Introduction
The success of any company is related to its quality of leadership as well as the input of the employees. The manager of a business organization makes use of theories of management to ensure that the activities of the company ran smoothly. They have a clear understanding of the latest best practices in the field of business to maximize the productivity of the company while maintaining the same number of the workers through the modern management practices.
The application of the management theories a company helps in the simplification of the decision making processes, increasing the participation of the staff to think objectively, adapt to global changes and maximizing the productivity. The types of management theories that managers and any other leader of a business applies include the theory Human relations theory, scientific theory, administrative theory and bureaucratic theory. The leaders have an understanding of the management theories as a way of finding out the method that was beneficial and suitable in certain circumstances in the workplace. They are also able to find out if a single theory was enough to handle a particular situation in the workplace or if a combination of the theories would help.
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Recently I got a chance to work in a pharmaceutical company in the department of quality control as the supervisor. Together with the other supervisors from the other departments, we worked directly with the manager and the heads of departments. The company was known to make a lot of profits from its sale of pharmaceutical products. The bureaucratic theory was used, and its application was based on the fact that the company was a formal system of organization that had hierarchical roles and levels that were clearly defined to maintain effectiveness and efficiency in the company's operations (Killen et al., 2012). The manager divided the organizations of the company into hierarchies hence created strong lines with regards to control and authority. The establishment of the chain of command ensured that any information related to the work and decisions flowed efficiently from the top until we were able to receive and apply it in the departments (Bratton & Gold, 2017). He ensured that all the tasks that had routine nature had detailed and comprehensive standard operating procedures. Standard operating procedures existed for all activities performed in the company. For example, in the quality control department, they governed the handling of drug products to minimize contamination. The need for a chain of command prompted the manager to appoint the heads of the departments of the company (Watson, 2013). The leaders of the departments were assisted by the supervisors who worked with us directly at the company.
By applying the Bureaucratic theory, the manager used several approaches including the proper division of labor which created a balance between our responsibilities and powers as the employees (Allio, 2012). He modified the existing rules and regulations of the company to ensure they were complete and consistent. He emphasized that the rules and regulations that governed the operations of the company were to be appropriately followed by every member of the company (Killen et al., 2012). The manager also selected and promoted the employees of the company based on our age, experience, and skills. I came to this conclusion because I was appointed by the manager to lead the department of quality control as the supervisor because I had a diploma in analytical chemistry and the relevant experience. We regularly went for training to improve our skills since the manager viewed periodic training as vital for efficient service delivery by the employees.
The manager made use of the human relations theory since he was aware that the relationship between us as the employees and the company’s management are of great value in any workplace (Alvesson & Willmott, 2012). He took it upon himself that we received periodic training in line with our responsibilities, For example, in the quality control department where I worked, every employee was trained on implementation of the company’s standard operating procedures. This program was carried out after every three months under the direction of our supervisor and the company manager.
The manager also ensured that our needs as employees were addressed efficiently and any conflict between ourselves and the management was resolved. During my last month at the company, casual employees demanded an increase in their wages (Allio, 2012). The manager himself assured them that by the end of the week he should have addressed their grievances. The manager also ensured that we worked together on various projects of the company and our ideas were well communicated. In my workplace, there was no instance where qualified employees left the company because the company engaged the workers in its activities.
The enhanced relationship at the workplace also acted as a source of our motivation, and this maintained the productivity. The quality relationship at the workplace increased creativity in the company (Killen et al., 2012). Our ability to develop new ideas improved the success of the company. We were able to share new ideas with the management, and this led to the development of new products that met the ever-changing needs of the consumer (Shafritz, Ott & Jang, 2015). There was an instance where my fellow employees from the research and development department came up with methods on how the stability of various drugs produced by the company could be improved (Albrecht et al., 2015). The innovation came from a lot of motivation and encouragement by the company manager assisted by the heads of departments and the supervisors. The manager also shared the challenges faced by the company with us on many occasions and was able to come up with practical solutions to ensure its survival.
The manager applied the Henri Fayol's administrative theory, and he showed all the principles of administration. For instance, he promoted the division of work in the company since the employees had different levels of qualifications. The specialization improved our productivity and efficiency as the employees of the company. In addition, our accuracy and speed in performing various activities were increased. Authority and organization were shown by the manager since he gave us orders to his subordinates who included the heads of department and the supervisors. The demonstrated a lot of discipline since he was aware that management was about obedience (Alexander, 2013). He also understood that discipline in the form of respectful interactions and proper conduct was part of core values of the company's mission and vision. We as the employees were mostly given tasks by our immediate seniors who were the heads of departments because we believed that the unit of command was fundamental to any organization. Confusion or any form of conflict was a rare occurrence in the organizations since the responsibility for any mistakes in the company could quickly be established (Dalkir, 2017). Another principle that was followed by the organization was the unity of direction.
The employees of the company performed all the activities as a team. The functions were governed by a plan of action whose progress was monitored by the manager, heads of departments and supervisors (Alvesson & Willmott, 2012). The motivation of the employees by way of remuneration showed that the manager made use of the administrative theory. Remuneration presented itself in two ways including the monetary remuneration where the manager introduced bonuses, and the non-monetary remuneration including compliments. The bonuses were the first to be introduced, and when I joined the company, I found that it was being implemented.
As a supervisor, I actively participated in the non-monetary remuneration and in this way I contributed towards increasing the productivity of the workers (Allio, 2012). The principle of equity was also essential, and all the employees were treated equally and kindly to increase their productivity. The manager always reminded us to handle the other employees impartially and fairly because the principle of equity was a core value of the organization. With the principle of order in mind, the manager ensured that all the required resources that were necessary for performing our functions properly in the company were available (Bratton & Gold, 2017). For example in the quality control department, the relevant chemicals, reagents, and machinery were made available, and this enabled us to carry out our responsibilities with diligence. He always reminded us to ensure the work environment was clean, tidy and safe.
Lastly, the principles of the scientific management theory were also applied to the company. For instance, the top positions in the company were occupied by the qualified personnel who lead others in an efficient and systematic way (Albrecht et al., 2015). Having a qualification of a diploma in analytical science and the relevant experience, I was recommended as the supervisor of the quality assurance department. As the employees of the company, our jobs were matched based on the motivation as well as the capabilities. In addition, we were trained to work at maximum efficiency.
A system was put in place in the company that ensured our performance as the company employees were monitored (Dalkir, 2017). For instance, the supervisors were required to report to the heads of departments who were in turn supposed to report to the general manager of the company (Alexander, 2013). Being a supervisor, I interacted directly with the workers in the quality control department and ensured they carried out their performed according to the requirements of the company. The fact that the company offered us financial incentives as a means of motivating us and boosting our productivity proved that the management of the company prioritized the principles of the scientific theory proposed by Taylor.
Conclusion
The use of management theories is vital to the success of any business organization. The theories of management such as human relations theory, scientific theory, administrative theory and bureaucratic theory increase the company’s ability to maximize productivity, simplify the decision-making process, increase the participation of the staff and adapt to global changes that affect its operations. The managers and leaders in the business organizations should make use of the management theories to enable the company to achieve its objectives.
References
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