Management Reflection Report: Theories, Skills, and Practices

This report, authored by a student, is a comprehensive reflection on the core concepts of management. It delves into various management theories, exploring their application and evolution within organizations, from classical approaches to contemporary perspectives. The report highlights the importance of understanding these theories to effectively manage the work environment and achieve organizational goals. Furthermore, it examines the critical role of employee motivation, analyzing strategies to foster intrinsic motivation and create conducive work environments. The report also emphasizes the significance of emotional intelligence for managers, discussing how skills like communication, empathy, and self-awareness contribute to effective leadership. The student reflects on the insights gained from the course, emphasizing the importance of adapting management practices and developing the necessary skills to become a successful manager.

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Introduction to Management Reflection
Dongwa Lee

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Management Reflection
Short personal statement
I am a simple person who likes working by the book and following procedures that have
been put in place. I believe that rules and regulations exist to protect managing from the excesses
of others that can lead to exploitation and frustration. As an individual majoring in business
management, I believe that rules will be crucial in my professional life since they will guide how
decisions will be made and the way people will behave and be controlled at the work
environment. I have specifically believed in applying the different theories of management to
achieve organizational effectiveness by creating the right conditions for people to work in thus
increasing efficiency (Gardner, 2003, p. 11). I have spent most of my time familiarizing myself
with management theories so that I can understand the contexts in which these theories can be
applied. Further, I understand the importance of diversity and how I need to work in a diverse
environment with employees having different needs. With this, it means that I have to understand
how the work environment needs to be organized to meet the needs of the organization.
Reflect on each portfolio
What is management?
The lecture topic on the theories of management focusses on different theories of
management that managers can use. The artefact offers an understanding of the theories of
management by highlighting how different management theories can be used within the
organization. Although management theories have been evolving for quite some time, there is no
perfect theory that explains how the process of management needs to be done (Stoner 2005, p.
22). The best way is to apply the principles of different schools of thought so that a blend of

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activities can be used to meet organizational needs. The manager needs to get things done but
meeting the goals of the organization through proper planning and setting plans to be achieved
(Gomez-Mejia, et al. 2008, p. 24). On the other hand, there is a need to create harmony between
employees by creating conditions of work that make them productive. Therefore, management is
a broader concept for meeting organizational needs through the application of management
thought.
The artefact is important since it is helpful in meeting the needs of the organization. For
example, the classical theories entailed managing organizations through planning, leading and
coordination activities to meet the needs of the organization. By management, it means that the
individual coordinates the tasks in the organization and coordinates tasks to ensure that they meet
the needs of the organization. The role of the manager is thus achieving the goals of the
organization by ensuring that the tasks are efficiently coordinated. Organizations exist as systems
that have different parts with different functions. For an organization to work well, the manager
has to ensure that all functional areas in the organization are working so that the organization can
achieve its objective. System theorists argue that stability and harmony is the driver of
organizational success. By this, the manager plays the role of ensuring all the systems in the
organization work well.
What is involved in management in organizations?
Pink (2009) video offers highlights on motivation strategies that managers can use to
achieve organizational effectiveness. According to the Ted Talk, motivation is an important
element of employee efficiency since it creates conditions that drive employees to work better.
Reeve (2014, p. 22) adds that since employees are humans they need to work in conditions that
motivate them and make them see the value of what they do. This artefact criticizes the reward

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system of employee motivation and suggests that it only works in tasks with uniform work. This
means that rewards cannot always lead to motivated employees since they do not change the
conditions of work but only create incentives for work that apply in particular situations. For
example when employees are given a target that they need to meet to get a reward, then it means
that the employees are not motivated but rather only working to meet the rewards.
From management, employee motivation is an important factor since it increases
employee participation and effectiveness by creating morale for work (Yusoff, Kian & Idris
2013, p. 19). Motivated employees see the reason why they come to work and love their work as
compared to unmotivated employees. Herzberg suggests that managers need to create intrinsic
factors that are inherent to the job itself to make the employee like the work that they do. This
means that creating good working conditions makes employees more motivated rather than
working on pay only. According to Pink (2009, pp. 2) reinforcement patterns of rewards cannot
yield the best results but rather, motivation needs to be based on the conditions of the workplace
itself. The video is important in my future management skills since it allows me to understand
what needs to be done to make employees more productive. From this, I have learned that reward
systems do not work in all types of work but rather the best way is to work on intrinsic values of
work and creating conditions that need to be put in place to make the work more appealing to the
employee.
What are the key functions a manager needs to address in order to be effective?
The third artefact is having the skill of emotional intelligence. Managers require the
emotional intelligence skill to coordinate the organization well since they are the head of the
organization. Each manager needs to do the emotional intelligence test so that they can be able to
function well within the organization (Salovey, Mayer & Caruso 2003, p. 199). This artefact

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allows the manager tolerant about different kinds of emotional intelligence and how they relate
to the work that they do. Managers require skills like communication, empathy, self-awareness
and social skills to function well in the organization. According to Cavazotte, Moreno &
Hickmann (2012, p. 449), through this skill, managers can evaluate themselves and find areas on
their competence functions that need to be improved. Through the EQ test, the manager works
on developing EQ competencies, addresses gaps, and works. The outcome is functions of
management is the application of emotional strategies to manage work. Since management
entails different situations, this skill allows me to develop the right EQ for a manager thus
making it easy to manage others.
Conclusion
The artefact on the theories of management analyses how different management
approaches have been advanced and the role that each of them plays in the organization. These
approaches have been evolving due to the different needs that organizations have been
encountering. For example, the scientific approach started from the scientific revolution where
organizations needed to increase production thus the theory focused more on the efficiency of
processes (Kets 2003, p. 26). The manager needs to have competence in all the theories of
management and know where to exactly apply the theories to meet the needs of the organization.
By understanding the theories of management, it will be easy for me to manage the work
environment and meet my management purpose. As a manager, the theories are important since
they form the basis of managing the organization.
The second artefact relates to the concept of motivation where managers have to put
strategies in place to create work conditions that make employees comfortable with their work.
According to Pink (2009, pp.3), reinforcement patterns have failed to meet the intended

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motivation needs since the factors that motivate employees are intrinsic rather than extrinsic.
This means that as a manager, I have to learn how to address the intrinsic conditions of work.
This includes creating autonomy at work to make employees free and flexible with the work
environment. This creates conditions that make it easy for employees to enjoy the work
environment that they work in. The conditions include satisfaction, recognition of the work itself
which makes employees to be motivated with work. This artefact will assist me in creating
motivation conditions that will make work more productive.
Lastly, the emotional intelligence micro-credential artefact is important in making an
individual informed with their EQ and how it can be applied in the organization. This skill makes
it easy for identifying the important skill areas that I need as a manager (Harms & Credé 2010, p.
156). To address these skills I have to take EQ tests that will assist in identifying intelligence
areas that I can work on and how the areas can be improved. Each of the EQ areas will ensure
that I develop the right skills that make me a better manager. With each of the EQ skills, I will be
able to apply emotional intelligence to the organization management practices that will improve
my ability to work with teams. By having the ability to empathize with others will be able to
address different
From the course topics that I have covered, management is a broad concept that entails
different functions within the organization. As a manager, one needs to be empowered with the
right skills for propelling the organization since the manager is the overall decision maker in the
organization. Therefore, managers require knowledge of theories and other skills that make them
informed on organizational processes and how they can become better leaders. The three
artefacts are important since they focus on the areas of management that I need to master to

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become a better manager. These areas also ensure that I am able to meet the right conditions of
the workplace as a manager and an employee of the organization.

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References
Cavazotte, F., Moreno, V. & Hickmann, M., 2012. Effects of leader intelligence, personality and
emotional intelligence on transformational leadership and managerial performance. The
Leadership Quarterly, 23(3), pp. 443-455.
Gardner, H., 2003. Frames of mind. New York: Basic Books.
Gomez-Mejia, L. R., Balkin, D. B. & Cardy, R. L., 2008. Management: People, Performance,
Change,. New York: McGraw-Hill. .
Harms, P. D. & Credé, M., 2010. Remaining Issues in Emotional Intelligence Research:
Construct Overlap, Method Artifacts, and Lack of Incremental Validity. Industrial and
Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice, 3(2), pp. 154-158.
Kets, M. F. R., 2003. "The Dark Side of Leadership. Autumn , 14(3), pp. 20-30.
Pink, D 2009. The puzzle of motivation [Motion Picture]. Retrieved from
https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation/transcript?language=en#t-1075111
Reeve, J., 2014. Understanding motivation and emotion.s.. London: John Wiley & Sons.
Salovey, P., Mayer, J. & Caruso, D., 2003. Emotional Intelligence: Theory, Findings, and
Implications. Psychological Inquiry, p. 197–215.
Stoner, J., 2005. Management. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
The puzzle of motivation. 2009. [Film] Directed by D. Pink. s.l.: s.n.
Yusoff, W. F., Kian, T. S. & Idris, M. T., 2013. Herzberg’s Two Factors Theory on Work
Motivation: Does Its Work for Todays Environment?. Global Journal of Commerce &
Management Perspective, 2(5), pp. 18-22.