Introduction to development management

Development Management brings together expertise In political science, economics, management studies and public administration to engage In problems relating to the Institutions and organizations of development. The analytical focus of research Is on the Institutional roots of developmental and anta-developmental processes, and the roles and effectiveness of the local, national and international organizations that drive development forward. Development management deals with the coordination and management processes of international development programs and projects.

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The dominant paradigm in development management is the intervention in the form of a transfer of aid by an external agency/donor and the oversight of the related project cycle, I. E. Project identification, planning (formulation and appraisal), implementation and monitoring, and evaluation Many managers are promoted Into managerial roles because they exhibited strong performance as technicians. The shift from technical to strategic can be a difficult one, however, and many new managers flounder.

Too often organizations provide no formal development program for Its new managers;and no “refresher” training for excellent managers or high-potential employees. An organization’s managers are Its direct link to employees;they have a strong influential role and impact on performance and morale. The business environment is changing at an ever-quickening pace requiring ongoing education. Managerial work has become increasingly fast-paced, less structured and more reliant on strong interpersonal and leadership skills than ever before.

In addition, with a shrinking labor pool, organizations need to take steps to identify strong leaders and provide the appropriate development opportunities for them. Growing talent from within is becoming an increasingly prevalent staffing alternative. B. Overview of Organizational Structure Business organizations can be structured in various ways, both as legal entities and in terms of internal management processes. KEY POINTS From a legal structure perspective, many business structures require a form of incorporation to register the business as a legal entity.

The business entity’s type, its geographic span of operations, risk profile, and other factors are issues to consider when choosing what entity type to use. There are various forms of organizational trustees from a corporate law perspective, Including sole proprietorships, cooperatives, partnerships, limited allowably companies, and corporations. One of the Issues delving the different organizational structures Is that of liability. With sole proprietorships and some forms of partnership, owners can be personally liable for of creditors.

Internally, organizations can also be structured differently, in terms of the groupings of organizational relationships and the characteristics of management. Some common structures are the functional, divisional, matrix, team, network, and modular structures. Independent from their legal and internal structures, organizations can also operate differently. For example, hybrid organizations, which may fall under various legal categories, can mix elements, value systems and logics of action from the private, public, and voluntary sectors. TERMS liability An obligation, debt or responsibility owed to someone. Incorporate To form into a legal company. Hierarchy Any group of objects ranked so that every one but the topmost is subordinate to a specified one above it. Organizational Structure Business organizations can be structured in various ways, depending on their tanning as legal entities, internal structure, and management processes (Figure 1). Pre-bureaucratic structures Pre-bureaucratic (entrepreneurial) structures lack standardization of tasks. This structure is most common in smaller organizations and is best used to solve simple tasks. The structure is totally centralized and appears like a hierarchy.

The strategic leader makes all key decisions and most communication is done by one-on-one conversations. It is particularly useful for new (entrepreneurial) business as it enables the founder to control growth and development. Bureaucratic structures Weber said that the fully developed bureaucratic mechanism compares with other organizations exactly as does the machine compare with the non-mechanical modes of production. Precision, speed, ambiguity… Strict subordination, reduction of friction and of material and personal costs are raised to the optimum point in the strictly bureaucratic administration.

Bureaucratic structures have a certain degree of standardization. They are better suited for more complex or larger scale organizations, usually adopting a tall structure. The tension between bureaucratic trustees and non-bureaucratic is echoed in Burns and Stalker’s distinction between mechanistic and organic structures. Functional structure Employees within the functional divisions of an organization tend to perform a specialized set of tasks; for instance, the engineering department is staffed only with software engineers.

This leads to operational efficiencies within that group. However, it could also lead to a lack of communication between the functional groups within an organization, making the organization slow and inflexible. As a whole, a functional organization is best suited as a producer of standardized goods and services at large volume and low cost. Divisional structure Also called a “product structure,” the divisional structure groups each organizational necessary resources and functions within it. Divisions can be categorized by different points of view.

One might make distinctions on a geographical basis (a US division and an EX. Division, for example) or on product/service basis (different products for different customers, households, or companies). In another example, an automobile company with a divisional structure might have one division for Subs, another vision for subcompact cars, and another for sedans. Matrix structure The matrix structure groups employees by both function and product. This structure can combine the best of both separate structures.

A matrix organization frequently uses teams of employees to accomplish work, in order to take advantage of strengths and make up for weaknesses of functional and decentralized forms. An example would be a company that produces two products, “product a” and “product b. ” Using the matrix structure, this company would organize functions within the company as allows: “product a” sales department, “product a” customer service department, “product a” accounting department, “product b” sales department, “product b” customer service department, “product b” accounting department.

Matrix structure is amongst the purest of organizational structures – a simple lattice emulating order and regularity demonstrated in nature. Legal considerations In the US and elsewhere, many business structures require a form of incorporation to register the business as a legal entity. The owner files articles of incorporation with the secretary of state’s office for the particular Jurisdiction. The organization may also hold meetings, select a board of directors, adopt bylaws, and report on a regular basis.

The business entity’s type, its geographic span of operations, risk profile, and other factors are issues to consider when choosing what entity type to use, in what jurisdiction to incorporate, how the articles should be drafted, and if a stock form should be used. Business perspective There are various forms of organizational structures from a business perspective, including sole proprietorships, cooperatives, partnerships, limited liability companies, and corporations.

All of these structures are for profit, but there are also non-profit corporations and other structures. The differences in structures can depend on the number of entrepreneurs or owners involved, and the different tax treatments. One of the issues dividing forms is that of liability. With sole proprietorships and some forms of partnership, owners can be personally liable for business losses, meaning their personal assets are not protected against the claims of creditors.

These organizational structures are also not separate entities from the owners/ entrepreneurs, unlike a corporation. Organizational behavior Internally, organizations can also be structured differently, in terms of the groupings of organizational relationships and the characteristics of management. Some common structures are the functional, divisional, matrix, team, network, and modular structures. Independent from their legal and internal structures, organizations can also behave differently.

For example, hybrid organizations, which may fall under various legal categories, can mix elements, value systems, and logics of action from the private, public, and voluntary sectors. C. Making a Plan : Development Application o’er already up and running, you’ll know this. The advantages are almost never ending; independence; control; freedom to make all decisions. However, the pit falls can prove disastrous and even character breaking; working far too many hours; poor quality of life; little income. So start how you intend to finish.

Whatever reason you are starting your own business, make sure that, whatever vision you have for your business, its core values, practices and operations, are implemented right from the start. For example, if your burning desire is to be a world class company and a racket leader, make sure you start behaving like one right from the outset. There is absolutely no reason why you cannot act like a world class company, if that is what you are aiming for. Why would you suddenly change your operations after 10 years being established?

Imagination is your most powerful tool ‘Make time to daydream and ignore anyone who mocks you. The mocking will stop when you’re able to make your dreams a wonderful reality – and they’re not’ What do you daydream about now? And what future did you daydream about as a child? Make time to daydream and ignore anyone who mocks you. The mocking will stop when you’re able to make your dreams a wonderful reality – and they’re not. Free thinking is vital in business. Daydreaming is good. Ideas are the seedlings of reality which need to be nurtured into real, living, breathing enterprises.

Being a business owner means harnessing the power of your imagination constantly. Imagination has no boundaries or constraints. Great ideas are central to you and your business. Let your imagination breathe. We’re not saying turn into one of those loopy weirdo’s you meet who constantly stare at the sky and wear grass shoes. We’re eying that sometimes you need to step out of your business and look at it from a different perspective. Always remember why you are here and where you want to go.

Set aside a few hours a week thinking time (maybe in the bath or when you take the dog for a walk). Let your imagination wonder to see if you can improve any aspect of your business. Why do you need a business plan? ‘Most people aim at nothing in life and hit it with tremendous accuracy If you have no aim for where you want your business to go, how will it ever get there? It’s easier to be passionate about the future if you can visualize where you want to go and how o are going to get there. Like any Journey, you need a map -a business plan.

A business plan is a set of actions which will take you from where you are now, to where you want to go. I’m not talking about one of those elaborate, flashy business plans which you are hoping will impress the bank manager. I’m talking about a business plan for your benefit – a business development plan. You need to get your own goals down on paper and record an action plan for the next 90 days, 6 months, 2 years and so on, to make sure you’re doing the things you need to do on a daily, weekly and monthly basis to better your chances of success