FEATURE
PAPER
An Examination
of the Self-Concept
of Management and Its Relationship to Leadership
The
following paper was presented at the 2006 Allied Academies Conference.
It was written by James Reagan Mclaurin of American University
of Sharjah.
Abstract
Theories
about self management and individual advocates of self management
claim that
there are an astounding number of critical elements that must exist
before effective self management
can be obtained. Specifically, this paper addresses six key ingredients
of self management:
strengths and feedback analysis, performance and vision, values and
goals, contribution,
relationship responsibility and lastly, effectiveness.
Introduction
Today
is an age of unlimited opportunity. If someone has ambition and
intellect, they can
soar to the top of their particular career, regardless of their starting
point or position. What must be
remembered is that with opportunity comes responsibility. Drucker
(1999) says employees must
act as their own chief executive officers; companies today are not
managing their employees and
their careers. He expresses his strong belief that it is up to the
individual to carve out their own
place in the working world. The individual must know when to change
course and when to keep
engaged and productive during a work life that may span some 50 years.
To do those things
competently, a deep understanding of self is required.
Manz
(1990) argues that more emphasis needs to be placed on individual
control and
responsibility of people in organizations. Managers and professionals,
who often have a great deal
of responsibility, freedom and discretion in their jobs, have always
had an acute need for effective
self-management.
In agreement with Drucker, Goleman (2000) deems that a significant
importance must be
placed on recognizing emotions and their effects, as well as being
aware and acting in accordance
with strengths and limits, and keeping a strong sense of self-worth,
values and capabilities.
Theories
about self management and individual advocates of self management
claim that
there are an astounding number of critical elements that must
exist before effective self management
can be obtained. Specifically, this paper addresses six key ingredients
of self management: strengths
and feedback analysis, performance and vision, values and goals,
contribution, relationship
responsibility and lastly, effectiveness.
Read the Entire Paper...
TIP
OF THE WEEK
Competitive
Advantages and Disadvantages of Independents
Independent
retailers have a variety of advantages and disadvantages:
• There
is flexibility in choosing retail formats and locations, and
in devising strategy.
Because only one location is involved,
detailed specifications can be set for the best site and thorough
search undertaken. Uniform location standards are not needed, as
they are for chains, and independents don not have to worry about
company stores being to close. Independents have a great latitude
in selecting target markets. Because they often have modest goals,
small segments may be selected rather than the mass market. assortments,
prices, hours, and other factors are then set consistent with the
segment.
• Investment
costs for leases, fixtures, workers, and merchandise can be held
down;
and there is no duplication of stock or personnel
functions. Responsibilities are clearly delineated within a store.
• Independents
frequently act as specialists in a niche of a particular goods/service
category. They are more efficient
and can lure shoppers interested in specialized retailers.
• Independents
exert strong control over their strategies, and the owner-operator
is typically on the premises. Decision making
is centralized and layers of management personnel are minimized.
• There is a certain
image attached to independents, particularly small ones, that
chains cannot readily capture. This is the image
of a personable retailer with a comfortable atmosphere in which
to shop.
• Independents
can easily sustain consistency in their efforts because only
one store is operated.
• Independents have "independence." They
do not have to fret about stockholders, board of directors meetings,
and
labor unrest. They are often free from union and seniority rules.
• Owner-operators typically have a strong entrepreneurial
drive. They have made a personal investment and there is a lot
of ego involvement. According to a recent National Small Business
Poll, "Two-thirds of Americans hold the view that if you want
to get ahead, own a small business."
These are some of the disadvantages of independent retailing:
• In bargaining
with suppliers, independents may not have much power because
they often buy in small quantities. Suppliers
may even bypass them. Reordering may be hard if minimum order requirements
are high. Some independents, such as hardware stores, belong to
buying groups to increase their clout.
• Independents
generally cannot gain economies of scale in buying and maintaining
inventory. Due to financial constraints,
small assortments are bought several times per year. Transportation,
ordering, and handling costs per unit are high.
• Operations are
labor intensive, sometimes with little computerization. Order,
taking inventory, marking items, ringing
up sales, and bookkeeping may be done manually. This is less efficient
that computerization. In many cases, owner-operators are unwilling
or unable to spend time learning how to set up and apply computerized
procedures.
• Due to the relatively
high costs of TV ads and the broad geographic coverage of magazines
and some newspapers (too large
for firms with one outlet), independents are limited in their access
to media. Yet, there are various promotion tools available for
creative independents.
• A crucial problem for family-run independents is overdependence
on the owner. Often all decisions are made by that person, and
there is no management continuity when the owner-boss is ill, on
vacation, or retires. Long-run success and employee morale can
be affected by this. As one small business consultant says, "Running
a family-owned or closely-held business is a challenge. It is difficult
to keep it up and running."
• A limited amount
of time is allotted to long-run planning, since the owner's intimately
involved in daily operations of the
firm.
| Barry
Berman & Joel R. Evans. Retail Management - A Strategic
Approach. Pearson Education Inc. 2007. Pages 107-108. |
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