The management of an institution is the head of the institution in that they are responsible for establishing the working framework, allocating resources and harmonizing the firm’s working towards organizational goals (Bloom et al., 2019). On the other hand, the capability of the management to embrace various strategies is a determinant of the success that will subsequently fall upon the organization (Bogers et al., 2019). The Cisco supply chain risk management case offers three valuable insights into; the influence of the management, the interplay between the management and the organizational processes and the awareness and the capability of the management to embrace various processes that have the organization attaining desirable performance thresholds.
Without the involvement and support of the cisco management personnel, including the board members, the supply chain risk management program would have essentially not taken off. The supply chain risk management program necessitated Cisco’s internal culture reorganization as an institution-altering and monumental process. Thereby, were it not for the management stamping their feet in standing up for the program, it would not have taken place as they have the responsibility of executing and overseeing such operations (Miklovic & Witty, 2010). In essence, the management took a risk advocating for supply chain risk management for the betterment of Cisco and its stakeholders.
On the other hand, without the management structure and personnel in place for an organization, all organizations would be regarded as similar in that they shared in the aggregation of employees without structure. However, through the presence of management at Cisco, one of the fundamental tasks is that the management seeks to utilize every advantage it can attain to be more dominant over competitors in the market. Thereby, the utilization of the supply chain risk management program has seen the business experience inter-business unit comparison risk analysis, which as a tool cumulatively works to have the business lower its risks across the board (Miklovic & Witty, 2010). Thereby, the management once more comes through in being responsible for altering business processes that have Cisco operating more efficiently.
The management personnel must always be in the game when running and managing business operations. Their management actions should reflect the pursuit of the right culture and embracing practices that enhance Cisco. For instance, by adopting a transparent culture in its supply chain risk management program, Cisco managers can attain more positive feedback and adoption of information by the targeted staff. For instance, the managers discovered that through the transparent laying out of the organizational objectives as well as the remedial steps to take once one gets off course, the staff engineers witnessed better adoption. Furthermore, embracing the same transparency act by the management in its relation with the suppliers, whereby there is a clear understanding of the objectives and the measurement of the performance of these objectives, proved immensely beneficial. For instance, the suppliers were more responsive to the interaction, allowing Cisco to reduce the faced business risk. In essence, through the open dialogue channel established by the managers, Cisco can have the option of leaning more on the suppliers financially through investments or seeking an alternate path that may be less costly but riskier (Miklovic & Witty, 2010). In essence, it is through the management’s embrace of given organizational paths, such as the adoption of transparency as to have an honest working culture at Cisco.
References
Bloom, N., Brynjolfsson, E., Foster, L., Jarmin, R., Patnaik, M., Saporta-Eksten, I., & Van Reenen, J. (2019). What drives differences in management practices?American Economic Review, 109(5), 1648–1683. Web.
Bogers, M., Chesbrough, H., Heaton, S., & Teece, D. J. (2019). Strategic management of open innovation: A dynamic capabilities perspective. California Management Review, 62(1), 77–94. Web.
Miklovic , D., & Witty, R. J. (2010). Case Study: Cisco Addresses Supply Chain Risk Management. Stamford; Gartner.