The contingency Approach to Management

(Name)

(University)

(Instructor)

(Course)

(Date)

Introduction

Engineer Mark is the overall Manager at Delmont Juice Processing Company Limited (DJPL). DJPL is a juice processing company specializing in the processing of different fruits including passion fruits, papaws, melons, pineapples, mangoes, and oranges. The most preferred drink is the mango juice sold in plastic containers or cartons packed in 250 grams or 500 grams. Eng. Mark is the head of processing unit and being the chief engineer for the company, he is responsible for many activities within the factory. To start with, the Mark supervises all the senior technicians and engineers in the organization. On the other hand, he is responsible for commissioning machine shutdown, repair, and yearly maintenance. As a manager, Mark keeps records of the daily, monthly, and yearly juice production from the company and creates the relevant budgets for the production department. In addition, the manager liaises with other managers from different departments in the company during various meetings for the purpose of company improvement. The manager understands that managers today have to make crucial decisions regarding business opportunities every single day. The greatest challenge is that the business environment is fast growing and extremely dynamic. One finds that whatever business strategy that worked yesterday effectively is no longer applicable today (Daft, & Marcic, 2008).

The study borrows advice from Taylor’s theory and Max Weber’s theory. According to Max Weber Theory, managers should possess certain characteristics, which include: a well-defined hierarchy, division of labor and specialization, setting rules and regulations in a company, good relationship between managers and employees, competence, and a good record. These are some of contingency approaches to management established during the interview. From the interview, it was discovered that the impersonality emphasis leads to personal frustration in relation to employees and other line managers, while generating red tape to reinforce previously authorized decisions. In the above context, bureaucracy is increasingly viewed, both by its employees and the public, as a passionless instrument for responding to human needs (Roth, 1998).

Mark’s Contingency approach to management in from the interview

From the interview done to Mr. Mark, the contingency approach to management was determined although the interview indicated many areas where the manager failed to meet these demands. Different organizations have their history and culture influencing management discipline exercised, while individual managers also their history and cultures that determine their managerial characteristics in an organization. All leading managers exist to achieve specified organizational goals; they have what they regard as their core managerial activities and such, all other activities and functions in the organization occur in line with organizational goal. Production and operations are key functions in an organization, which aim at attaining the organizational goal in a cost-effective way while giving regard to time limits and quality of service (Nzelibe, 1986).

Contingency approach to management takes the form of a number of management theories that are appropriate in all the organization situations dealing with different managers in all departments. Taylor theory of management asserts that managers should design valid approaches towards upcoming conditions related to marketing, technology, and leadership. From the interview, Mark lacked full coordination of his department since production sector was not efficient enough due to lack of good relationship with line supervisors and workers. Cooperation is very important in any organization especially between managers in a company. Lack of cooperation leads to failure of an organization meeting the expected goals therefore, the activities lag behind resulting to a fall (Sitorus, 2008; Kotey, & Meredith, 1997). Mark’s cooperation with the CEO, the Human Resource Manager, and the rest of the managers was poor. From this condition, Mark failed to attend scheduled meetings with other managers therefore the issues related to his department were less addressed leading to low production.

The next issue involved in contingency approach to management is taking responsibilities in the workplace. Most managers in the organization failed to undertake their responsibilities and left more work to the HR. Responsibility is a virtue which every individual must possess since it determines the individual’s ability to perform a designated duty. Responsibility also sees the improvement of an organization due to the changing technology, partnerships which require the managers be part of the change through cooperation and performing their duties (Bennett & Stafford, 2008). Mark demonstrated lack of responsibility when they failed to give the expected job description and refused to turn up for the discussion on basic management and leadership principles. One of future of contingency approach is that managers should take responsibility of their positions for the good development of an organization and practice good management activities coupled with good communication and presentation skills (Drunker, 2001).

On the other hand, DJPL manager in charge of production and also as the chief engineer should demonstrate characteristics of a good leader. Some approaches shown in Taylor’s theory shows that a good manager is also a good leader. Leadership is characterized by development of good strategies that ensure employees and the organization staff achieves the organizational goals and objectives. In the leadership development program, the leaders need an effective coaching on their roles and expectations in the company. In addition, the process should enable leaders; develop a positive perception, with regard to various international, as well as cultural impacts of the work that they perform. The program further needs to create a room for the leaders and managers to interact effectively, so that they may share individual experiences and skills for a better, personal-to-personal development (Mabey, & Finch-Lees, (2009).

However, the company needs to undertake an effective and reliable, recruitment and induction of specialists who will actively formulate various strategies that need adoption by the company. The strategies baseline, need to be the expansion of the company, and employee retention. Possible strategies for adoption include behavioral approach in management of the company, and marketing strategies. Behavioral approach strategy aids the company in identifying the various training needs of the employees, reward scheme needed, and development of employee attitude towards the work that they perform. This in turn, creates employee loyalty, and results in improvement, in individual-level performance, and the overall company performance (Barbara, 2005).

Another place where Mark failed was in the issue of changes within the company. Kotter’s Eight-Step plan for managing change would find use by developing a sense of urgency in change adoption on this issue. In addition, the plan aids in developing new approaches of adopting into the new environment. With reference to organization culture, family members encouragement of the need for the change, aided in accepting the change. The change had the stress of missing parents and other family members, as well as friends. The source of stress was the factor that most of college mates had nearby homes where they would go during weekends and weekdays. The stress led to development of low self-esteem. However, the stresses would have been minimized through constant interaction with college mates, and being active in the college environment (Sabri, Gupta, & Beitler, 2006).

The final issue is on respect in the working environment, shown in the case. The manager failed to respect other managers in all matters related to the improvement of the organization. Management should go hand in hand with respect since according to Kotey and Meredith, respect to personal values is the key success to the learning of an organization and most important when the managers have good understanding among themselves, (1997). Creation of a good working environment is very crucial among employees in a company since it allows fluent flow of information from one department to the next. This contingent approach to management ensures that managers are always free with one another to share company issues.

Conclusion

Most organizations in the present days fail due to lack of understanding among the leaders. It is a high time when the leaders discover the importance of respect, taking care of one’s responsibility, and cooperation among the business partners in the improvement of their activities. Leaders are there to guide the progress of an organization while the others have a responsibility of ensuring that their working environment is conducive and raise an alarm if the situation is not as expected. Managers influence all the activities of an organization therefore, when they fail to cooperate, they put the organization at a risk of failure (Management Innovations, 2008). On the other hand, following the contingency approach in an organization leads to increased production and efficiency among employees.

Reference list

Barbara, W. (2005). Six Important Managerial Skills for Successful Leadership.

Retrieved from:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Six-Important-Managerial-Skills-For-Successful-Leadership&id=71553

Bennett, D. & Stafford, J. (2008). Self-responsibility in the Workplace. University of

Minnesota: Office of the Human Resources. Retrieved from:

http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/careerdev/resources/articles/responsibility/index.htmlDaft Richard L, & Marcic Dorothy. (2008). Understanding Management. The seventh

Edition. United States of America: Cengage Learning.

Drunker, F. P. (2001). Management: tasks, responsibilities, Practices. Oxford: British

Library in Publication Data. pp. 548-549.

Kotey, B. & Meredith, G. G. (1997). Relationships among Owner/ Manager Personal

Values, Business Strategies and Enterprise Performance. A journal of Small Business Management. 35 (2). pp. 37-64

Mabey, C, & Finch-Lees, T. (2009). Management and Leadership Development. The Sage

Handbook of Human Resource Management. London: Sage

Management Innovations. (2008). Role & Importance of Management. Retrieved from:

http://managementinnovations.wordpress.com/2008/12/03/role-importance-of-management/

Nzelibe, C. O. (1986). The evolution of AManagement Thought: Journal of International Studies

of Management & Organization. 16(2). M.E Sharpe, Inc

Roth, W. (1998). Evolution of management theory: Past, Present, Future. Boca Raton. CRC

Press

Sitorus, E. R. (2008). Cooperation in Workplace. WordPress.com. Retrieved from:

http://tiaphari.com/2008/08/18/cooperation-in-workplace/Sabri, E, Gupta, A, & Beitler, M. (2006). Purchase Order Management Best Practices: Process,

Technology, And Change Management. J. Ross Publishing.