...Introduction The purpose of the study was to determine the identity of middle manager using the particular of focus group conversations. According to the article, “Who is ‘the middle manger’?” by Harding, Lee, and Ford (2014), the definition of middle management is very clear and consistent in many literature. However, there are insufficient literatures on middle management roles and identities. In order to understand identity of middle management, the researchers setup three scenes to identify middle manager by the analysis of the participants’ behaviour. As a result, the performance of middle managers is complex and contradictory. The controversial role of middle managers Middle management is the intermediate management in organisational hierarchies, are responsible for implementing the executive management’s policies and plans and above the lower levels of junior staff (Uyterhoeven, 1972). Although there is a coincident definition of middle management, the controversial performance of middle management has been discussed in many literatures. Following the definition of middle management, middle managers should have skills that receive strategic plan from top manager and deploy it successfully by control over junior staff (Harding et al., 2014). However, they have not been considered part of the strategy process (Floyd & Wooldridge, 1992). They just like ‘a passive linking pin’, doubtfully carry out the instructions of the top managers and fully implement throughout the organisation...
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...activities of the company. Actors that typically fall under this category are e.g. employees, owners, customers, the government and surrounding communities. As evidenced by the examples, the concept of stakeholder entails a wide array of internally divergent actors. According to the article stakeholder relation management can be viewed from two distinct vantage points. The first approach views stakeholder relation management as a strategic vehicle for furthering underlying aims of the company. The alternative approach views stakeholder relations management as an intrinsic value that should be furthered as a product of its own merits. The issue of effectively managing stakeholder relations has in recent years gained much more prominence and astute companies are in many cases turning to it as a means to increase customer retention/loyalty and thereby positively impact shareholder value. This kind of an approach would allude to the strategic view as the more prevalent vantage point for approaching stakeholder relations management. While a strategic approach might be perceived as inferior to an intrinsic value approach I would like to argue that it is the end rather than the means that ultimately matters. Irrespective of whether actions are pursued based on their value or as vehicles for an ulterior value, the results and implications can be equally profound. For example the Finnish paper...
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...discussions focused around a district vision and strategic plan, voted on proposals the would improve the district, and gathered information on student learning and district successes. When referring to the “Eight Characteristics of an Effective School Board” (Dervarics & O'Brien, 2011), the Waunakee School Board demonstrated many areas of proficiency. First, the Waunakee School Board has assigned clear roles to its members and established procedures so that meetings run efficiently. All of the communities which the Waunakee Community School District services had a representative present to ensure that all viewpoints were present. The School Board President, Peggy Hill-Breuing, facilitated the meeting. The Superintendent, Randy Guttenburg, and other administrators were present to communicate district information, but it was evident that the role of the School Board was to make the final decisions. At one point, a school board member suggested that they spend more time clearly defining the roles of the...
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...employees need to know and feel so they can make the right decision that supports the organization’s goals (Matha & Boehm, 2008) Conversation Platform Once the desired information is organized into an Action Equation, it needs to be further packaged into a short, concise story called the Conversation Platform. There are numerous advantages of narrowing strategic messages into a Conversation Platform. A key advantage is the Conversation Platform connects all the objectives and activities an organization undertakes to achieve its goals by providing context. This allows employees to make sense of the actions the organization is taking to meet its goals (Matha & Boehm, 2008). By telling the story of where the organization is going and how it will get there, the Conversation Platform allows employees the easily remember the organizational story, rather than try to memorize talking points or motivational bullets on a PowerPoint slide. The People Channel The People Channel is critical to effective leadership communication because it aligns leaders up and down an organization to deliver a consistent, strategic message to employees (Matha & Boehm, 2008). This strategic message is geared towards conversation with individual employees, rather than the traditional communication channels, such as newsletters or conferences. This puts people in the role of the primary communication channel, and leaders can generate an active exchange of information and ideas among their teams. Key...
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...Do Employees Really Understand Their Jobs? Managers frequently complain that employees don’t understand their jobs. Some task-oriented employees, for example, may work diligently to complete assignments, but they often miss the bigger picture and overlook opportunities for cross-functional teamwork and innovation. Others may understand the organization’s strategic objectives, but lack the necessary attention to detail and follow-through required for execution. Moreover, both groups stubbornly resist change. Neither is effective. Neither meets the performance objectives desired by the manager. The premise of most performance management and appraisal systems is for the employee to improve. These programs focus attention on the person as managers or work teams evaluate individual employee behaviors such as adaptability, initiative, time management, decision making, or communication skills. Managers and others ask the employee to change or correct personal shortcomings. Many years ago, however, psychotherapists discovered that trying to change a person’s behavior by focusing attention directly on the behavior itself was difficult and time-consuming. Instead, they examined the objective results in the person’s life, and then worked backward to uncover the events that produced those results. They found that this approach avoided the clashes of personality and defensive reactions that could break down communication and inhibit change. They also discovered that individuals...
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...Leadership Is a Conversation by Boris Groysberg and Michael Slind The command-and-control approach to management has in recent years become less and less viable. Globalization, new technologies, and changes in how companies create value and interact with customers have sharply reduced the efficacy of a purely directive, top-down model of leadership. What will take the place of that model? Part of the answer lies in how leaders manage communication within their organizations—that is, how they handle the flow of information to, from, and among their employees. Traditional corporate communication must give way to a process that is more dynamic and more sophisticated. Most important, that process must be conversational. We arrived at that conclusion while conducting a recent research project that focused on the state of organizational communication in the 21st century. Over more than two years we interviewed professional communicators as well as top leaders at a variety of organizations—large and small, blue chip and start-up, for-profit and nonprofit, U.S. and international. To date we have spoken with nearly 150 people at more than 100 companies. Both implicitly and explicitly, participants in our research mentioned their efforts to “have a conversation” with their people or their ambition to “advance the conversation” within their companies. Building upon the insights and examples gleaned from this research, we have developed a model of leadership that we call “organizational...
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...companies fresh strategic insight. NOVEMBER 2012 • Martin Harrysson, Estelle Metayer, and Hugo Sarrazin Source: Business Technology Office In This Article * ------------------------------------------------- Exhibit 1: Social media is changing the old-school intelligence cycle. * ------------------------------------------------- Exhibit 2: An explosion in new analytical tools gives companies new ways to tap expertise. * ------------------------------------------------- About the authors * ------------------------------------------------- Comments (7) In many companies, marketers have been first movers in social media, tapping into it for insights on how consumers think and behave. As social technologies mature and organizations become convinced of their power, we believe they will take on a broader role: informing competitive strategy. In particular, social media should help companies overcome some limits of old-school intelligence gathering, which typically involves collecting information from a range of public and proprietary sources, distilling insights using time-tested analytic methods, and creating reports for internal company “clients” often “siloed” by function or business unit. Today, many people who have expert knowledge and shape perceptions about markets are freely exchanging data and viewpoints through social platforms. By identifying and engaging these players, employing potent Web-focused analytics to draw strategic meaning from social-media...
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...Leadership Is a Conversation by Boris Groysberg and Michael Slind The command-and-control approach to management has in recent years become less and less viable. Globalization, new technologies, and changes in how companies create value and interact with customers have sharply reduced the efficacy of a purely directive, top-down model of leadership. What will take the place of that model? Part of the answer lies in how leaders manage communication within their organizations—that is, how they handle the flow of information to, from, and among their employees. Traditional corporate communication must give way to a process that is more dynamic and more sophisticated. Most important, that process must be conversational. We arrived at that conclusion while conducting a recent research project that focused on the state of organizational communication in the 21st century. Over more than two years we interviewed professional communicators as well as top leaders at a variety of organizations—large and small, blue chip and start-up, for-profit and nonprofit, U.S. and international. To date we have spoken with nearly 150 people at more than 100 companies. Both implicitly and explicitly, participants in our research mentioned their efforts to “have a conversation” with their people or their ambition to “advance the conversation” within their companies. Building upon the insights and examples gleaned from this research, we have developed a model of leadership that we call “organizational...
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...The importance of communication in implementing organizational change: a review of the literature for information organizations Kelly M. Gordon San Jose State University School of Library and Information Science Foundations Workers at all levels of an organization, be they CEOs, middle managers, or entry-level staff, recognize that change is inevitable. However, the successful implementation of organizational change in response to changes in an organization’s external environment can be one of the greatest challenges top-level leaders face. Regardless of how far-seeing and meticulously planned organizational change may be, it will not be effectively implemented unless it is communicated to an organization’s staff in such a way that resistance is overcome, fears are assuaged, confusion is minimized, and buy-in by all affected individuals is secured. Kurt Lewin (as cited in Evans, Ward, & Rugaas, 2000) was one of the first to develop a model of behavioral change in his 1951 book, Field Theory in Social Sciences. Lewin described three stages as being necessary in the implementation of a change in a person’s behavior. The first of these is unfreezing, the stage during which a person becomes ready to learn or acquire a new behavior, perhaps by recognizing the ineffectiveness of a current behavior or by learning about the benefits that would accrue if the new behavior were implemented. The second stage is the change itself, which will involve a trial period...
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...Management Information Systems Reaction Paper Engaging in CIO-‐CxO "Conversations that Matter": An Interview with Peter Keen Done by: Rime OUADI Supervised by: Dr. BENMOUSSA Table of Contents Introduction: ..................................................................................................................... 3 My reaction: ...................................................................................................................... 3 Conclusion: ........................................................................................................................ 9 References: ...................................................................................................................... 10 2 Introduction: Known as “One of the top 100 business gurus in the world and thought leaders with impact” in 2003 according to The Global Speakers Bureau’s website, Dr. Keen is a distinguished international consultant, educator, public speaker and writer in many prestigious universities, such as Harvard, Stanford...
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...Leadership is a Conversation The answer lies how leaders manage communication within their organizations, how they handle the flow of information ,among their employees. Traditionally corporate must give a dynamic process to communication so that it must be conversational. There was a research project focused on organizational communication in 21st century with a period of more than two years they interviewed top leaders of variety of organizations large or small, nearly 150 people of more than 100 companies to see how conversation effort make effective onto the person to their ambition and how advance the conversation flow in their organizations. , I think this post finessed around one of the biggest challenges of leadership – large, geographically dispersed organizations. The authors briefly discuss physical proximity and argue that it is not essential, arguing that the spirit on informal conversation alone is sufficient. there must be a communications system that guides everyone to speak to each other in this conversational way. Over the last 15 years, in working with organizations on leadership development, cultural change and performance improvement. Getting Close: Personal conversation is to flourish the degree that the participants stay close to each other, as well as literally. Organizational conversation requires leaders to minimize the distances institution, attitude, with decision making authority seek and earn the trust and careful attention who work...
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...Ethics Sheldon Martin MGT/498 Wednesday, July 2, 2014 Donshea Williams Ethics refer to the primary principles of a single or a group. Social responsibility is how a business operates its activities to reach its wider requirements toward the society and environment, such as by dodging activities which may be damaging. Strategic planning is a necessary initial step in the corporate world in which senior management defines the organization's strategy, direction and decision-making. Ethical values and social responsibility serve a considerable role in the strategic planning process. Social Responsibility To the Stakeholders Management must confirms that strategic decisions are accomplished after taking into justifying the possibility impact on the stakeholders. Stakeholders are suppliers, customers, societies and anybody who is self-conscious by the activities of the business. A socially responsible company treats stakeholders the fairly. Wider viewpoints also have to be considered in circumstances of environmental and social impact of planned activities. Transparency Members of management should accommodate info that is straightforward and trustworthy to help all tangled discuss, debate and accomplish better decision-making. This makes the team to point out and evaluate any possible risks which may about and find a different solution. In an understanding of social responsibility, clarity also strengthens the company's worthiness toward the outside of the stakeholders...
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...all students for the month registered by the 15th to begin the next month Know: What do employees need to know to take action? * Know what to do and why we do it * Enrollment Counselors need to understand how the revenue stream is affected by monthly expectations. * Database management is critical to create the most opportunities with the inquiries provided. * Enrollment Counselors need to set clear expectations with student from the initial conversation. They, students and enrollment counselors, must follow through on the enrollment process. * Enrollment counselors must ask all students and potential students for referrals. This may be accomplished by speaking with current students on a weekly basis. Feel: What do employees need to feel to take action? * Enrollment counselors are usually the first impression potential students have of Grand Canyon University. This is a valuable role and must be taken seriously. * The enrollment counselor’s role is to motivate and support students. This role is the crucial for student success and degree completion. Why Nots: What is getting in the way? * Different regions as well as divisions have different rules as to minimum expectations. This makes counselors wonder why some are held to a higher standard than others. * With so many online universities, it is critical for enrollment...
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...#DBForum digital BRAND marketing 13 2013+ sustained strategic shifts_ 1.17.13 @StevenCook CMO Brand building DNA - global Fortune 50 B2C brand builder that shifted to Silicon Valley funded start-up - not a ‘digital native’ … am a ‘hybrid’ brand marketer … stay current, curious, courageous - strong belief in understanding people & their user experience WW Director Brand Marketing WW VP Strategic Brand Marketing, Biz Dev & Innovation SVP, CMO U.S., Canada, Mexico Global CMO & Biz Dev Contributing writer Contributing writer Brief - digital BRAND marketing state of union - 2013 forecast Goals: I hope our discussion does one or all: - validates your current beliefs and strategic activity - gives you additional business case proof points to advance your digital brand marketing initiatives inside your company or with your clients - gives you something new to think about - gets your juices flowing and your mind racing - gives you additional reasons to connect with Neustar AdAdvisor & Legolas Media About 107,000,000 results About 107,000,000 results insightful & inspirational sources digital BRAND marketing ‘state of union’ How would you characterize the era that we’re in now with regard to the relationship between digital and brands? “Brands for the last 15 years have been looking at online as another media channel to buy ads on. So they buy or rent eyeballs or audiences or uniques from the media properties that provide them. Now you’ve got with all...
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...Scientific Paper Quality Management in a Changing Organizational Environment: Looking for New Conversation Tools Statement of the Article/Paper’s Research Problem A lot of criticisms have been lodged about Total Quality management on its ability in providing sustained competitive advantage. While some major organizations like IBM, Xerox and GE, to name a few, swear that TQM has offered them significant sustained competitive advantage; the big players with TQM in North America and Europe have been experiencing the complete opposite. A closer look at some of the commentaries, especially those pointing to organizational failures will indicate that poor knowledge about quality and its management were the principal causes of the failures (Suarez, 1992). Van Allen (1994) also indicated that inadequate leadership, rather than any inherent defects in the TQM model, are the sources of the poor results achieved with TQM in many organizations. While the principle of TQM about complete change of culture must have been in the minds of every member of the organization, there is no doubt that it is easier said than done. What if we don’t need to reinvent the wheel? What if the system will run like a well oiled machine but the drivers are not up for it? Goals, Purpose, and Significance of the Article/Paper The overall objective of this paper is to provide a background for conversation on quality management research and the operational management tools that would facilitate the...
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