Types of pressures
Currently, there are several pressures that act as a barrier to managerial efficiency (Kofodimos, 1990). First, the pressure of internal training makes it difficult to concentrate on other organizational operations. The need to ensure new employees are trained sufficiently is derailing other staff members from working. In addition, training new and current employees is tricky due to a lack of enough time and instructors.
Pressures from my family and the community are a major distracter in meeting organizational goals (Kofodimos, 1990). The organization expects my social conduct to reflect the image of the company perfectly. The responsibility of attending social gatherings and business meetings on behalf of the company is tedious. I tend to use my spare time in attending business meetings and charitable events. Therefore, as a manager, I do not have adequate time to socialize with the family and close friends in the community. Alternatively, I only afford to attend a social gathering where people of the same calibre meet. The pressure of meeting the company’s expectation disrupts my private life and is always preoccupied with matters concerning the company.
I experience pressures from maintaining and upholding organization values. In this regard, the pressure of ensuring that the organization values are respected as part of the entity’s culture is intensive. In this context, the idea of managing personnel as a way of upholding the integrity and reputation of the organization is time-consuming and challenging (Kofodimos, 1990).
The pressure of steering the organization towards achieving business objectives, goals, targets and expectations is challenging for a manager. Achieving business objectives and goals requires intensive planning (Kofodimos, 1990). The idea of implementing a plan that requires constant monitoring, as well as establishing new changes, is difficult (Kofodimos, 1990).
External factors are a major cause of pressures. For example, economic conditions affect business performance, especially in unpredictable markets. The pressure of monitoring economic and market trends on a frequent basis is not appealing. There are environmental pressures that do not allow a manager to implement major strategies for effective management. For example, governmental laws and immediate industrial regulations are a major hindrance to managerial orders (Kofodimos, 1990).
Impact on behaviour
The existence of pressures in a business organization can have both positive and negative impact on a manager (Robbins, 2012). From a personal perspective, the pressure is vital in understanding the critical principles of management. For example, through pressure managing other employees becomes an essential element in getting work done. In this context, ensuring that work is done with respect to the organizational code of ethics is necessary. While the intensity of pressures is unbearable, the importance of ensuring integrity, transparency, honesty, social responsibility and fairness is observed as a priority.
However, the aspect of assuming personal responsibility when pressures become intense is one of my common behaviours. I assume personal responsibility as the prerogative of a business manager. In this context, such behaviour is important in acting as an example of how pressure should be approached by the rest of the workforce (Robbins, 2012). When under pressure, I ensure that the subordinates do violate the integrity of the organization.
This is important in ensuring that the organization’s sustainability in the industry is not affected in the long-term. In addition, maintaining integrity while under pressure is vital in saving the organization’s reputation and image. Individual responsibility as a manager to ensure that human concerns are prioritized is an important aspect of professionalism. The idea of continuing with social responsibility efforts when faced with pressure is a significant strategy of showing resilience and high performance.
In most cases, pressures have a negative impact on sustainability. However, this depends on the manager’s behaviour. From a personal perspective, being resilient is critical to ensuring that organizational sustainability is not affected negatively. In addition, social responsibility becomes an essential strategy for covering the prevailing situations of pressure. In this context, engaging in corporate social responsibility activities is encouraged (Robbins, 2012).
Satisfaction with performance on sustainability and social responsibility
Currently, I cannot attest to being satisfied with the performance of sustainability and social responsibility. In this regard, I intend to change several aspects in order to improve the same.
First, I need to change the current leadership and visual element. In this context, developing a business program to address sustainability issues takes precedence. In addition, sustainability will be addressed by engaging the top-level management and major stakeholders in the decision-making process (Epstein & Roy, 2001). Moreover, sustainability can be improved by modifying the organization’s long-term goals by establishing a high-level strategy and new culture.
Secondly, sustainability can be improved through effective planning and implementation processes (Epstein & Roy, 2001). In this regard, I intend to assess the organization’s sustainability performance with respect to the current mission, vision and targets. From this perspective, prioritization of key sustainability issues will take form through consultations. To ensure that long-term plans are sustainable, I intend to prioritize the use of short-term action plans. Apparently, short-term plans entail well-detailed objectives and targets that can be easily monitored and modified.
Thirdly, I intend to improve organizational sustainability by evaluating the monitoring, reviewing and reporting policy. In this context, measuring and monitoring the progress of the organization will be based on the predetermined values and performance objectives. In order to promote effective reporting strategies, it is important to include the stakeholders in implementing the same. For example, internal and external stakeholders are to be mandated with reporting and handling information feedback. In this regard, executing orders based on available information will not cost time-wastage.
In addition, improving performance on social responsibility will require organizational changes (Szekely & Knirsch, 2005). First, I will introduce effective environmental policies and principles that are to benefit both the entity and the community. Moreover, the environmental policy is to provide employees with a social-support system. In this regard, it is ensuring that the internal environment has adequate resources, space and safety standards for favourable working conditions. Prioritizing, both social and governance principles are necessary to ensure that cultural competency is appreciated in the organization.
In this context, the introduction of work ethics that respect the individuality of employees and mutual respect between workers is necessary. On the other hand, I will change the governance principles to allow for friendlier employee-management relationships. In this case, the new environmental, social, and governance policies will foster improved reporting and disclosure of information. However, it will be necessary for engaging the government in improving reporting standards that promote transparency, honesty and integrity.
Another strategy of improving performance on social responsibility is engaging investors and asset managers in advancing research and training of employees and community members. In addition, incorporating educators, consultants and analysts in research and training are vital in ensuring that business organizations and the public are conversant with environmental, social and governance issues.
References
Epstein, M. J., & Roy, M. J. (2001). Sustainability in action: Identifying and measuring the key performance drivers. Long range planning, 34(5), 585-604.
Kofodimos, J. R. (1990). Why executives lose their balance. Organizational Dynamics, 19(1), 58-73.
Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2012). Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Szekely, F., & Knirsch, M. (2005). Responsible leadership and corporate social responsibility: Metrics for sustainable performance. European Management Journal, 23(6), 628-647.