Application of mass customization in service firms

            Mass customization of products is the process of making an individually oriented goods or services on a large scale. It has been significantly considered in the manufacturing firms which can also be of good advantage to the services firms (Daft, 2013). To enhance the competitive advantage of the products in the market, customer service need to be put in place. The main reason for this approach is to make products that will meet the needs of the customers thus allowing the service firms to adopt the mass customization of products. Through innovation the service firm puts the focus in the customer needs for example companies that are involved in manufacturing of laptops would use the customer service to answer the needs of the needs of the clients. The order from the customer can be taken and the designed based on the need of the client. Through this, the company will be able to deal a larger number of the services on demand from the clients and also providing product made depending on the client service need.

A top executive claimed that superior management is a craft technology because the work contains intangibles (such as handling personnel, interpreting the environment, and coping with unusual situations that have to be learned through experience). If this is true, is it appropriate to teach management in a business school? Does teaching management from a textbook assume that the manager's job is analyzable and, therefore, that formal training rather than experience is most important?

            Superior management can be viewed as craft technology, which then means that there is need for extensive and proper training including experience. This is because the employees will handle the intangibles on the basis of experience, intuition and wisdom. Although this can be viewed as true, teaching management in the business school can be of importance. It does not really mean that that teaching management in school makes the manager’s job analyzable and also does not mean that formal training is more important than the experience that the manager has. Teaching gives the students that mindset off being a manager. However the students are not able to gain experience that will enable them to make executive decisions based on the what is learned in class but they are able to understand the way manager perform their activities and various areas where the managers have been successful and also areas where they have failed (Daft, 2013). Teaching in the class can be beneficial to the future managers because it gives them the opportunity to learn on managers. Decision making in areas where the shareholders, the employees and also the future business are at stake, experience is what is applied and it plays a big role in determining the success. Teaching will help the students think like a manager and also will allow them to see the opportunities and even engage in making decisions based on the scenarios in the textbook. This will help in stimulating their thinking and will prepare them with the necessary thinking pattern to become a superior manager.

 Do you believe that technology will eventually enable high-level managers to do their job with little face-to-face communication?

            Technology has been advancing and it has reached to an extent where the business managers a can hold a meeting with their counterparts and also the clients without the need of being there face to face. The availability of the required and advanced technology and presence of internet services have completely changed on how businesses can be done across the globe (Larsen & Urry, 2016). Also the presence of the data warehousing enables individuals to obtain information directly and also get immediate responses. With the use of business intelligence to analyze data and its patterns the managers will be able to make smarter without the need for meeting or human interaction. Therefore, it is clear that with the current advancement in technology, the managers will be able to perform their duties without actually meeting individuals for face-to-face communication

Look through several recent issues of a business magazine (Fortune, BusinessWeek, Fast Company, etc.) and find examples of 2 companies that are using approaches to busting bureaucracy. Explain the techniques that these companies are applying

            Bureaucracies has been in existence for many years in the workplace and it provides significant advantages to the organization which are based on the social status, favors’ and also family status. It has been considered as one of the best and more efficient systems of organizing (Daft, 2013). Bureaucracy is made up of specific rules and procedures that govern the work processes and also presence of hierarchy of authority, assigning duties depending on individual ability, separate positions from the holder, individuals with good technical skills and also written communications and records.

            Amazon and Apple are examples of the companies that have tried to get rid of the bureaucracy in the work place. The companies have changed the mindset and also the strategies of the top management. The responsibility of the managers is to manage the autonomous team that has been assigned to them. The companies have aimed in the customer service as their main goal. The companies are driven by client satisfaction and therefore, they are keen to address the needs of the client. The team is then informed by the manager on exactly what the client wants where then they coordinate with each with the aim of establishing the completion goals. It is thus clear that, the orders are done in a conversational manner rather than top down communication.

 

Do you believe that a no growth philosophy of management should be taught in business schools? How can/should a biblical worldview be applied?

            A significant number of businesses belief that the company growth demonstrates its success. The no-growth philosophy should be taught in the business schools because of the decline in organization and also presence of those that a have stopped growing. The aim of all the businesses is to develop and expand to offer services or create the market for their product.

Teaching students in school gives them the opportunity to learn various business structure and design as organizations are not designed to grow throughout the lifespan. The organizational life cycle suggest that it born, grows, gets older and finally dies but is unfortunate that success of organization has been linked with the rate it grows (Flouris & Oswald, 2016). Therefore there is need for the managers to have necessary skill to enable them manage the various stages including the no growth period. Teaching ‘no-growth’ philosophy in schools enables the managers to understand both perspectives of growth and decline and will thus have a better knowledge on how they work (Flouris & Oswald, 2016). It will also help the students have the necessary training and develop to be better managers who can handle different situations in the organization.

In the biblical worldview, Jesus involved himself in training his disciples in which during the period, there were no even books, so, the most important thing that time was to get the necessary skill to enable them spread the good news. Jesus also thought through parables and applied lecture method. Jesus taught things that He thought were important to his disciples and even showed them. In the today’s world there are books everywhere and also teachers are also available. Jesus also informed His disciples about his death which thus means that he prepared them in advance before it happened. Therefore from this, learning is all about getting the necessary skill and learning to cope with situation as Jesus did. It is also clear having the necessary knowledge at the right time can help in understanding situations better. Jesus told his disciples that He would resurrect after three day. This enabled then to know what they expected during the period. Thus managers should also be given necessary information to enable them know what might come on their way.

 

 

 

           

 

References

Daft, R. L. (2013). Organization theory & design (11 th Ed). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning

Flouris, T. G., & Oswald, S. L. (2016). Designing and executing strategy in aviation management. Routledge.

Larsen, J., & Urry, J. (2016). Mobilities, networks, geographies. Routledge.