Directinggroup 4

DIRECTING

It is the process through which a manager communicates with and influences other members of the organization in the pursuit of company objective.

Unlike other managerial functions, which involve analytical skills, directing is concerned with INFLUENCING human beings using manager’s INTERPERSONAL and RELATIONAL skills.

It means influencing people’s behavior through MOTIVATION, COMUNICATION, GROUP DYNAMICS, LEADERSHIP and DISCIPLINE .

It refers to the means employed to encourage all personnel in the organization to accomplish whatever assignments may be given them by management in order to achieve the objectives in the manner they were planned and organized.

It is telling what each man should do and making him like doing it.

Purpose of Directing

To channel the behaviour of all personnel to accomplish the organization’s mission and objectives while simultaneously helping them accomplishing their own career objectives.

Importance of Directing

Through directing, the management will be able encourage and support people who carry out the plans and work within the structures. This managerial effort to keep people focused on the goals for an organization is the process of leading or directing. Hence, this function of management is all about human skills.

Human organizations function through continuous intercommunication and interaction among its members. The manager energizes the organization into action, much like electricity activates an electric fan. Directing is very closely linked with the leadership roles of managers. Since the managers do not perform all the activities they are responsible for but instead achieve results through other people, leadership ability is an important managerial skill that is manifested largely in a manner a manager interacts with his subordinates and directs their daily activities.

The Nature of People

Executives or supervisors must consider the human wants of employees. These wants are unending--- as soon as a need Is satisfied, other take its place. But more or less, men work for fair ages, security, protection from danger or deprivation, association, status or prestige.

Executives or supervisors must make his subordinates understand the reason why they have to follow what management wants them to do and what they would stand to gain or suffer to any violation. In return, the employees must know the policies, procedures, rules or systems there are in the organization for their guidance and compliance. Unless they see the reason behind what is expected of them, unless they see what they stand to gain from the efficient performance of their duties, and unless rewards or recognitions are given to those who are deserving, no organization can use to maximum efficiency its manpower resources.

Since directing is a process of influencing people in organizations, we have to be concerned with the question of what motivates people to that they may be influenced to contribute towards the achievement of organizational purposes.

Motivation

Refers to the forces either within or external to a person that arouse enthusiasm and persistence to pursue a certain course of action.

“Whatever it is inside a person that makes him continue his activity as a human being.” It is getting your subordinates to work willingly and enthusiastically to achieve an objective.

Employee motivation affects productivity, and part of a manager’s job is to channel motivation toward the accomplishment of organizational goals. The study of motivation helps managers understand what prompts people to initiate action, what influences their choice of action, and why they persist in that action over time.

Theories of Motivation

1. MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS The hierarchy of five (5) human needs are: physiological,

safety, social, esteem, and self-actualization. It is the most widely-accepted model because the fundamental needs are arranged according to priority, to wit:

a. Physiological Needs – refer to basic needs such as food, water and shelter, sexual gratification and other physical needs.

b. Security Needs – refer to a person’s need for security and protection from physical and emotional harm.

c. Social Needs – refer to a person’s need for affection, belongingness, acceptance, and friendship.

d. Ego or Esteem Needs – refer to a person’s need for internal factors such as self-respect, autonomy, and achievement; and external factors such as status, recognition and attention.

e. Self-Actualization – refer to a person’s need to become what he or she is capable of becoming.

2. HERZBERG’S MOTIVATION-HYGIENE THEORYThe motivation theory states that intrinsic factors are related

to job satisfaction and motivation, whereas extrinsic factors are association with job dissatisfaction.

MOTIVATORS

Achievement

Recognition

Advancement

Work Challenges

Possibility of Growth

Responsibility

SATISFIER/HYGIENE/MAINTENANCESupervision

Company Policy

Relationship with supervisors

Relationship with peers & subordinates

Salary

Job Security

Working conditions

Status

Personal Life

3. MCCLELLAND’S NEED ACHIEVEMENT THEORYThis theory relates three acquired (not innate) needs: Achievement,

Power and Affiliation.

Achievement Need – is the drive to excel, to achieve in relation to a set standards, and to strive to succeed

Power Need –is the need to make other behave in a way that they would have behaved otherwise;

Affiliation Need – is the desire for friendly and close interpersonal relationships.

However, David McClelland’s study was centered on the achievement motivation. The study shows that people are motivated to perform their jobs due to the compelling need for personal achievement, rather than for reason of financial rewards. Top management should spot achievement-oriented workers, develop them, and utilize their services for the organization.

4. REINFORCEMENT THEORYAlso known as “operant theory”, it states, “Behaviour is a

function of its consequences.” Skinner believed that properly creating the work environment and providing reward or stimulus for desirable employee performance could motivate employees. The behaviours of people depend on the attitudes of or treatments by their superiors. If they are told they are winners, they become winners; if they are told they are losers, they become losers.

5. EQUITY THEORY

Equity means fair. Rewards or punishment in relation to perform should be fair. Otherwise, they adversely affect the morale of the employees. If an employee gets a lower pay than others, and yet they have the same position and the same job inputs, he feels that management is unfair.

Power and Influence in Organization

The success of a manager in directing and influencing workers in an organization is not dependent solely on his skills in communication but is also affected by the degree of power he wields in the organization.

Power is the capacity to influence the action of an individual in an organization.

DIFFERENT KINDS OF POWER

1. LEGITIMATE POWER – is vested on a person by virtue of the authority he has in the organization. Ex: The University Dean has the power to direct, control and supervise the academic and administrative activities in his college.

2. EXPERT POWER – is the ability to influence or impress a person, which arises from his expertise of a particular knowledge. Ex. When we follow a doctor’s clinical advice when we are suffering from an ailment, even though the doctor is not our superior in the organization.

3. REFERENT POWER – comes by virtue of some distinguishing character or personal characteristics (charisma) of the person that others identify with. Ex. Before the February 1986 revolution, Cory Aquino moved hundreds of thousands of Filipinos to boycott certain business establishments even though she occupied no position in government at that time.

4. REWARD POWER – comes by virtue of an individual’s capacity to grant or withhold resources, which are valued by others. Ex: Politician who wields power to reward persons who supported him during the election as a form of patronage.

5. PUNISHMENT POWER – closely related to Reward Power; this power, comes from the capacity to deprive a person of something of value. Thus, a robber with a gun over our head has power over us.

6. RELATIONSHIP POWER – comes from the a system of informal personal obligations that has been built up between people. In the Philippines, UTANG NA LOOB and LONG STANDING FAMILY ALLIANCE are ready examples of this influence.

QuizI. Write if TRUE or FALSE

_____________1. Directing is the process of getting people to contribute their maximum efforts toward the attainment of organizational objectives.

_____________ 2. Directing is concerned with influencing human beings using manager’s intrapersonal and relational skills. 

_____________ 3. Power is the capacity to influence the action of an individual in an organization.

_____________ 4. David McClelland believed that properly creating the work environment and providing reward or stimulus for desirable employee performance could motivate employees. 

_____________ 5. The success of a manager in directing and influencing workers in an organization is dependent solely on his skills in communication.

_____________ 6. McClelland’s Needs Achievement Theory relates three acquired needs: Achievement, Power, and Affiliation.

 

_____________ 7. Ego Needs refers to a person’s need to become what he or she is capable of becoming.

 

____________ 8. Punishment Power comes from the capacity to deprive a person of something of value. 

____________ 9. The third step to attain Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is Safety Needs.

 

____________ 10. Executive or Supervisors must make his subordinates understand the reason why they have to follow what management wants them to do.

II. Matching TypeA

B

________1. It also known as “operant theory” a. Motivation

________2. Is a function of its consequences b. Behavior

________3. It refers to a person’s need for c. Punishment Power

affection, belongingness, acceptance, and d. Reinforcement Theory

friendshipe. Social Needs

________4. Refers to the forces either within

or external to a person that are arouse

enthusiasm and persistent to pursue a certain

course of action.

________5. Closely related to reward power

_________1. Comes from a system of informal a. Expert Power

obligations that has been built up between b. Directing

people c. Relationship Power

_________2. Is the need to make others behave d. Power Need

in a way that they would have behaved otherwise e. Physiological Needs

_________3. Is the ability to influence or impress

a person, which arises from his expertise of a

particular knowledge

_________4. Refers to the basic needs such as

food, water and shelter.

_________5. Is the process through which a

manager communicates with and influences

other members of the organization in the pursuit

of company objectives.