Posted: November 8th, 2016

One of the main theories in management is the Decision Theory of Management (DTM)

How organizations function

Organizations can function through three systems. The first is the functional organizational structure where there are different departments that are guided by different purposes. For instance, in a health facility, under this system, you will find the lab department, the dermatological department, radiation department, obstetrics department and so on. The second system is the division structure. Cummings and Worley (2009) explain that this structure involves organizations that are very large and can cross borders. Therefore, you find that one division of the company is located in the UK, and another division is located in the US. Arguably, health facilities cannot use this system. The last system is the matrix, which combines both the functional and divisional structures. It is also not ideal for hospitals.

Characteristics of leadership and management

One similarity between leadership and management is that they both involve handling people. Both a leader and a manager, thus, need to have people skills (Hartley, 2016). Despite this, the two differ in regard to orientation. Whereas leadership is people oriented, management is task oriented (Stockham, 2016). On the same note, another similarity that can be cited between the two is that they are both goal specific. A leader will use different strategies compared to a manager, but they are both guided by specific goals set either for the department or for the organization as a whole. Indeed there are more differences between management and leadership than there are similarities. Hartley (2016), states that whereas leaders depend almost entirely on charisma to influence, managers depend, in similar intensity, on strategy. There have been debates on whether it is better to have a manager than a leader, and vice versa. It can, however, be argued that both play crucial roles within a system.

Apply trends, issues, theories, and evidence as guidelines for management decisions

One of the main theories in management is the Decision Theory of Management (DTM). The theory supports the premise that management is a decision making process. Due to this, management weights different options and picks the one that is thought to best describe or fit the agenda of the department or the organization. It is for this exact reason that many organizations create management teams. The teams include all company managers, grouped, in order to make informed choices about the organization as a whole. Thus, the theory created a trend within management. On the same note, there has been evidence that good managers have to incorporate some aspects of “good leadership” in order to be successful. In particular, Stockham (2016) asserts that managers can benefit from some form of people interaction, as opposed to using the system all through.

Evaluate effectiveness of communication patterns using specific management situations