Different Leadership Styles
Different leadership styles are effective in different situations. Often, an effective leader is someone who has a vision that seems to bring everything into focus, and is able to inspire other people to action.
Rational Decision Making
Decisions shape the destiny of organizations. Sound decision making--the ability to make a rational choice among alternatives--is one of the most critical managerial skills.
Sources of Conflict
Some view conflict as an inevitable outgrowth of the combative side of human nature. In the business world, a basic source of conflict is competition for resources or recognition within an organization. But conflicts can also be driven by outside so...
Organizational Structure: Traditional vs. Non-Traditional
Although specific organizational designs vary from company to company, there has been a broad trend away from what might be called mechanistic organizational designs toward more organic ones. Mechanistic designs depend on centralized authority and m...
Informal Organization, The
If power in the formal organization is about position rather than people, power in the interpersonal networks that comprise what's been called "the informal organization" is all about people and the subtleties of human nature. In some cases, these i...
Conflict That's Positive
For companies that are aggressively pursuing opportunities in changing markets, conflict over different ideas can be a tremendous asset. While it would be absurd to argue that all or even most conflict is good, some forms of conflict, particularly t...
Reactions to Change
Whether change is driven by outside forces or by decisions made within an organization, the initial reaction of most employees is frequently negative.
Motivational Strategies
Although material rewards can motivate people, such rewards don't usually represent the strongest motivational force. Many companies have redesigned jobs to challenge their employees. A number of companies have also tapped new sources of employee mo...
Management Style and Employee Morale
In any organization, the style of supervision can have a tremendous impact on morale. An autocratic, punitive management style tends to cause many employees to simply do what they're told, often with great resentment. A more participative management...
Managerial Skills and Functions
While there is a wide range of general skills required of nearly all managers, there are some differences in emphasis from one level of management to another, from supervisory or operating level managers up through senior, top level managers.