Modern Management

According to Montana and Charnov, management is "working with and through other people to accomplish the objectives of both the organization and its members." This definition places a greater emphasis on human beings in the organization, focus is on results to be accomplished (objectives) rather than just activities and adds the concept that personal objectives should be integrated with organizational objectives.New Paradigm in Management Driving Forces of Change, Around the 1960s and on to today, the environment of today’s organizations has changed a great deal. A variety of driving forces provoke this change. Increasing telecommunications has “shrunk” the world substantially. Increasing diversity of workers has brought in a wide array of differing values, perspectives and expectations among workers. Public consciousness has become much more sensitive and demanding that organizations be mor socially responsible. Much of the thirdworld countries has joined the global marketplace, creating a wider arena for sales and services. Organizations became responsible not only to stockholders

(those who owned stock) but to a wider community of “stakeholders.” As a result of the above driving forces, organizations were required to adopt a “new paradigm,” or view on the world, to be more sensitive, flexible and adaptable to the demands and expectations of stakeholder demands. Many organizations have abandoned or are abandoning the traditional top-down, rigid and hierarchical structures to more “organic” and fluid forms. Today’s leaders and/or managers must deal with continual, rapid change. Managers faced with a major decision can no longer refer back to an earlier developed plan for direction. Management techniques must continually notice changes in the environment and organization, assess this change and manage change. Managing change does not mean controlling it, rather understanding it, adapting to it where necessary and guiding it when possible.Managers can’t know it all or reference resources for every situation. Managers must count on and listen more to their employees. Consequently, new forms of organizations are becoming more common, e.g., workercentered teams, self-organizing and self-designing teams, etc.