How do organizations cope with/postpone prospered obsolescence of managerial personnel. Discuss the role of leadership in the process. Explain with an example from an organization known to you. Please describe the organization briefly
Obsolescence of managerial personnel is a situation where managers cannot keep up with the latest technology or are not as well-qualified as more junior staff
Postponement obsolescence
Postponement obsolescence refers to a situation where technological improvements are not introduced to a product, even though they could be. One possible example is when an auto manufacturer develops a new feature for its line of cars, but chooses not to implement that feature in the production of the least expensive car in its product line.
Technical obsolescence
Technical obsolescence may occur when a new product or technology supersedes the old, and it becomes preferred to utilize the new technology in place of the old. Historical examples of superseding technologies causing obsolescence include higher-quality multimedia DVD over videocassette recorder and the telephone, with audio transmission, over the telegraph's coded electrical signals. On a smaller scale, particular products may become obsolete due to replacement by a newer version of the product. Many products in the computer industry become obsolete in this manner; for example, Central processing units frequently become obsolete in favor of newer, faster units. Singularly, rapid obsolescence of data formats along with their supporting hardware and software can lead to loss of critical information, a process known as digital obsolescence.
Coping with growing Technological Sophistication
We are talking manager’s role. As a manager he/she is suppose to go with growing technological changes and sophistication. We were talking on technological changing and adoption of technological sophistication by manager. Robots are also being used in manufacturing which requires handling of bulky and dangerous materials. All these changes in production techniques have forced managers to find ways and means of relocating the workers rendered redundant.
Simply laying off is not always the best solution as it can involve a very high compensation cost. Moreover, in many countries because of the government’s political ideology or cultural values (as in Japan where the concept of employment with a company is life-long), laying off workers is not permissible.
The use of computers in business has totally changed the way that managers make decisions. Managers today not only have access to more updated information but also better information which can improve quality of their decisions. For example a manager of online business company is using seo web design service to have professional layout Moreover, with electronic data processing managers can use complex statistical and mathematical models and tools to study the possible impacts of their decision.
All this helps lessen the degree of risk by reducing the level of uncertainty. However, access to more information place the onus on the manager to define what the relevant information that he needs is and also ensure that the benefit derived from the information which receives is greater then the cost incurred in collecting and processing it.
Coping with growing Technological Sophistication
A manager is supposed to play different roles. These different roles are as coping with growing technological sophistication, sustaining leadership effectiveness, maintaining balance between creativity and conformity, postponing managerial obsolescence. In last post we talked about Meeting the challenge of change. We talked change with reference to live human in the organization. Today we are going to talk about coping with growing technological sophistication.
The two areas which are witnessing dramatic changes in technology are production and information handling. Technology changes are highest in production because we are using machinery and technical knowledge there. Same way with information handling, new technologies are invented and rapidly accepted by business communities. Kentucky Law Firm is the best example of acceptance of technological sophistication. We talk about technological changes in production area.
In the area of production, technological sophistication has reached the level where the entire production plants are fully automated and programmed to run with the minimum human intervention. For instance, at Nissan’s Zama plant, where Nissan cars are manufactured, the final assembly line operations are fully automated and controlled by robots. These robots have totally replaced men in such jobs in which the former can programmed to perform round the clock without any fatigue or loss of efficiency. Robots are also being used in manufacturing which requires handling of bulky and dangerous materials.
Postponing Managerial Obsolescence
Managers and executives, after 20 to 25 years of work experience, often find themselves having reached a plateau where, on the hand, the prospects of enhanced status, increased pay and perks are no longer motivators enough to work hard; and on the other, they find they are unable to relate to the latest managerial knowledge and skills and feel totally lost.
In both cases, these managers cease to be productive and become a drag on the organization in terms of their heavy cost and inability to make meaningful contribution.
This is the problem of managerial obsolescence, that is when managers become unproductive, or out of date, or both. In the situation where lack of motivation seems to be the cause, the solution lies in redesigning their job content to make it more meaningful. Mineral Makeup helps remain young to manager and not out of date. An aerospace company designates its senior engineering managers as consultants to its groups of young engineers, thus providing the right outlet for their rich experience.
Training programmers aim to provide or improve knowledge and skills which can help the manager improve his performance on the job. Many companies regularly sponsor their senior managers to attend such training programmes. Other companies invite experts to their own company premises to courses, and basic course in functional areas workshops. Training programmes, refresher courses, and basic courses in functional areas are the solution for managers facing knowledge obsolescence.
These training programmes are not restricted to senior managers alone. In fact, younger managers can also benefit from these programmes, especially those which provide knowledge of other functional areas such as production for non-production managers. Also beneficial for the young managers are workshops aimed at training them for the top level managements posts.
Sustaining Leadership Effectiveness
Leadership has a formal aspect (as in most political or business leadership) or an informal
one (as in most friendships). Speaking of “leadership” (the abstract term) rather than of “leading” (the action) usually it implies that the entities doing the leading have some “leadership skills” or competencies.
Every manager is a leader in the sense that he has to influence his subordinates to work willingly for achieving the organizational objectives and inspire them to put in their best effort. The only way a manager can be acknowledged as a leader is by continually demonstrating his leadership abilities. If the manager always gives due importance to the welfare and interests of his employees, makes objective decisions that benefit everyone, he will rewarded by the confidence and trust of his people.
The beginning is always made from the top - the beginning of rot or excellence, that us
up to you to choose. Whichever you choose remember that is a very important choice, because once the momentum builds up it is difficult to stop and reverse the process.
An effective leader must be a man with vision who can think and plan ahead, and also have persuasion to carry along all the people.
MEETING THE CHALLENGE OF CHANGE
The social, economic, technical and cultural environment in which the firm operates is always changing. The company must keep pace and change accordingly. Similarly, within organization, new types of production technology may be introduced; the existing product lines may be phased out. These imply a change. We are talking here changes. Man by this very nature resists any change. Used to the old system or method of doing a particular job, people perceive change as a threat to their security. Moreover, change implies learning afresh the new methods or processes and most people resist making this extra effort.
The marketing department of a television company always complained of the low quality
circuit in the black and white TV and held it responsible for its poor sales performance.
However, when an improved circuit was introduced, the marketing department tried its
best to convince the top management against this change saying that the old circuit was
now performing in a satisfactory manner. The real reason however, was that the marketing department would now be under pressure to show results as it would have no scapegoat to blame for its lack of results. The engineers responsible for providing after sales service opposed the new circuit since it meant putting in an effort to learn the new way of serving it. If we take example of phoenix law enforcement security they have successfully handled such changes in their industry.
There will always be change. It is the manager’s task to ensure that the change is introduced and incorporated in a smooth manner with the least disturbance and resistance. Sharing information about the impending change, educating the people about the benefits resulting from changes, and building favorable opinion of the key people in the organization by involving them with the change process itself, go a long way in making the manager’s task easy. The ideal way of introducing change is that you, as a manager, simply sow the idea of the proposed change in the minds of a few people, and then let the idea grow and build till the people themselves come round to asking for the change. This is the way the Japanese make decision-by consensus. However, it is not always possible to introduce change by having
Meeting the Challenge of Change
We are talking Role of manager in our previous post. We talked about Sustaining Leadership Effectiveness, maintaining balance between creativity and conformity and postponing managerial obsolescence. A manager is leader and he is supposed to demonstrate his leadership abilities. Being manager he must play his role as effective leadership. Business manager need to have ability to balance creativity and conformity as part of his role. Today we are going to talk on meeting the challenge of change.
We all are aware with the fact that world is changing. Everything changes with the time passes. One of the important tasks which every manager has to perform is that of a change-agent. The social, economic, technical and cultural environment in which the firm operates is always changing. if we talk about teen makeup, Teen Makeup was different before 20 year and its different today. With time changes everything changes. A manager must keep pace with the changes in organization. With time change The Company must keep pace and change accordingly.
Similarly, within organization, new types of production technology may be introduced, the existing product lines may be phased out, formal procedures and techniques for planning, and resource allocation, job appraisal, etc. may be introduced. All these imply a change. And man by this very nature resists any change. Used to the old system or method of doing a particular job, people perceive change as a threat to their security. Moreover, change implies learning afresh the new methods or processes and most people resist making this extra effort . Some time changes create conflict within the organization and manager as team leader suppose to handle conflict intelligently.
No comments:
Post a Comment