Saturday, April 2, 2011

The Four Functions of Management

Emma N. Ramos                                                                              
PHDEL (Strategic Planning and Management)
March 31, 2011                       
Blog Entry no: 3


The Four Functions of Management

1.      Planning
It is the basic function of management. It deals with chalking out a future course of action & deciding in advance the most appropriate course of actions for achievement of pre-determined goals. According to KOONTZ, “Planning is deciding in advance - what to do, when to do & how to do. It bridges the gap from where we are & where we want to be”. A plan is a future course of actions. It is an exercise in problem solving & decision making. Planning is determination of courses of action to achieve desired goals. Thus, planning is a systematic thinking about ways & means for accomplishment of pre-determined goals. Planning is necessary to ensure proper utilization of human & non-human resources. It is all pervasive, it is an intellectual activity and it also helps in avoiding confusion, uncertainties, risks, wastages etc.
According to Urwick, “Planning is a mental predisposition to do things in orderly way, to think before acting and to act in the light of facts rather than guesses”. Planning is deciding best alternative among others to perform different managerial functions in order to achieve predetermined goals.
According to Koontz & O’Donell, “Planning is deciding in advance what to do, how to do and who is to do it. Planning bridges the gap between where we are to, where we want to go. It makes possible things to occur which would not otherwise occur”.
2.      Organizing
    • It is the process of bringing together physical, financial and human resources and developing productive relationship amongst them for achievement of organizational goals. According to Henry Fayol, “To organize a business is to provide it with everything useful or its functioning i.e. raw material, tools, capital and personnel’s”. To organize a business involves determining & providing human and non-human resources to the organizational structure.
Organizing is the function of management which follows planning. It is a function in which the synchronization and combination of human, physical and financial resources takes place. All the three resources are important to get results. Therefore, organizational function helps in achievement of results which in fact is important for the functioning of a concern. According to Chester Barnard, “Organizing is a function by which the concern is able to define the role positions, the jobs related and the co- ordination between authority and responsibility. Hence, a manager always has to organize in order to get results.
3. Leading
Organizational success is determined by the quality of leadership that is exhibited. "A leader can be a manager, but a manager is not necessarily a leader," says Gemmy Allen (1998). Leadership is the power of persuasion of one person over others to inspire actions towards achieving the goals of the company. Those in the leadership role must be able to influence/motivate workers to an elevated goal and direct themselves to the duties or responsibilities assigned during the planning process. (Allen, G., 1998). Leadership involves the interpersonal characteristic of a manager's position that includes communication and close contact with team members. (Bateman, Snell, 2007).
4. Controlling
Control in management means setting standards, measuring actual performance and taking corrective action.  It implies measurement of accomplishment against the standards and correction of deviation if any to ensure achievement of organizational goals. The purpose of controlling is to ensure that everything occurs in conformities with the standards. An efficient system of control helps to predict deviations before they actually occur. According to Theo Haimann, “Controlling is the process of checking whether or not proper progress is being made towards the objectives and goals and acting if necessary, to correct any deviation”. According to Koontz & O’Donell “Controlling is the measurement & correction of performance activities of subordinates in order to make sure that the enterprise objectives and plans desired to obtain them as being accomplished”..
Controlling consists of verifying whether everything occurs in conformities with the plans adopted, instructions issued and principles established. Controlling ensures that there is effective and efficient utilization of organizational resources so as to achieve the planned goals. Controlling measures the deviation of actual performance from the standard performance, discovers the causes of such deviations and helps in taking corrective actions
According to Brech, “Controlling is a systematic exercise which is called as a process of checking actual performance against the standards or plans with a view to ensure adequate progress and also recording such experience as is gained as a contribution to possible future needs.”

Personally, I can not really talk about the four functions of management in general since I do not have personal knowledge about it. However, as member of the education program I can say that in terms of management functions, our program head usually convene us in order to plan, organize and oversee the whole operational procedures of the program. Our program head is using the three styles of leadership. Sometimes she will tells us that a procedure is not working correctly and a new one must be established (authoritarian). Asking for our  ideas and input on creating a new procedure (participative). Delegating tasks in order to implement the new procedure (delegative).

As a plain classroom teacher, I prepare my lessons ahead of time and deciding in advance what to do, how to do it. Planning bridges the gap between where we are to, where we want to go.
 
Organizing in classroom involves:
    • Identification of activities.
    • Classification of grouping of activities.
    • Assignment of duties.
    • Delegation of responsibility.
    • Coordinating authority and responsibility relationships especially for extra curricular activities and field trips.

References

Bateman, T. S. & Snell, S. (2007). Management: Leading and Collaborating in a Competitive World (7th ed., pp. 16 -18). McGraw - Hill.
Bateman, T.S. & Snell, S. (2004). Management: The New Competitive Landscape, (6th ed., pp.13). McGraw – Hill
Allen, G. (1998). In Supervision. Retrieved May 27, 2007, from http://ollie.dcccd.edu/mgmt1374/contents.html



Friday, March 25, 2011

Strategic Planning Model: A Reflection

Emma N. Ramos
PHDEL (Educational Planning and Management)
Exercise Blog Entry No. 2                                                                           

Strategic Planning Model
Reflection

              There is a popular saying that states “If you fail to plan then you plan to fail”. I think this statement really summarizes everything about planning. Many experts would really say that planning is very important in an organization. I would say that strategic planning is a process whereby you dissect your school organization to determine its strengths and weaknesses. During this process the members of the school community should set the goals, objectives, vision and mission statement.

              Before I’ll continue let me define first strategic planning. According to Matt Evans strategic planning is the process of establishing priorities on what you will accomplish in the future. It forces you to make choices on what you will do and will not do. It pulls the entire organization together around a single game plan for execution and a broad outline on where resources will get allocated.

              Strategic planning is the cornerstone of every common-interest community. Strategic planning is the process by which an organization envisions its future and develops the necessary procedures and operations to achieve that future. Without strategic planning, the community will never know where it is going – much less know if it ever got there. An important concept of strategic planning is an understanding that in order for the community to flourish, everyone needs to work to ensure the team’s goals are met. (Matt H. Evans). The primary motive for organizations to do strategic planning is to learn and to make decisions about the future of the organization based on that learning. 

              For me strategic planning is significantly important for the following reasons:
  1. Forces a look into the future and therefore provides an opportunity to influence the future, or assume a proactive posture.
  2. Provides better awareness of needs and of the facilities related issues and environment.
  3. Helps define the overall mission of the organization and focuses on the objectives.
  4. Provides a sense of direction, continuity, and effective staffing and leadership.
  5. Plugs everyone into the system and provides standards of accountability for people, programs, and allocated resources.
  6. To give the organization better control over external forces
  7. To serve as a tool for decision making and resource allocation
  8. To bring everyone together in the organization so that they are on the same wavelength
  9. To raise board members’ awareness of current issues and operations
  10. To reawaken and motivate key people within the organization
  11. To position the agency for a merger or joint venture
  12. To increase morale within an organization and develop a sense of trust and cohesion
  13. To relate organizational capacity to community need.
              Personally, I believe that strategic planning improves performance. It will enable the organization to solve major issues at a macro level and able to communicate to everyone what is important. Strategic planning is the key to helping the organization to collectively and cooperatively gain control of the future and the destiny of the organization.




Change Management and Leadership

Emma N. Ramos                                                                       
PHDEL  (Educational Planning and Management)                       
Assignment Blog Entry 1
March 25,2011

Why is there a need to change management and leadership styles in schools?

                   I would like to start my discussion by borrowing the famous phrase
                           “There is nothing constant in this world except change”.

                   As we advance toward the future, our entire society is changing in a changing global context. Major institutions, including government, schools, are seeking ways to restructure that will increase their flexibility and effectiveness in this climate of change. Education is often pointed to as the key sector of our society that can prepare us for this new world and ensure our success. Change is a common occurrence; change is the window through which the future enters.
Change is a continual improvement. It is a never ending quest to do better and you do better by changing. Standing still allows competitors to get ahead of you.
                   The answer to the question why is there a need to change management and leadership styles in schools is very obvious if we use the introductory phrase that I have cited from the very beginning and  because change is continual. Today’s business world is highly competitive and that includes schools and universities. The way to survive is to reshape or change to the needs of a rapidly changing world, resistance to change is a dead end street … for the school or organization. Clients are not only demanding excellent service, they are also demanding more. If the school can not provide the demand then they will go the competitors. Change management is significantly important in order to attune to the signs of the times, in order to meet the needs of the clients and in order to become  highly competitive.

                   What is change management? According to Klepper, (1997) change management is the process, tools and techniques to manage the people, to achieve the required outcomes and to realize the change effectively within the individuals, teams and organization. Change management is a structured approach to shifting/transitioning individuals, teams, and organization from a current state to a desired future state. It is an organizational process aimed at empowering employees to accept and embrace changes in their current environment. Change can be threatening to individuals and organizations. Yet successful adaptation to change is crucial to the success of any organization.
                   Change is further complicated as it does not always produce a direct adjustment. Each employee's attitude produces a different response that is conditioned by feelings towards the change. In a classical experiment (Roethlisberger, Dickson, 1939) the lighting was improved in a factory on a regular basis. The theory was that better lighting would lead to greater productivity. As expected, productivity did rise. The lighting was then decreased to show the reverse effect — lower productivity, but instead, productivity increased further! It was not until the lighting was down to the equivalent of moonlight (0.06 foot-candle) that an appreciable decline in output was noticed. Of course it was not the change in lighting itself that caused the higher output, but rather an intervening variable. This variable was diagnosed as the employee's attitudes. That is, when you introduce change, each employee's personal history and social situation at work will produce a different attitude towards that change. You cannot see or measure attitudes, but what you can see and measure is the response towards that change.

                  Managing organizational change will be more successful only if thoughtful planning and sensitive implementation, and above all, consultation with, and involvement of, the people affected by the changes are taken into considerations. If you force change on people normally problems arise. Change must be realistic, achievable and measurable.  (Klepper, 1997).

                Studies conducted by Colleen Mills, Ph.D. show that employee resistance and a lack of proper training are key hindrances to organizational change. While no single change management plan or methodology fits every organization, there is a set of best practices that can be adapted to a variety of situations. Here are five best practices you can implement to create a solid foundation for successful change.


1. Involvement. Change is inherently unsettling for people at all levels of an organization. All eyes are on the leadership team for guidance and support when organizational change occurs. For change to be successful, the key stakeholders must model the way. The middle administrator must visibly embrace the new approaches to motivate and challenge the rest of the organization. Change is aborted when leaders do not demonstrate the same commitment they expect from others.  Equally important is the need for the change efforts to include plans for involving leaders throughout the company in order to create a sense of ownership. Pushing responsibility for design and implementation down so that change “cascades” through the organization helps to ensure that all concerned feel they have a stake in the plan’s success.


2. Communicate.  The leaders must focus on creating a communication plan that clearly articulates the vision of where they want to go and the benefits of doing so.  Too often, leaders make the mistake of believing that others understand their vision as clearly as they do.  Even when employees understand the vision and need for change, they often resist because change involves loss (loss of control, predictability, and often jobs). Leaders need to listen and acknowledge these feelings in order to reduce the level of employees’ anxiousness.  The best change programs reinforce core messages through regular, timely communications that are both practical and inspirational. When creating a communication strategy, leaders should ensure that it is:


 Timely - Prepare employees well in advance of possible merger, acquisition, downsizing or layoffs.  Employees are better able to deal with negative information personally from their managers than from the news media.


 Clearly Written - Communicate clearly and honestly with employees throughout the change process. Always keep the target audience in mind when communicating change information. Messages directed at investors should be significantly different than those targeted for first-line managers.
 Business Necessity – It is critical that employees understand why the organization needs to make the change(s). In order for employees to buy into the organization’s change effort, they must understand why the organization is facing a period of change and potential benefits to them.


3. Training. Over-train whenever possible prior to start-up (using the new technology and work processes in simulations). Training early allows employees to build greater skills and confidence which in turn reduces stress and resistance. In addition to understanding the new technology or process, managers need to be trained on the skills that will help them manage resistance to the change initiatives.  Skills that can help managers “manage change” include: team building, coaching, feedback, setting priorities, negotiating priorities, stress management, dealing with conflict, systematic problem-solving and effective delegation.

4. Feedback & Recognition. While it is always important to “inspect what you expect,” it is equally important to set up the change effort so that people in the organization experience some early wins.  These early wins increase individual support for change while also having the benefit of helping to sway the attitudes of change-skeptical employees. It is also important to communicate how the employees’ work will change and how they will be measured during and after the change effort. Setting clear expectations and providing frequent informal feedback will help to build employee confidence and shape the key behaviors needed for positive results. Lastly, it is important to keep in mind that for recognition to be most effective, it needs to be personal, immediate, sincere and specific. Highly visible rewards are a great way to reinforce the organization’s commitment to the change.  Likewise, disciplining people who stand in the way of change will reinforce the organization’s commitment to the change effort.

5. Stay the Course.
Study after study has shown that successful change demands more than plans and processes; it requires an understanding of the human side. Plans and processes themselves do not create the change. Organizational change occurs only through the sustained, collective actions of the employees who are responsible for designing, executing and living the change. Therefore it is essential that leaders model the way and communicate with exceptional clarity. Leaders must provide training to build new skills and they must pay greater attention than usual to what employees are doing.


  
Let me end my sharing with the phrase from David Lodge……
To prevent your organization from becoming
“Strandeed on the mudflats of an obsolete Ideology”
 you must become a champion of change.

References:
Klepper, A. 1993. Management:Enhancing the Lessons of experience. Illinois,Richard D. Irwin, Inc.


http://www.sbs.oakland.edu/ispso/berg.html