MBWA Report: Exploring Management by Wandering Around Strategies

This report delves into the concept of Management by Wandering Around (MBWA), a leadership style emphasizing informal interactions and observations within the workplace. It explores how MBWA, as proposed by Tom Peters, fosters better communication, builds trust between managers and employees, and enhances overall organizational performance. The report discusses the benefits of MBWA, such as improved employee morale, increased information flow, and the development of a stronger organizational culture. It also highlights the importance of the managers' active involvement and the need to translate observations into effective actions. The report references the practical applications of MBWA, drawing on examples from organizations that have implemented this approach. The report concludes by emphasizing the potential of MBWA in improving accountability and driving organizational productivity.

Running Head: MBWA
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Author Note

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The paper seeks to elucidate in detail the implication of managing the organizational
scenario by walking around and thereby assists in the development of the organizational
culture. As the name suggests MBWA is a style of management whereby the style does not
follow any particular structure and it requires the random intervention of the managers in
checking around several aspects of the organization including the ones of equipment, workers
and the workplace in general.
Such randomness in the managerial scenario allows the managers to break out from
the structural aspect of the managerial process and indulge in a much informal survey, in
order to grab them in their spontaneity. Such method of managerial style allows the leaders to
develop an understanding of the moral of the organization along with the ones of the
employees. The method is much spontaneous and opens up the opportunity for a continuous
evaluation of the scenario in contrast to the employees waiting for the intervention of the
managers. The term had been brought into practice by Tom Peters. According to his
observations, frequent communication from the managers allow the employees to perform in
a way better than those where the interaction between the leaders and the managers have been
limited (Obeidat, 2017).
The aspect of listening is given importance in this form of managerial measure. Such
interventions also allow the managers to build their competence with their employees as well
as with their issues. It also assists them in managing the conflicts in the scenario. The
approach proposed by Peters were extensively used by David Packard and Hewlett. Such
style assists the leaders to become more approachable to their subjects as it eliminates a sense
of being intimidated by the managers and distance themselves thereby enhancing the
hierarchy of the organizations. The communication therefore can be facilitated with this style
of management and thereby allows the formation of a network of trust among the leaders and

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their subjects. It is also helpful for the managerial team as frequent interactions are capable of
dealing with larger calamities in a much effective way (Sharma & Mandhanya, 2015).
A sense of trust thereby motivates the employees to work towards greater goals of the
organization. Such method also makes the flow of information in a much facilitated way,
thereby enhances the functioning of the employees. The enhancement in the nature of the
accountability of the manger boosts the productivity of the employees. However, the apparent
simplistic nature of the method is marked by its own intrinsic risks. The frequent physical
presence of the managers in the workplace is not enough to serve the purpose. Rather the
importance needs to be placed in the action that is required to be adopted in order to make the
actions taken even more effective (Razavi, Patil, Wigen & Hosmath, 2015).
Therefore, the MBWA as method by involving the informal action of the employees
enhances the accountability of those residing at the top of an organization in terms of
hierarchy. Such informal interactions assists in building a sense of trust and by allowing a
easy flow of the information allows the employees to contribute to the productivity of the
organization in a much effective way.

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References
Obeidat, L. M. N. (2017). The degree of practicing the Management By Wandering Around
(MBWA) by school principals at Bani Kenana Directorate of Education from their
perspectives.
Razavi, A., Patil, P., Wigen, D., & Hosmath, A. (2015). The Effectiveness of Management
By Walking Around (MBWA).
Sharma, P., & Mandhanya, Y. (2015) MBWA: An Innovative Management Leadership Style
with reference to Pithampur Industrial Sector, Indore.