“Towards a More Effective Enterprise” by Robert Katz Critical Essay

Introduction

This study is a critical analysis and reflection of the article, Towards a more effective enterprise, by Robert Katz. Katz (80) argues that the conventional way of organizing and operating an enterprise is outdated. Katz demonstrates how the usual way of doing business leads to uninformed decisions coupled with loss of motivation and inefficiency.

Katz offers ideas and directives on how business should be conducted in a bid to achieve efficiency. He criticizes the usual way of thinking because he is convinced that people in the contemporary society have lost passion in their jobs. He goes further to offer solutions by suggesting several ways that a leader can use in a bid to initiate the employees’ passion, creativity, and efficiency.

Evidence and usefulness of the article

Katz (80) talks of the mechanistic organizational plans, which he refers to as the usual way of doing business. This conventional way of articulating business involves hierarchical structures with top leaders setting objectives for the subordinates to adopt and implement.

Katz’s idea of effective enterprise embraces teamwork, group relationships, and shared beliefs. This article identifies areas that have restricted growth coupled with what needs to be changed for functional operations in an organization. Since the management determines the main changes of any organization, Katz opines that managers should act as agents of change by adopting alternative concepts that involve the employees’ beliefs and ideas as opposed to emphasizing the mechanized beliefs.

Subject matter and its contemporary relevance

Katz demonstrates different concepts such as the need for everyone’s contribution in the decision-making process rather than the mechanistic concepts that are predetermined by managers. Katz’s concepts have elaborate basis for predictability and adoption. Mechanistic concepts look into the workers’ satisfaction for physiological and safety needs (Katz 89).

It becomes difficult for workers to show motivation when these needs are not attained. For instance, in the contemporary society in the United States, workers are neither motivated by the usual mechanistic rewards nor threatened by the predetermined punishments when they deviate. This aspect has led to low productivity and inefficiency because workers are only needed to meet their defined tasks.

Katz presents a highly flexible way of planning and involving all employees. Instead of sticking to predetermined plans and directives, organizations should anticipate unforeseen aspects, which require the alteration of the existing plans. Every worker feels significant in the decision-making process when given a chance to contribute and this aspect invites a sense of responsibility, creativity, and motivation.

Controversies

Katz’s articulation of the topic raises several controversial topics, which he leaves unanswered for the reader to make personal conclusions. The new outlook that he recommends for the management teams cuts down their influence in the decision-making process. Giving employees the mandate to make changes may lead to undesired outcomes, unnecessary additions, and costly omissions.

Therefore, managers should have patience and emotional stability to instill this kind of thinking as opposed to holding on mechanistic beliefs (Chandra, Grabis, and Armen 2510). This step is bold for managers to adopt and it might not be easy to implement Katz’s concepts in the way he presents them.

Author’s appeal

The author’s use of logic to communicate to the reader is effective. For instance, the author suggests that individuals should share their beliefs. For any organization to achieve cooperation, members should share certain beliefs on the realistic targets, roles, behavior, and culture.

Katz views mechanized organizations as outdated ventures and he offers an alternative way of ensuring efficiency. Having full control of workers limits creativity and capacity building. In cases where the management decisions are erroneous and the involved teams have the chance to make changes, the results will not reflect the errors (Katz 98).

Personal reflection

This article serves as a leading source of dynamic ideas on organizational management practice. The author provides a highly readable piece of information that can help in changing persistent ideas on task specialization and division of labor to a highly flexible and involving an environment where workers have the passion for working towards the set objectives and goals.

While there is a conventional belief on how managers should control, organize, and predetermine the workers’ productivity, Katz identifies alternative ways that might improve efficiency. In the contemporary society, managers should have human skills that depict the ability to initiate teamwork effectively coupled with acknowledging the existence of differing opinions and beliefs (Cruz-Cunha 97). In conclusion, Katz has defended his claim successfully by showing how managers can get the best out of their employees and achieve effectiveness in organizational performance.

Works Cited

Chandra, Charu, Jānis Grabis, and Armen Tumanyan. “Problem Taxonomy: a Step towards Effective Information Sharing in Supply Chain Management.” International Journal of Production Research 45.11 (2007): 2507-2544. Print.

Cruz-Cunha, Maria. Enterprise Information Systems for Business Integration in SMEs: Technological, Organizational, and Social Dimensions, Hershey: Business Science Reference, 2010. Print.

Katz, Robert. “Skills of an Effective Administrator.” Harvard Business Review, 2009: 80-102. Print.