This assignment focuses on the ongoing changes in the working environment and discusses the role of feminization of management as a desirable alternative to the standardized approaches of managing people while using exemplary scenes out of the movie “Potiche” in order to illustrate and support one´s findings.
According to a study released in the US in 2012, nearly two-third of the American workforce is not happy at work and disengaged by the organization they are working for. Hereby the right way of managing and controlling your workforce plays definitely a major role in affecting this problem.
The working environment has shifted since our society has gone through the process of industrialization and so did the ways of collaboration, communication and monitoring at work. For being a successful human resource manager you have to understand the needs of your workers and continuously react and adapt to changing circumstances as well as improve your managing styles over time.
Human resource management (HRM) handles with living creatures having their own personalities and goals and which are massively influenced by the culture and society they live in. As soon as values in society and the role of a human being regarding work are changing, traditional management styles that have worked for a long time may have become outdated. Instead new appropriate ways of managing your workforce may be needed in order to get people much more productive and engaged in what they do at work.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
a) The shift from an industrial economy towards a knowledge based economy
b) Shift in the nature of competition
c) Shift in the nature of employment
2. Main Body/Analysis
a) Communication
b) Motivation and Performance Management
c) Employee relations
3. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This assignment investigates whether the feminization of management styles offers a superior alternative to traditional, bureaucratized approaches for managing employees in the modern knowledge-based economy.
- Evolution of economic structures and management paradigms.
- Distinction between transactional (masculine) and transformational (feminine) leadership.
- Impact of management styles on employee engagement and self-mastery.
- Adaptation of HRM strategies to diverse, knowledge-driven work environments.
Excerpt from the Book
2. Main Body/Analysis
Taking those three main shifts into account one becomes aware that a discussion about the necessity of new alternative management styles regarding human resources is on the daily agenda. Through the industrial revolution managing a large amount of humans within a factory became apparent and work was now seen as a social activity that involves people working together in groups and teams (Andrew 2001)17. Whereas Douglas McGregor and Ouchi both focused on employees as human beings with own emotions, motivations and targets, from an economic perspective employees are seen as human resources meaning that they are productive economic resources that need to be managed and that have a value and a cost. Human resource management can hereby be understood as the policies, practices and systems that influence employees' behaviour, attitudes and performance with the productivity and efficiency in order to increase organizational performance as well as leading to more satisfied employees and customers.18
Also in the movie “Potiche” the necessity of managing human beings becomes obvious. Playing in the year 1977 in a French province the movie is about Suzanne Pujol and her husband Robert Pujol, a rich industrialist who runs her umbrella factory with an iron hand and turns out to be just as nasty and tyrannical with his workers as he is with his mistress, children and “trophy” wife.19 After a strike of his and for health reasons his wife takes over the management of the firm.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Examines the macro-economic shifts from industrial to knowledge-based economies and the resulting necessity to rethink traditional, rigid management styles.
2. Main Body/Analysis: Contrasts transactional management, based on hierarchical control, with transformational management, which prioritizes empathy, communication, and employee empowerment.
3. Conclusion: Summarizes that future management success relies on feminine characteristics such as collaboration, self-mastery, and relational leadership to navigate a complex, knowledge-driven global market.
Keywords
Human Resource Management, Feminization of Management, Knowledge Economy, Transformational Leadership, Transactional Leadership, Employee Engagement, Organizational Culture, Bureaucracy, Industrial Revolution, Self-Mastery, Performance Management, Workplace Communication, Workforce Flexibility, Management Styles, Employee Relations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
This assignment evaluates the shift from traditional, bureaucratized management approaches to more modern, feminized management styles within the context of the contemporary knowledge-based economy.
What are the central thematic fields explored?
The work covers economic evolution, the changing nature of workforce expectations, leadership theories, and the psychological contract between employers and employees.
What is the core research question?
The core question is whether the "feminization" of management—prioritizing qualities like empathy, communication, and collaboration—represents a more desirable alternative to standardized, industrial-era management methods.
Which scientific methods are utilized?
The paper employs a qualitative analysis, utilizing secondary literature, economic data trends, and a case study approach based on the film "Potiche" to illustrate management styles.
What core topics are covered in the main body?
The main body analyzes the impact of management styles on workplace communication, motivation, performance management, and employee relations.
Which keywords best characterize this analysis?
Key terms include Transformational Leadership, Knowledge Economy, Human Resource Management, Feminization, and Organizational Performance.
How does the author define the shift from transactional to transformational leadership?
Transactional leadership is characterized by disciplinary power and hierarchy, whereas transformational leadership is defined by the encouragement of self-mastery, empathy, and decentralized decision-making.
How does the movie "Potiche" serve as a case study in this paper?
The movie illustrates the contrast between a tyrannical, bureaucratized management style (Mr. Pujol) and an inclusive, relational management approach (Mrs. Pujol) following a crisis in the firm.
Why are industrial-era management styles considered outdated?
Industrial-era styles relied on repetitive tasks and strict control; however, today's knowledge economy requires creativity, continuous innovation, and employee engagement, which rigid hierarchies cannot effectively foster.
- Quote paper
- Sebastian Zimmer (Author), 2014, The Feminization of Management Styles. An Alternative to Bureaucratized and Standardized Approaches?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/273594
