Visual Journal MAN2021: Kalin by Gavin Kalin

Module 1: Middle Managers

gkalin2008 — 2024-12-07 17:39:04 UTC

This module taught me a lot about middle managers. Before reading this module, I barely knew anything about middle management. Middle managers must be excellent communicators because they link line managers and top-level management. They also encourage, support, and foster talented employees within the organization. The information I learned about this layer of management has allowed me to further develop my knowledge about management, which will help me in my professional career.

Module 1: Management as People vs Management as a Process

gkalin2008 — 2024-12-07 17:51:14 UTC

Module 2: Corporate Social Responsibility

gkalin2008 — 2024-12-07 20:01:17 UTC

This module taught me about something that's become essential for businesses, corporate social responsibility. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), also known as corporate citizenship, is a business concept in which social and environmental concerns are integrated into a company’s operations. I am thankful for learning about this because its something that every business uses.

Module 2: Sustainability

gkalin2008 — 2024-12-08 00:03:24 UTC

In addition to CSR, I also learned about sustainability in this module. A sustainable corporation is one that can sustain its current activities without adding to the world’s environmental problems. This is important because most corporation will be sustainable ones in the near future.

Module 3: Global Business Strategies

gkalin2008 — 2024-12-08 02:48:25 UTC

Global business strategies were one of the most important topics I studied in module 3. Businesses must carefully analyze their expansion plan before deciding to engage in foreign activities. Export, transnational, standardization, and multidomestic are the four main options. Since adopting the incorrect method can have disastrous consequences, I am grateful to have an understanding of these strategies.

Module 3: Globalization

gkalin2008 — 2024-12-08 03:00:35 UTC

Another key concept I explored in Module 3 is globalization. This process involves the increasing interconnectedness of economies, cultures, and societies through the global exchange of goods, services, capital, technology, and knowledge. My deeper understanding of globalization has allowed me to envision the transformation of an organization into a global one.

Module 4: Rational Decision Making

gkalin2008 — 2024-12-08 03:31:33 UTC

Rational decision-making has been one of the most impactful topics I've explored throughout these modules. This systematic approach, involving steps like identifying the problem, setting criteria, weighing options, and selecting the best course of action, has proven invaluable in both my personal and professional life. I believe it's a skill set everyone can benefit from.

Module 4: SWOT Analysis

gkalin2008 — 2024-12-08 03:42:27 UTC

Without a doubt, SWOT Analysis has been one of the most valuable tools I've acquired from these modules. This strategic framework assesses an organization's internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as external opportunities and threats. In addition, this strategy can also be applied to personal decision-making. By weighing the pros and cons of choices, we can make more informed decisions. Personally, I've found dozens of uses for it in both my personal and professional lives.

Module 5: Organizational Structures

gkalin2008 — 2024-12-08 03:42:48 UTC

A vital section of module 5 I learned about was organizational structures. An organization's structure, based on elements like common purpose, coordinated effort, and hierarchy, often falls into one of five main categories: functional, product, customer, geographic, or matrix. These structures go hand and hand with with the global business strategies I learned about in module 3. Choosing the wrong strategy can have devastating effects to an organization, including bankruptcy or ruining the organization's reputation.

Module 5: Hierarchy of Authority

gkalin2008 — 2024-12-08 04:12:19 UTC

Another important things I learned about in module 5 is hierarchy of authority, which is part of an organizational structure. In tall organizational structures, the span of control is narrow. In flat structures, the span of control is wide, meaning one manager supervises many employees.

Module 6: Employee Incentives

gkalin2008 — 2024-12-08 04:20:55 UTC

Employee incentives is one of many important topics I learned about in this module. For most employees, money is only part of the picture. Employees care about the products, services, or goals of the company. Or we need the generous health and education benefits provided to employees, flexible hours, ample paid vacation, or opportunities to grow. Every employee is unique and managers need to decide which benefits are more valuable to those employees. Learning about this allows me to better understand this from both an employees and a managers perspective.

Module 6: Effective Communication

gkalin2008 — 2024-12-08 04:28:07 UTC

Effective, efficient, and persuasive communication is an extremely valuable tool I learned about in this module. Effective communication is essential and I believe everybody learn about it or at least practice. Knowing how to efficiently communicate with others is an invaluable tool that's useful in both personal and professional situations. It can create deeper connections with coworkers, family, or even a romantic partner.

Module 7: Leaders vs Managers

gkalin2008 — 2024-12-08 04:34:14 UTC

Leaders and managers are often terms used interchangeably, but they have differences. Leaders have an emotional appeal, are based on relationships with followers, and seek to transform, while managers tend to be more transactional, emphasizing processes and coordination. Although it isn't as important as other things I learned from these modules, I'm glad I learned about it because it's still beneficial to know and can help in certain situations.

Module 7: Motivation

gkalin2008 — 2024-12-08 04:38:18 UTC

Motivation is an important aspect of leadership I learned about in module 7. Motivation is a key factor impacting performance, so it’s an important concept for leaders to grasp. Generally speaking, motivation is what energizes, maintains, and controls behavior. As such, it is clear why it plays an important role in the workplace. I believe it's important for everyone to learn about motivation, as it allows them to see things from a leader's perspective or even become a leader themselves.

Module 8: Self Evaluation

gkalin2008 — 2024-12-08 04:46:57 UTC

Self evaluation is an essential tool for organizations that I learned about in module 8. When creating a set of objectives, it is important for the organization to complete a self-evaluation, usually through tools like SWOT analysis. Jumping back to module 4, a SWOT analysis helps the company understand where it can achieve competitive advantage by pinpointing what it does well (strengths) and where the opportunities lie with those actions. A company without self evaluation will make poor decisions and will struggle to make better decisions in the future.

Module 8: Managing Control

gkalin2008 — 2024-12-08 04:53:41 UTC

Managing control is among the most important topic's I've learned about in all eight modules. A significant part of a manager’s job is to control the processes involved in the successful operation of a business. Key elements include the characteristic or condition being controlled, the sensor, the comparator, and the activator. An organization without management control has zero guidance and no direction.