I'm a manager in a large global manufacturing

Changes in Management in the Modern Times Affiliation with more information about affiliation, research grants, conflict of interest and how to contact
Changes in Management in the Modern Times
Globalization and the consequent transformation of the nature of economies in the modern world have caused several changes in business concepts and their applications in the present day. When one makes a comparison between the current backdrop and practices with that of 10 years ago, it transpires that there have been many drastic changes that have happened during this period. However, I will focus on two major aspects of business practice which are Organizational Culture and Corporate Responsibility and Ethics.
1. Organizational Culture:
Organizational Culture of companies has undergone drastic changes during the recent years from what it has been 10 years before. The main reason for this transformation is the shift in the attitude, behavior, moral and ethical values of organizations. The impact of globalization and the implementation of technology are two major factors that resulted in such changes. In an organization, the organizational culture evolves as a result of values and behavior handed over from one generation of workers to the next. Besides, management policies, the vision of the company etc also influence the organization culture. The attitudes and perceptions of workers also play a major role in the formation of an entity’s organizational culture.
An instance of change of organization culture, in this context, can be seen when one considers Steve Job of Apple. “ No one denied that Apples rise was aided immeasurably by his [Steve Jobs] astonishing energy and persuasiveness and charisma and chutzpah” (Deutschman, 2011). The attitude of employees has also changed from what it has been earlier. 10 years back employees merely did their job. However, now they attempt to improve their skills to handle their operations more efficiently. The management in the modern world also supports this as the competition is quite high and organizations compete with one another to recruit the best talent available in the market. Attitude towards team work has also increased. Thus, now employees work together to achieve common organizational goals. In the given example of Apple, there is a significant change in the attitude of management towards employees. They consider employees as a part of company and that is the reason why Steve Job believes in the concept of “ hire for attitude, train for skills.” (Poor Leadership Undermines US Organizations, 2011). As one can observe from the growth of Apple, the model implemented by Steve Job has facilitates healthy collaboration between management and employees, which is the basis of their success.
Behavioral changes are high in the modern world, which are facilitated through diplomacy as opposed to the arbitrary mandates in the past. Organizational conflicts also have reduced. Communication channel is systematically changed so employees and management can communicate each other. Apple has a system where managers make policies and oversee their implementation. Besides, another major difference also has been enforced here that workers are involved in the decision making process, which has not been done in the past.
2. Corporate Responsibility and Ethics:
Managing a business in this 21st century has become a highly challenging task, when compared to the management in earlier periods. As a manager of global manufacturing company, I have to deal not only with finance and personnel as in the case traditional management. In the present scenario, a manager also has to focus on more issues like market, customers, after sales service, diversity, inflation, social responsibility etc. Among all these aspects, one of the most important concerns is ensuring that the company stands up to its social responsibility towards its stakeholders.
Unlike the olden times, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become a top priority in the agenda or companies. Earlier also there were signs of CSR in the corporate world. The Oxford handbook of corporate social responsibility By Andrew Crane finds that, however, this was “ not that much applied in business organizations. In 1980s there reported many ethical scandals” have occurred. However, in the modern world, such instances have reduced (Crane et al., 2008, p. 19). This is because corporate entities in the present day have recognized the high significance of CSR and strictly adhere to its tenets and make sure that they follow the ethical principles in letter and spirit. Firms have also understood the role of CSR and ethical behavior in maintaining a brand image.
Thus, the activities like public relation, involvement in charities etc have become top priorities in the agenda of firms which is a major change that one can see in the modern world, which was not present in the olden days. An example of this can be evidenced in Cisco System Inc, which “ provides charity to many nonprofit organizations” (Corporate Social Responsibility: Initiatives and Examples, 2008). ITC’s CSR initiative in rural areas is another example. Thus, it can be seen that companies in the modern world accords high significance for corporate social responsibility and ethical behavior and it becomes the onus of managers to be more focused in these areas. Therefore, managers in the modern world have responsibilities that are vastly different in scope and meaning from the past managers.
Reference List
Corporate Social Responsibility: Initiatives and Examples, (2008). Karmayog. Retrieved Aug. 24, 2011, from http://www. karmayog. org/newspaperarticles/newspaperarticles_9994. htm
Crane, et al. (2008). The Oxford Handbook of Corporate Social Responsibility. OXFORD University Press. New York. Retrieved Aug. 24, 2011, from http://books. google. co. in/books? id= q8eq51yJBUEC&pg= PA19&dq= emergence+or+history+of+CSR&ei= BWpTTvr1IIiglAS6z_H8Aw&cd= 2#v= onepage&q= emergence%20or%20history%20of%20CSR&f= false
Deutschman, A. (2001). Apple Inc.’s Corporate Culture: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. ICMR. Retrieved Aug. 24, 2011, from http://www. icmrindia. org/casestudies/catalogue/Human%20Resource%20and%20Organization%20Behavior/Apple%20Inc%20Corporate%20Culture-The%20Good-The%20Bad-The%20Ugly. htm
Poor Leadership Undermines US Organizations, (2011). Management – Issues. Retrieved Aug. 24, 2011, from http://www. management-issues. com/2011/7/28/research/leadership-stagnation-undermining-us-organizations. asp