The Role of Rational Management in Organizations

The Role of Rational Management in Organizations Rational approaches are systematic methods that follow one-step after the other, in a process of decision-making. The use of this rationale in an organisation involves collecting quantitative data through observation or statistics in the field, in preparation of coming up with long-term decisions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Role of Rational Management in Organizations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Most of the organisation has benefited by this approach, as the organisations leaders mostly prefer it. In every organisation, it is the role of the leaders mostly referred to as managers to come up with policies, strategies, and policies, which can enable the company to attain its short and long-term objectives (Morgan, 2006). It is the wish of every manager to place his or her company at a competitive edge compared to rest in the market. Currently, the business environment is very challenging, and this aspect is calling for the manager to come up with the best approaches to be applied in solving problems and making the relevant decisions within the organisation (Robbins, 2006). This paper will focus on the reasons as to why managers prefer the use of rational approaches, and how they benefit from using open systems. Rationality in Management Every organisation relies on the decisions of the top management, hence why the managers need to be very careful in every step they make in their duties. The major role of management is to mentor the employees, as well as providing a good environment for them, to promote their performances (Jugnor, 2008). The managers ensure that all employees are aware of their duties, and they have the required resources to enable them execute their responsibilities. The way through which managers mentor their juniors matters a lot, as he is dealing with employees of different personalities and capabilities. In an organisation, there are rational leaders and ration al managers. Rational readers ensure that there is the development of the necessary mechanisms to be used in learning, and staff participation in an organisation (Thompson McHugh, 2002). Through the guidance of a rational leader, the organisation gets the best strategic decisions to handle the major challenges faced by the organisation. Rational decisions aid the smooth running of the day-to-day activities of the employees.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Several organizations have proved to be more competitive in terms of quality of their goods or services, punctuality, and acceptability of its decisions to the society through the guidance given by its rational managers and leaders. The most important aspect of applying rational approaches by the managers or the leaders is that, for the decision they make to be fully implemented, the acceptability by the human ca pital in the organisation should be put into consideration. Engaging the subordinate in the process of decision-making is very important for the whole organisation, as they would understand the rules better, and their suggestions would be incorporated in the process. Rational management provides a good environment for learning to be utilized by the employees, so that they can develop a positive culture of the organisation (Audner, 2007). Whenever the employees realize that their efforts and success within an organisation are recognized, they work tirelessly towards achieving their set targets. There is no single effort of an employee that should go unnoticed, as this would be motivating them to put extra efforts in their duties. Another important reason of rational management within an organisation is encouraging the spirit of teamwork. Through working in teamwork, employees learn from each other, and individuals have a chance to demonstrate their talents in areas that they are expe rtise. Team works in an organisation is good initiatives for sharing knowledge and experiences, hence each one of them get a good chance to gain more knowledge and improve their skills. For instance, Jet blue airway company is a good example of the companies that have a culture of promoting learning within its employees (Webner, 2007). This company has diversified its services ton some training institutes where its employees can be trained to keep them, updated and fully equipped to meet the current demands of their clients in the market.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Role of Rational Management in Organizations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This form of learning is very crucial, as it is an initiative of having qualified employees who are competent in their duties. During the annual general meetings of coca cola Company, the best performers are severally seen being rewarded as a way of recognising their ef forts. This is a very crucial culture of motivating the employees through such practices, as every employee would wish to be the best performer and be recognised. Currently, the business world is very competitive, and it is the duty of any organisation to come up with unique strategies and out stand among its competitors (Dragna, 2005). It has been a challenge to most of the organisation, as through what way, an organisation can stand out among its competitors. The availability of effective top management, who are innovative, can place an organisation at a very competitive edge in the market. The aspect of creativity needs also to be applied in all areas of production, marketing, as well as in handling the clients. Rational management has always created a good opportunity for managers and leaders to exploit their potential fully. The different levels of management have different policies that can be applied by the managers in developing and mentoring the human resource capital withi n the organisation. According to the research done concerning the levels of management, it is evident that, there is not a single moment when the capability of a manager is fully exploited (Jugnor, 2008). Therefore, managers should take such opportunities to utilize their capabilities for the benefit of the employees and the entire organisation. Benefits of open/natural systems approach Several benefits are associated with the application of open/natural systems within an organisation. To begin with, through the application of this system, the management realizes the importance of the external environment to the organisation. There is a dire need for any organisation to have a good relationship with the external environment, as some external factors can impose negative effects to the organisation.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Good and health relationships with the surrounding environment, the organisation needs to apply its ethical values, and adopt corporate social responsibilities (Beauttah, 2008). Good relationships with the external environments would also increase the clients’ coverage for the organisation. There is always well-structured human resource management in an organisation with natural systems approach. The managers develop themselves as well as other employees through making use of numerous training programs created by the organisation. Team leaders liaise with the top management in conducting training within the organisation, and the learning spirit is highly developed within an organisation (Beauttah, 2008). Through such activities, team leaders and the top managers get a good chance to learn from one another especially the best ways of handling major challenges that they encounter. A good example of a company with a well-structured human resource is Adidas Ltd. Where the top man agers are seen benefiting from an open system as well as juniors (Jugnor, 2008). Employees are given an opportunity to develop their knowledge through learning, while the managers enjoy a well-structured leadership plan. Through this, everyone within the organisation gets a good opportunity to exploit his or her potential fully. In addition, those organisations that apply open systems give the managers a good chance of interacting freely with their subordinates. During the processes of decision-making, the subordinates are included in the process, as their views are considered very crucial (Hodge William, 2003). This makes them feel catered for and respect between them, and their bosses are enhanced. During refreshing games within the organisation, the managers mix freely with the juniors and get a chance to challenge one another with their talents. Such actions are promoters of a free communication within an organisation hence reducing chances of making some serious mistakes by ei ther the management team, or by the employees. Any employee be it a manager or a junior there is always an open opportunity to recommend, or suggest something to make acquiring the organisations targets easier. For instance, the internal business journals of Unilever ltd., the ideas and suggestions of the company improvement are seen to come from the top management as well as from the juniors (Beauttah, 2008). This is a good show of open expressions within an organisation, whereby, it is the responsibility of everyone within the organisation to ensure there is success. Conclusion In conclusion, a rational management style brings about effective communication styles, whereby the flow of information is clear from the top management down to the juniors. The feedback from the employees is also received in a good manner, whereby the employees do not feel intimidated. The communication ion such organization is a two-way system, such that when the managers send the information to the junio r, juniors are expected to provide their diverse feedback with suggestions whenever it is necessary (McAuley Duberley, 2007). Rational management is a system that is currently appreciated in most organizations, because its effects are moving organisations in a positive way. This is the reason behind most of the managers preferring applying it in their organisations. An open system of management is another beneficial approach that is appreciated by most of the managers. This is because of the chance they get to be motivated and to motivate their juniors. This approach brings about an expanded path of developing everyone skills and talents within an organisation. Reference List Audner, M. (2007). Organisational Theory. British Journal of Management , 50 72. Beauttah, W. (2008). Work Employment and Society. Journal of Management ,15-50. Dragna, P. (2005). Managerial Practices. Journal of Management Studies , 95 135. Hodge, B., William, A. (2003). Organisation theory: a strategic appr oach.  Michigan: Prentice Hall. Jugnor, M. (2008). Effective Management. Journal of Work and Occupations, 25-59. McAuley, J., Duberley, J. (2007). Organisation theory: challenges and  perspectives. New York: Prentice Hall. Morgan, G. (2006). Images of Organization. Thousand Oaks: Sage. Robbins, S. (2006). Organisational Theory: Concepts Cases. Sydney: Prentice Hall. Thompson, P., McHugh, D. (2002). Work Organisations: A Critical introduction.  Hampshire: Palgrave. Webner, J. (2007). Human Relations. British Journal of industrial Relations , 132 165.

Math Journaling in the Classroom and Out

Math Journaling in the Classroom and Out Journal writing can be a valuable technique to further develop and enhance your mathematical thinking and communication skills in mathematics. Journal entries in mathematics provide opportunities for individuals to self-assess what theyve learned. When one makes an entry into a math journal, it becomes a record of the experience received from the specific math exercise or problem-solving activity. The individual has to think about what he/she did in order to communicate it in writing; in so doing, one gains some valuable insight and feedback about the mathematical problem-solving process. The math no longer becomes a task whereby the individual simply follows the steps or rules of thumb. When a math journal entry is required as a follow up to the specific learning goal, one actually has to think about what was done and what was required to solve the specific math activity or problem. Math instructors also find that math journaling can be quite effective. When reading through the jour nal entries, a decision can be made to determine if further review is required. When an individual writes a math journal, they must reflect on what they have learned which becomes a great assessment technique for individuals and instructors. If math journals are something new, you will want to use the following strategies to assist the implementation of this valuable writing activity. Procedure A journal should be written at the end of a math exercise.Journal entries should be in a separate book, one used specifically for mathematical thinking.Math journals should contain specific details about the areas of difficulties and areas of success.The math journal entries should take no more than 5-7 minutes.Math journals can be done with children and adults. Younger children will draw pictures of the concrete math problem they have explored.Math journals should not be done daily, its more important to do math journals with new concepts in areas specifically related to growth in mathematical problem-solving.Be patient, math journaling takes time to learn. It is critical to understand that math journaling is an entry of the mathematical thinking processes. Theres no right or wrong way of thinking! Math Journal Prompts to Get You Started I knew I was right when......If I missed____________ I would have to__________________.The thing you have to remember with this kind of problem is........Tips I would give a friend to solve this problem are.........I wish I knew more about......How many times did you try to solve the problem? How did you finally solve it?Could you have found the answer by doing something different? What?What method did you use to solve this problem and why?Was this hard or easy? Why?Where else could you use this type of problem-solving?What would happen if you missed a step? Why?What other strategies could you use to solve this problem?Write 4 steps for somebody else that will be solving this problem.What would you like to do better next time?Were you frustrated with this problem? Why or why not?What decisions had to be made when solving this problem?What do you like about math? What dont you like about math?Is math your favorite subject? Why or why not? When one has to write about problem-solving strategies, it helps to clarify thinking. We will often discover solutions to problems when we write about the problem. Another strategy that helps to retain math concepts and support understanding is knowing how to take great notes in math.

Supply chain management - Operation management Essay - 1

Supply chain management - Operation management - Essay Example The aggregate planning is often shared with the supply chain partners since it has a great impact on the supply chain. All the stages within the supply chain ought to work hand in hand in order to improve the supply chain performance. This is quite essential because it would help synchronize the flow of operations throughout the supply chain (Boyer & Verma, 2009). The information that would be better shared with the supply chain partners is the vendor managed inventory because vendors are known to undertake the duty of planning on behalf of the trading partners. My main reason for such a decision is to minimize the safety stock as a buffer on the vendor side due to the uncertainty in demand as well as minimize the safety stock on the consumer side due to uncertainty in supply (Liu & Kumar, 2003). The supply chains partners will have to ensure that there is collaboration between the overtime, inventory holding and the subcontractors. In case the aggregated plan is not achieved, a special handling process ought to be adopted so that the process of production is not slowed down, but met as anticipated within the six months. Strategic sourcing is, as well, information that ought to be shared herein. Since the production of tankloads involves a chain of suppliers, sourcing becomes a complex match making procedure. The combined process of efforts from subcontractors, working overtime and the inventory holdings varies in its structure from chronological sharing. The success in information sharing throughout the supply chain, starting from demand forecast to order fulfilment, will see the Bottling Company minimise costs using this production

Writing for Different Cultures and Audiences Annotated Bibliography

Writing for Different Cultures and Audiences - Annotated Bibliography Example For this kind of research, it plays the role of acquainting the research with the basic information on Australian culture and how culture has changed from time to time. Clancy talks about the evolution of Australia from the time when it was only inhabited by the Aboriginals to the moment when immigrants began arriving and settling in the Island. The book traces the arrival of Europeans in the 18th century and also examines the people of Anglo=Irish origin who migrated to Australia. It sort of talks about the Australian identity and highlights the popularity of Christianity and how globalization has led to urbanization of the bush that Australia was. Apart from giving a chronological account of the metamorphosis of Australia, the book also covers tourism, sports and its significance, national barbeque and the influence that Indians and Europeans have on the country. The book is important for the research because it covers the fundamental issues of Australian culture and it evolution. It, however, fails to properly cover the Aboriginals who form the basis of Australian culture. It, however, still forms the basis of the research and will be used toget her with other books to get a conclusive research on Australian culture. In this book, Colson covers the culture of the Aboriginals. The Aboriginals are the indigenous people of Australia, who have complained about the atrocity committed against them by the immigrants who moved to Australia. Their culture was affected by the influx of people into Australia. However, they form a significant basis of Australian cultural history. Colson chronicles the culture of the Aboriginals their ceremonies, art and how their culture has influenced Australia. It also covers the family structure and society of other indigenous Australian cultures. It is a short book but has important information on the culture of Aboriginals. Since it is

SMART Goals for Career Planning

SMART Goals for Career Planning The smart goal involved to the establishment of specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time targeted goals. My career goal is to work in the organization where I can utilize my marketing skills that I have learned from my educational course program. This smart goal can make me to work with the organization with the suitable marketing skills for the success of my organization. This smart goal was an effective process for me in making process by means of ensuring that participants in a group with a common goals. This goal helped to my career by working towards my own objectives that included the career based goals for me. This goal setting was also the major component of personal development and it established the positive relationship between identified goals and performance in the organization. Hence smart goal can help to achieve my career goals in the organization (Jeffrey H. Greenhaus, 2009). Action Step 2: Research the Career Field That Interests Me I am interested in marketing career field in order to achieve the organizational objectives as well as goals among global level. The marketing career field provided the technical ideas, case studies and strategies for making the perfect research for the success of marketing organization. The marketing field offered the various career opportunities and thats why it was easy for choosing marketing value, interest and personal style. The marketing field was to an entry level position as a market research analyst and in that I can utilize my strong quantitative as well as qualitative research skills and l interested in the marketing position with the strong organizational and interpersonal skills. Action Step 3: Research Companies within the Field That Interest Me I have interested to work some marketing firms in order to developing my career, attitude and my life goal. Roy Morgan Research, Print Measurement Bureau, Psyma Group, IMRB International, Segment Y were the marketing companies with in the field that I have interested for working to improve my objectives with the success of organizations. I have interested to work in a marketing firms in one of these companies and after getting the opportunity, my pleasure will be enhanced the business of one of these organizations. I have also interested to work in marketing companies and because of this marketing level can decide the success of organizations. The marketing field was also the great filed to ensure the organization among global level. The marketing field organization can compete with the global organization with the suitable perfection and quality as well as quality. Action Step 4: Research the Positions within the Organizations That Interests Me I have researched many positions within the organizations and but I have interested to get marketing distribution positions within the companies. The distribution position was the effective position in order to distributing the quality and quantity products as well as services within the organization. This position was also the one of four elements of marketing mix and it was the process of making the products and service available for consumption by a consumer or by the business user and I can develop the marketing position of organization by means of distributing high quality products and services. I can also motivate the marketing department by means designing the most suitable channels for the products of firm and offering higher margins to the intermediary and special deals. Action Step 5: Create a List of Networking Contacts Job obtained through networks Advertisements, direct contact with companies, employment agencies, college career services. Percentage of jobs through networks 52 % of people obtained jobs through networking and 42% of people obtained the jobs by other sources. Previous co-workers list Seller, Computer association, associative editor, distributor, sales administrator were the previous co-workers in the organization. Hired professionals list Accountants, banker and attorneys were hired by me in the organization in order to make organizational environment success as well as quality production and service. Action Step 6: Create a List of Professional Organizations Associated with My Target Career Field Association for Manufacturing excellence, Association of International Product and Management, Color Marketing Group, Institute of Management Accountants, International Association of Business Communicators were the professional organization that associated with my target career field. These professional agents or organizations make the marketing field perfect and they helped to the enhancement of marketing section in the organizations. My career will be successful by means of these professional organizations. Action Step 7: Schedule Information Interviews/Job Shadowing The best ways to gather the real world information about chosen field were informational interviews and job shadows. The steps for the informational interviews were figuring out whom and how to ask for an interview, conducting the interview as well as sending a thank you note. Initially, the organization has to announce the informational interview date by advertising. Scheduling the information interview included the duration for conducting the interview and the starting time for an informational interview was from 9.00 am in organizations. The informational interview included the way to find the effective people by means of asking the business field questions. During the informational interview, it was necessary to ask potential information interview questions in order to conducting the interview successfully. After the interview, it was essential to sending the thank you note to the person and to make the opportunity to talk with the person positively in order to approach the perso n. Action Step 8: Determine Next Steps After the interview, the asker must approach the person positively in order to motivate them. Then interviewer must say that the interview care will be sent for u to the person for getting the job. The positive approach of interviewer to person will provide the ethical environment to person. The thank you letter was the general format in all information interviews in order to satisfy or motivate the person and it was also used to convey additional information including experience, training the person forgot to mention during the information interview. The e-mail was the appropriate tool in order to send the feedback letters or thank you letters (Kandula, 2006). Action Step 9: Enter Formal Application Process The formal application process was the significant one when making the access application and it was used to ensure the existing application. The formal application process contained the personal information about another person and this process also concerned another persons business, commercial, professional interest. This process concerned the research that had been carried out by behalf of another person. The application process had been entered to carrying out the information of other organizational members and staffs. The formal application process involved the affairs of a government of the commonwealth or another state. PART-II:Â  Career Management Plan Part 1: Career Central Assessment Reflection I could gain insights about myself that I can enhance the organizational management and procedural aspects of organization. I can gain the organizational improvement by means of ensuring the organizational products and services. I can also concentrate to achieve the life career as well as goals. The planning implementation and achieving results, influencing communication teamwork, problems solving and teamwork as well as commitment and I challenged these aspects of results and I can resolve these challenges by making organizational innovation. My result influenced the learning experience positively at CTU. In CTU, the effective training, practices and learning were provided for making the perfect experience hence the result was an excellent experience at CTU. The result influenced the creation of smart goals positively by satisfying the objectives and missions. The result has the positive implication on the leadership style and the leadership style will be made effectively by the imp lication of result. Part 2: SMART Goals and Target Jobs and Employers My short term goal was to know about the aspect of marketing tool that will help to me in order to perform in marketing department of organizations. This short term goal can also achieve my life time careers and I want to become the marketing analyst in order to gain the marketing aspects. I have also identified three types of marketing jobs and organization that supported to these short term goals (Carolyn boyes, 2010). These three marketing jobs and organizations helped to achieve my marketing short term goals and these organizations will promote me to the position of marketing analyst. These marketing jobs and organizations can fit with the short term goals in the case of enhancing the career. The role of professional association that I have identified was supporting to the short term goals and the identified professional association promoted me to the position of marketing analysts by seeking particular profession for me. My long term goal is to become the marketing manager with the perfection and attitude for achieving my career goals with the success of marketing organizations. My long term goal was also to make the ethical environment in marketing field and make the quality production and services. The three marketing jobs and organizations that I have identified were to support for these long term goals by satisfying the careers and goals. The identified jobs and organizations made better marketing environment to long term organizations and also they made the opportunities for these long term goals. Part 3: Skill Development and Learning Plan The technical skill, human skill and conceptual skill were skills that were used to develop further to successful for meeting the goals. The technical skill involved in executing the budgeting, accounting and marketing outcomes. Human skill involved in the case of working with the marketing groups in order to lead the marketing department. The conceptual skill was to understand the various functions of marketing environment. These three skills will be developed by means of setting definitive goals, maintaining positive attitude, creating effective communication and so on.

Construction Case Study Essay

Resistance to organisational change is a natural reaction to those who want to protect their self-interests in the organisation. However, it is clear from the case study that the employees of XYZ Construction showed little resistance to the change implemented by the incoming managing director. The primary reason that change was welcomed was due to the former Managing Director’s management style which was not widely accepted in the organisation. Employees feared him and it was not acceptable to speak openly and honestly. Employees were aware that this behaviour was often counterproductive, and created a negative impression with the former Managing Director. As the newly appointed Managing Director had previously worked at the organisation, he was aware of certain of the issues and concerns of the employees. The experience gained from working at other companies, and the reputation he built from his career prior to returning to XYZ Construction ensured that the employees had faith in his leadership ability. The new Managing Director’s first step in developing relationships with managers and employees was to incorporate key employees into Senior Management Team activities. His actions made it clear that he was willing to retain the current workforce and promote from within the organisation. This created a positive environment which encouraged employees to work harder and produce results Employees and managers did not fear loss of employment with the new Managing Director, but rather felt included in the decision making process. The new Managing Director’s attitude and actions were clear and concise which addressed the problems within the organisation. His actions were collectively moving in the same direction, to achieve a clear goal of improving internal and external relations and improving the organisations performance. He correctly identified problem areas such as relationships, communication and the structure of the organisation. An incorrect diagnosis of the problems within an organisation may result in incorrect changes being implemented, which can lead the organisation into complete disarray. The new Managing Director identified two crucial activities to be performed in conjunction with each other to enable the transformation of the  organisation. The two activities identified were: To introduce new practices and techniques to improve service to customers and thus improve the organisation’s performance. To change the attitudes and behaviour of employees By identifying the two activities above, the new Managing Director identified crucial steps to improve its performance. Only through improving services to customers can the overall organisation’s performance improve. A satisfied customer is likely to return and recommend the organisation to others. This is directly linked to the growth of the organisation. The new Managing Director is aware that to provide better service to customers, the employees will have to develop and learn new practices and techniques to ensure superior service quality is provided to customers. The implementation of the second activity is critical to the success of the overall goal of improved customer relationships. The employees and managers attitudes and behaviours are to be transformed to ensure the best results are achieved. Employees and managers who were unhappy under the former Managing Director are more willing to adhere to the recommended changes. The willingness to adhere also stems from the approaches presented being feasible and there is no fear for loss of employment. The changes bring new opportunities for employees and managers to develop in their current roles and possibly grow into new roles. The potential positive outcomes as a result of these changes are a contributing factor in the lack of resistance experienced by the Managing Director. The cost effectiveness of the changes implemented also contributed to the lack of resistance from employees. The new Managing Director introduced a small-scale Kaizen programme. The programme was introduced with the four goals namely (Burnes, 2009, p. 162); ï‚ · Improvements could be achieved on a quick low cost/no cost basis Promote teamwork Build manager’s confidence such that they can delegate work Empower staff The goals above are all positive resulting in the support of employees and minimises resistance to change. An additional contributing factor was the Managing Directors’ communication regarding his commitment to this initiative. This eradicates any confusion regarding the implementation of this change, and strengthens the â€Å"buy-in† of employees and manager. 3 Introducing a new management style This section will discuss the following statement and to what extent I agree or disagree with the statement; â€Å"the new Managing Director has not changed the culture of XYZ Construction but has merely introduced a new management style†. 3.1 Organisational Culture To understand the statement clearly, the term organisational culture needs to be defined and understood. Organisational culture is defined as â€Å"the  collection of basic assumptions, values, norms and artefacts that are shared by and influence the behaviour of an organisation’s members† (Burnes, 2009, p. 600). Organisation culture is also commonly defined as â€Å"how organisations do things† (Watkins, 2013). 3.2 Management Style The management style of XYZ Construction changed from an autocratic management style to a participative style when the new Managing Director was appointed. The former Managing Director was feared by his colleagues, where open and honest relationships did not exist. Autocratic leadership is an extreme form of transactional leadership, characterised by a manager who makes decisions on his own without input from colleagues. This type of management style has the advantage that decisions can be made quickly and efficiently, however this approach is not suitable in all organisations and is limited in its application. The disadvantage of this approach is that it leads to high employee turnover, demotivated employees and poor performance (Unknown, 2013). The autocratic management style of the former Managing Director was not suitable for XYZ Construction and was identified by the parent company. The parent company’s view was that the company was underperforming due to the poor management and lack of cooperation within the organisation. Once the former Managing Director retired he was replaced by a new Managing Director with the primary objective to improve the overall managerial competency and improve the performance of the organisation. The new Managing Director displayed a Participative management style, which was required for the necessary operation, culture and structure changes in the organisation. A Participative management style is characterised by managers that â€Å"use various decision procedures that allow other people some influence over the leader’s decision† (Yukl, 2013, p. 115). This is clearly displayed in the New Managing Directors action of inclusion of key employees who were not directors to p articipate in Senior Management Team. This action has a significant impact on relationship building within the organisation and an impact on the structure. The organisation under former management was hierarchical conscious which hinders the development  of relationship and the sharing of information and ideas. The new approach in management style results in a culture change in the organisation. 3.3 Discussion I agree with the statement, with the effect that a culture change has taken place in XYZ Construction under the new Managing Director, however this was achieved by the change in the managerial style rather by changing the culture. The new Managing Director’s participative managing style, has allowed for a culture change. Employees and managers are able to speak openly and honestly changing the norms within the organisation. The transformation is a long-term change with initiatives rolled-out in intervals. This allows for employees and managers to acquire and develop the necessary skills and characteristics at each level before moving to the next step of the transformation. The new Managing Director’s management style requires that the attitude and behaviours to be changed of both employees and managers to meet the demands of the initiatives aimed at increasing the organisation’s performance. My agreement with the statement is not significant, as the new Managing Director has brought upon a new management style however the initiatives that he proposed require a change in culture. A culture change of the employees and managers supports that new Managing Director’s management style. 4 South African context South Africa as a country has been transforming during the post-apartheid regime. The most significant transformation that is currently taking place in organisations is the implementation of various BBBEE initiatives, one of which is to increase in females in the workplace. The BBBEE initiative focusses on reconciling indiscretions of the past and allowing for the workplace to be balanced based on race, gender and disabilities. There are many examples of organisations in South Africa where this transformation has taken place. An example of this transformation is in PPC Ltd. which  appointed Ketso Gordhan as the new CEO effective 1 January 2013 (Allix, 2012). Ketso Gordhan’s extensive experience in multiple industries such as his role as director-general in the Ministry of transport, serving in the Presidency and head of private equity in FirstRand makes him extremely capable and suitable for the position. His experience in the multiple he roles he has fulfilled has provided him with knowledge as to how to bring change to an organisation. The cement industry had faced a major fall in sales during the financial recession coupled with competitive forces. These factors had started to be addressed by the former CEO with the goal of growing the business and earning a significant portion of profits through operations in Africa (Allix, 2012). It was at this point that Ketso Gordhan was appointed with the crucial task of growing operations into Africa. The approach that was taken by Ketso Gordhan to achieve this goal is based on two key strategies of expanding business into Africa and to keep current operations in South Africa to operate efficiently (â€Å"keep the home fires burning†) (Allix, 2013). Ketso Gordhan made the goals and the direction taken very clear to ensure a collective drive from employees. His actions are the same actions taken by the newly appointed Managing Director of XYZ Construction. Ketso Gordhan made he’s commitment to PPC Ltd. clear through his actions as well as through the acquisition of PPC Ltd. shares summing a total of R30 million (Shevel, 2014). This action indicated internally and externally he’s commitment and faith in the organisation to achieve a significant improvement in the organisation’s performance (Hasenfuss, 2013). Ketso Gordhan’s management style has brought a culture change in the organisation. The culture change has included a more hands-on approach from the CEO with constant  interaction with employees and managers. This once again reinforces his ideas and motivation in the workplace. Earlier in 2014, Ketso Gordhan reduced his salary by R1m in an effort to  support the reduction of salary gap between the highest and the lowest paid employee in the organisation. He took grievances from the lowest paid employees and acted to resolve the items. He approached the top 60 managers, asking whether they would volunteer their increases to be distributed to the lowest paid employees. This approach enabled the organisation to increase 1 200 of the lowest paid employees salary by R10 000 per year and an interest related increase later in the year (Shevel, 2014). This initiative received great response from employees, which was primarily attributed to the feeling that grievances were heard and action was taken. The initiative allowed the CEO salary to reduce from 120 times the lowest paid employee to 48 times with the clear goal to reach 40 times in future. This was achieved through the decrease in the highest paid salary and the increase in the lowest paid salaries (Shevel, 2014). The initiative has an impact external to the organisation. In South Africa which currently is facing numerous problems, one clear problem in the large economic gaps that exists. The actions of Ketso Gordhan are an encouragement to fellow JSE-listed organisation’s CEO to follow suit and attempt to reduce the large salary gaps that exist in many organisations. Collective actions will enable the country to reach goals of social development at a faster rate. Ketso Gordhan is a participative leader which is clear through his engagement with the organisationâ€⠄¢s employees and through the initiative he has developed. He has initiated the â€Å"I Care, PPC Cares† programme coupled with the Kambuku philosophy in the organisation (PPC Ltd, 2014). This philosophy and initiative is aimed at addressing the following (PPC Ltd, 2014): Disparity between the cost of living and salaries of lower-level employees Substandard housing and access to housing for some employees Effectiveness of first-line managers and team members Individual development plans and organisational climate initiatives Improving the perception of employees in terms of job satisfaction The philosophy is aimed at not only improving the internal environment but also the external environment of the organisation, such as the assistance in providing housing for employees. The approach is very fitting in the South African context. References Allix, M., 2012. Ketso Gordhan to replace Paul Stuiver at PPC. [Online] Available at: http://www.bdlive.co.za/business/industrials/2012/10/11/ketso-gordhan-toreplace-paul-stuiver-at-ppc [Accessed 3 May 2014]. Allix, M., 2013. Safika deal to help PPC ‘keep the home fires burning’. [Online] Available at: http://www.bdlive.co.za/business/industrials/2013/08/08/safika-deal-to-helpppc-keep-the-home-fires-burning [Accessed 3 May 2014]. Burnes, B., 2009. Managing Change. 5th ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited. Hasenfuss, M., 2013. PPC chief Ketso Gordhan splashes out on cement firm’s stock. [Online] Available at: http://www.bdlive.co.za/business/industrials/2013/09/12/ppc-chief-ketsogordha n-splashes-out-on-cement-firms-stock [Accessed 3 May 2014]. Investopedia, 2014. Definition of ‘Kaizen’. [Online] Available at: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/k/kaizen.asp [Accessed 16 April 2014]. PPC Ltd, 2014. Our People. [Online] Available at: http://www.ppc.co.za/about-us/our-people.aspx [Accessed 3 May 2013]. Shevel, A., 2014. Ketso Gordhan: Laying the foundations for a fairer workplace. [Online] Available at: http://www.bdlive.co.za/business/management/2014/03/23/ketso-gordhanlaying-the-foundations-for-a-fairer-workplace [Accessed 3 May 2013]. Stroh, U., 2005. Chapter 3: Approaches to Change Management, Pretoria: University of Pretoria etd. Unknown, 2013. Leadership Styles. [Online] Available at: http://ofd.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Leadership-Styles-1_11_13.pdf [Accessed 30 April 2014]. Watkins, M., 2013. What Is Organizational Culture? And Why Should We Care?. [Online] Available at: http://blogs.hbr.org/2013/05/what-is-organizational-culture/ [Accessed 30 April 2014]. Yukl, G., 2013. Leadership on Organizations. 8th ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited.

Brics ( Brazil, Russia, India, China, And South Africa

Introduction The BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) nations are emerging as global powers in international business. The term BRICS was first coined by Wilson Purushothaman (2003) in a paper published by Goldman Sachs. This paper was the first to forecast the economic potential of the BRICS nations. Today these BRICS nations are referred as emerging economies or emerging markets despite most of these nations already ranking in the world’s top 10 economies. Economic forecasting projects that these BRICS economies will forever change the competitive landscape of the global market place, and they show considerable promise in becoming dominant players in years to come (Jain, 2006). The BRIC was established on June 16, 2009 and the South Africa was subsequently added by China on December 24, 2011 finalizing the BRICS. This paper will discuss each of the BRICS economies in detail, identifying the reasons why the BRICS countries are growing in importance on the international stage, while recounting the internal and external forces that spearhead organizational success as it relates to these countries. This paper will conclude with an overview of other factors contributing to BRICS growth and will address the Saint Leo University core value of responsible stewardship. Economy overview: Brazil Brazil’s economy can be regarded as large and well-developed, bolstered by the strength of Brazil’s agricultural, mining, manufacturing, and service sectors, as well as anShow MoreRelatedBrics Apec, India, And India873 Words   |  4 PagesBRICS Overview The term â€Å"BRIC† was firstly coined by Goldman Sachs, who highlighted the four countries- Brazil, Russia, India and China- were developing rapidly and by 2050 their combined GDP could eclipse the combined economies of the current richest countries of the world. 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