assignement

14
1. Your immediate subordinates feel control is a negative process. Explain what control is and why it a positive process. (700-750 words) When your immediate subordinates feel control is a negative process? When an employee fails—or even just performs poorly—managers typically do not blame themselves. The employee doesn’t understand the work, a manager might contend. Or the employee isn’t driven to succeed, can’t set priorities, or won’t take direction. Whatever the reason, the problem is assumed to be the employee’s fault—and the employee’s responsibility. But is it? Sometimes, of course, the answer is yes. Some employees are not up to their assigned tasks and never will be, for lack of knowledge, skill, or simple desire. But sometimes—and we would venture to say often —an employee’s poor performance can be blamed largely on his boss. Perhaps “blamed” is too strong a word, but it is directionally correct. In fact, our research strongly suggests that bosses—albeit accidentally and usually with the best intentions—are often complicit in an employee’s lack of success. (See the insert “About the Research.”) How? By creating and reinforcing a dynamic that essentially sets up perceived underperformers to fail. If the Pygmalion effect describes the dynamic in which an individual lives up to great expectations, the set-up-to- fail syndrome explains the opposite. It describes a dynamic in which employees perceived to be mediocre or weak performers live down to the low expectations their managers have for them. The result is that they often end up leaving the organization—either of their own volition or not. The syndrome usually begins surreptitiously. The initial impetus can be performance related, such as when an employee loses a client, undershoots a target, or misses a deadline. Often, however, the trigger is less specific. An employee is transferred into a division with a lukewarm recommendation from a previous boss. Or perhaps the boss and the employee don’t really get along on a personal basis—several studies have indeed shown that compatibility between boss and subordinate, based on similarity of attitudes, values, or social characteristics, can have a significant impact on a boss’s impressions. In any case, the syndrome is set in motion when the boss begins to worry that the employee’s performance is not up to par.

Upload: altaf-hussain

Post on 01-Sep-2015

216 views

Category:

Documents


2 download

DESCRIPTION

looks good

TRANSCRIPT

1. Your immediate subordinates feel control is a negative process. Explain what control is and why it a positive process.

(700-750 words)

When your immediate subordinates feel control is a negative process?When an employee failsor even just performs poorlymanagers typically do not blame themselves. The employee doesnt understand the work, a manager might contend. Or the employee isnt driven to succeed, cant set priorities, or wont take direction. Whatever the reason, the problem is assumed to be the employees faultand the employees responsibility.

But is it? Sometimes, of course, the answer is yes. Some employees are not up to their assigned tasks and never will be, for lack of knowledge, skill, or simple desire. But sometimesand we would venture to say oftenan employees poor performance can be blamed largely on his boss.

Perhaps blamed is too strong a word, but it is directionally correct. In fact, our research strongly suggests that bossesalbeit accidentally and usually with the best intentionsare often complicit in an employees lack of success. (See the insert About the Research.) How? By creating and reinforcing a dynamic that essentially sets up perceived underperformers to fail. If the Pygmalion effect describes the dynamic in which an individual lives up to great expectations, the set-up-to-fail syndrome explains the opposite. It describes a dynamic in which employees perceived to be mediocre or weak performers live down to the low expectations their managers have for them. The result is that they often end up leaving the organizationeither of their own volition or not.

The syndrome usually begins surreptitiously. The initial impetus can be performance related, such as when an employee loses a client, undershoots a target, or misses a deadline. Often, however, the trigger is less specific. An employee is transferred into a division with a lukewarm recommendation from a previous boss. Or perhaps the boss and the employee dont really get along on a personal basisseveral studies have indeed shown that compatibility between boss and subordinate, based on similarity of attitudes, values, or social characteristics, can have a significant impact on a bosss impressions. In any case, the syndrome is set in motion when the boss begins to worry that the employees performance is not up to par.

The boss then takes what seems like the obvious action in light of the subordinates perceived shortcomings: he increases the time and attention he focuses on the employee. He requires the employee to get approval before making decisions, asks to see more paperwork documenting those decisions, or watches the employee at meetings more closely and critiques his comments more intensely.

These actions are intended to boost performance and prevent the subordinate from making errors. Unfortunately, however, subordinates often interpret the heightened supervision as a lack of trust and confidence. In time, because of low expectations, they come to doubt their own thinking and ability, and they lose the motivation to make autonomous decisions or to take any action at all. The boss, they figure, will just question everything they door do it himself anyway.

Ironically, the boss sees the subordinates withdrawal as proof that the subordinate is indeed a poor performer. The subordinate, after all, isnt contributing his ideas or energy to the organization. So what does the boss do? He increases his pressure and supervision againwatching, questioning, and double-checking everything the subordinate does. Eventually, the subordinate gives up on his dreams of making a meaningful contribution. Boss and subordinate typically settle into a routine that is not really satisfactory but, aside from periodic clashes, is otherwise bearable for them. In the worst-case scenario, the bosss intense intervention and scrutiny end up paralyzing the employee into inaction and consume so much of the bosss time that the employee quits or is fired. (For an illustration of the set-up-to-fail syndrome, see the exhibit The Set-Up-to-Fail Syndrome: No Harm IntendedA Relationship Spirals from Bad to Worse.).Explain what control is and why it a positive process?Control, orcontrolling, is one of the managerial functions likeplanning,organizing,staffinganddirecting. It is an important function because it helps to check the errors and to take the corrective action so that deviation from standards are minimized and stated goals of the organization are achieved in a desired manner.

According to modern concepts, control is a foreseeing action whereas earlier concept of control was used only when errors were detected. Control in management means setting standards, measuring actual performance and taking corrective action.

Controllingisthatprocessof regulating organizationalactivitiessothatactualperformanceconforms to expectedorganizationalgoalsandstandards.While interrelatedwithallof theothermanagementfunctions, aspecialrelationshipexistsbetweentheplanningfunctionofmanagementandcontrolling.Planning, essentially,is the deciding ofgoalsandobjectivesandthemeansofreachingthem.Controllingletsmanager tellif the organization is ontrackforgoalachievement,andifnot,whynot.A well-developedplanshould providebenchmarksthatcanbeusedin thecontrolprocess. Controlsserveotherimportantrolesincludinghelpingmanagerscopewithuncertainty,detecting irregularities,identifyingopportunities,handlingcomplexsituations,anddecentralizingauthority.Like planning,controllingresponsibilitiesdifferbymanageriallevelwithcontrolresponsibilities paralleling planningresponsibilities at thestrategic,tactical,andoperational level. Thereareseveralmajorstepsusuallyidentifiedin thebasiccontrolprocess.Theseare,inorder,determining theareasto becontrolled,establishingthe appropriatestandards,measuringperformance,comparingthe performanceagainststandards,recognizingperformanceifstandardsaremetorexceededortakecorrective actionsasnecessaryifnot,andadjustingeither/orstandardsandmeasuresasnecessary.Ofcourseitwould beimpossibletocontrolallactivityin an organization.Consequently,it isimportantforthemanagerto decidewhichactivities shouldhavethecontrolprocessapplied.Arguesthatmanagersneedtoconsider controls mainly inareasinwhichtheydependonothersforresourcesnecessarytoreachorganizational goals.Fourconditionshelpdelineatewhen controls should beused.Thesearehaving ahighdependenceon theresource,having ahighexpectationthattheresourceflowswouldbeunacceptablewithoutproper controls,thattheinstitutingof acontrolprocesswouldbefeasible,andthatthetotalcontrolprocesscosts wouldbewithintheacceptablerange. Timingisoneof thebasesfordifferentiatingcontrolsystems.Somemajorcontroltypesarebasedon timing.Theseincludefeedforwardcontrols, concurrent controls,andfeedbackcontrols.Theseareterms whichareunfamiliartomanystudentsandspecialnoteneedsto bemadein reviewing thismaterial.A variety ofthesetypesofcontrolisfrequentlyusedinmultiplecontrolsystemsandusuallyinvolvenon- cybernetic.Cyberneticcontrolsinvolvelittle,ifany,humandiscretion aspartof thesystem.Rather,it is a self regulatingsystemthat,onceputintooperation,canautomaticallymonitorthe situationandtake corrective actionwhennecessary.Noncyberneticsystems,on theotherhandrely onhumandiscretion as a

basicpartofitsprocess. Inadditionto deciding thetypesof controls touse,managersalsohavetheoptionsregardingthe mechanismsto beusedto implement controls.Thethreebasicapproachesarebureaucratic,clan,and market.Bureaucraticcontrols rely on regulationthroughrules,policies,supervision,budgets,schedules, rewardsystems,andotheradministrativemechanismsaimedatensuringacceptablebehaviorand performanceClancontrols rely on thevalues,beliefs,traditions,corporate culture,sharednorms,and informalrelationships toregulatebehaviorandto facilitate thereachingof organizationalgoals.Themarket controlshaveasomewhatmorelimitedapplicationinorganizationsthandobureaucraticorclancontrols; allthreeapproachesarelikelyto beusedtosomeextent.Marketcontrols rely onmarketmechanismsto regulatepricesforcertaingoodsandservicesusedby the organization. Therearesomepotentialdysfunctionalaspectsofcontrolsystemsthemanagermustconsider.Behavioral displacement,gameplaying, operatingdelays,andnegativeattitudesaresomeofthese.Todecreasethe likelihoodof theeffects,managersneedtoavoidengagingin eitherover-controlorunder-control.To be effective,controlsystemsshould befuture-oriented,multidimensional,cost-effective,accurate,realistic, timelymonitorable,acceptableto organizationmembers,andflexible.2. What is conflict? List some possible causes of conflict. What have you learned from chapter No 9 Managing Expectation of People which will help you to develop more positive relationship with in your organization as a manager.

What is conflict? Conflict is a characteristic of human existence. It is part of the dynamic of life that drives us into the future. But it needs to be managed constructively. When associated with violence, destruction and killing, it is no longer a healthy part of living. Violent conflict solves few problems, creates many, and breeds more unhealthy conflict to come.

List some possible causes of conflict?Employee conflict in the workplace is a common occurrence, resulting from the differences in employees' personalities and values. Dealing with employee conflict in a timely manner is important to maintaining a healthy work environment. Believing that a conflict will simply disappear is an inaccurate assumption to make because simple conflicts can grow into major problems if not dealt with appropriately. Managers should understand the common causes of employee conflicts, so that a solution is found before the issues become unmanageable.

Poor Communication

Poor communication is one of the main causes of conflict between employees in the workplace. This can result in a difference in communication styles or a failure to communicate. For example, a manager reassigned an employees task to the employees co-worker but failed to communicate the reassignment to the employee. This may cause the employee to feel slighted, which can transform into animosity among the two employees and the manager. Failing to communicate in the workplace may cause employees to make incorrect assumptions and believe workplace gossip. Poor communication in the workplace not only causes conflict but decreases productivity and employee morale.

Difference in Personalities

A difference in personalities among employees is another cause of workplace conflict. Employees come from different backgrounds and experiences, which play a role in shaping their personalities. When employees fail to understand or accept the differences in each other's personalities, problems arise in the workplace. For example, an employee may possess a straightforward personality that results in him speaking whatever is on his mind, even if the timing is inappropriate. The employee with the straightforward personality may offend a co-worker that does not possess the same type of personality. The co-worker may feel as if the employee is rude or lacks the authority to deal with her in such a straightforward manner.

Different Values

Similar to personalities, the values of employees differ within the workplace. A difference in values is seen clearly when a generational gap is present. Young workers may possess different workplace values than older workers. The difference in values is not necessarily the cause of employee conflict in the workplace, but the failure to accept the differences is. When employees fail to accept the differences, co-workers may insult each other's character and experiences. When insults occur, the conflict intensifies until the right solution is offered and accepted.

Competition

Unhealthy workplace competition is a cause of employee conflict. Some industries foster competitive environments more than others. When salary is linked to employee production, a workplace may experience strong competition between employees. Competition that is not properly managed can result in employees sabotaging or insulting one another, which creates a hostile work environment. Unhealthy workplace competition discourages teamwork and promotes individualism.

What have you learned from chapter No 9 Managing Expectation of People which will help you to develop more positive relationship with in your organization as a manager?

According to the Gallup Organization, people who have a best friend at work are seven times more likely to be engaged in their jobs. And it doesn't have to be a best friend: Gallup found that people who simply had a good friend in the workplace are more likely to be satisfied.

In this article, we're looking at how you can build strong, positive relationships at work. We'll see why it's important to have good working relationships, and we'll look at how to strengthen your relationships with people that you don't naturally get on with.

There are several characteristics that make up good, healthy working relationships: Trust This is the foundation of every good relationship. When youtrustyour team and colleagues, you form a powerful bond that helps you work and communicate more effectively. If you trust the people you work with, you can be open and honest in your thoughts and actions, and you don't have to waste time and energy "watching your back."

Mutual Respect When you respect the people that you work with, you value their input and ideas, and they value yours. Working together, you can develop solutions based on your collective insight, wisdom and creativity.

Mindfulness This means taking responsibility for your words and actions. Those who are mindful are careful and attend to what they say, and they don't let their own negative emotions impact the people around them.

Welcoming Diversity People with good relationships not only accept diverse people and opinions, but they welcome them. For instance, when your friends and colleagues offer different opinions from yours, you take the time to consider what they have to say, and factor their insights into your decision-making.

Open Communication We communicate all day, whether we're sending emails and IMs, or meeting face-to-face. The better and more effectively you communicate with those around you, the richer your relationships will be. All good relationships depend on open, honest communication.

How to Build Good Work Relationships

So, what can you do to build better relationships at work?

Develop Your People Skills

Good relationships start with good people skills. Take ourHow Good Are Your People Skills?Quiz to find out how well you score with "soft skills" such as collaboration, communication and conflict resolution. This self-test will point you to tools that will help you deal with any weaknesses that you have.

Identify Your Relationship Needs

Look at your own relationship needs. Do you know what you need from others? And do you know what they need from you?

Understanding these needs can be instrumental in building better relationships.

Schedule Time to Build Relationships

Devote a portion of your day toward relationship building, even if it's just 20 minutes, perhaps broken up into five-minute segments.

For example, you could pop into someone's office during lunch, reply to people's postings onTwitterorLinkedIn, or ask a colleague out for a quick cup of coffee.

These little interactions help build the foundation of a good relationship, especially if they're face-to-face.

Focus on Your EI

Also, spend time developing youremotional intelligence(EI). Among other things, this is your ability to recognize your own emotions, and clearly understand what they're telling you.

High EI also helps you to understand the emotions and needs of others.

Appreciate Others

Show your appreciation whenever someone helps you. Everyone, from your boss to the office cleaner, wants to feel that their work is appreciated. So, genuinely compliment the people around you when they do something well. This will open the door to great work relationships.

Be Positive

Focus on beingpositive. Positivity is attractive and contagious, and it will help strengthen your relationships with your colleagues. No one wants to be around someone who's negative all the time.

Manage Your Boundaries

Make sure that you set andmanage boundariesproperly all of us want to have friends at work, but, occasionally, a friendship can start to impact our jobs, especially when a friend or colleague begins to monopolize our time.

If this happens, it's important that you'reassertiveabout your boundaries, and that you know how much time you can devote during the work day for social interactions.

Avoid Gossiping

Don't gossip office politicsand "gossip" are major relationship killers at work. If you're experiencing conflict with someone in your group, talk to them directly about the problem. Gossiping about the situation with other colleagues will only exacerbate the situation, and will cause mistrust and animosity between you.

Listen Actively

Practiceactive listeningwhen you talk to your customers and colleagues. People respond to those who truly listen to what they have to say. Focus on listening more than you talk, and you'll quickly become known as someone who can be trusted.

3. Write a short note on each of the following: -

(500-550 words each)(a)Strategic Management

(b)Policies, Procedures & RulesA. Strategic ManagementStrategic management as a term and concept is not new. The term was first used in the 1970.s, and it meant that a staff of strategic planners more or less thought up .strategic programs. and then tried to sell them to decision makers. In the 1990.s, the view of strategic planning and strategic management is much different. Goodstein, Nolan, and Pfeiffer.s definition of strategic planning takes us away from the notion that strategic planning is a staff job and focuses us more on a process that requires the senior leaders of an organization to set its strategic direction. The process by which the guiding members of an organization envision its future and develop the necessary procedures and operations to achieve that future.The concept of strategic management builds on this definition of strategic planning, recognizing that although .planning. is the prelude of strategic management, it is insufficient if not followed by the deployment and implementation of the plan and the evaluation of the plan in action.

Management system that links strategic planning and decision making with the day-to-day business of operational management.Strategic management goes beyond the development of a strategic plan, which included the pre-planning and strategic planning processes. Strategic management is the deployment and implementation of the strategic plan and measurement and evaluation of the results. Deployment involves completing the plan and communicating it to all employees. Implementation involves resourcing the plan, putting it into action, and managing those actions. Measurement and evaluation consists not only of tracking implementation actions, but, more importantly, assessing how the organization is changing as a result of those actions and using that information to update the plan.

It is the responsibility of senior leadership to strategically manage the organization. Strategic management is a continuous process rather than a one-time event. Therefore, the senior leaders must become strategic thinkers and leaders of the organization and its culture, changing it as necessary. To be the most successful, leaders need to be facilitators, coaches, consultants, and consensus-builders. Transformational leadership is described by Bernard Bass as, .superior leadership performance that occurs when leaders broaden and elevate the interests of their employees, when they generate awareness and acceptance of the purposes and mission of the group, and when they stir their employees to look beyond their own selfinterest for the good of the group.. Acquiring transformational leadership traits requires hard work and dedication, willingness to take some risks, and internalizing the organization.s vision and guiding principles.

When an organization is practicing strategic management, thinking becomes more visionary, which is characterized by:

Breakthrough thinking about the future; organizational boundaries are more flexible.

A shift in focus from the inputs that are used to run the business to the outputs and outcomes the organization desires to achieve.

A focus on optimizing organizational performance and process quality as keys to delivering quality products and services.

A move toward an organizational culture that adapts easily to change.

With practice, patience, dedication, and hard work, the organizational learning that takes place through the application of strategic management will bring the organization closer to realizing its goals and vision. With each update of the strategic plan, senior leaders will become better able to deploy the plan, implement changes, and measure organizational performance.

B. Policies, Procedures & RulesIn order to protect information, businesses need to implement rules and controls around the protection of information and the systems that store and process this information. This is commonly achieved through the implementation of information security policies, standards, guidelines and procedures. However, what exactly are these? This article will explain what information security policies, standards, guidelines and procedures are, the differences between each and how they fit together to form an information security policy framework.

PoliciesAn information security policy consists ofhigh level statementsrelating to the protection of information across the business and should be produced by senior management.

The policy outlines security roles and responsibilities, defines the scope of information to be protected, and provides a high level description of the controls that must be in place to protect information. In addition, it should make references to the standards and guidelines that support it. Businesses may have a single encompassing policy, or several specific policies that target different areas, such as an email policy or acceptable use policy. From a legal and compliance perspective, an information security policy is often viewed as a commitment from senior management to protect information. A documented policy is frequently a requirement to satisfy regulations or laws, such as those relating to privacy and finance. It should be viewed as a business mandate and must be driven from the top (i.e. senior management) downwards in order to be effective.

ProceduresProcedures consist ofstep by step instructionsto assist workers in implementing the various policies, standards and guidelines.

Whilst the policies, standards and guidelines consist of the controls that should be in place, a procedure gets down to specifics, explaining how to implement these controls in a step by step fashion. For example, a procedure could be written to explain how to install Windows securely, detailing each step that needs to be taken to harden/secure the operating system so that it satisfies the applicable policy, standards and guidelines.

StandardsStandards consist of specificlow levelmandatory controlsthat help enforce and support the information security policy.

Standards help to ensure security consistency across the business and usually contain security controls relating to the implementation of specific technology, hardware or software. For example, a password standard may set out rules for password complexity and a Windows standard may set out the rules for hardening Windows clients.

GuidelinesGuidelines consist ofrecommended,non-mandatory controlsthat help support standards or serve as a reference when no applicable standard is in place.

Guidelines should be viewed as best practices that are not usually requirements, but are strongly recommended. They could consist of additional recommended controls that support a standard, or help fill in the gaps where no specific standard applies. For example, a standard may require passwords to be 8 characters or more and a supporting guideline may state that it is best practice to also ensure the password expires after 30 days. In another example, a standard may require specific technical controls for accessing the internet securely and a separate guideline may outline the best practices for using the internet and managing your online presence.

The Information Security Policy FrameworkEach document listed above has a different target audience within the business and therefore, should never be combined into one document. Instead there should be several documents, that together form the concept of an information security policy framework. This framework is illustrated in the diagram above, with each level of the framework supporting the levels above it.

In order to help cement this concept, lets use an example to illustrate how all of these different framework pieces fit together.

Apolicymay state all business information must be adequately protected when being transferred.

A supporting data transferstandardbuilds upon this, requiring that all sensitive information be encrypted using a specific encryption type and that all transfers are logged.

A supportingguidelineexplains the best practices for recording sensitive data transfers and provides templates for the logging of these transfers.

Aprocedureprovides step by step instructions for performing encrypted data transfers and ensures compliance with the associated policy, standards and guidelines.