Read critically and analyze the following scenario
Geraldine Barney Garrett, the granddaughter of Wilford Barney took over the reins of the R&D department of Biotech Health and Life Products (Biotech) in 1965. She had trained at the hands of her grandmother Wilford’s mother, Maria. Geraldine was a strong manager and developed the Research and Development (R&D) lab from the advanced kitchen of her grandmother to the scientific lab of her peers. Geraldine’s management philosophy evolved over the years but she had several basic ideas that kept her grounded. Geraldine knew she had to answer to the family in every decision she made. Her grandmother stressed this point and she eventually came to agree. Therefore, decisions were made by her. She also realized that her employees had good ideas and talent but they did not bear the responsibility she did. So, although she consulted with the employees often, she never gave them the power to make important decisions……………………………………………One other thing that bothered Geraldine about Valerie was the lack of new ideas and creativity. Although Valerie could take ideas from others and execute them in a creative way, she did not have a lot of new ideas of her own. She never seemed to seek new ideas or even revamp old ones. Geraldine saw Valerie as talented and would keep the lab in its current state making only minor changes. Valerie often said to Geraldine, “If it isn’t broken why fix it?” Geraldine liked the idea of the lab being run the same way, but she wondered if the lack of ideas was reflective of a good department head. After all the head was always expected to have new ideas.
Solution
Introduction
The case study indicates several management insights, which are to be evaluated in the context of the business and leadership. Every organization has a different culture. Based on this culture, the management depicts or shapes the behavior to direct both, employees and work process. Geraldine, Melanie, or Valerie are three characters in the case study. Depending on the situation and need in the company, the management expresses the readiness to adopt the management style and philology. Interestingly, different management philosophies are integrating with the management or leadership theories. Geraldine, Melanie, or Valerie, who are triggered by different philosophies, has demonstrated their engagement with different theories. The suitable combination helps the management of the company to enable the success and long-term business sustainability in this modern and competitive business era. Insights, derived from this particular case study have helped to point out some management phyllophytes, which are effective and workable in the contemporary business era.
Identify from among Geraldine, Melanie or Valerie the woman who best represents the Classical Organizational School of Thought.
Geraldine represents the classical organizational school of thoughts. Geraldine looks to make decisions regarding work and lead employees to work effectively. The classical management approach forces her to keep the power or authority and direct all employees work according to expectations. Making the decision, setting goals, and allocating tasks among team members seem good approaches in the management process. Intriguingly, Geraldine decides on the top level, which sidelines different ideas and through of employees. Keeping the decision-making process with her hand justifies the classical organizational school of thought. Lack of long-term planning in the department can create the problem for Geraldine, as several employees are going to retire. Thus, the department needs some changes for the future, and due to this classical approach, several problems may occur.
From among the following list of Classical School theorists select the one that best reflects the woman identified by you as the best fit to the Classical Organizational School of Thought and explain why: Henry Fayol, Lilian Gilbreth, Fredrick Taylor Adam Smith, Henry Towne and Max Weber.
It has been revealed that all decisions, made by Geraldine, depend on circumstances and the context of the decision. The role of Geraldine, identified earlier, seems fit for the Classical Organizational School of Thought. Well, Geraldine intends to make the decision according to the current condition of the work and enable the consistency. Lilian Gilbreth argues that the working consistency leads towards the efficiency and profitability for a long run at the company. The role of Geraldine seems pertinent regarding her employee-oriented decision. She wants to improve the individual performance and link it with the overall efficiency and business profitability. Employees are directed to complete the task in the given time. Lilian Gilbreth focuses on the time and motion, and it can be justified in this process.
As stated in the facts Geraldine acknowledges four key areas that are of concern to her in her selection of a successor: updating the technology in the lab, retaining young employees, providing teams with strong leadership and encouraging new ideas. Which of the following three management theories would best fit Geraldine’s criteria as an ideal successor: Situational Theory, Fayol’s 14 Principles, or Modern Dynamic Engagement Theory? Identify which theory would best meet Geraldine’s concerns for the successor and why.
Geraldine acknowledges four key areas that are of concern to her in her selection of a successor. She has to maintain the change with the passage of the time to control different things. When selecting the successor, the situational theory seems pertinent to this selection process. Employee retirement, streaming new ideas, and integrating with the new technology are several needs, which needs changing. Thus, being an effective leader in the company, Geraldine intends to adopt different leadership styles to control all these things. For Instance, in the selection process, she may depict different leadership style in the employee retirement process. On the other hand, she may come up as a transformational leader when integrating with the new technology to make several changes. Thus, the situational theory looks good in this particular process, and Geraldine is quite up to it.
Based on the management theory you selected, does Melanie’s management philosophy closely fit this theory? Why or why not?
The situational theory is triggered by Melanie’s management philosophy. For Instance, in the company, Melanie intends to focus on different technicalities, and as far as the precut development is concerned. She looks more focused on the w workflow and intends to make several changes, which are good to meet the needs of the market. To justify the market-oriented philosophy, she demonstrates different leadership styles to work with employees in an effective and lucrative manner. She has to be trained to make the difference and come up with some products, which are marketed or customer oriented. The situational theory b is lined with the market changes as well, and she has to guide employees and work a through several leadership changes to make outputs predicable.
Based on the management theory you selected, does Valerie’s management philosophy closely fit this theory? Why or why not?
The situational management theory does not integrate with Valerie’s management philosophy. Despite having some changes in the work process to make some adjustments, he intends to be organized and disciplined to enable the work smoothness and consistency, he believes that changing the leadership or management styles is a waste of time, and it can also impair the working consistency. The management styles a has to be sustained in different situations along with some minor changes to integrate with some new work process trends. It has been revealed that Valerie has emphasized on the product, which does not cause the change in the situation as well. For Instance, he wants to quantify the amount of oil for the new candy, and there is no need to trigger by the situational management theory.
Conclusion
In the end, it is to conclude that the case study depicts several management philosophies along with different insights. Geraldine, Melanie, or Valerie has contained different management philosophies, which are linked to different management theory as well. For making the difference in the company, there is a need to come up with some strategic considerations to choose the management philosophy and theory. The combination of management theory and philosophy makes the process and its outputs in the company predictable, and it looks the prominent symbol of the success.