Management Operations Management Essay Example
Management Operations Management Essay Example

Management Operations Management Essay Example

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  • Pages: 9 (2256 words)
  • Published: October 22, 2017
  • Type: Essay
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The act of management entails the coordination of individuals in order to attain particular aims through planning, organizing, providing resources, leading or directing activities, and regulating an organization or undertaking to accomplish an objective.

Resourcing involves managing and utilizing different types of resources, such as human, financial, technological, and natural resources. The term management can refer to the individuals responsible for conducting management-related activities. The word "manage" has its roots in the Italian "maneggiare," which translates to handling, particularly with horses. This term evolved from the French word "mesnagement," which later became "menagement," and influenced the definition of "management" in English during the 17th and 18th centuries. Theoretical scope regarding management includes Mary Parker Follett's definition of management as "the art of getting things done through people" and a functional approach to measure progress and make adjustments to achieve goals.

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Even in situations without planning, management still applies. Henri Fayol identifies five functions of management as planning, organizing, leading, coordinating, and controlling. However, some people believe this definition is too narrow. The phrase "management is what managers do" highlights the challenge of defining management and how definitions evolve. Managing practices are linked to a managerial class and exist in every organization, including non-profits and the public sector. Maximizing effectiveness requires managing work, people, processes, technology, among others.

Although there are some slight differences, the term "business schools" is generally used to describe university departments that offer management courses. While certain institutions, like Harvard Business School, specifically use this term, others such as Yale School of Management choose a more comprehensive label of "management." Furthermore, English speakers may refer collectively to those who manage an organization (such as

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corporation) as either "management" or "the management," distinct from the group being managed - labor. With regards to managerial work in profit-driven settings, the primary goal is to satisfy multiple stakeholders by generating profits for shareholders, providing valuable products at reasonable prices for customers and offering rewarding job opportunities for employees.

Maintaining donor confidence is crucial in nonprofit management. Shareholders typically elect the board of directors in most management/governance models, who then employ senior management. While some organizations have tested alternative methods, such as employee-voting models, for selecting or evaluating managers, this is a rare occurrence. In representative democracies' public sector, voters elect officials to public office, who then employ numerous managers and administrators. In several countries like the United States, political appointees lose their positions upon the election of a new governor/mayor/president.

Over 2500 individuals are employed by the United States Chief Executive, with all top US government executives included. Managers in the public, private, and voluntary sectors face unique demands but must maintain the trust of selecting parties, funders, and employees to keep their jobs and avoid harming the organization's recruitment and training efforts. Management also entails innovation and enhancing organizational practices. The evolution of management is challenging to track due to historical complexities.

By definition, management is viewed as a conceptualization of late modernity. Accordingly, it does not have a pre-modern history, except for harbingers like stewards. Nevertheless, some individuals perceive management-like activities as having existed in the pre-modern era. Certain writers trace the evolution of management-thought back to Sumerian traders and the builders of ancient Egyptian pyramids.

Throughout history, motivating dependent workforces has been a challenge for slave-owners. In pre-industrial times, smaller businesses did not

have to systematically address management issues. Innovations like Arabic numerals and double-entry book-keeping provided tools for assessment, planning, and control between the 5th and 15th centuries. Before mechanized record-keeping, commercial enterprise owners managed their businesses themselves. As organizations grew more complex in the lead-up to the industrial revolution, a separation between owners and managers became common. While management is an ancient practice, several writers contributed works that laid the groundwork for modern theories. An example is Sun Tzu's The Art of War from 6th century BCE China which recommends awareness of an organization's strengths/weaknesses as well as those of competitors.

In 1513, Niccolo Machiavelli wrote The Prince as a guide for leadership in Florence, Italy. According to Machiavelli, people were motivated by self-interest and he recommended leaders use fear (not hatred) to maintain control. On the other hand, Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations, written in 1776, aimed at increasing productivity through efficient organization of work via division of labor. He analyzed the production process of pins and demonstrated how changes could improve productivity from individuals producing 200 pins per day to specialists producing up to 48,000 pins per day.

[5] Some argue[citation needed] that modern management can trace its origins back to the 19th century when classical economists like Adam Smith (1723 - 1790) and John Stuart Mill (1806 - 1873) laid the theoretical foundations for resource-allocation, production, and pricing. During this same time period, innovators such as Eli Whitney (1765 - 1825), James Watt (1736 - 1819), and Matthew Boulton (1728 - 1809) developed technical aspects of production including standardization, quality control procedures, cost accounting, interchangeability of parts, and work planning. Interestingly enough,

many of these management techniques were already in use in the pre-1861 slave-based sector of the US economy where approximately four million individuals were "managed" to facilitate profitable quasi-mass production.

In the late 1800s, economists like Alfred Marshall and Leon Walras introduced more complexity to the theoretical foundations of management. Joseph Wharton even taught the first tertiary-level management course in 1881. As the 20th century approached, managers sought to establish their theories on a scientific basis, although the limitations of this belief were recognized (see scientism). Examples of this included Henry R. Towne's 1890s work called The Science of Management, Frederick Winslow Taylor's 1911 publication Scientific Management, Frank and Lillian Gilbreth's 1917 book Applied Motion Study, and Henry L. Gantt's charts from the 1910s.

In 1911, the initial college management textbook was authored by J. Duncan. By 1912, Yoichi Ueno had introduced Taylorism to Japan and became the nation's first management consultant for the "Japanese-management style". His son, Ichiro Ueno, was a trailblazer in Japanese quality-assurance theory. The first comprehensive theories of management emerged circa 1920, and in 1921, the Master of Business Administration degree (MBA) was created by the Harvard Business School.

During the 20th century, management was studied and described by a variety of individuals with different backgrounds. Henri Fayol (1841 - 1925) and Alexander Church identified and connected the different branches of management. Ordway Tead (1891 - 1973), Walter Scott, and J.Mooney applied principles from psychology to management. From a sociological perspective, Elton Mayo (1880 - 1949), Mary Parker Follett (1868 - 1933), Chester Barnard (1886 - 1961), Max Weber (1864 - 1920), Rensis Likert (1903 - 1981), and Chris Argyris (1923 -

) approached the topic. Additionally, Peter Drucker (1909 – 2005) wrote one of the first books on applied management called "Concept of the Corporation" in 1946, which resulted from General Motors Chairman Alfred Sloan commissioning a study of the organization.

Following his initial success, Drucker continued to write numerous books on similar topics. Additionally, management studies were influenced by the statistical methods introduced by H. Dodge, Ronald Fisher (1890 - 1962), and Thornton C. Fry.

In the 1940s, Patrick Blackett merged statistical theories with microeconomic theory, creating the science of operations research. Also called "management science," operations research applies a scientific approach to solving management problems, particularly in logistics and operations. Throughout the 20th century, managers gained recognition and prestige, leading to an entrance for popularized systems of management ideas. The Theory of Constraints, reengineering, management by objectives, Cog's Ladder, Six Sigma, and IT-based theories like agile software development are some of the recent developments in this field. However, many management fads may have been based more on pop psychology than scientific theories of management.

Towards the end of the 20th century, business management was divided into six branches: Human resource management, Operations management or production management, Strategic management, Marketing management, Financial management, and Information technology management responsible for management information systems. However, in the 21st century, categorizing management into functional categories has become increasingly difficult as processes often involve multiple categories. Instead, focus is on managing various processes, tasks, and objects. Management theory includes branches for nonprofits and government such as public administration, public management, and educational management.

In addition to management programs for civil-society organizations, there are now programs for nonprofit management and social entrepreneurship. However, business

ethics, critical management studies, and anti-corporate activism have challenged many assumptions made by management. Consequently, there has been a push towards workplace democracy, where all management functions are distributed among workers. This model existed before current political issues arose and may occur naturally. Even in traditional management settings, democratic principles must be embraced in the long term by gaining workers' majority support. This has led to a shift in management from a military command-and-control concept to one of facilitation and support for collaborative activity. Human interaction management principles are being used to address the complexities of human interaction.

The idea of Ubiquitous command-and-control proposes transforming military management in the 21st century. The functions of management, classified as planning, organizing, leading/motivating, and controlling, are essential to its operation. Planning involves deciding what needs to be done in the future and creating action plans. Organizing requires optimal use of resources to ensure successful implementation of plans. Leading/motivating involves skillfully getting others to contribute effectively to achieving goals.

The act of controlling involves monitoring and checking progress against plans, which may require modification based on received feedback. The formation of the business policy encompasses several elements. Firstly, the mission of the business represents its main purpose, such as producing soap. Secondly, the vision of the business outlines its aspirations and intended future direction. Finally, the objectives of the business denote the desired outcomes or activities associated with a specific task.

The business's policy acts as a guide for decision-making, encompassing regulations, rules and objectives. It should be easily understood by all staff and adaptable. Meanwhile, the strategy is a synchronized set of actions that outlines the required resources to achieve long-term

goals and vision. This plan advises managers on how best to allocate and utilize production factors in order to benefit the business's interests, while also helping them decide what type of business they want to establish.

To successfully execute policies and strategies, it is essential to engage all managers and staff in a dialogue. This guarantees that managers comprehend how their policies and strategies can be implemented. Moreover, each department must establish a comprehensive action plan while continuously reviewing policies and strategies.

Creating contingency plans for changing environments is crucial. Top-level managers should conduct regular progress assessments to uphold a favorable business environment. It's necessary to analyze the missions, objectives, strengths, and weaknesses of each department to determine their roles in achieving the overall business mission. The forecasting method can offer a dependable outlook of the future business environment. To guarantee that policies and strategies are consistent with the same mission and objectives, establish a planning unit.

As a precautionary measure, it is crucial to establish contingency plans and ensure that all personnel in charge of implementing departmental policies are aware of them. Planning processes include the integration of policies and strategies for better comprehension by mid- and lower-level managers about future departmental plans. This creates a framework for decision-making and planning.

Mid- and lower-level management have the ability to introduce their own strategic plans alongside those of the business. The management structure of a large organization typically comprises three levels: senior (or top) management, middle management, and low-level management which includes supervisors and team-leaders. The foreman and rank and file make up this level. An extensive knowledge of management roles and skills is required for top-level management,

who need to be attuned to external factors such as markets when making their decisions. Their decisions are generally long-term in nature and employ various decision-making processes such as analytic, directive, conceptual, and/or behavioral/participative. Strategic planning is their responsibility as they are tasked with devising a plan that will prove effective in the future.

These are executives who hold a specialized understanding of certain managerial tasks. Middle management individuals are responsible for implementing decisions made by top-level management. Lower management professionals ensure the plans and decisions made by the other two levels of management are executed.

The individuals known as Foreman hold direct authority over workers in various areas such as the office, factory, or sales field. They typically make short-term decisions. On the other hand, the Rank and File members have narrower and more precise responsibilities compared to the Foreman.The following list includes various areas and categories pertaining to management, as well as their respective implementations:
- Accounting management
- Agile management
- Association management
- Capability Management
- Change management
- Communication management
- Constraint management
- Cost management
- Crisis management
- Critical management studies
- Customer relationship management
- Decision making styles
- Design management
- Disaster management
- Earned value management
- Educational management
- Enterprise management
- Environmental management
- Facility management
- Financial management
- Forecasting
- Human resources management
- Hospital management
- Information technology management
- Innovation management
- Interim management
- Inventory management
- Knowledge management
- Land management
- Leadership management
- Logistics management
- Lifecycle management
- Management on demand
- Marketing management
- Materials management
- Operations management
- Organization development
- Perception management
- Practice management
- Program management
- Project management
- Process management
- Performance

management
- Product management
- Public administration/Public management
- Quality management
- Records management
- Research Management
-Digital resource Management Strategies for Record keeping in Information Technology (IT) Industry towards getting more efficiency and also to be able to get better response to customers needs. This will go along way in maximizing profits in all facets of the Information Technology industry.
-Customer Relationship Management software can also be integrated into the structure of the Records Management system.
-Time and project-management strategies could also be utilised.
-Social entrepreneurships, talent Management and visual-management can also be adopted to foster growth in any organization that adopts it.

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