Introduction
All human relationships have a hierarchical order since it is essential to have better control, for example: in the family the leader is the head, that is, the father who takes the lead in the behaviors and attitudes in it for its proper functioning and harmony, Just as in a company we always need a Manager or Supervisor so that the employees or workers perform efficiently, the power exercised by the leaders is essential since without it the required goals would not be reached,I believe that in these new times that perspective has been changing since ways have emerged of delegating responsibilities either in the family or in an organization, power is no longer focused on a single person but can be expanded to other horizons and make the objectives more efficient in an equitable manner and that this is important to a great extent for the development of the goals in any of their cases.
For most of the 20th century, the terms that have been used for social relationships in the workplace have been supervisor / worker, manager / employee, company / union, or we / them. The bosses and managers were supposed to run the company and the workers were supposed to follow their orders. Given the dynamic market changes of the past 20 years, many people now wonder if this mindset still works. Meanwhile, a host of innovative managers, from companies large and small, are ignoring the old ideas, and the latest innovations, like ACT. Instead, these managers are proposing an entirely different mindset for business and a different way of organizing work, one in which the "us and them" is a thing of the past.Whatever the differences, and there are many, the key does not lie in a company of employees and managers, but in a "company of company personnel."
These new generation companies are spread across many industries, what they have in common is the totally different way of conducting their activities and their way of conceiving business.The key element: the new understanding of how the company's people work together. In the mindset created by these next generation companies, the traditional hierarchy of society is completely out of the question. Everyone is free to think like an owner, and this attitude becomes part of everyday life. At Wal-Mart, partners, all of whom are shareholders, receive monthly and weekly data on their store performance, including detailed matters such as profit margins for each item and delivery times. At Chaparral, a steelmaker, pay is tied to individual results and company profits, and employees are encouraged to redesign jobs. At Southwest Airlines, key financial information for results,such as revenue per passenger per mile and fuel consumption, as well as normal profit and loss statements, is provided to all employees. Each of these companies have been awarded for quality and success on many occasions.
Key concepts and aspects that define authors of what the organization encompasses:
Organization Concept: Process to commit two or more people to work together in a structured way, with the purpose of reaching a specific goal.
Process: Systematic method for managing activities.
Administrative Process: It is easier to understand a process as complex as administration if it is broken down into parts and if the basic relationships between each of them are identified. These types of descriptions, called models, have been used by management students and practitioners for many decades. A model is a description used to represent complex relationships in easy-to-understand terms. In fact, a model was used without identifying it as such when it was said that the central activities of the administration are:
- Plan.OrganizeDirectControl
We can define each one as:
Plan: Process for setting goals and an appropriate course of action to achieve them.
Organize: The process of committing two or more people to work together in a structured way, with the purpose of reaching a specific goal.
Direct: Process to direct and influence the activities of the members of a group or an entire organization, with respect to a task.
Control: Process to ensure that the actual activities conform to the planned activities.
Model: Simplified representation of the key properties of an object, circumstance, or relationship; it can be oral, material or mathematical.
ACT: Total Quality Management.
Fayol says that in organizations there are 14 principles such as:
- Division of laborAuthorityDisciplineUnit of commandUnit of managementSubordination of individual interest to the common goodRemunerationCentralizationHierarchyOrderEquityStaff stabilityInitiativeGroup spirit
Frederick W. Taylor based his organizational philosophy on 4 basic principles:
- The development of a true science of administration, in such a way that the best method to carry out each task could be determined. The scientific selection of workers, in such a way that each worker was responsible for the task for which they had the most aptitude. The education and development of the worker in a scientific way. The close and friendly cooperation between workers and employers.
Key concepts and aspects that define authors regarding power
Concept of Power: It is the ability to influence others. Power can be present in any relationship. In organizations, managers wield power.
Sources of power: Power does not simply emanate from the level that the person occupies in the hierarchy of the organization. John French and Bertram Raven have identified five sources or bases of power such as:
- Rewarding power Coercive power Legitimate power Expert power Referring power
We can define each one as:
Rewarding power: Power derived from the fact that a person, called the influencer, has the ability to reward another person, called the influenced, for following orders, which can be tacit or implicit. An example: It is the power that a supervisor has to assign tasks to employees.
Coercive power: The negative side of the reward power, which is based on the ability of the influencer to sanction the influenced. An example: It is a punishment
Legitimate power: Power exists when a subordinate or influenced recognizes that the influential has the right or lawful ability to exert influence within certain limits; also known as formal authority. An example: When the guard of a plant can have ascending authority and even require the president of the company to present an identification document before being granted permission to enter a premises.
Expert power: It is based on the idea or concept that the influencer has some relevant experience or special knowledge that the influenced one does not have. An example: when we follow the instructions of a doctor, we are recognizing the power of an expert.
Referring power: Power that is based on the desire of the influenced to be like the influencer or to identify with him. An example: Conscious and popular managers will have referential power if employees have reason to emulate their work habits
Cultural aspects of power
The concept of power involves the way in which people want to see the relationships between one another. It is to be expected that, in the world, there will be different experiences, traditions and customs regarding power within human relationships. In some countries, for example, culture supports the idea that, in organizations, power should be asymmetrically distributed.
Italy, France, Japan, India and Brazil are among the countries where the people in power are considered superior; Since superiors are supposed to be another class of people, the idea is that the people in power should be seen as as powerful as possible. In the United States, power has been the subject of great interest, even of conflicting opinions, for a long time. To understand the attitude that a particular culture assumes towards power, it is convenient to understand the historical circumstances in which that culture has evolved. Therefore, in this sense, understanding cultural diversity goes hand in hand with an understanding of organizations and administration.
How possible is it that the top management of organizations in Mexico are adopting new trends in the way of delegating power?
Society and culture in Mexico has always been deeply rooted in its authoritarian customs and values, whether in organizations or in life in general, I believe that new doors of understanding should be opened towards new trends for a development to emerge, whether personal as technological and thus we become a first world country this will take time but if new ideologies are adopted from now on, this difficult task will be able to be carried out.
A case study
An example would be that if I have a company and I am the Boss in it and with what I know about delegating responsibility or power, I would start with training more to the personnel under my charge so that they can be decisive and do not depend on my presence to making the right decisions this leads to the best performance of all effectively and efficiently.
Personal conclusion
Organizations and power are linked since one could not exist without the other, delegation is a process in which many factors and responsibilities intervene, it is very interesting to know that there are already new trends in the way of making decisions for your best result, culturally it has a great influence on the use of new practices in an organization of any kind whatsoever, since customs cannot be changed overnight, it takes years to modify the mental paradigms behind it; I believe that if we continue to use these tools more and more we will be able to be more competitive in Mexico and in the world in general, and therefore we will be more successful.
Bibliography
- Administration Sixth Edition, Pearson Publishing, Prentice Hall. Authors: James A. F Stoner, R. Edward Freeman, Daniel R. Gilbert Jr. Administration A Competency-Based Approach, 11th Edition, Cengage Learning Publishing. Authors: HellRiegel, Jackson, Slocum, Tenth Edition Administration, Pearson Publishing. Authors: Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter.
