Challenges, Opportunities. Problems Analysis and Emerging Conflicts - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2475 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Management Essay Type Research paper Did you like this example? Challenges, opportunities. Problems analysis and emerging conflicts: The case studies presented demonstrates several challenges and opportunities. The common ones are summarized in the below table for easy reference prior to elaboration. Common Challenges Opportunities Case I limited resources managing expectations managing change + small institute, potential growth + ability to select suitable track + exposure and qualifications Case II Case III Firstly, the limited resources can be referred at the rightful allocation of resources and the proper distribution of work load and duties among individuals. To illustrate, all three cases show a limited number of faculty members handling various functional tasks, including administrative, educational, researches, et cetera. Secondly, in managing expectations, leaders and managers respectively in each situation have failed to recognize the future aspiration of their staff, while they were mostly concerned in the pursuit of balancing between the needs and the expectations of their institutions. Thirdly, the most significant challenge can be traced to managing change in context. This is a crucial element, since it is a must-have attribute associated with being a leader and or a manager to be able to anticipate future change and being prepared with a contingent plan, as to cope with the unexpected and maintain a smooth and effective operation of the institute. On the other ha nd, opportunities can originate from different areas. To exemplify the cases, the first shows a new small faculty, the second refers to a newly established department, while the last is concerned with new mission. The à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"newà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ situation proposed can therefore be associated with ample of opportunities, such as potential career growth, better income, increased experience and qualifications. Moreover, all the case provide in a way a choice for choosing a suitable track that fit individual goal, provide exposure and possible promotion. It is commonly known that problems occur when a gap exist between a required situation and the actual one, or when expectations have changed. Alternatively, problems often lead to conflicts that emanate from different expectations between individuals. In the first case, the problem occurred as a result of budget cut. This unexpected change, led the Associate Dean to reconsider his plan of recruiting additional faculty mem bers and invest in a fully equipped laboratory to enable researches and development. Subsequently, this change affected directly the junior faculty member, first since work-shedding for some of the tasks performed is no more an option, and by the lack of basic equipment needed to conduct her researches. These fact led to a conflict, since either she would have to compromise and sacrifice her own private time to obtain the promotion she aims or she might lose her job. While in the second case, the problem took place when a faculty member was transferred to a new department and under a less cooperative, less guiding department head. The faculty member had collaborated and contributed to the overall mission of faculty in studies and publications, but her new manager did not recognize her efforts and instead accounted her for what her job description. The conflict aroused when the faculty member was subject to either succumb to pressure of new role or resign from her post. As for the third case, the problem originates as a result of large-scale change in faculty mission, to focus on practice dentistry to generate income and reduce costs. This fact has led to a perception of inequality in compensation between the two teams; tenure tack and clinical track faculty members. Conflicts emerged when tenure members believed that their counterparts would benefit more from this new approach considering that they are limited to one day in practice, while the clinical member complained about the lower base salary and the less flexible hours in comparison. Case studiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ central issues and relevant management concepts: (Word count: 964 without headings) To better comprehend each case, it is essential to analyze and identify the related central issues prior to identifying a management theory that could be applied and or assist for each context Referring to case I à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“the frustrated faculty memberà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ , the main issue dwell in managing resources, in particular the human element. Peter Drucker (2004) suggests that effective managers will follow certain practices, such as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"what is right for the enterpriseà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. This fact is visible since both the dean and his associate did their best to get in hold of Dr. Orsten à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" a periodontist, which is considered as scarce resource for the faculty. However, this is not sufficient. An institute that faces shortage in faculty members shall consider effective ways in developing their staff. Many techniques are presented in this regards, including mentoring, motivating and performance counseling. Retrieved from the Journal of Dental Education, Kotter presented certain complementary activities associated with management includes recruiting, allocating resources and coping with complexity. Apparently, the dean and his associate have succeeded in recruiting, but they failed on other counts such as mentor ing. Alternatively, what seems to be a drawback in leadership here, may in fact be related to other factors. Rosemary Stewart (1982) suggested that in certain context, managers effectiveness may reside on key factors, and this case, the constraints imposed on Dr. Hightower by the resource limitations and perhaps the legal regulations pertaining the promotion committee and requirement for tenure, did not leave room for negotiations and forced their behavior that way. This can be confirmed by his sympathy towards to Dr. Orsten and his appreciation to her work performance through the given bonus. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ As for case II à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“the misdirected faculty memberà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  the central issue stems from lack of communication between the Dean and the different departmentsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Chairs. The lack of discussion and feedback among them may have resulted in an unnoticed conflict. For example, the direction of the deanship towards more rese arches and studies, was not communicated across the board and notably did not obtain feedback from all participants. Instead, they may have used existing skills of some members without considering their future aspirations. Supplemented with further internal re-shuffle of faculty members, both facts have led to a different expectations, and lack of compatibility. Dr. Forester à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" a motivated member, has had to struggle to obtain guidance from the head of the newly established department where she was transferred at. This fact had spilled its impact on de-motivation. Thus, during the process of reengineering tasks between tenure and the clinical, and the changes in faculty bylaws, none have considered the impact for such a change. One way that could have helped the leaders and managers to identify such a conflict, could have been attained trough a proper feedback of all involved and the expectancy theory. The course study materials suggest that when app raising a subordinate, a manager should not only provide feedback, but also consider receiving feedback. Perhaps that what Dr. Marino failed to do, irrespective of whether he had load of other duties. Moreover, the failure to understand the individual and provide a constructive feedback, has meant that the appraisal of Dr. Forester led to a destructive feedback. As a result, Dr. Forester who had high expectations for promotion and motivated by her contribution to the school is now left wondering whether to remain or leave the school. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ As for the case of the faculty stuck in the middle, the fundamental issue is how to address conflicts when dealing with limited resources create a conflict between individuals and different groups of faculty members. To start with, the new direction of the deanship as to focus on income generating centers, that is the clinical practice whereby additional income may be generated, and reducing expenses may sound crystal clear. How ever, this decision as the case implies was neither communicated nor transparently conveyed to all stakeholders , in specific all faculty members regardless of their track. This major flaw in Leadership and management is the source of rift that created the conflicts between the school faculty members. To epitomize, the new strategy proposed stirred up the differences between the tenure and clinical tracks members. On one hand, those in tenure found their counterpart would more benefit from incentives from the practice of dentistry, while themselves are imposed limitations for one day practice. On the other side, the clinical members raised the issue of compensation gap between both tracks, and the less flexible weekly schedule. The perception of unfair practice could have been avoided, if for example the leadership encouraged open communication, being transparent about the reason of change, and encourage all members to discuss freely among them. Instead, they have list ened to each individually. Hence, what appeared to be a positive conflict, that is enabling recruitment of clinical track at low base salary with higher incentives from practice, have resulted in negative conflict by the different perception of inequality that both team have held on each other. Addressing these conflicts after its occurrence, may be harder and perhaps a better way to avoid it was to accommodate it as the case study showed that Dr. Middleman had nothing to offer except to listening- that is accommodating à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" and was forced to deal with non-cooperative team, and a vacant position in his department. In similar situations, literature suggests that dealing with complexity and managing conflicts, require finding a resolution and a compromise. This can be achieved through negotiation. It involves joining people together, agree on a fair solution à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"holding the stick in the middleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, make concessions and achieve compromises on both sides. Action alternatives and proposed recommendations: (word count: 650- without heading) The action alternatives proposed in Case I, an à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"up or outà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ option cannot be the right approach. To justify the statement, we shall consider different assumptions: If Dr. Orsten, unable to cope with responsibilities, did not allocate further time to pursue requirements, demonstrate skills needed for promotion, therefore she would fail to qualify for the tenure, hence forced to go out. Moreover, if Dr. Langley with no intention to continue at the new school, also left upon his contract expiry, the result would be catastrophic. Reason is the shortage of periodontist. A better approach to overcome this negative situation would consider different ways in which the deanship may conserve their human assets. Dr. Hightower could re-negotiate an incentive plan, alleviate and balance teaching tasks. Consequently shreddin g some obligations from the frustrated member. This would enable better time management and allow opting for researches and publications. As a matter of fact, setting direction is the essence of Leadership besides aligning people, motivating and inspiring them. Accordingly, these clues could lead to a favorable situation. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ From what has been advanced in Case II, Dr. Forester is set to work after hours to attain excessive requirements of the new department, obtain a positive performance review and gain a promotion. Giving no options may not be the best solution. Simply because what has worked for Dr. Marino may not work for Dr. Forester, i.e. due to her personal family situation, she might not be able to commit to additional late night working hours. A better approach to tackle the situation, is reconsidering other clinical members who may willingly be interested in this department, and match the traits of Dr. Marino, i.e. sharp with no familial obliga tions. Moreover, exploit Dr. Foresterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s capabilities and skills that was found useful and needed in restorative department. The focus here will be on keeping all staff motivated, feeling secure and appreciated. One way to measure effectiveness of the Leaders is how well they manage to ensure harmony among their staff while maintaining the direction towards achieving objectives derived from the mission. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ When reviewing case III, addressing limited resources via proposal of recruiting clinical members at lower salary base with higher incentive plan for dentistry practice, may not yield to wishful result. This has created conflicts between different groups. Accordingly, consequences could be catastrophic if a contingency plan is not initiated to contain this rift. An alternative approach is to consider what explicitly was mentioned within case abstract, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"having transparent, open communication and confronta tionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ but under the leadership guidance. Instead of avoidance, the best strategy could be a collaborative approach. By transparently considering the whole package of benefits in front of all concerned, considering all factors such as years of tenure and experiences as well as other benefits openly would help bridging the gap and perhaps reaching agreement on sharing incentives adequately between tracks. In short, the school would need both team to achieve its mission. Subsequently, it needs to address incentive sharing generated by the additional income, then flexibility given to both parties, which would lead to a perception of equality. Furthermore, the committee should include an equal ratio from both sides. Conclusions list with explanation: (word count 310 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" excluding headings) To manage people requires more than aligning interests of individuals with the faculty expectations. Empathy and financial motivation are not conclusive in d ealing with change. Additionally, changes are part of our daily life and successful leaders shall always consider all possibilities and not be limited to what is set. In fact, the simple scheme of management skill as presented by Robert L. Katz (1986), include a related part of conceptual skills, and involves visualizing the enterprise as a whole. That is considering the relationships between its various parts, understand interdependence of human asset and recognizes that changes in once part impact other parts. Furthermore, when managing a new department implies transferring human resource, it is very essential to understand individualsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ career expectancy, obtain feedback from their previous superior and set a clear direction to them before they move onto their new role. Failing to do so, could result in losing a well performing member, and denying opportunities for those who may be well suited for new positions. In other words, there must be an analysis o f all potential candidates that specifically fit the required job, but not making a transfer without considering consequences that result in negative conflicts among participants, as implied in case II. Finally, in order to manage a limited resource, good leaders shall consider the potential impacts of their proposed solution on all parts of the institute. An ideal change, is a solution that serve the immediate problem and have positive impact on the overall organization. Hence, a solution has to consider the different stakeholders. In other words. not only the interest of the university to be looked at alone, but also the interests of all members including the clinical and tenure track faculty members. Only then, conflicts can be avoided and potential threats from mass exodus can be eradicated, as it was demonstrated in case III. (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) Reference list: Comer, Robert W. et al (2002) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Leadership Strategies for Department Chairs and Program Dire ctors: A case Study Approachà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, Journal of Dental Education, vol. 66, no. 4 Drucker, Peter F. (2004) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"What makes a good executive?à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, Harvard Business Review, pp. 58-63 Katz, R. (1986) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Skills of an effective administratorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, Harvard Business Review, March/ April, vol. 64, issue 2, p. 198 Kotter, J.P. (1999) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å" What effective general managers really doà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, Harvard Business Review, March/ April, vol. 77, issue 2, pp. 145-59. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Challenges, Opportunities. Problems Analysis and Emerging Conflicts" essay for you Create order