Organization and Management

An International Approach

Nick van Dam, Jos Marcus

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2019
• ISBN:
  9781000035339
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Business General
• Index: Business

Organization and Management is an introduction to theories and contemporary practice in cross-border business management.

The book reviews the practice of management where a home-market approach no longer achieves and sustains success in an increasingly competitive global environment. Readers will learn about the experiences of companies in many industries operating in countries such as Argentina, China, Britain, France, Germany, India, the Netherlands, Poland, and the United States.

This book is designed for students taking introductory courses in organization, and international management. Through carefully developed case studies, exercises, and integrated text material, this book bridges theory and practice. The full colour layout of the book supports self-study, as well as group study and team work.

1
The evolution of organisation and management thoughts

‘The one exclusive sign of thorough knowledge is the power of teaching’

(Aristotle, 384–322 BC, one of the greatest Greek philosophers)

In this chapter, we will be looking at a number of important schools of thought and personalities that have had an influence on developments in the field of organisation and management.

Contents

1.1 Introduction

1.2 Origins of the field of study

1.3 The development of trading and the emergence of multinational enterprises

1.4 Schools of thought and personalities

1.5 Events prior to the industrial revolution (400 BC-1900 AD)

1.6 Frederick Taylor and scientific management (±1900)

1.7 Henry Fayol and the general management theory (±1900)

1.8 Max Weber and the bureaucracy theory (±1940)

1.9 Elton Mayo and the human relations movement (±1945)

1.10 Rensis Likert (and others) and the neo-human relations approach (±1950)

1.11 Kenneth Boulding and the systems approach (±1950)

1.12 Paul Lawrence, Jay Lorsch and the contingency approach (±1965)

1.13 Recent organisational theories (1980+)

During this chapter:

• You will become familiar with the main schools of thought in the history of organisational behaviour and personalities that have played a role during its history.
• You will gain an understanding of contemporary developments in the field of organisational behaviour.
• You will see how schools of thought and personalities are linked and understand the significance of this in relation to the structuring process within contemporary organisations.
• You will be introduced to a number of subjects that are dealt with in more detail in later chapters of the book.

1.1 Introduction

In the introduction to this book it was stated that the subject to be looked into is organisation and management. However the more widely used name for the field is much more original: organisational behaviour.

Organisational behaviour

We can define organisational behaviour as ‘an interdisciplinary science that is concerned with the study of the behaviour of organisations as well as the factors that determine this behaviour, and the manner in which organisations can be directed’. When talking about behaviour in this context, we understand this to include actions and reactions within the organisations that are being studied.

This definition of organisational behaviour encompasses two aspects of the subject, namely:

Descriptive aspect

1. A descriptive aspect. This is a description of the behaviour of organisations, including motives and consequences.
   
   Prescriptive aspect
2. A prescriptive aspect. This is advice about organisational design and the best course of action to follow.

This two-sided character can also be seen in other practical sciences, including medicine, psychology and the theory of education. However, the field of organisational behaviour is more oriented towards practical application and is more pragmatic than these in the sense that its methodology and theoretical basis is considered to be less significant than identification of the practical ramifications.

Interdisciplinary

The term ‘interdisciplinary is sometimes linked with organisational behaviour, although this term is often misused. To clarify this, it is clear that organisational behaviour contains many elements that originate from other sciences. The study of organisations therefore involves many disciplines from various scientific fields.

Multidisciplinary

Some examples of these source fields may include business studies which comprises such topics as accounting and bookkeeping, marketing, technical sciences, information technology, behavioural science, organisational psychology, sociology, and law. If we bring together all the contributions from these fields that we need for research or project purposes, we will see that rather than an interdisciplinary approach being required, we are required to use a multidisciplinary approach. An interdisciplinary approach goes one step further. What we mean by this is that the various contributions from other subject areas are evaluated individually and are then used to develop a new insight, one which views the subject in its entirety. The old disciplines then cease to be recognisable in their original formats (in contrast, they remain the same in a multidisciplinary approach). This is therefore an ambitious approach. It is an ideal that is rarely reached. It is perfection. Often, even in organisational behavioural research, one does not get any further than a multidisciplinary approach.

Direction

Two other aspects of the definition of organisational behaviour are direction and effectiveness. The first of these can be described as ‘targeted persuasion’, or in a more specific organisational sense, the guiding activity that involves giving direction on a moment-to-moment basis when challenges take place or decisions are needed within an organisation. These directions should be aligned with a target that has been determined in advance. The processes are structured, and any development of and adaptation to the resulting structure forms an important area for management to focus on.

Effectiveness

The extent to which such activities have succeeded is a measure of their overall

INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT INSIGHTS

What important personal qualities must people have to be successful in international work?

In my opinion, the most important quality for success in international work is to be flexible: to open our minds to understanding what drives other cultures. Another quality is to make an effort to adapt our behaviour as soon as possible to the patterns of the new culture.

Another important quality is patience. Changes in our behaviour sometimes take time to be accepted and understood by the new culture and one tends to feel frustration and isolation. If this happens, we need to analyze the reasons for any misunderstandings and then, when we have sorted things out, we should share our feelings and communicate, but now in ways that are appropriate to the local culture.

What do people need to know if they do business in your country?

People need to know that in our country, we communicate our affections, feelings and emotions very openly. At the first contact, Argentinians are likely to be friendly. They will probably kiss you even at business meetings, or if not, will offer a firm handshake or even a hug. Sometimes these physical gestures are very different from other countries’ ways of relating.

Secondly, to do business in Argentina, people have to be very open in offering information about business matters and also about other activities, hobbies and family. Dinners and lunches are sometimes the best moments to discuss or define business strategies with Argentinians.

How important is the work / life balance in your country?

In general, we have a long tradition of long days at work. We work long hours and executives even take work home on the weekends. With the new young executive generation, this trend is changing and they tend to be more conscious of the work / life balance. The new generations have a good perception of the quality of life and they try to distribute their hours among work, family and sport. The influence of new neighbourhoods outside the big cities where young people choose to live is playing a very important role in this new way of living. In addition, new customs (such as coaching) are taking root. The family also plays a fundamental role in Argentine society.

What is the best way to motivate people?

The best way to motivate people is to inspire them to endorse the vision and mission of the company. No less important is to make them understand that their work, no matter what kind of work they do, contributes to the vision and mission of the company. The second point is that each person must develop in his job, both personally and professionally. We need to foster an understanding that it is important that each person be aware of the beneficial impact that their daily efforts and contribution to the job has on other people and stakeholders. Finally, leader behaviour: leaders must motivate people through their own good behaviour and integrity. If not, the vision and the inspirational messages that leaders express will not be recognized by the people.

How important is a business p...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Dedication
• Title
• Copyright
• About the authors & acknowledgements
• Acknowledgements
• Concise table of contents
• Contents
• Introduction
• 1 The evolution of organisation and management thoughts
• Part A Organisations and their environment
• Part B People and organisations
• Part C Structure and organisation
• Illustrations
• Index