Managing People And Organizations Assignment Sample

Managing People And Organizations Assignment Sample

Introduction Of Managing People And Organisations Assignment Sample

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A. Describe the organization’s structure and explain why you have answered in this way

Answer) Every organization has its own goals and objectives to achieve and which is possible only by contribution of various resources. This involves the division of work and cooperation of various activities of an organization performed according to the specialization and needs. For attaining those goals and objectives it is very significant for an organization to have a suitable organizational structure. Parent and Lovelace conducted a study in 2015 which states that Organizational structure is an arrangement that summarizes how actions are directed in attaining the goals of the organization. Every organization has a different structure, it depends on the size of the organization, Marks and Spencer has a flat organizational structure.

A flat organizational structure has limited stages of management; it does not involve a big hierarchy. Mark and Spencer have limited between its administrative level and front-line employees. This type of organizational structure results in reducing the extra layers of authority in the organization. Reducing all these layers in organizational structure helps in increasing the responsibilities of individuals towards their department and organization's goals. Due to this structure of the company employees have to take quick decisions with full description and justification which makes employees more accountable for their work and decisions.

A study done by Parent and Lovelace in 2018 concluded that Mark and Spencer’s structure follow the basics to reduce bureaucracy and make employees more skilled by giving them the responsibility of making the decision. With the help of a few management levels in an organization, it is quite easy to communicate between managers and front-line employees. This further helps in finding immediate solutions to problems and rapid change in decisions. The flat organizational structure has the shape of a pyramid, but not like the traditional structure. This structure is broader and flatter because of fewer levels between top management and lower management.

B. How the work is currently grouped?

Answer) Marks and Spencer were founded in 1884, in west Yorkshire, now the current headquarter of the company is situated in London. The company has so many different goals and objectives to earn more profits and to make money for its shareholders. The company is trying to achieve its current goals by doing several things like innovating its products, designing appealing products, and selling at a price that customers are willing to pay. Theory of business conducted by Drucker in 2017 states that Mark and Spencer also looking forward to their commitment plan known as plan A, which includes all the issues related to the environment within the business. Plan A involves things like cutting carbon emissions and saving landfill from waste, all these activities are going to help in improving the image of the company and encourage the customers to shop more.

The company has reset its Plan A to develop net zero business over the whole value chain by 2040. Net zero business refers to not adding greenhouse emissions to the atmosphere, which will help in protecting the environment on every cause, as mentioned in case study conducted by Omoikhudu, in 2017. The company's desire is to be a Net zero across scope 1 and scope 2 emissions, which are the company's operations, to achieve this ambition by 2035. However, scope 1 and scope 2 emissions are just the first level. The company’s major carbon impact is more than 97%, which arises from scope 3 emissions. This is the biggest reason behind the company’s supplier source and fantastic products.

C. Give examples of a line, staff, and functional relationship.

Answer) The term line and staff are most used in management playing an important role in the organization. The line is the chain of command which starts from the Board of Directors to the various allocations of authority. The line has a responsibility, authority, and accountability to point out the prime activities of the company that are accomplished. As stated in report by Hussein and Al-Mamary in 2019 that a line staff organizational structure tries to extract a large and complex company to be more flexible without reducing its managerial authority. Line groups are usually engaged in tasks that include a technical core of the company. These are directly involved in achieving the primary objective of the company which are manufacturing and production.

The detail can be easy to understand with the help of an example; the production manager in the company is the line manager because all the responsibilities related to production targets are based on his decision. Similarly, the marketing manager is also a line manager in the company as selling staff member is engaged in selling products on behalf of the company. On the other hand, an industrial manager is not a line manager, he is a staff man because he is not directly related to production. The main work of staff man is to give required advice related to production methods, quality, and technological control to the production manager. Similarly, the research manager’s main job is to just assist the marketing manager by providing him the specific information about the market.

D. Describe the span of control in one team.

Answer) The span of control refers to the number of staff members that report to a particular manager in the organization defined by Marume and Jubenkanda in their report conducted in 2016. An organization is not able to operate without having a perfectly organized level of authority to manage the organization. The levels of the organization are structured in different hierarchical levels, which include various levels of management. The span of control means a manager who supervises a group of employees, would have a span of control. An ideal span control depends on the work being completed which is considered ideal as well as impractical for some businesses.

Within an organization, the span of control helps to determine the width of the organization. A span of control is two types a wide span and a narrow span of management. A wide span of control refers to the flat structure of the organization, as the study concluded by Gilligan and Lowe in 2018 highlights the facts that Marks and spencers also have a wide span of control, which implies a flat organizational structure. Managers and supervisors with a wide span of control can directly oversee the employees because of fewer layers in the organizational structure of the company.

On the other hand, a narrow span of control refers to tall structures which involve so many levels of management in an organization. Here the managers and supervisors guides a smaller number of employees as there are various levels in the structure. A narrow span of control is opposite to a wide span, it depends on the working of the organization and size. This kind of control provides benefits like close supervision and also provides more opportunities for the company to grow.

Reference

Drucker, P.F., 2017. The Theory of the Business (Harvard Business Review Classics). Harvard Business Press.

Gilligan, C. and Lowe, R., 2018. Marketing and health care organizations. CRC Press.

Hussein, A.F.F. and Al-Mamary, Y.H.S., 2019. Conflicts: Their types, and their negative and positive effects on organizations. International Journal of Scientific & Technology Research, 8(8), pp.10-13.

Marume, S.B.M. and Jubenkanda, R.R., 2016. The basic concepts and principles of unity of command and the span of control.

Omoikhudu, J., 2017. The Impact of Training and Development on Employee Retention in the Retail Sector, an Examination of the Role of Coaching in a Leading Retailer in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. A Case Study of Mark and Spencer’s Store Dublin (Doctoral dissertation, Dublin, National College of Ireland).

Parent, J.D. and Lovelace, K.J., 2015. The impact of employee engagement and a positive organizational culture on an individual’s ability to adapt to organization change.

Parent, J.D. and Lovelace, K.J., 2018. Employee engagement, positive organizational culture and individual adaptability. On the Horizon.