What are we talking about? The situational approach to management implies the rejection of a rigid hierarchy and behavior model in favor of a flexible system based on the choice of solutions depending on the current situation in the team.
What to pay attention to? Within the context of the situational approach, managers play a special role. They must have a wide range of tools for solving management problems, as well as be able to interpret external and internal factors that affect the business.
The article explains:
The concept of a using the moj database situational approach to management
Pros and cons of the situational approach to management
Stages of the situational approach in management
Personnel management within the framework of the situational approach
Personnel management methods according to the situational approach
Trends in situational approach to management
Frequently Asked Questions about the Situational Approach to Management
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The concept of a situational approach to management
The contingency approach to management is organizational actions that are directed at specific variables and circumstances and that have a significant impact on the organization's performance at a particular point in time.
The main point of the situational approach is the absence of a universal ideal method of managing an organization. The most effective approach in a given situation is considered to be the one that corresponds to the given situation.
From the point of view of the situational approach, an organization is a complex, multi-level entity that obeys the principles of adaptation. In other words, the ability to adapt and adequately respond to changing circumstances. The mission of situational theory is to study the influence of methods on the situation, to identify the characteristics of the conditions in which these situations arise, and the ability of each company to apply them.
Research into behaviour within specific situations has been conducted for a long time. Around the 1920s, M. Follett put forward the concept of the “law of the situation,” suggesting the existence of diverse knowledge depending on specific conditions. M. Follett believed that a manager should have the necessary skills, and recognized that different circumstances require different types of expertise. From this we can conclude that the best manager is one who has mastered knowledge of a specific situation.
The concept of a situational approach to management
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In 1948, R. Stogdill expressed the opinion that the qualities and skills of leaders are formed under the influence of certain circumstances. P. Drucker in his book "The Practice of Management" identified the basic principles of the situational approach to management.
Joan Woodward’s research in the 1950s also made an important contribution to the development of the contingency approach. She and her colleagues, having analyzed 100 British enterprises, identified the relationship between technology and the structure of the organization. As a result, three types of technology were identified: individual/small-batch production (e.g., bespoke clothing, etc.), mass/large-batch production (manufacturing large quantities of standard products) and continuous production (e.g., brewing).