Reference no: EM133278479

As a manager, Rodney Adkins contributes to creating the standard of living that we enjoy in our economy, and he earns corresponding rewards. IBM sells a wide variety of technology products and services that help customers work efficiently. Adkins, as the leader of a major division, must focus on how the company can deliver top quality at a competitive price and develop new products that will keep the company abreast of the latest technology. He cannot possibly develop, make, and sell all the products; rather, he leads the efforts within his group, keeping them aligned with the company's goals. As a manager, Adkins works through people and uses other organizational resources to achieve IBM's goals. , Adkins engages in planning, organizing, influencing, and controlling the work of the people in the Systems and Technology Group. He uses human resources, as well as money, raw materials, and machinery (capital equipment). These efforts succeed when his group is both effective (successful in achieving goals) and efficient (minimizes the use of resources). Adkins has risen in IBM from a hardware engineer to a senior vice president because he has demonstrated that he has management skill-the ability to carry out the process of reaching organizational goals by working with and through people and other organizational resources. According to the classic understanding, management skill is the combination of three different kinds of skills: technical, human, and conceptual skills. In this understanding of management, technical skills were especially important for Adkins when he first took on lower-management jobs. As he rose through IBM's hierarchy, Adkins depended less on the use of technical skills and more on the use of conceptual skills. However, human skills, such as communicating and building cooperation, are important at all levels of management. More recently, management skills have been viewed in terms of the activities carried out by managers. Adkins and other managers typically perform task-related, people-related, and changerelated activities. Task-related activities require skills in short-term planning, clarifying objectives, and monitoring performance. People-related activities require skills in encouraging employees, providing recognition for accomplishments, developing skills in others, consulting others when making decisions, and empowering employees to solve problems. Change-related activities require skills in monitoring the organization's environment, proposing new ideas, encouraging innovation, and taking necessary risks.

Question 1.

According to your study of the various management perspectives, which school of management thought does Rodney Adkins might be adapting to manage the company and if you were in his place how you manage it differently.

Question 2.

Determine which of the managerial skills does Rodney Adkins's use while working? What implication does it have from a managerial point of view?

How possibility Rodney Adkins's extend his managerial roles to cope with the demand of working at IBM.

Question 3

Reflect on the use of organizational resources in the technology industry: What might be the challenges that Rodney Adkins's face in his organization and what are some of the possible solutions to overcome those challenges?