- Imminent change likely in expectations of management hierarchy
Last four decades have witnessed a significant change in organisational approach towards performance evaluation of their managers at all levels due to penetration of outside influence in the form of new competitors, fast advancement in information technology and shrinking world markets necessitating speedy change in marketing techniques, introduction of new products / services to widen clients’ base.
Besides that, rapidly changing demographic profile of the countries accompanied by change in cultural values due to electronic media and greater access to latest information technology leading to use of digitization in all processes of production and all spheres of service industry has given rise to high degree of competition sensitivity.
Accordingly, parameters like one’s possessing high technical skill and ability to manage and getting the things done are no longer suffice to evaluate a manager’s performance. Now one’s capability to sustain company’s competitive edge in all circumstances and widen its customer base in the face of even toughest competition are the most sought after attributes for a successful manager.
In context of Pakistan, privatization and restructuring of public sector entities now being vehemently focused by IMF is yet another phenomenon needing redefining managements’ performance evaluation approach in the face of onslaught of latest technology both in IT and industrial sectors. At initial move towards privatization of a public sector entity management professionals are expected to find solutions, which are acceptable to all stakeholders. This involves the task of consensus building or at least accommodating varied interest / views of all stakeholders in general and staff in particular.
At the same time management hierarchy of such organisations have to listen to views of politicians and public officials also. Sometimes it becomes difficult for management hierarchy particularly top management to argue that management’s recommendations are more feasible / valid than views of other parties involved in the process. Under such circumstances management should take a far sighted decision. Efforts should be focused on the fact that their recommendations are based on an effective collaboration among all those who wish to contribute their views despite the eventuality that views of all the parties are not compatible with each other.
On completion of the process of privatisation/restructuring company is encountered with a total cultural change due to change of management and organisation opening up to new competitors. At this stage management need to re-evaluate their business strategies and employees career development paths in the light of present day complexities arising from advancement in technologies and change in business ideologies.
Besides above, management at top and senior levels is now confronted with increasingly difficult task due to ever-expanding scope of corporate sector due to influx of latest information technologies. In quite a number of developed and developing countries, a shift is visible from a centralized economy to market based economy especially in the spheres of commerce and industry. The countries where state has been exercising control over investment within their own economies and over external capital transactions there now deregulation has taken place and state control has minimised.
The control of public sector corporations has now been passed on to private corporations, international investment groups and multi-national companies through privatization. These entities now in private sectors are experiencing total autonomy facilitated by digitization process, as such they can access financial and other capital markets with ease. Increasing autonomy in these areas has multiplied risk for managers of the corporations. They are now supposed to make prudent forecast of political and economic events to facilitate proper assessment of investment proposals.
Further, in view of new organizational culture, particularly managers at top echelons of hierarchy, who are capable of influencing and motivating large number of people in the organization, must have specific leadership traits compatible to changed organisational behavior at each point of time. Bernard Bass – an expert on organizational behavior has rightly stated in his book ‘Transformational leadership’ that “now in every organizational set up a person shapes the job assisted by new technologies as opposed to the old context where job shaped the person and position power was sufficient parameter to evaluate effectiveness of the organizational hierarchy”.
Accordingly leaders in industry, now apart from having conventional behavioral and technical attributes, need to develop a strategic organizational model where members of organizational hierarchy are able to make sound and creative decisions with total precision and well in time regarding the long and short term corporate objectives. These decisions mainly relate to:
- Setting the financial targets for the company.
- Developing new products and services through continuous research process.
- Devising strategies not only to retain existing markets but also for enhancing company’s market share.
- Making use of latest technologies and creating congenial atmosphere in the organization for sustaining and continuous improvement in operational efficiency of the industry.
- Developing human resources by taking care of the needs and aspirations relating to career progression and job satisfaction through involvement, participation and commitment.
At junior management level apart from one’s exposure to latest technologies relating to production and marketing etc, one need to develop specific personality traits like interpersonal skill, good relations, sensitivity and empathy to others, ability to negotiate and build a team for effective execution of the assignment given to him / her. A person possessed of high professional acumen, labeled as fast track manger, but devoid of aforesaid personal traits; no doubt traverse the path of junior management level more quickly than a mediocre professional to reach a senior level. But while reaching the threshold of senior hierarchal level, where area of his / her responsibility multiplies and he / she has to manage large number of people in the organization, there his / her insensitivity to others, overly strong self determination, inability to negotiate pushes him / her out from fast career advancement path.
At senior management level where one need to achieve perfection with regard to leadership qualities, the success depends on one’s ability to create effective team by uniting employees under her / his leadership through communicating organization mission to everyone with clarity.
In organisations where digitization process has speeded up these according to survey conducted by KMPC UK technical workers spend only 40% of their time on work doing their main job they spend rest on oversight, emails and meetings, which results in reduced productivity.
The said survey also reveals that if management adopts new techniques in major aspects of their business change in culture of organisation is found imminent. Particularly digital transformation reshapes long time business process, jobs title and entire work group. In this scenario IT leader will face the push back if some employees feel their professional value and jobs are threatened. In such a situation leader need to move with empathy for achieving unity and congenial work environment in the organization.
Further, a managers communicating strategy, according to Goleman – a behavioral psychologist must be based on ‘emotional intelligence’, which can be defined as one’s capability of controlling / regulating emotions in a manner that he or she is able to understand not only himself/herself, but also has empathy for others. In particular leaders in the organization need to develop empathy for their entire team. Here empathy implies to one’s ability and desire to develop all members of his/her team.
Empathy is said to be an important ingredient of effective communication. For the success of an organization, higher level of its hierarchy need to develop quality of active listening skills – an important ingredient of emotional intelligence, which helps understanding co-workers and subordinate’s problems, assess their feelings, thoughts and intentions through interpersonal interactions.
Move towards globalization of markets under WTO since mid nineties also pauses a great challenge for organizational hierarchy of developing countries. Manufacturing and service industry both need to improve their competitiveness not only by improving quality of their products / services through deployment of latest technology, but also introducing new products and services compatible to changing needs all over the globe. This should be the concern not only for organizational hierarchies, but also for national economies of developing countries.
Economic managers of developing countries will have to develop strategies and policies leading to sustained economic growth rate without providing subsidies and protecting industries against foreign competition through imposition of tariffs, no longer desirable under WTO regime. This necessitates providing all infrastructure facilities and also elimination of all excessive regulatory and institutional constraints to create a conducive business environment both for existing and new businesses, which in turn would reduce their production / operating cost, and entire business and service structure would be able to compete at international level without government’s protective measures. For this economic managers at the helm of countries’ establishments need to have required personality traits, particularly emotional intelligence so as to have sensitivity regarding needs of all segments of the population. They must have empathy towards their countrymen’s aspirations as well as national interest.
Further economic managers at national level and also organisational hierarchies in private sector of both developed and developing countries need to look into business process outsourcing and off shoring and also entering Regional Trade Agreements, being steps forward for globalisation and bringing benefits of minimum production cost, attracting foreign investments and particularly expanding export trade of developing countries without their exposure to tough competition from highly industrialised countries.