Management Skills Midterm Rutgers

Management :

"the act of coordinating the efforts of people to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively"

To get the right work done :

Identifying and communicating tasks and objectives

Designing, implementing, monitoring and improving the flows of work of the organization

Creating an organization that is innovative and socially responsible

Emotional Intelligence (EI)

A primary driver of leadership success

Goleman's EI Research

EI = twice as important as technical skills and cognitive abilities, for jobs at all levels

90% of difference in profiles of "star" versus "average" performers was due to EI

EI definition

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the capability of individuals to recognize their own and other people's emotions, discern between different feelings and label them appropriately, use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior, and manage and/or adjust emotions to adapt to environments or achieve one's goal(s).

EI 5 Components

Self-Awareness:

Self-Regulation

Motivation

Empathy

Social Skills

Self-Awareness:

having a deep understanding of one's emotions, needs, strengths, weaknesses, values, and goals

Self-Regulation

ability to control or redirect disruptive impulses and moods (flexibility, comfort with ambiguity)

Motivation

work for reasons beyond money or status; pursue goals with persistence; strong drive to achieve

Empathy

ability to understand the emotional make-up of people

Social Skills

proficiency in managing relationships and networks

Groups (eg Book Club)

Single leader

Individual focus, work, products, and accountability

Meetings are short coordination efforts (discuss, decide, delegate)

Focus on sharing information

Teams (e.g. Project Team)

Single or shared leadership roles

Individual + mutual accountability, collective work products

Meetings are longer with more open-ended discussions (active problem solving, collaboration)

Performance is greater than the sum of individual inputs

How Do Teams Work

Members have complementary skills

Members work to achieve a shared goal

Members' behaviors and outcomes are interdependent

Membership stable over time

4 Types of Teams

Problem-Solving

Self-Managed

Cross Functional

Virtual

Problem-Solving

Generate ideas on improving work processes or methods, but don't have the authority to implement ideas without approval from higher-ups.

Self-Managed

Teams solve problems but also have the authority for decision-making and to implement their ideas for improvement.

Cross Functional

Teams comprised of different areas in an organization to solve a problem (e.g., manufacturing, procurement, finance, and fulfillment)

Virtual

Teams comprised of members who are not physically located together - connected via technology

Team Characteristics

Autonomy

(self-managed or manager-led?)

Function

(problem solving, creative, tactical, etc.?)

Structure

(cross-functional, x% dedicated?)

Proximity

(face-to-face or virtual?)

How to make an effective team? (context)

Adequate Resources - support from the organization:

- Timely information - Adequate staffing

Proper equipment - Encouragement

Leadership and Structure - who does what and how work is distributed

Climate of Trust - trust each other and their leader

Performance Evaluation and Reward System

Evaluate and reward individual contribution

Evaluate and reward team effort and commitment

How to make an effective team? (Team Composition)

Abilities of members - varied skill set:

- technical skills

- problem-solving and decision-making

- interpersonal

Personality of Members - conscientiousness, openness to new experiences, and agreeableness are important

Allocating Roles - Who does what?

Diversity - focus on similarities and differences

Size of Teams - 5 to 9 members is ideal

Member Flexibility and Member Preferences - focus on people who want to part of a group and can be flexible

How to make an effective team? (Work Design)

Atonomy and freedom - ability to work independently and with latitude to make decisions

Skill variety - ability to use different skills

Task Identity - complete a whole and identifiable task

Task Significance - impact on others

How to make an effective team? (Process)

Common Plan and Purpose - provides direction, momentum and commitment

Specific Goals - SMART goals

Specific

Measurable

Achievable

Realistic

Time-bound

Team Efficacy - belief in team effectiveness and success

Conflict Levels - can improve effectiveness, but can also be dysfunctional

Social Loafing - individuals who don't perform or contribute

Self Awareness

Hallmarks of Self-Awareness:

Self-confidence

Realistic self assessment

Self-deprecating sense of humor

Importance:

Improving relationships with others

Leading and managing others more effectively

Increasing productivity

Strategies for Improving Self-Awareness

Others' perceptions and feedback

Diverse experiences

Self-analysis

What are my strengths?

How do I perform?

What are my values?

Where do I belong

What can I contribute?

Personality analysis/tests (e.g. Myers Briggs)

Personality Definition

Definition - unique and stable pattern of behaviors, thoughts, and emotions shown by an individual

How is Personality Determined?

by genetic factors and the environment in which we grow up (nature vs. nurture)

How is Personality Measured?

Generally through questionnaires and objective tests

How should Personality be Measured?

Objective, behavioral observations in addition to self-reports

Personality interacts with situations

To fully understand the factors that influence people, we must take into account their personalities and the nature of the situations they face

Big 5 (OCEAN)

Openness(Inventive / Curious; Consistent /Cautious)

Conscientiousness(Efficient / Organized; Easygoing / Careless)

Extraversion(Outgoing / Energetic; Solitary / Reserved)

Agreeableness(Friendly / Compassionate; Cold / Unkind)

Neuroticism(Sensitive / Nervous; Secure / Confident)

Type A Personality

High achievers - always setting higher goals

Find it difficult to accept failure

Need to compete even if there is no obvious competition

Feel like time is an opponent. Sense of urgency. Find it difficult to relax

Great at multi-tasking and usually perform beyond par

Self-driven

Type B Personality

Work steadily for goals. Happy with achievements

More accepting of failures

Enjoy games and competition but not for the sole objective of winning

At times too relaxed and laid back. May lack drive to reach career potential

Reflective and innovative. Allow themselves to explore and fail, if necessary

Even-tempered. Typically live a less stressful life

Positive Affectivity:

Life is good, people are great

Better decisions

Better relations with leaders

High = joy, enthusiasm

Low = apathy sluggishness

Negative Affectivity

Dwell on mistakes, focus on negative

First to be let go in times of layoffs

More likely to retaliate when feel injustice

High = fear, nervous, angry

Low = calm relaxed

Self-Image

High Self-Esteem: Value you place on yourself - "I'm awesome!"

Take on challenges, More satisfied with jobs

High Self-Efficacy: Belief you can successfully do something - "I can do it!"

Take on challenges, More satisfied, Better performers

Locus of Control: Can control the outcome of something - Internal versus External

Internal: I control it (More satisfied; Perform better)

External: Fate/Other controls it

Emotional Stability: Feel confident, secure, and steady

Opposite of neuroticism

High Achievement

- "I wanna win!"

Attracted to moderately challenging tasks

Good: Get things done, work hard, get promoted quickly

Bad: Too focused on own success, don't delegate

Low Achievement

Attracted to easy or very difficult tasks

Good: Willing to take on difficult tasks which can lead to success

Bad: May not progress in their careers because only take on simple tasks

Extrovert

Prefer frequent interaction with others

Talkative, sociable

Learn by discussing and doing

Preferred communication: talking

Introvert

Prefer "quality" (over frequent) interaction

Private, reserved

Learn by introspection, reflection

Preferred communication: writing

Sensor

Info should be tangible, concrete, specific, detailed, factual

Trust experience, the present

Meaning is "in the data"

Intuitive

Interested in possibilities, the future.

Trust information that is abstract or theoretical, inspirational and challenging

Meaning is "in how the data relates to the theory"

Thinker

Decides things from a more detached, impersonal manner

Uses reason, logic, consistency

Matching a given set of rules

Cost-benefit analysis

"Critical," "Hard-headed"

Feeler

Decides things by empathizing; looks at things "from the inside"

Looks to achieve the greatest harmony, consensus, fit

Considers the needs of those involved

Values kindness, tact, diplomacy

"Soft-hearted"

Judger

Prefer schedules

Planning ahead

Control, order

Structure, Organization

Closure

Perceiver

Prefer flexibility

Spontaneity

Adaptability

Energized by last minute pressures

Keep options open

Tips on how to self-regulate:

Time management - plan and prioritize

Stress management - identify your stressors and stress levels

Take breaks; change physical location

Exercise, good nutrition, build in time for relaxation

Diversity Definition

Differences and similarities with respect to ethnicity, race, culture, gender, age, functional and educational backgrounds, lifestyle preferences, tenure within the organization, personality traits, and ways of thinking.

Essentially, anything people could use to tell themselves that another person is different

Surface level diversity

features that are immediately apparent, such as age, gender and race

Deep level diversity

features that are not readily apparent, such as attitudes, opinions, information and values

Why is Diversity Good

Teams whose members differ on the surface, as well as in their attitudes and information, tend to discuss information more thoroughly and perform better than do groups who do not have surface and deep-level diversity.

Surface-level diverse teams are perceived to be more positive and accepting of others, engaged in greater expression of diverse opinions, and more engaged in the task. Surface-level diversity can help stimulate thoughtful discussion and analysis.

However, when there are MODERATE levels of diversity in a team, fault lines can also emerge.

Diversity Fault Lines

Subgroups or coalitions that emerge naturally within teams, typically along various demographic lines

Driven by surface- OR deep-level diversity

Consequences and implications:

Limits knowledge sharing

Creates perceptions of "in-groups" vs "out-groups"

Conflict/tensions between sub-groups

Excessive Homogeneous

Work well together but do not have the best mix of talent

Effective in the short run

In long run, lower team member learning and performance

Tend to use "similar to us" biases in selecting members and do not value diversity

Excessive Heterogeneous

Rich talent but may be unable to use it because of differences in how members think

Ineffective in the short run

In the long run, higher likelihood of creative solutions and accurate problem solving

Paradox of Diversity

The very nature of team diversity often creates challenges that reduce team innovation and lessen overall team effectiveness

Sometimes achieve reduced productivity and efficiency

Failures of collaboration and information sharing

Stereotyping and Discrimination

Stereotyping - to assign identical characteristics to any people in a group regardless of the actual variation among members of the group.

Stereotyping leads to discrimination. Discrimination occurs when decisions are made based on belonging to a certain group, and not based on individual skills or abilities.

Culture

is defined as a set of attitudes, customs and beliefs that define one group of people from another.

Hofstede's Cultural Values Framework:

Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory is a framework for cross-cultural communication, developed by Geert Hofstede. It describes the effects of a society's culture on the values of its members, and how these values relate to behavior,

Independence

Individualism: putting one's own interest above the interest of the group

Interdependence

Collectivism: putting the group's interest above the interest of the individual

Achievement

status attained by personal achievements such as educational attainment, technical skills, talents

Ascription

status earned through one's age, family, social connections, and class into which they were born

High Power

Hierarchical: expect social inequality and that managers make decisions and tell employees what to do

Low Power

Egalitarian: expect managers to empower employees and draw on their expertise

Formal

people show respect by adhering to decorum

Informal

casual in how one speaks, dresses, and acts

High Context

emphasize the intent behind the words

Low Context

emphasize the spoken word, facts, get right down to business

Neutral

show no emotion

Expressive

used to emphasize a point, show interest, show commitment

Monochronic

do one thing at a time, focus on the immediate task, adhere to schedules

Polychronic

do many things simultaneously, focus on relationships and process, change plans often

Focus on the Past

emphasis on tradition

Focus on the Present

"seize" the day, short-term thinking

Focus on the Future

long-term planning and success

Inductive

emphasize data, facts, proof, logic

Deductive

emphasize abstract thinking, symbolism, analogies, metaphors

Consistency

something must be right or wrong, true or false

Contradictions

can be maintained in order to see the complexity of the situation

High Uncertainty

comfortable with personal or organizational change - "change or die"

Low Uncertainty

promote stability over change

Ways to Be An Effective Multicultural Manager

Learn some of the language

Learn the work norms

Learn the dos and taboos

Understand the social context

Be exposed to new experiences

Attend training, read books, watch movies about different cultures

Instrumental

standards of behavior by which we achieve desired ends (e.g., courage, honesty, compassion, respect)

Terminal

end state or goals that we want to achieve (e.g., happy family, career success, sense of accomplishment)

Tangible

material things (e.g., car, money, home)

Intangible

ideals that you strive for (freedom, happiness, love)

Ethical/Moral -

what is right and proper (e.g., respect, justice, fairness)

Nonethical -

what we desire or find important (e.g., status, fame, pleasure)

Importance of Values

Help in making important decisions;

Influence one's goals and one's motivation to achieve those goals;

Provide a moral compass;

Influence one's effectiveness as a leader

Organizational Justice

Definition: "A personal evaluation about the ethical and moral standing of managerial conduct"

Dimensions of Organizational Justice

DISTRIBUTIVE

PROCEDURAL

INTERACTIONAL

Distributive Justice

Employee judgments about the appropriateness of the resource allocation decision (i.e., the fairness of the levels at which resources are distributed among parties

Procedural Justice

Employee judgments about the appropriateness of how decisions are made and implemented (i.e., regardless of the outcome or decision, were the procedures used to determine the outcome fair)

Interactional Justice

Employee judgments about the appropriateness of how one person treats another

Informational: (jsutice)

Is one truthful and does one provide adequate explanations?

- Interpersonal: (Justice)

Does one treat another with dignity & respect?

Managers(Justice):

tend to emphasize Distributive Justice

Employees(Justice):

most concerned with Procedural and Interactional Justice

Implications(Justice):

Employees will often accept a great range of outcomes (e.g., a lower raise or bonus) if they believe that the procedures and treatment associated with them are fair.