Management Theory and Practice Assignment - Semester 1 PDF

 

Answer 1) INTRODUCTION

The ultimate aim of every business is to make profits. In order to remain successful,  businesses should be more efficient, reduce wastage and thereby reduce cost. In today’s today’s global market scenario, where companies face heavy he avy competition from each other, it is important to follow stringent workplace management procedures. One way to achieve this is  by implementing a technique known known as the ‘5S’ technique.  technique.  ‘5S’ technique is a Japanese technique that improves i mproves a workplace environme environment, nt, eliminates wastage, improves human capabilities and thereby enhances productivity. It is a Lean initiative that promotes continuous improvement and maintains an organized, safe and efficient workplace. The word ‘5S’ for workplace management comprises of o f 5 principles in making the workplace efficient and effective. ABC company has not been profitable for quite some time. The lockdown and COVID -19 has brought the world to its knees and has increased its i ts woes. The need for implementing the ‘5S’ technique has come into being due to an unorganized and uncomfortable work environment and excessive wastage. Following an effective ‘5S’ technique will ensure the strengthening of work ethics among team members and increasing motivation and teamwork. CONCEPTS AND APPLICATIONS 

‘5S’ is derived from the Japanese words Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu and Shitsuke. This technique summarises a series of activities to eliminate wastage that causes errors, defects and workplace accidents. 1)  Seiri (Sort) –  The  The first step of the 5S technique is sorting. All the work areas of the organization should be clutter-free and be kept in an organized manner. With Wi th unnecessary items being eliminated, the work area must include tools, instruments, materials and instructions that are necessary for production. For ABC company, in the sorting stage or discipline, the organization should make sure that there is no equipment scattered over in the work area. The sorting method throws away unnecessary items, the items that are actually needed will only be stored. This helps to identify the items that are required for getting the job done effectively and efficiently. Items that are required everyday must be tagged. If there is an it item em or spare parts that would be used less often it would be a better idea to move them to storage. Excess inventory causes wastage and needs to be identified during the sorting sorti ng process. 2)  Seiton (Straighten or set in order)  –   –  The second stage of the ‘5S’ technique is arranging all the necessary items in an accessible range for workers and users. Designate places for every item that would be used and put in the right places. Frequently used tools or items should be stored in an area that would be easily accessible by the user. For ABC company, to avoid wasting time on a particular tool shadow board can be created so they can be easily found if not in use. . If Items are not used often they should be stored based on how often it is used. Care must be taken that every time, everything should be in its place.

 

2)  Seiso (Shine) –   –  The third step of ‘5S’ technique is Shine. The target of Seiso is to clean the work areas and keep them tidy. Work areas should be free from garbage, dust or filth. No excessive tools and equipment should be kept in the work area. Dirty equipment or tools to ols can facilitate their failure fail ure and cause loss of time and productivity. It can also be unsafe for employees to work as the risk of injury in a dirty work environment is higher. For ABC company employees must make sure that they keep their respective areas clean and tidy which would enable efficiency in their work. Spillage of oil or lubricants lubrica nts forms spare  parts, faulty bulbs, worn out cables should be mended so that the work area is risk-free for all employees. This would also ensure that wastage is reduced and productivity surges.

4)  Seiketsu (Standardise)  –  –  This is the fourth and one of the most important steps in the ‘5S’ technique. In this step, we have to develop standards so that they are practiced across workstations and users practice the same in their job. Without standards, workers may  perform the job the way they like and not not the way that the team agreed upon. With the help of colour coding and pasting photos of ‘5S’ system workers can be kept aware of the standards that are required for the upkeep of the workplace. Likewise, ABC company will have to construct SOP’s (Standard Operating Procedures) to define a standard way of working. Also doing this would ensure workers perform their duties in a particular manner that is expected of them, thus improving efficiency and productivity. Standardisation also brings about discipline among workers.

5)  Shitsuke (Sustain) –   –  This is one of the most challenging steps of the ‘5S’ technique. Sustaining is continuing the process of improvement. It refers to continue doing all the other steps Sort, Straighten, Shine and Standardise. The goal of this step is to engrain‘5S’ technique in the company’s culture.  culture.  For ABC company, it is important that they continue working with consistency and stick to the rules of workplace management. Encouraging everybody’s participation participatio n in continuous improvement will also ensure smooth functioning and profits for the company.

CONCLUSION 

‘5S’ method is a technique that would work wonders for organisations in the work area,  production line or business operations. In today’s today’s highly competitive work environment, in order to survive, cost should be controlled along with eliminating wastage and improving  production. ‘5S’ method when implemented will identify and reduce reduce many  many forms of wastage and bring about discipline among employees and boost their productivity. The ‘5S’ method also teaches us the importance of organising the workplace. The importance of designating  places for tools and equipment makes the work area free of clutter and easily accessible thus saving on time and increasing efficiency. A clean floor helps in identifying any machine spillage and indicates machine maintenance, preventing falls. Therefore, ‘5S’ principles implemented as aand partdrives of a lean lcontinuous ean initiative or standardisation tool helps reduce wastage,  promotes safety improvem improvement. ent.

 

  Answer 2 INTRODUCTION

Organisational Culture is of paramount importance to a business. Having a strong culture motivates employees to do their best work. Businesses that tend to have a good culture are always more successful than others. A good culture promotes a positive work environment, increases engagement and boosts performance and productivity. Organisational culture refers to objectives set by a company such as the mission, vision and values that guide employees to success. Companies with a good culture are more structured and streamlined and attract job seekers looking for a new job and opportunity for growth in their careers. A dutch management consultant named Fons Trompenaars along with his counterpart Hampden-Turner developed a model to analyse cultural dimension. This model is also known as The Seven Dimensions of Culture. Nowadays, most companies have employees working with them from all over the world. These people come from various cultures and  backgrounds. Cultural diversity is a positive reflection of a company’s reputation and and image. It is essential to respect every person regardless of race, culture and religion as it promotes workplace harmony and helps individuals to work effectively and more collaboratively.  collaboratively.  

CONCEPTS AND APPLICATIONS 

Trompenaar’s seven dimensions of cultures help employees to understand people belonging Trompenaar’s seven to different cultures and work effectively. It also helps people understand cultural preferences and how to avoid misunderstandings when working in cross-cultural function. As a consultant, my analysis would be around using the seven dimensions effectively and  promoting a healthy workplace environment environment for XYZ company. 1)  Universalism vs Particularism: In universalist culture, the focus is on rules rather than the relationship. They prefer relationships based on rules. Countries like the US and Canada follow the universalist culture. Enlisted below are a few points based on my analysis as a consultant for XYZ company. In a universal culture, the key is to be consistent c onsistent and keep up to your word, give a logical explanation to explain your point and decisions taken.

Particularism is more about forming social relationships and not having much consideration for rules. Countries like Russia and Korea are examples of particularism. Including people in decision making and giving them autonomy is the key to work with such cultures. It is equally important to invest in building relationships, to understand the particular needs of others.

 

2)  Individualism vs Communitarianism: People of an individualistic culture believe in freedom and achievement. People of this type, are known to be the masters of their own decisions. Examples of Individualism are countries like Australia, Canada and the UK. The key to engaging engaging these members is allowing them to take their own creative decisions and let them learn from their mistakes. Showering praises and rewarding individual efforts is another great way to engage these people. Communitarianism culture organizes itself around groups. It is all about a group comes  before an individual. These types of people people are always loyal to their group. Examples of communitarianism are countries like Japan and China. Working in such cultures means the group needs to be praised and not an individual. Including the whole team in decision making is the key to engage with such cultures.

3)  Specific vs Diffuse: People in a specific culture keep work and personal lives li ves separate. One doesn’t see an overlap in these two spheres. People are focused to attain atta in their objective and not on the relationship. Examples of a specific culture are countries like Germany, Netherlands, U.S. When working with such cultures one must keep in mind to be direct and to the point. Be clear on instructions, processes and procedures. The focus should be to achieve your goals and objectives and not on strengthening personal bonds or relationships. Diffused cultures are inverse or the opposite of a specific culture. We see a direct connection  between work and personal life. They believe good relationships are the the best way to meet your business goals and objectives. Examples of diffused culture is India and Russia and Spain. The key to engaging with such s uch cultures is by developing a good work relationship and. One can be expected to attend social gatherings of fellow employees and personal interests could be also discussed at work.

4)  Neutral vs Emotional: In a Neutral culture, people do not tend to show or express emotion. Emotions are usually kept under control and interactions are limited. Examples of neutral countries are the UK and Sweden. In a neutral set up one should manage their own emotions and ‘stick ‘sti ck to your point’ in meetings. As people do not express true emotions you need to watch their reactions carefully and try to read between the lines. Emotional cultures are cultures where people freely free ly express their emotions, also, at their workplace. They also believe in rapport building with other people around. Examples of Emotional cultures are Italy and France. The best way to engage with emotional cultures is to express your emotions freely and build trust and rapport with others. The use of positive body language and attitude is also important for interactions interact ions in such cultures.

 

5)  Achievement vs Ascription: In an achievement-oriented culture, people are focused on achieving their goals and objectives. People value performance irrespective of who you are. Countries like the U.S, UK and Canada exhibit an achievement culture. Rewards and Recognition for good performance is a great way of engagement in an achievement culture. In Ascription culture, importance is given to position and title. Here, people value a person for who he is. The importance of position and status shapes behavior in this culture. Examples of countries that have an ascription culture are ar e Italy, Japan and France.

6)  Sequential time vs Synchronous time: Every person manages time differently. People who favour sequential time are the ones who are very punctual and like to plan their schedule. They like to t o plan things in sequential order as they consider ‘time as money’ and don’t appreciate their schedule to be thrown off. Countries like the US, UK and Germany are great examples of sequential time cultures. Focusing on one project at a time, setting clear deadlines and being punctual are the key to engage with people in this type of culture. People favouring a synchronous time culture are multi-taskers. multi-tas kers. They perceive the present,  past and future at the same time period. Their schedules, plans and deadlines are moveable. moveable. They trust in being flexible with their commitments. Examples of synchronous time culture are countries like Argentina, India and Mexico. The key to engage with them is by offering flexibility on projects and tasks and highlighting the essentiality of tasks and objectives whenever deadlines are tight.

7)  Internal Direction vs Outer Direction:  In an internal direction culture, for the achievement of targets and goals, people believe in taking over the environment around them. Engaging with these audiences is by setting clear objectives and allowing them to drive their learning. Talking or discussing any misunderstanding or conflict allows people to engage more constructively. Examples of such a culture are countries like the US, UK and Australia. In an external direction culture, people believe in being controlled by the nature of the environment around them. These people focus on environmental factors like building relationships to attain objectives. The best way to connect with outer direction people is by giving them timely feedback on their performance so that they are aware of their actions affecting the environment, helping people with the resources to do their jobs and reassuring them that they are doing a good job. Examples of outer direction cultures are countries like China, Russia etc.

 

CONCLUSION 

The seven dimensions of culture by Trompenaar helps us understand different cultural  backgrounds better so that we can work well and avoid misunderstandings among the teams. It also talks about accepting people from whichever race, religion and culture they come from and promotes a sense of oneness for every individual. As businesses are becoming global, teams become more diverse. As a result, one should be aware of stepping outside of one’s  biases and stereotypes. The main idea of the study is to provide people people with a vision of different cultures and help them to adjust themselves to newer markets. When a person moves to a new place, mostly for work, he needs to understand the culture of that region so that he may not feel left out and a nd culture-shocked with the new environment. Problems in companies occur when cultural differences are not taken t aken care of and ways of managing are different in some cultures. As a result, companies feel the need of st standardising andardising their management functioning. The framework explains how to reconcile cultural differences that can help achieve, competitive advantage and help in developing efficiency and collaboration among people from various cultures.

Answer 3a) INTRODUCTION 

Organisational structure is a hierarchical allocation of tasks to individuals to achieve the goals and objectives of an organisation. The most important purpose of organisational structure is to clearly define duties and responsibilities to employees in the firm. Organisational structure helps in achieving maximum productivity of employees. It is impossible for one person to supervise and control the work of all employees in an organisation. It is extremely essential that control and structure are defined at various levels for smooth functioning and efficiency among various teams. An organisation structure determines proper working in the organisation by effectively distributing the work among employees. The distribution distr ibution of work into entities or workgroups allows ease of tracking the performance and productivity of individuals. Different people, such as managers and supervisors ensure control of activities acti vities of a department and make sure that the quality and quantity of work is not hampered. Therefore, it becomes extremely necessary for organisations to set up a structured organisation to achieve maximum  productivity from employees and define define the right set of duties to people for the smooth functioning of the firm.

CONCEPTS AND APPLICATIONS 

To achieve success for the long term it is essential for a company to maintain a healthy workplace environment. Proper organisational structure would ensure proper co-ordination  between individuals and departments and optimal optimal utilisation of resources. Following would  be some characteristics of an effective organisational structure.

 

  1)  Simple and Unambiguous - The organisational structure should not be complicated. It should be simple enough for all employees to understand. The structure of an organisation can be based on its size. A small company having less than 30 employees can have one level of management. However, the opinion changes for a larger organisation having more than 1000 employees, such companies can think of having two or three levels for better functioning and control. 2)  Flexible and adaptable –   –  The  The structure of an organisation should be flexible. flex ible. In today’s dynamic environment a flexible structure can quickly adapt to changes occurring in the internal and external environment. Companies that are more flexible are seen to be more successful by adapting to newer inventions and technological changes.  –   An 3)  Clarity of roles –  An employer should have proper clarity of roles of employees from top to  bottom in an organisation so that reporting of of any issues or problems are taken care of  promptly. It is equally important to know know one’s responsibility to w work ork so that operations are carried out effectively. 4)  Involvement of top management  –  –  Involvement  Involvement of top management is of paramount importance as rules and regulations, goals and objectives, strategies and tactics are usually formed by them. Many companies have a top-down approach. 5)  Division of work –   An An organisation should be structured in such a way that every individual working for that organisation has been allocated duties according to his skill set, competencies and abilities so that he is able to perform his tasks with due diligence and effectiveness. 6)  Unity of command –   –  It  It is essential that there is a single point of command for an individual working in an organisation. Too many commands from different authorities would have an adverse effect on the employee and his performance would plunge eventually. 7)  Span of control/management  –  –  The  The number of employees under one manager refers to span of management. The number of employees under one employee must be adequate. One manager and many reportees widen the span of control. If less, les s, the span is said to be less. The span is determined by the ability of the manager to handle his employees and also depends on the nature of work and skillsets of the employees. 8)  Authority- It is essential to break down the authority of a organisation into departments, divisions and functions. Authority helps keep a watch on daily activities, thus acts a measure of controlling and supervising employees’ actions.  actions.  9)  Scalar chain –   –  The  The chain depicts the flow of information in an organisation. Information ideally flows from the top level to the lower levels. This chain helps understand the effective information flow of information and keeps employees aware of their duties and responsibilities. 10) Unity of purpose  –  –  Every  Every company works towards fulfilling a purpose. The top management is responsible for conveying the purpose to its employees so that they can work towards achieving it.

 

CONCLUSION 

Organisation structure is one of the factors that affect the goals of an organisation. Designing the right structure is very crucial. If not developed properly problems like poor communication, lack of co-ordination, bad customer service and a series of o f other problems may occur. As a result, the company may suffer heavy losses and fail in being competitive in the market. Having a organised structure can prove beneficial in achieving a chieving the objectives and goals of the firm. Dividing work among departments and functions functi ons ensures smooth functioning of operations resulting in less friction and thus improving productivity. Organisational structure outlays other benefits like the chain of command, span of control, teamwork, proper allocation of resources and unified distribution of work to employees. Organisational structure is thus of paramount importance to promote harmony in a small or large workplace environment

Answer 3b) INTRODUCTION 

The Six Box model is known as ‘The Weisbord’s Six Box Model’. This model has been developed by Marvin Weisbord an American analyst in 1976 to evaluate the performance of an organisation. It is a framework that identifies identifi es concerns that need to be addressed by the organisation while designing the structure. The Weisbord Six Box model is also known for its ability to adapt across various business domains and can be utilised in many industries. It is extremely important to analyse and understand the Six Box model as it provides important information regarding growing and structuring the business. It provides a valuable take on every facet of the business which helps companies gain an advantage over their competitors.

CONCEPTS AND APPLICATIONS 

A formal diagnosis helps in understanding what is the current situation and provides insights on what exactly the situation should have been. With the help of the Six Box model companies can unveil issues and draw conclusions in order to solve their problems. The six  boxes that make up the model are purpose, purpose, structure, relationships, rewards, leadership and helpful mechanisms. 1)  Purpose  –  –   This This box reveals the fact how the management and key decision-makers agree and support the mission, vision, goals, objectives and values of the organisation. It is concerned with the overall direction of the company. 2)  Structure –   –  This  This box focuses on the structure of the organisation and how well it is designed to achieve the purpose of the organisation.

 

3)  Relationships –   –  This  This aspect helps understand the different types of relationships rel ationships between various individuals of the company, various departments and between individuals and the nature of their jobs. It also focusses on conflicts if any, and how important is the role of communication and coordination to develop good relations within the organisation. 4)  Rewards  –  –  This  This box explains the importance of having a reward structure in place for recognizing the efforts of employees of the organisation. organisati on. It also focuses on the compensation  package and incentive structure of the organisation. It is essential that every employee is rewarded for his performance so that he feels feel s motivated and works positively towards attaining the goals and objectives of the company. 5)  Leadership  –  –  This  This aspect of the Six Box model helps understand the leadership style within the organisation. It is crucial that the leaders who are responsible for formulating f ormulating the structure and monitoring performance are aligned with the nature, values and objectives of the organisation.   organisation. 6)  Helpful mechanism –   –   This This aspect talks about various mechanisms of the organisation that help employees achieve their goals and objectives. These are processes that are essential for employees to fulfill their jobs and reap profits for the organisation. Example: Information systems, budgeting, etc.

CONCLUSION 

The Six Box model is a great way of looking at the structure and plan of an organisation. It gives an overall direction to the senior management of the company to focus on essential aspects related to the success of the company. They include planning, rewards and incentives, internal relationships, accountability, performance assessment, hierarchies of authority,  processes and standards for effective functioning and achieving targeted results for the organisation. The purpose of an organisation includes the mission and vision. Likewise, the structure helps achieve the purpose. Strong relationships ensure that teams are well co-ordinated and communication improves amongst employees. Rewards motivate employees helping them  perform to do their jobs adeptly. Leadership provides provides stability and brings balance among employees. Healthy mechanisms improve processes and help with meeting organisational objectives. As a start-up company, the Six Box model would benefit the company to identify areas of improvement and work towards structuring it and making it a profitable organisation.