A challenge for the manager in the 21st century is to merge the traditional func

Question

A challenge for the manager in the 21st century is to merge the traditional functions of a manager with the new demands of workplace life. The change of value regarding human resources to the organization coupled with technology is shifting the design of organizations toward “boundaryless” or a flat organizational structure. In this theme we examine Fayol’s Five Functions of management as well as the 14 lesser functions of management upon which most management roles are based today, and how they are bumping up against the constructs of new 21st century management theory and technology to create tension in the workplace. In a recent conversation at lunch West and Gordon were once again facing off over the idea of changing the Production Department to include a new people- centric theory of management. Gordon would like to see staff be given time to do paperwork at home or to be given a computer center space where they can log in their weekly statistics, requests, and general paperwork during set work hours. This would allow less overtime and make workers happier and potentially prevent a government citation for overtime. West replied, “Fayol would tell you that employees need strong task and time-centered management. Workers can do tasks on their own time if they do not get the work done on ours. Fayol would have no patience for human resource theory. It doesn’t belong in a production line. It may be okay for Google but not here.” Is West correct? Do today’s management theories not work for the manufacturing business? Explain how Gordon should reply to West. Be sure to explain Fayol’s Five Functions of Management and how these functions have been expanded over the years to include staffing. Also discuss how technology has changed the workplace to allow for worker preferences and flexibility. Why would Google be okay with new theory and technology and not Biotech (difference between the service and manufacturing purpose of business)? You must start a thread before you can read and reply to other threads

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Explanation / Answer

The five functions of Fayol are

1. Planning : Drawing a plan of action while taking into account the available resources and the strategic goals of organization.

2. Organizing : Putting the resources into action in the most optimum way to achieve strategic objectives.

3. Commanding : It is the process of giving strategic directions to the workforce to acoomplish the tasks necessary to take the process ahead.

4.Co ordination - Maintaining the harmony, balance, motivation and discipline in the workforce to help them accomplish their tasks efficiently.

5. Controlling - To verify that the tasks are being accomplished as per the plan chalkled out at the beginning.

Theoritically, the five functions of the Fayol can be applied to any industry. However, in a manufacturing and other process industries where it is necessary to be at the place of work, and work in a definite way, these principles are more significant, but with slight variations, can be applied to the modern day workplace also, where technology has enabled the organizations to eliminate the distances, and work can be carried out from a faraway place with the same efficiency as in office.Here, the work conditions and timings are more flexible, as the workplace can be moved anywhere if you are connected through an internet and a device, and the work happens 24x7, one is free to choose his / her hours. This is not entirely true for a biotech company, where a shopfloor worker must man the machines at the defined time and place so that they can convert raw material into products with his / her command, in a way organization wants it to. There may be limited flexibility, but the nature of work has its limitations.

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