If successful, the new plans should explore what more can be done to improve the processes. If unsuccessful, new data may be gathered to determine what went wrong, and new plans are piloted to see whether they will improve the processes" (Mclean, 2009)
Serious indication is at the center of action research and when this expression is founded on cautious assessment of substantiation from numerous viewpoints, it can offer a successful plan for advancing an organization's ways of doing things along with the entire organizational environment. It can be the course through which an organization gains knowledge (Riel, 2011)
Therefore, the same concepts and principles of organization motivate the different areas, providing a basis for their association. "Systems concepts include: system-environment boundary, input, output, process, state, hierarchy, goal-directedness, and information" (Charlton & Andras, 2003)
Changes in one or more parts of this multifaceted system involve changes for the others. "All system parts are in a state of more or less steady and active adaptation, and how well adjustment occurs becomes the serious question from a success perspective" (McCann, 2004)
In June 2007, more than 30% of airplanes were late by an average of 62 minutes." (Murray, p
As Suzuki notes, "given that a trade-off pattern exists between service quality and price in the airline industry, an important policy question arises: What is the best (profit maximizing) mix (or combination) of service quality and price (i.e. positioning in the airline industry?" (Suzuki, p
Indeed, Wells & Young report that the ATCSCC is "responsible for the operation of four distinct but integrated functions: Central Flow Control Function (CFCF), Central Altitude Reservations Function (CARF), Airport Reservation Position, and the Air Traffic Service Contingency Command Post (ATSCCP)." (Wells & Young, p
Indeed, Wells & Young report that the ATCSCC is "responsible for the operation of four distinct but integrated functions: Central Flow Control Function (CFCF), Central Altitude Reservations Function (CARF), Airport Reservation Position, and the Air Traffic Service Contingency Command Post (ATSCCP)." (Wells & Young, p
"Anne Marie Brown, a general manager at a New Jersey senior living center, works with community organizations in order to provide job opportunities for persons with disabilities. Thanks to her efforts, Sodexo recently hired 10 new employees to work in their dietary and laundry departments and the company was recognized by the community specifically for her work" (Chavel, 2011)
Organizations flourish to adjust incessantly to external conditions as well as highlight internal hierarchical decisions that are needed for change. Therefore, organizations persistently tend to balance the learning process between equilibrium and evolution in order to achieve success (Chatterjee, 2010)
"If the rules are changed contemporaneously, it would be difficult to ascertain the outcomes of a learning process" (Chatterjee, 2010. Adaptive learning is related to reasonableness, protective relationships, and low freedom of choice and dissuasion of inquiry while generative learning requires five disciplines: personal mastery, mental molds, shared vision, team learning and systemic thinking (Chiva, Grandio, & Alegre, 2010)
Structural contingency theory suggests that companies have a plan in place to guide organizational change when needed. Structural contingency theory points out that organizational structure must be flexible to each business and that each business must make moves to make sure they are operating within the most competent structure to support the business (Long, 2012)
"The nodes in the network are the people and groups while the links show relationships or flows between the nodes. SNA provides both a visual and a mathematical analysis of human relationships" (Social Network Analysis, a Brief Introduction, 2011)
In this paper, an exploration of several management theories as they relate to quality improvement deployment and organizational change implementation will be conducted, leading to advisements regarding preferred theories of management for such effectively engaging in such actions separately and jointly within a given organizational situation. Theories for Deploying Quality Improvement One general managerial theory (that actually encompasses a myriad of sub-theories) that has been specifically developed for and often applied to quality improvement activities is that of structured quality management, and specifically Total Quality Management (Kovel-Jarboe 1996)
Systems theory is another approach that can prove highly successful in deploying quality improvements in an organization. Though not as directly involved in the minutiae of organizational activities, the more holistic and comprehensive view of systems theory can predict major changes in the quality of output from reconsiderations and adjustments in the input and processing aspects of the organization (McNamara 2009)
Certainly, there are some cynical management theories currently extolled and practiced by certain retailers, such as fast-growing international company, Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) - who place style over substance, sexiness over competence and ability. Indeed, a recent article in the New York Times (Greenhouse, 2003) points out that A&F's management theory, when it comes to staffing, entails an "aggressive approach to building a pretty and handsome sales force, an effort that company officials proudly acknowledge
com/),one finds a shirtless, attractive man, wearing Abercrombie pants, and a nude, very attractive woman, wearing a huge smile, with her long wavy hair partially covering her right breast. Is this approach the wave of the retail future? Or a theory-based too much on base instincts? Actually, this theory of sexiness may be properly placed in the category of "Impression Management Theory" (Mendenhall & Wiley, 1994) - which is, the tendency to present oneself (or one's product) in a socially desirable way to others
"If you accept this point-of-view," London continues, "today's pervasive cynicism about management theory starts to look just as damaging as yesterday's childlike credulity." Abercrombie & Fitch, Sex, and Cynicism Is there really a sense of pervasive cynicism in the business community towards management theories? Is it because so many theories have come and gone, like Spring fashions that look tired and outdated by the following year? What has happened to the myriad theories like Business Change Management, Business Performance Management, Business Process Reengineering (BPR), Six Sigma, Workflow, Orchestration, Composite Applications, Web Services Choreography, the Real-Time Enterprise, Agility, Systems Dynamics (Smith, Fingar, 2002)? Are these now just catch phrases, theories and terms that have been used and cast aside, or just did they each just fade away when the next new trendy cycle of theories evolved? Perhaps cynicism does exist, and can be justified, given the above-mention litany of theories, and given the hard times faced in 2003
In the past, top managers would plan far ahead to fill a position. Today, every vacancy seems to be treated as unique -- and even as a surprise, despite the long-term trend of frequent job changes by employees" (Hymowitz 2008)
Keeping people "excited" and "nimble" through continued training ensures that companies will have an extensive stock of in-house talent to promote during crunch times, and that employees will put in the extra hour at the office to show they are working hard (Hymowitz 2008). Some companies have attempted to foster worker loyalty with flexible scheduling, retirement planning and other financial services, better benefit packages, employee gyms equipped with personal trainers and extensive subsidized cafeterias (Lanzoni 2001:1)