The World of Work and Management in 2018 by Jolito Ortizo Padilla

 

A major study by the GA Management and Consultancy" ,including a survey of 1,000 senior executives,has investigated how the world of work and management will look in 2018.Among the key findings are that:

 " The working population will be more diverse. Changing expectations of work and the impact of new technologies will require managers and leaders to develop a range of skills that focus on emotional and spiritual intelligence,judgment and the ability to stimulate creative thinking to improve productivity."

Among the recommendations to leaders and managers are the needs to focus on individual employees and their need when developing technologies; make organizations more human; and motivate people creatively.

" A greater degree of emotional intelligence will be required by managers,so that they can understand how people work and their likely reactions to change. They will also benefit from having the humility to accept that they are not always the one appropriate ideas".

According to Cloke and Goldsmith :Managers are the dinosaurs of our modern ecology. The age of management is finally to a close. Cloke and Goldsmith suggest that the ever extending reach of globalization,continuously rising productivity,growing complexity of information, expanded sensitivity of the environment and swelling pace of technological innovation are all increasing the demand for alternative organizational practices. They contend that management is an idea whose time is up. Organizations that do not recognize the need to share power and responsibility with all their workers will lose them. The most significant trends in the theory and history of management are the decline of hierarchical ,bureaucratic , autocratic management and the expansion of collaborative self management and organizational democracy.

Hamel maintains that the environment facing the 21st century businesses is more volatile than ever and questions how tomorrow's successful companies will be organized and managed. These new realities call for a new organizational and managerial capabilities.

While the familiar tools and methods of modern management were invented to solve the problems of control and efficiency in large scale organizations, we can envisage management as serving a more general objective: multiplying human accomplishment. In a sense , the goal of management is to first amplify and then aggregate human effort -to get more out of individuals than one might expect by providing them with the appropriate tools,incentives,and working conditions,and to compound those efforts that allow human beings to achieve individually.

There is much written today about changes in the workforce and new approaches to management. It is interesting to note, however,the ideas on the nature of managerial behavior put forward over seventy years ago by Mary Parker Follet. Her thinking was based on concern for social, evolutionary progress , and the organization and management of people for effective performance and the fuller life. Follett envisioned the successful operation of groups, and management responsibility diffused through the organization and not just concentrated at top of hierarchy. One of her notable contributions was emphasis on the situational approach as one of the main forces in influencing the manager-subordinate relationship through the depersonalizing of orders and obeying the "law of the situation".

Parker suggests that Follet's ideas on human relations in the workforce foreshadowed the state of things to come and continue to offer managers in the new century fresh food of thought. Her proposals for best management practice have not only reflected much of what is portrayed as new today but offer managers fresh insight into task of leadership and management.

The fact that management ultimately depends on an understanding of human nature, I suggest it goes much further than that. In the first place , good management depends on the acceptance of certain basic values. It cannot be achieved without honesty and integrity, or without consideration for the interests of others. Secondly, it is the understanding of human foibles that we all share, such as jealousy, envy, status, prejudice, perception, temperament, motivation and talent, which provides the greatest challenge to managers.

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The Concept of Empowerment by Jolito Ortizo Padilla

                                       
Despite the general movement towards less mechanistic structures and the role of managers as facilitators,there appears to be some reluctance especially among top managers to dilute or weaken hierarchical control.A study of major US businesses suggests that there are mixed reactions to the new wave of management thinking. While a prospect of empowerment can hold attractions for the individual employee,many managers are keen to maintain control over the destiny,roles and responsibilities of others. Beneath the trappings of the facilitate and empower philosophy the command and control system lives on.However ,in a discussion on modern leadership and management,Gretton makes the point: " Today's leaders understand that you have to give up control toget results. That's what all the talk of empowerment is about."

Empowerment is generally explained as allowing employees greater freedom autonomy and self-control over their work ,and responsibility for decision making. However, there are differences in the meaning and interpretation of the term. Wilkinson refers to problems with existing prespective literature on empowerment. The term "empowerment" can be seen as flexible and even elastic,and has been used very loosely both practitioner and academics. Wilkinson suggests that it is important to see empowerment in a wider context.It needs to be recognized that its has different forms and should be analyzed in the context of broader organizational practice.

The concept of empowerment also gives rise to the number of questions and doubts. For example, how does it differ in any meaningful way from other earlier forms of employee involvement? Is empowerment just another somewhat more fanciful term for delegation? Some writers see the two as quite separate concepts while other writers suggest that empowerment is a more proactive form of delegation.

Padilla suggests that to support true empowerment there is a need for a new theory of management- Theory E-which states that managers are more effective as facilitators than as leaders,and that they must devolve power, not just responsibility,to individuals as well as groups. Morris, Willcocks and Knasel believe, however,that to empower people is a real part of leadership as opposed to management and they give examples of the way empowerment can actually set people free to do the jobs they are capable of. Both make the point,however ,that true empowerment is much more than conventional delegation.

According to Mills and Friesen: "Empowerment can be succinctly defines as the authority of subordinates to decide and act. "
 
  "It descends a management style. The term is often confused with delegation but, if strictly defined, empowerment goes much further in granting subordinates authority to decide and act. Indeed,within the contaxt of broad limits defined by executives,empowered individuals may even become self- managing."

The Power of Self Concept..by Jolito Ortizo Padilla

Self Concept is the way in which a person sees him-or herself and thinks that others see him or her. An individual with a strong self concept is able to view his or her own abilities in a positive way. Such people do not have to turn to others for affirmation within themselves. A positive self concept results in a person self confidence necessary to deal with others in a professional and productive manner. Customer service providers must work to develop a positive self concept. Angry customers may take out their frustrations on the person who is trying to assist them in finding resolutions to their problems. When this happens ,it would be easy for an individual with a poor self concept to take the customers' words or actions personally. A positive self concept creates the armor necessary to keep customers' actions in perspectives.

Unfortunately, many people do not have a positive self concept. Society places a number of unrealistic examples of perfection before us. The media continue to show us that in order to be truly happy we must be attractive, tall ,thin ,witty,affluent, and perfect in every way. How can we interact with the world in a positive manner if we are less than what we see as ideal? This is a challenge that faces most people.

Others are not influenced by the example that the media have established but have been surrounded by negative people. Negative people can only chip away at an individuals' self concept. If someone tells me that I am not good ,why shouldn't I believe them? The most important thing that people with less than positive self concept can do is to realize that they alone have to power to change the way that they see themselves.

Every individual has the ability to improve his or own self concept. While others can affect how individuals see themselves,change must begin within the individual. The first step in improving oneself is to perform self assessment. A self assessment is an individual evaluation in which individual strengths and weaknesses are identified. A self assessment helps individual to determine where they are headed if they make no changes in themselves or in their behavior. A self assessment must be performed honestly and is meant to evaluate the individual. Instances in which individuals believe that they have been overlooked or have experiences "bad luck" are not relevant during a self assessment. Excuses and blame do not contribute to the performance of an accurate self assessment.

To begin performing self assessment, ask yourself the following questions and record your answers on the sheet of paper or on your computer:

1. What are my strengths? What do I receive compliments from others for having done well. What do I think I am good at?
2. What are my weaknesses? What activities do I feel less confident in performing? Do I frequently make excuses or blame others for my failures? Do I finish what I start? Do I say yes too often? Do I pull my weight in a group activity?
3. How do I see myself? Am I dependable? Do I speak well in front of others? How is my sense of humor? What do I like most about myself? What do I like least? If I could change one thing about myself, what would it be?
4. Do I establish goals and work toward achieving them? Do I take pride in successfully accomplishing task?

It is not enough to perform a self assessment. After assessment, the individual must evaluate the recorded information. When evaluating ,it is helpful to draw conclusions and to develop a plan for the future. Review the responses that you recorded as you performed your own self assessment. Are there specific areas in which you are pleased with your responses? As you draw conclusions about your strengths and weaknesses, recognize that the future will be much more productive if you consider your strengths and weaknesses in establishing goals.

Even if you are not entirely pleased with the outcome of your self appraisal, you now have a valuable new information about yourself. Most people have a very little self awareness because it is sometimes difficult to recognize who are and how others see us. It is much easier to make excuses for our failures and to blame our circumstances on someone else. Do not dwell on any negative information that your self appraisal may have revealed. Go forward making goals to emphasize the positive aspects of yourself and exploring ways to improve those areas that need improvement. Above all accept yourself as the unique person that you are.

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Managing Resistance to Change by Jolito Ortizo Padillla

No organization or individual can escape change.But the thought of change rises anxieties because people fear economic loss, inconvenience,uncertainty, and a break in normal social patterns. Almost any change in structure, technology, people, or strategies has a potential to disrupt comfortable interaction patterns. For this reason. people resist change.The strategic management process itself can impose major changes on individuals or processes. Reorienting an organization to get people to think and act strategically is not an easy task.

Resistance to change can be considered the single greatest threat to successful strategy implementation. Resistance regularly occurs in organizations in the form of sabotaging production machines, absenteeism, filing unfounded grievances, and an unwillingness to cooperate. People often resist strategy implementation because they do not understand what is happening or why changes are taking place. In that case, employees may simply need accurate information. Successful strategy implementation hinges upon managers' ability to develop an organizational climate conducive to change. Change must be viewed as an opportunity rather than as a threat by managers and employees.

Resistance to change can emerge at any stage or level of the strategy -implementation process. Although there are various approaches for implementing changes, three commonly used strategies are a force change strategy, and educative change strategy, and rational or self interest change strategy. A force change strategy involves giving orders and enforcing those orders; this strategy has the advantage of being fast, but it is plagued by low commitment and high resistance. The educative change strategist is one that presents information to convince people of the need for change; the disadvantage of an educative change strategy is that implementation becomes slow and difficult. However, this type of strategy evokes greater commitment and less resistance than does the force changes strategy. Finally a rational or self interest change strategy is one that attempts to convince the individuals that  the change is to their personal advantage. When this appeal is successful , strategy implementation can be relatively easy.However, implementation changes are seldom to everyone advantage.

The rational change strategy is the most desirable, so this approach is examined a bit further. Managers can improve the likelihood of successfully implementing change by carefully designing change efforts. Jack Duncan described a rational or self- interest change strategy as consisting of four steps. First, employees are invited to participate in the process of change and in details of transition; participation allows everyone to give opinions, to feel a part of the change process , and to identify their own self interest regarding the recommended change. Second,some motivation or incentive to change is required.; self interest can be the most important motivator. Third communication is needed so that people can understand the purpose for changes.Giving and receiving feedback is the fourth step: everyone enjoys knowing how things are going and how much progress is being made.

Because of diverse external and internal forces, change is a fact of life in organizations. The rate, speed , magnitude, and direction vary over time by industry and organization. Strategists should strive to create a work environment in which change is recognized as necessary and beneficial so that individuals can more easily adapt to change.Adopting a strategic management approach to decision making can itself require major changes in the philosophy and operations of a firm.

Strategists can take a number of positive actions to minimize managers' and employees' resistance to change. For example, individuals who will be affected by a change should be involved in the decision to make the change and in decision about how to implement the change. Strategists should anticipate changes and develop and offer training and development workshops so that managers and employees can adapt to those changes. The strategic management process can be described as a process of managing change.

Organizational change should be viewed today as a continuous process rather than as a project or event. The most successful organizations today continuously adapt to changes in the competitive environment, which themselves continue to change at an accelerating rate.It is not sufficient today to simply react to change.Managers need to anticipate change and ideally be the creator of change. Viewing change as a continuous process is in stark contrast to an old management doctrine regarding change , which was to unfreeze behavior , change the behavior , and then refreeze the new behavior. The new "continuous organizational change" philosophy should mirror the popular "continuous quality improvement philosophy".

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The Concept of Fiscal Policy by Jolito Ortizo Padilla

Managing the economy is a complex task. The annual budget, which is the most important statement of fiscal policy , is eagerly awaited and attracts much media attention as the overall outcome is a very clear indicator of the state of the economy.In this statement , the Finance Minister outlines the government's spending and taxation plans for the year ahead.The direction taken in the budget should give a clear indication of the government's macroeconomic priorities.

In principal, there are three types of budget:

1. Budget Deficit -in this situation, projected government spending exceeds projected revenue from many forms of taxation.This is where the government sees the need to reflate the economy by increasing aggregate demand. Normally this is in response to a situation where there is a need to expand the economy in order to create more jobs and income.
2. Budget Surplus- in contrast ,this describes a budget where government revenue from taxation exceeds the projected expenditure by the government on social protection, health, care, education , transport and so on. Here the government has identified a need to deflate has identified a need to deflate the economy by cutting back aggregate demand.This is normally in response to a situation where the rate of inflation in the economy is higher than the government feels to be appropriate. It could also be in response to a deteriorating deficit in the balance of trade.
3. Balance Budget- as its name suggests, this is a neutral situation where projected revenue and government spending are equal. Within the budget though there is likely to be some re-allocation of taxation and expenditure.

As seen in the different types of budget, a government can deliberately alter tax rates and levels of government spending to influence economic activity.This is referred to as discretionary fiscal policy and can be used to influence aggregate demand. If a government wants to raise aggregate demand it will increase its spending or cut tax rates.Keynesians favor raising government spending because they believe this will have a bigger multiplier effect.This is because the rise in government spending,especially if it is on welfare payments, is most likely to benefit the poor who have a high marginal propensity to consume. In contrast, a cut in a tax rates may benefit mostly the rich who tend to have a low marginal propensity to consume.

A government can also allow automatic stabilizers to influence economic activity. These are forms of government spending and taxation which change, without deliberate government action to offset fluctuations in GDP. For example,during a recession government spending on unemployment benefits automatically rises because there are more unemployed people. Tax revenue from income tax and indirect taxes will in contrast fall automatically as incomes and expenditure decline.

Fiscal policy may also be employed to affect aggregate supply by changing incentives facing firms and individuals.In recent years , governments throughout the world have increasingly been using fiscal policy in this way to improve the competitiveness of their economies.

For fiscal policy to be effective it is important that the government can accurtaely estimate the impact that changes in government spending and taxation will have on economy. To do this they have a good idea of the value of the multiplier and an awareness of the possible side effects of policy measures. If governments underestimates the value of the multiplier , it may inject too much extra spending and thereby generate inflation and balance of payments problems. Fiscal policy instruments may also have undesirable effects. For example,a government may raise more tax in order to reduce aggregate demand. However , this may also have a disincentive effects and so reduce aggregate supply. This is true of progression taxation such as with income tax where rates increase as the level of earnings increases. Indirect taxes such as sales taxes and excise duties are regressive since they have to be paid at the same rate irrespective of income.

Some instruments of fiscal policy also suffers from significant time lags. Whilst changes in indirect taxes are relatively easy to effect, alterations in direct taxes and government spending take longer to implement and to work through the economy.

It can be difficult to raise taxation and lower government spending because of the political unpopularity of such measures and because of, in the case of government spending, the long term nature of some forms of government spending.For example, once a decision has been announced that the pay of government employees will be increased it would be difficult to reverse it and will commit the government to higher spending for some time.




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The Art of Delegation by Jolito Ortizo Padilla

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Delegation is not an easy task.It involves behavioural as well as organizational and economic considerations,and it is subject to number of possible abuses. Effective delegation is a social skill. It requires a clear understanding of people- perception ,reliance on other people, confidence and trust and courage. It is important that the manager knows what to delegate , when and whom. Matters of policy and disciplinary power, for example, usually rest with the manager and cannot legitimately be delegated. Delegation is a matter of judgment and involves the question of discretion.

Delegation is also a matter of confidence and trust- both in subordinates and the manager's own performance and system of delegation. In allowing freedom of action to subordinates within agreed terms of reference and the limits of authority, managers must accept the accept that  subordinates may undertake delegated activities in a different manner from themselves. This is at the basis of the true nature of delegation. However , learning to put trust in other people is one of the most difficult aspects of successful delegation for many managers.

Delegation involves subordinates making decisions. For example , as Guirdham points out: "A strict separation of manager and subordinate roles sends the message to workers that they are only responsible for what they are specifically told to do. Managers who neglect to, or cannot delegate are failing to develop the human resources for which they have responsibility.

Mistakes will inevitably occur and the subordinate will need to be supported by the manager, and protected against unwarranted criticism. The acceptance of ultimate responsibility highlights the educational aspect of the manager's job. The manager should view mistakes as part of the subordinates training and learning experience, and an opportunity for further development. "Even if mistakes occur, good managers are judged as much by their ability to manage them as by their successes".

Notwithstanding any other consideration. the extent and nature of delegation will ultimately be affected by the nature of of individual characteristics. The ages, ability , training , attitude , motivation and character of the subordinates concerned will, in practice , be major determinants of delegation. An example,is where a strong and  forceful personality overcomes the lack of formal delegation. An example is where a strong and forceful personality overcomes the lack of formal delegation; or where an inadequate manager is supported by a more competent subordinate who effectively acts as the manager. Failure to delegate successfully to a more knowledgeable subordinate may mean that the subordinate emerges as an informal leader and this could have a possible adverse consequences,and for the organization. Another example, and potential difficulty, is when a manager is persuaded to delegate increased responsibility to persons in staff relationship who may have little authority in their own right but are anxious to enhance their power within the organization.

The concept of ultimate responsibility gives rise to the need for effective management control over the actions and decisions of subordinate staff. Whatever the extent of their delegated authority and responsibility, subordinates remain accountable to the manager who should , and hopefully would , wish to be kept informed of their actions and decisions.Subordinates must account to the manager for the discharge of the responsibility they have been given. The manager will therefore need to keep open the lines of delegation and to have an upward flow of communication. The manager will need to be kept informed of the relevance and quality of decisions made by subordinates. The concept of accountability is therefore an important principle of management. The manager remains accountable to a superior not just for the work carried out personally but also for the total operation of the department/ section.This is essential in order to maintain effective coordination and control , and to maintain the chain of command.

The manager must remain in control.The manager must be on the lookout for subordinates who are concerned with personal empire building than with meeting stated organizational objectives and prevent a strong personality exceeding the limits of formal delegation.We have said that delegation creates a special manager -subordinate relationship and this involves both the giving of trust and retention of control. Control is, therefore, an integral part of the system of delegation. However, control should not be so close as to inhibit the effective operation or benefits of delegation.

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Mobile Phone Manners by Jolito Ortizo Padilla

Since in parts of the developed world almost everyone has a mobile phone and copes with the ever increasing range of facilities and services with very little difficulty, I shall limit my remarks to suggesting ways in which we can all make the best use of mobile without inconveniencing others ( or indeed endangering life and limb!).

• Never use a mobile while driving a car-there is a considerable evidence that even with a hands-free system the distraction , both physical and mental , caused by operating the phone causes accidents.

•  Always switch your mobile off when in a cinema, theatre or social gathering.

•   Always switch your mobile off when in a hospital , surgery or in a plane.People do not seem to realize that the mobile interferes with essential equipment and electronic systems, and again there is increasing evidence that several plane crashes have been caused by interference to flight control systems.

• Consider those around you. As Jolito Ortizo Padilla of GA Consultancy commented,"At its most basic level, all rudeness is selfishness.With mobile phones this most commonly takes the form of thinking that you are moving around in an impenetrable bubble".

• If you must keep the mobile on in public place or on a bus or train, turn the ring tone down or preferably switch it to vibrate rather than ring.

• Similarly, don't text with your keypad tone set or loud, or pass time by going through your entire ring tone collections.

• Don't shout. Why is it that people seem to assume that their words are not being transmitted with the aid of microphone? And even at normal volume , be aware that people can overhear you. Use discretion when discussing personal or sensitive business facts or conversations on public transport or in a public place.Otherwise, at best you could appear very foolish and at worst you may be betraying secret company information.

• Don't pay too much attention to your mobile, especially on a date or in the company of others. Accepting calls or spending the entire time with your eyes fixed on your mobile as you read or send yet another text message is extremely rude.

• And finally, take care when using your mobile phone in the street to remember to look where you are going! And if you are using a hands-free system in the street be aware that passers-by when catching sight of you apparently talking to yourself may draw conclusions!