work of the staff members and lead them. In this respect it is worth emphasizing the need to take into account diversity of the clients and the need to adhere to basic principles of cross-cultural communication.
Any changes related to introduction of new communication technologies will undoubtedly affect manager’s exercising of all four management’s functions as it is likely to call forth significant operations changes.
The last, but not the least factor to consider is that modern business went far beyond profit-oriented model. So, a significant impact on management functions is exerted by social responsibility concerns, which from a considerable part of ethical behavior in business requirements.
Most important internal factors refer to staffing policies, leadership style and communication within the organization. As we have already mentioned, external factors may call forth the need to outsource staff for call centers from all over the world. This factor is a crucial one in terms of determining the way communications are designed within the organization. Furthermore, a manager should consider ethical and cross-culture communication-related factors while exercising organizational, leading and control functions. In case a manager is unable to consider the affect of diversity of staff, while implementing his functions, and choose relevant leadership style, he will not be able to make a contribution into creating sustainable conflict-free working environment for staff with different backgrounds.
References
Dyck ,B. , Neubert, M.(2008). Management: Current Practices and New Directions. Mason: Cengage Learning
Prokopenko, J.(1987). Productivity management: a practical handbook. Geneva: International Labour Office
