Management Report: Self Reflection, SWOT & Wesfarmers Analysis

This report provides a self-reflective analysis of a management professional's role as the head manager of the Research and Development department at Wesfarmers. It details the tasks and responsibilities of the department, the manager's duties, and a SWOT analysis of the manager's strengths a...Read More

Running head: SELF REFLECTION MANAGEMENT
SELF REFLECTION MANAGEMENT
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author Note

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Executive Summary
As a management professional, I had been given the responsibility of the head manager of
Wesfarmers’ department of Research and development. The respective paper is a report that
mentions the tasks of research and development department of every organization, my duties and
tasks as the manager of research and development department of the respective organization and
my shortcomings and strengths as a manager with a SWOT Analysis of my personality. The
SWOT analysis of my strengths and weaknesses as a manager has also been influenced by the
results of Gallup Strength assessment tool and Myers Briggs personality type indicator test
where I have successfully completed my personality test.

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Table of Contents
Executive Summary.....................................................................................................................................1
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................3
Discussion...................................................................................................................................................3
Research and Development team.............................................................................................................3
My task and the Issues.............................................................................................................................4
Solution...................................................................................................................................................5
My Strengths and Weaknesses................................................................................................................5
The SWOT Analysis................................................................................................................................6
How am I placed in the organization?...................................................................................................12
Self improvement..................................................................................................................................12
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................13
Appendix...................................................................................................................................................15

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Introduction
As a student of management from a reputed university, I have been familiar with the
various dimensions and approaches of organizations. I had been well aware of all kinds of
perspectives, theories and concepts that are inherent to an organization that determines
organizational behavior, aptitude, management, code of conduct and statutory regulations. Under
the subject of management, I have been exposed to different kinds of managerial theories and
techniques and during my internship working days, I had been given responsibility of human
resource management and other management departments in different organizations in order to
have a practical, pragmatic approach of what I have studied in the classroom environment. After
completing my course work and the internship successfully, I have been appointed as a full time
assistant manager of the research and development department of an organization named
Wesfarmers which is a supermarket. The respective report is an analysis of my strength and
weaknesses as a manager with a SWOT Analysis.
Discussion
Research and Development team
As an assistant manager of the research and development department of the respective
organization, I have been experiencing positive as well as negative occurrences throughout the
organization till now. The research and development team of an organization has numerous
activities to perform. Indeed, the research and development team of an organization is considered
to be one of the most important organs of an organization. Before a new product is developed, it

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is the duty of the research and team development to conduct a thorough study and research in
order to support the project (Shafritz, Ott & Jang, 2015). The research phases and levels include
determining the specification of the product, studying about the product in the details and
determining production costs as well as production time line for the organization. The research
and development department in an organization seeks for the maximum and optimum
information about the positive as well as negative points of the respective market it is thinking of
capturing through its services or products. In certain organizations, the research and development
team also handles the quality checks on the products created by the company as it has certain
intimate knowledge of specification of the respective product. The research and development
team of the respective organization is an apt one though there are numerous follies and fallacies
present within. The most significant fallacy in the team was miscommunication among the
employees which was the reasons for misunderstandings among them which happened quite a lot
of time. The research and development team of our organization had a plethora of technologies
and gadgets in order to carry out their research, however, most of the time, there had been
malfunctioning of the technological gadgets that hampered the smooth flow of work in the
department for quite a lot of time. As a manager of research and development department of the
respective organization, I had been bestowed with the duty to look after and meet the problems
as soon as possible and as effectively as possible.
My task and the Issues
As I was given the task to manage the Research and development team of the respective
organization, I had been instructed to be using different management theories, concepts and
perspectives in order to solve the matters and disputes. The actual and the main problem of the
team was that, since our organization is more diversity oriented, therefore, there were certain

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employees who belonged to different and diversified ethnic and racial community, which led to
clash of thoughts, ideas and approaches, leading to miscommunication and misunderstandings.
Solution
As a diligent management professional, I used the Virtue Ethics Views of Diversity
which depicts organizational virtues over utilitarian motives in an organization. The Virtue
Ethics Views of Diversity gives the notions of good life, happiness and integrity among the
psychology and cognition of the employees rather than pushing themselves towards utilitarian
needs of organizational efficiency (van Dijk, van Engen & Paauwe, 2012). As a manager, I
instilled in the mind of the employees, the usefulness of remaining integrated together, no matter
what may be the cultural and ethnic differences between each other. Therefore, with the help of
such theory, I was able to check on the misbehavior and miscommunication that was happening
within the research and development team in the organization up to a certain extent. The second
problem which was mainly technical problem that our team faced, which was the malfunctioning
of the technical gadgets in the team which was a reason for the delay of work and created an
obstacle in the path of smooth flow of work was met with in no time when the technical experts
had been hired in the department who looked after the technical problems that had been
happening in the team intensely and effectively.
My Strengths and Weaknesses
While I created, framed and formulated the different managerial policies and strategies in
the team, I realized that there are certain strengths and limitations in me as a management
professional working under the organization. As I experienced a pragmatic and a serious

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approach of management tasks within the department, I came to identify and realize my positive
as well as negative points and have began for a constant self improvement in order to achieve
dexterity in my profession. Throughout my work tenure and at present too, I have been receiving
various e-mails and text messages at my contact id where my fellow colleagues as well as the
employees who work under me have talked about my good conduct and my misconduct in
certain cases within the organization. Several times, the corporate artifacts have also mentioned
my name for my excellent performance in certain areas and my fallacies in certain factors in the
organization. The strength, weakness, opportunity and threats in me according to the designation
provided to me have been made into a tabular form of SWOT Analysis that has been mentioned
by me hereafter clearly and precisely.
The SWOT Analysis
Strengths
1. The first strength in me as I identified
throughout my work tenure is that I
have exhibited the talent of working
spontaneously. When the problem of
miscommunication and
misunderstanding occurred within the
research and development team of the
organization where I was appointed as a
manager, I had successfully dealt with
the issue in a calm temperament and a
tranquil mood with spontaneous ideas
Weaknesses
1. One of the main weaknesses I have
found out and identified throughout my
work tenure is that I am less analytical
in action when it comes to take
important and significant decisions
within the department. As I focus more
on spontaneity, I overlook the virtue of
patience and analysis within my work
limit. Analysis is an important part in
the life of a management professional.
The main purpose of a manager of a

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that crept into my mind of forming a
diversity training program within the
department so that the employees are
given proper education and training
regarding their interaction with racially,
ethnically, sexually and culturally
diverse people. It was my impromptu
decision of utilizing the theory of the
Virtue Ethics View of Diversity while
consulting with the trainers about what
kind of training might be given to the
employees in order to influence their
psycho-social and social cognitive
behavior for the benefit of the
organization.
2. The second strength that I realized I
possessed while I had been working for
the issue in the research and
development team as a manager was
that I have the ability to listen actively
to the employees, their grievances,
requisites and needs. Active listening in
managerial terms, can be defined as the
department is that the department
works smoothly and efficiently under
his/her jurisdiction and the outcome is
reached successfully in order to comply
with the business goals of the
organization (Robles, 2012). Therefore,
a manager needs to introspect and
analyze the abilities, capacities,
opportunities and limitations of the
people working under him/her in order
to take proper decisions, focusing less
on impromptu decisions, as required.
However, I lack in analytical skills and
I believe that analytical skills are
needed to be propagated in me in order
to take more standard and best
decisions for my department while
formulating strategies and policies.
Therefore, in order to make better, or
rather, best decisions for department,
which is research and development
department, it is my duty to start
becoming analytical, introspective and

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most important form of interpersonal
communication where the listener
listens attentively to the speaker in
order to identify and sort out the issues
on which the communication is
occurring. In the world of management,
the skills of active listening by the
managers to the employees help the
manager to identify the problems and
issues the employees are going through,
by the help of active listening, he/she
would be able to ventilate their
grievances up to certain extent and can
assure peace and satisfaction of the
employees within the organization
(Rosenberg, Heimler & Morote, 2012).
Therefore, I consider that my
interpersonal skill of active listening is
one of the most important skills that I
possess which can help the organization
immensely both qualitatively as well as
quantitatively in the near future.
3. The third most important strength I
speculative in my approach.
2. The next significant fallacy which I
possess is that I do not have the skills
of patience and perseverance. Since I
lack a considerable magnitude of
patience and perseverance in my
approach and code of conduct,
therefore, the other management
professionals have complained of my
impatient behavior that sometimes
create obstacle in the passage of proper
management in the organization.
Patience and perseverance is a virtue in
today’s ever evolving, ever changing
and fiercely competitive global world
of business where every aspects are
temporary and can change in any
minute (Goetsch & Davis, 2014).
Therefore, in such business arena, the
management professionals are provided
with the training of keeping a lot of
patience and perseverance in their
approach and outlook in order to tackle

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possess is that I am focused about my
profession, my duties and
responsibilities. Any kind of external or
internal influences cannot keep me
away from my duties, responsibilities
and accountabilities I am bestowed
within the organization. I keep my aim,
which is managerial tasks in the team
as my utmost priority and therefore, I
never lose my focus from the work I
am assigned with. In this case too, I
was always calculating and analyzing
strategies and approaches regarding
diversity management in my mind
rather than getting swayed by the
outward commotion of the team.
the employees as well as any kind of
inconvenient situation. Patience is a
virtue in business and management
because it is important to evaluate and
research the benefits and risks
associated with critical business
solutions and answers (Kalargyrou,
Pescosolido & Kalargiros, 2012).
Patience provides a plethora of ideas
and strategies to deal with any kind of
inconvenient or gruesome situation a
business can face or likely be facing.
Patience is also important for finding
out practical goals and set realistic and
rational objectives of an organization.
However, since patience is highly
lacking in me, I need t focus more on
achieving it in order to make better
decisions and management governance
for the team.
Opportunities
1. As I am a spontaneous personality, I
have plethora of opportunities for
Threats
1. As I am impatient and have less
analytical skills, which are essential for

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growth and development in the
organization. I have identified that with
the help of my spontaneous intelligence
quotient and aptitude, I can take
impromptu, yet rational decisions on
behalf of the company if any kind of
unavoidable circumstances arrive. A
spontaneous person is an individual
who can take decisions quickly which
apparently, might seem to be not
judicious enough but ultimately, it
cannot be forgotten that it saves time
and resources in case of any kind of
social, political, natural and geopolitical
emergency which an organization can
go through. Therefore, when there is an
utmost need of people who are
analytical, discursive and thoughtful in
an organization, there is also a need of
spontaneous and street smart people
who can take the charge of the situation
and come into any kind of rational and
relevant conclusion according to the
the designation where I am working,
therefore, chances are there that the
organization can either keep me where I
am designated already and close the
options for promotions, or it might
remove me from the position it has
designated me now into a different
position in the company. Through the
successful completion of the test
conducted by me with the help of
Gallop Strength Assessment tool, I
have come to realize the respective
shortcoming in me. Therefore, in order
to keep myself surviving and thriving
in the designation where I work, I have
to develop the virtue of patience,
perseverance and analytical skills so
that I can take better decisions on
behalf of the organization in the
managerial field in order to enhance
and uphold the goodwill, reputation,
growth and development of the
organization for future.

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needs and requisites of the organization
at times of emergencies. Through the
assessment conducted by me on the
portal of Myer Briggs Personality Type
Indicator Test, I have come to realize
that spontaneity is my positive point
and I am a protagonist in the
management team. Therefore, I am
assured that in this company, the
human resource personnel must have
noticed my abilities and capabilities
and noted it down for further usage. I
can clearly state the fact that through
my spontaneous behavior and code of
conduct, I would be able to bring
growth, development and advancement
in the organization where I work, if I
am provided with any kind of job
designation.
2. Secondly, since I am diligent and
focused towards my work, therefore,
the organization might be ready to keep
me as their employee and also might

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hire me for better designation in near
future. As I am always focused on my
work, therefore, I have proved myself
to be quite responsible and accountable
on whatever activities happening under
my surveillance in the department.
Therefore, I might get promotional
opportunity within the organization.
How am I placed in the organization?
I have been placed correctly in the organization as I consider that I have all the important
characteristics and qualities which a manager is needed to possess. I am spontaneous, responsible
and focused in my work taking the initiatives by myself and acting as a protagonist. Therefore, I
can assure that with the help of my strengths, I would be able to bring progress in the
organization.
Self improvement
Though I believe I am apt for being a manager, I have certain negative aspects in me as well.
According to Gallup Strengths Assessment tool and Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator
test, I have realized that I am impatient which makes me less analytical during the time of any
important decision within my department. Therefore, to improve myself, I have to practice
mindfulness and listen and ask questions to my subordinates and peers with positive attitude and
look for various perspectives from different sources to understand different point of views in
order to grow as a manager.

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Conclusion
Therefore, throughout the pragmatic work in my profession as a manager in the research
and development department of Wesfarmers, I have identified and realized my positive points as
well as shortcomings and I am in a constant endeavor to reshape myself and rectify my faults for
self improvement.

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References :
Goetsch, D. L., & Davis, S. B. (2014). Quality management for organizational excellence. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: pearson.
Shafritz, J. M., Ott, J. S., & Jang, Y. S. (2015). Classics of organization theory. Cengage
Learning.
van Dijk, H., van Engen, M., & Paauwe, J. (2012). Reframing the business case for diversity: A
values and virtues perspective. Journal of Business Ethics, 111(1), 73-84.
Robles, M. M. (2012). Executive perceptions of the top 10 soft skills needed in today’s
workplace. Business Communication Quarterly, 75(4), 453-465.
Kalargyrou, V., Pescosolido, A. T., & Kalargiros, E. A. (2012). LEADERSHIP SKILLS IN
MANAGEMENT EDUCATION. Academy of Educational Leadership Journal, 16(4).
Rosenberg, S., Heimler, R., & Morote, E. S. (2012). Basic employability skills: a triangular
design approach. Education+ Training, 54(1), 7-20.

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Appendix

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