Structure of Management Analysis

In this paper I will take two managers from two different companies and compare and contrast certain aspects of their managerial styles. I will use topics like communication, handling of rewards and disciplinary actions, motivational tools, and interaction with other managers to gain my comparative analysis. The job duties of a manager can vary widely depending on the industry, but certain responsibilities are common to managers in all fields. Managers are responsible for managing other people, whether it is a small team or a large department. They are responsible for the performance of these employees, making sure that the employees complete their duties in a timely and accurate manner. Depending on the company or organization, managers may have the ability to hire and fire employees, or at least have significant input into these decisions. In many companies, there are several tiers, or levels, of management. Managers supervise employees at one level but may have to report to higher management as well. A good manager has respect for all of his or her employees, and understands how to encourage and motivate employees in a positive way. There have been theories to come about trying to make some sense of organizational forms and to provide industry with advice about how best to organize. Henri Fayol was a French management theorist who proposed that there are five primary functions of management: Planning, Organizing, Commanding, Coordinating, and Controlling, (Miller, 2009).

The first manager, which I will call Tom, works for a large automotive company. He has been a Maintenance supervisor for this company for 10 years and has been in management for almost 20 years. He has 22 employees under him and knows all of their names as well as some aspects of their personal lives that are shared between them. Even though his main job responsibilities are more office run than floor management he still finds time to relate to his technicians and support his shift managers. He described his daily duties as morning emails, staff meetings, daily update meetings with the plant manager, and work order reports. When asked about the daily emails he said: “Morning emails are repetitive and mind numbing, but they have to be taken care of daily in order to get things done quickly.” The daily emails he is referring to is a highly dependable source of communication between shifts and departments. The facility he works in is extremely large and communication between departments can be slow through mouth to mouth communications. Even though picking up the phone and calling the person needed might be faster than email, it fails when the person is on another shift or not at his/her desk. At his facility communication is important stay updated on current happenings, project planning, daily reports, hourly reports on down machines, and interactions with other managers. This communication allows also for the passing and recommendation for recognition awards. His company in particular calls them Certificates of Recognition, and is given every quarter to employees that management feels has went beyond the call of expected duties. These awards are presented in front of the employee’s workgroup by their direct supervisor and a dinner is held for them and their workgroup during lunch. This helps motivates them to not only do well at their job but also look for safety and quality issues that need attention. With this award the company also promotes continuous improvement to its employees with the incentive of receiving such an award. As noted the employee must have done excellent at his/her job and also have a good attendance. These factors are all taken in to perspective on the employee’s yearly appraisal which directly is tied into the raise that, if received, is given at the end of the year. As I was wrapping up the interview I asked him about his dealing with vendors. He stated that vendors don’t usually