week 8 bmgt discussion
evelyn_0629
SeanRadovanovicweek8.docxSean Radovanovic
1. Pandemic: Major Effects on Planning for Smithfield Custom Furniture Company
When it comes to the planning cycle there are several steps and actions taken. However, the number one area of concern when it comes to a pandemic and unknown consequences of such over the course of 18 months will be "Identify resources" this a step that requires management to plan the number of resources required to meet the demands of the organization. In addition to resource gathering it is important to complete a review of the current resources already held by the organization. This will help with creating a priority list. Once a priority list is generated, and there is an understanding of what resources are need looking at where these resources will be supplied from is vital. "Examples of the resources include people with specific skills or/and experience, equipment and/or machinery, technology, and money." (Lumen Learning, Principles of Management. The Planning Cycle, n.d, para. 8) The final aspect of this process will be to keep in mind expenses and accessibility of the resources. A pandemic leaves an unknown availability to resources. This will be the most effected part of Planning.
1A: Pandemic: Most Significant Planning Action for Company
The Planning action that needs to happen for Smithfield Furniture Company includes a complete resource review of what is currently on hand at all 411 stores and what will be required be each of the 24, 00 employees. This includes the 51 stores that only sell You Figure it Out brand (consists of 2,000/24,000) workers. Understanding that the Seaports might be affected which will have a significant impact on the 16 stores overseas that receive their shipments from the US Manufacturing plants. After a review is done, an inventory capable of keeping each location afloat for 12-18 months might need to be initiated depending on how many sales are being utilized. An expectation that during a pandemic there might be a strong decrease in “want” spending versus need. The resources should be utilized to plan survivability over the next 18 months and that might mean temporarily shutting down all locations that are not creating a significant amount of profit.
2. Pandemic: Major Effects on Organizing for Smithfield Custom Furniture Company
The organization aspect that will be impacted most moves right alongside the planning aspect, the coordinated effort. Coordinated effort comes down to management and focuses on getting the employees to work through use of "maximizing resources with a common purpose in mind. Managers have to utilize employees’ skill sets, experience, and personalities in a way that continuously increases performance and leads to positive outcomes." (Lumen Learning, Principles of Management. The Purpose of Organization, n.d, para. 4)
2A: Pandemic: Most Significant Organizing Action for Company
Panic and employee focus is at risk of being most affect by a pandemic. The most significant action needed will come from the manager’s ability to keep the team focused. The Management role will be vital in the organization’s ability to make full use of resources especially in a time where they might be limited. Understanding how to keep the mission and vision as part of the team’s goals for completion will take a coordinated effort from the top down. Additionally, an understanding that there will be situations of known and unknowns. Organizing the company to best be able to act for as many uncertainties can help alleviate future problems.
3. Pandemic: Major Effects on Leading for Smithfield Custom Furniture Company
When looking at Leadership and what it means to lead there are different styles of leadership. One of the styles of leadership that will be most affect by a pandemic are leaders who are Employee Centered. "Employee focused leadership spends less time on goals and plans and more time on relationships between themselves and their employees. They build these relationships through support and encouragement; the leader here wants to make his team more qualified and productive. Having a leader who is not as focused on tasks and more focused on people could find themselves constantly trying to fix problems that do not have a fix during a pandemic." (Lumen Learning, Principles of Management. What makes an Effective Leader, n.d, para. 16) Additionally, another category of leadership style that is explained as laissez-faire will be affected most by a pandemic. "A laissez-faire leader very hands-off and allows his employees to make their own decisions this can have low productivity unless the team is full of experts." (Lumen Learning, Principles of Management. What makes an Effective Leader, n.d, para. 19) However, during a pandemic it is natural for even experts to get unfocused and lose sight of the importance of what they are doing. Especially during a health pandemic, it can be easy for a person making or selling furniture to feel they lack the foresight of the importance at a time like this.
3 A: Pandemic: Most Significant Leading Action for Company
What the Company needs to focus on when it comes to leading as understanding their leaders. Once the company has a break down of who their leaders are and what type of style they usually facilitate with their teams. A discussion on a temporary change in leadership style and why its important might need to be had with all managers but especially those that show employee center and laissez-faire tendencies or approaches. A quality check to ensure that the individuals involved are following the directions of Upper Management and implementing practices that are consistent with new guidance and policy that is sure to be generated given the situation.
4. Pandemic: Major Effects on Controlling for Smithfield Custom Furniture Company
A major problem facing the Control side of the organization will be in the basic control process. Most importantly steps 4. Analyzing deviations and Step 5 Taking corrective action. "When analyzing deviations managers determine why standards are not being met and determines what control moving forward will be necessary to get things back on track. For Taking corrective action, after the deviation is found, managers focus on developing a solution for the issues that is uncapable of meeting the objectives described and corrects the failures mentioned in the deviations process." (Lumen Learning, Principles of Management. The Control Process, n.d, para. 5 and 6) Another aspect of control that will be majorly impacted is Concurrent Control. "Concurrent Control is the action of monitoring current progress and company activity. Concurrent Control outlines and identifies problem areas as they occur." (Lumen Learning, Principles of Management. The Control Process, n.d, para. 17)
4A: Pandemic: Most Significant Controlling Action for Company
Actions that need to be taken by the company when it comes to controlling are to analyze all possible deviations that might come about from a pandemic. In act some possible exercises to see where the problem areas lie before the actual pandemic hits. Taking corrective action on those deviations that are analyzed is an important part of what I will be affected and what will need to happen. The pandemic can expect to slow the correction process and to have an influence on what needs correction. It will be important to separate what problems occurs due to the pandemic and what problems occur due to failures in procedure. Eliminating those actions that are taking place without cause of the pandemic will need to be a priority. Finally understanding concurrent control and utilizing that to its max capacity will be very important when dealing with a pandemic that will have unknown effects on the company. This type of control can help to correct problems as they come about.
References
Lumen Learning. (n.d.) Principles of Management. The Planning Cycle. Available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
Lumen Learning. (n.d.) Principles of Management. The Purpose of Organization. Available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
Lumen Learning. (n.d.) Principles of Management. What makes an Effective Leader. Available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
Lumen Learning. (n.d.) Principles of Management. The Control Process. Available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
Reply to Thread
Use these sources:
http://www.systems-thinking.org/stada/stada.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AP7hMdnNrH4
https://www.managementstudyguide.com/introduction-to-agile-business.htm
https://www.managementstudyguide.com/being-agile-and-future-proof.htm
