Finger Puppet Management TV Report

JoAnn Kang Christopher Lewis Nicole Luna BU 151-01 Dr. Diasio 10 April 2013 Finger Puppet Management TV Report

In the Television series “Sockfia,” a young mafia boss learns about different management techniques in order to control a group of foolish subordinates and expand his bootlegging empire. The young boss has certain expectations about his duties as a manager and is startled when the task proves more difficult than expected. In fact, the official responsibilities and tasks of a manager have been the subject of study and debate throughout history, resulting in several different conclusions. One conclusion is the traditional model of the manager, which was created by Frederick W. Taylor and expanded by Henri Fayol and Max Weber. The traditional manager is presented in the form of the character “New Boss.” The modern model is based on more recent studies and refutes many of the claims of the traditional manager.

The character of “Fu-Sensei” embodies the modern model. Fu-Sensei is the ghostly apparition of a deceased, experienced Mafia Boss. Each episode of the “Sockfia” television series focuses on the advantages of the modern model and other managerial concerns, such as globalization, managing human resources. While the main differences between the traditional and modern models are most prominent in the pilot episode, the main principles of the modern model are the focus of the entire series.

One of the main themes of management and the accompanying television show is the concept of the traditional manager versus the modern manager. The differences between these titles are thoroughly explained in Mintzberg's paper "The Manager's Job: Folklore and Fact." Mintzberg has investigated the actual duties of a manager and explained the assumptions that accompany this position. In his paper, Mintzberg notes that the traditional manager has four functions: planning, organizing, coordinating, and

2 controlling. Planning includes defining goals, establishing strategy, and developing schedules and plans on how to coordinate activities and resources. Organization is the arranging and structuring of work and resources to accomplish organizational goals. Coordinating, or leading, is the motivation of employees, direction of activities, communication, and conflict resolution. Controlling, perhaps one of the more recognized aspects of the manager, is the monitoring, comparing, and correcting of work performances.

This summary of the managerial duties is simplified. As such, it leaves a mechanical and disconnected feeling about human relationships. Another aspect of the traditional manager is a lack of personal communication. The traditional manager directs his orders through the proper channels. Mintzberg explains another principle: “The senior manager needs aggregated information, which a formal management information system best provides.“ In summary, Mintzberg explains that the traditional manager has four primary functions and communicates through subordinates or other channels. New Boss embodies many of these lessons throughout the television series. In order to illustrate the disconnection implied by the traditional model, Fu-Sensei points out that New Boss has commanded his grunts without leaving his office or directly interacting with them. This lack of personal communication and commandeering attitude results in the grunts’ poor behavior and New Boss’ frustration. “Sockfia” may focus on the disadvantages of the traditional modern and encourage modern management, but there are benefits for the more formal, logical system of control. For simplicity’s sake, the "traditional manager" will refer to the stereotypical boss, who prefers to oversee activity and pass along directions.

The modern manager encourages direct participation, personal communication, and a more informal system.

The modern model of the manager refutes many of the traditional functions and encourages action, communication, and innovation. Mintzberg reveals that modern managers "work at a unrelenting pace, that their activities are characterized by brevity, variety, and discontinuity, and that they are strongly oriented to action and dislike reflective activities." Mintzberg further explains that managers fulfill ten active roles. The figurehead, leader, and liaison roles are summarized as interpersonal roles. Interpersonal

3 roles involve managing people and ceremonial and symbolic duties. The monitor, disseminator, and spokesperson are summarized as informational roles, which involve collecting, receiving, and disseminating information. Finally, the entrepreneurial, disturbance handler, resource handler, and negotiator roles are decisional roles. Decisional roles involve making decisions and choices, ranging from conflict resolutions to decisions affecting the foundation of the entire organization. These roles focus on the manager as an active participant in daily events. However, the categorization of these roles simplifies some of the managerial duties and ignores the overlap between tasks and departments. While the specific roles are not mentioned in “Sockfia,” Fu-Sensei encourages active participation in meetings and communication with subordinates. Communication is one of the main foundations of the modern manager. According to the modern model, employees are more motivated when the manager is willing to communicate personally. One Minute Manager focuses on how a manager can motivate employees in a few different ways, including reprimands. While some communications occur through emails or notes, the employees are reassured that the manager is reading any messages personally. Mintzberg comments that modern “Managers strongly favor verbal media, telephone class and meetings, over documents." In the pilot episode, Fu-Sensei encourages New Boss to “get involved and talk with your workers.” In summary, the differences between the traditional and modern models of management are one of the main themes of “Sockfia.” The management environment and globalization are the main topics of the modern model in episode two.

In the “Sockuza” episode of “Sockfia,” the characters encounter the effects of globalization on the management environment. The external environment describes forces and events that occur outside of an organization and affect its performance or goals. One of the forces is globalization. Globalization describes how organizations are encouraging foreign trade in search of new markets, workers, and other resources. Beginning in the 1960s, managers and businesses encouraged global organizations in several different forms. Multinational corporations are international companies that maintain operations in multiple countries. A multi-domestic corporation decentralizes management and other decisions to the

4 local country in which it operates. A global cooperation centralizes its management and other decisions to its home country. One of the basic steps in globalization is importing and exporting. Importing is acquiring products made abroad and selling them domestically. Exporting is the sale of domestic products in a foreign market. The traditional model of management does encounter globalization in some ways, such as the sharing of technology and methods of production. However, the modern model takes full advantage of globalization with diverse technology for communication, payments, and transportation. In episode two, New Boss intends to take advantage of globalization by expanding his bootlegging empire to Japanese markets. His encounter with a Yakuza Boss reveals another aspect of globalization: workplace diversity. As globalization occurs, other races and ethnicities are becoming involved in organizations. In this example, a Japanese mob boss and potential client. After New Boss accidentally insults Japanese Yakuza culture, Fu-Sensei reveals how global partnerships and strategic alliances depend on an understanding of cultural and ethnical backgrounds. This understanding is a key factor in globalization as organizations expand into foreign markets. Globalization and workplace diversity also encourages innovation by providing new perspectives and culture. Globalization, workplace diversity, and innovation are important cornerstones in the modern model of management. With the amount of technology and globalization in modern organizations, managers must make immediate decisions in the face of competition and environmental uncertainty. In order to make the most reasonable decision, managers employ bounded rationality. In episode three, New Boss attempts to use the traditional “8-step Decision Making Process” while Fu-Sensei encourages the use of instincts and bounded rationality.

In “Shootout,” New Boss uses the traditional “8 step Decision Making Process” and the modern method of bounded rationality in order to solve a problem. New Boss must make a decision about how to counter an enemy attack while under fire. Initially, New Boss attempts to use the “8 Step Decision Making Process.” This process is an overly simplified method of making a decision based on a series of rational steps. The 8 steps are: the Identification of a problem, the identification of a decision criteria, the allocation of weights to criteria, the development of alternatives, the analysis of alternatives, the selection

5 of an alternative, the implementation, and the evaluation. While this process can be applied to any thought process, it can be most closely aligned with the traditional managerial model due to its simplified, rational, and mechanistic nature. The “8 Step” assumes that all problems are clear and unambiguous. In addition, it assumes that all information, alternatives, and consequences can be analyzed and processed.

In fact, it is impossible to gather all possible information and determine alternatives since there is always a measure of uncertainty and human error. The mafia shootout is also an unstructured problem, a situation where information is ambiguous or incomplete. These uncertainties are accounted for with bounded rationality, which is more closely related to the modern model of management. In bounded rationality, limited information and processing power are considered while considering the potential for selfmaximizing, emotionality, and bias. In episode 3, New Boss must use bounded rationality to make a decision since there is limited information and a strict time limit. Along with bounded rationality, New Boss also must exercise intuitive decision-making. Intuitive decision-making is based on five factors: experience, emotions, skills and knowledge, ethics, and subconscious processing. A manager uses prior experience and knowledge in order to make the best decision possible. The disadvantages of bounded rationality and intuitive decision-making is the possibility to human error and limited information. While New Boss may make a decision, there is no guarantee that it will be the best solution to the problem. The inclusion of human error, experience, intuition, emotion, and bias is one of the foundations of the modern model of management as organizations become more concerned with the psychology of its employees.

The modern model is interested in the mental and emotional health of its employees. Managing human resources is an area of specific interest in the modern model as an organization’s focus shifts from traditional, mechanistic efficiency to modern creativity and emotion.

The fourth episode, “Candy from a Baby,” the theme focuses on managing human resources. After the mafia showdown from the previous episode, New Boss must expand his ranks. New Boss determines that testing potential employees will determine the best recruits. He decides that a selection process will determine the most successful candidates. A selection device has two requirements: reliability and

6 validity. The reliability of a selection device determines if the test measure s the same characteristic consistently. The validity of the test is based on the proven relationship between the test and a relevant measure of the job. New Boss accidentally creates a faulty performance simulation test. A performance simulation test is test composed of actual job behaviors and assessment centers. New Boss decides that the performance simulation test will be stealing candy from a child. However, this test is invalid since there is no correlation between taking candy from a child and the actual duties of a mafia thug. Fu-Sensei informs New Boss that the best performance simulation tests are work sampling, which is a small replica of the actual job, and assessment centers, which simulate real job problems. One disadvantage of an assessment center is the range of problems. An assessment center may use a common problem that occurs, such as a daily task or an error in an annual report. It is less likely that a serious issue would be used for the assessment center, which makes it more difficult to gauge a potential employee’s reaction to a severe problem. New Boss decides that a suitable performance simulation test will be using a basic weapon New Boss also comments on orientation, a period of time where a new employee becomes familiar with information, duties, goals, personal contribution, and organizational culture. Organizational culture is one of the key factors for another aspect of modern management: encouraging innovation and creativity.

In “Teddy Bears,� New Boss and Fu-Sensei discuss how to encourage innovation by creating a supportive organizational culture and promoting idea champions. Encouraging innovation is another area of difference between the traditional and modern models of management. The traditional model states that the status quo is acceptable and profitable. The modern model encourages dramatic change and creativity in order to cope with environmental uncertainty and globalization. Another way of describing this difference would be to refer to the structure of an organization. The traditional model relies on a mechanistic structure, where the hierarchy and channels have all been established and there is little change. The modern model and organic structure relies on a specific kind of organizational culture, which encourages experimentation, rewards successes and failures, and celebrates all effort. As Fu-Sensei

7 suggests, there are certain methods that an organization can adopt to encourage innovation. Cultural variables for stimulating innovation are accepting ambiguity, tolerating the impractical, limiting external controls, tolerating risks and conflict, encouraging new techniques and processes, and using an opensystem focus. “Teddy Bears� focuses on tolerating impractical ideas while brainstorming for inspiration.

While the minion suggests an entirely absurd idea for selfish reasons, New Boss uses some parts of the suggestion for a new method. Creative cultures encourages innovation in many fields, but must be carefully monitored in order to avoid procrastination, misdirection, and avoiding deadlines. Finally, New Boss suggests that the minion may become an idea champion. An idea champion is an individual who supports new ideas, overcomes resistance, and inspires others with dynamic leadership, personal conviction, and energy. In A Whole New Mind, a manager encourages innovation through empathy, understanding the goals and difficulties faced by other people in daily life, and emotive knowledge. This use of psychology is encouraged in the modern model of management since human resources are the key for new innovation. Alongside these studies to encourage creativity, there was also a concern for individual behavior and psychology.

While the traditional model was more focused on the productivity of the organization as a whole and the final product, the modern model is concerned with the mental and emotional health of its employees and how they affect the organization. In this concern, psychological studies focused on some employee behavior and its motivation. Employee productivity, absenteeism, turnover, organizational citizenship behavior, and workplace behavior were some of the topics studied. Employee productivity is the performance measure of both work efficiency and effectiveness, which is a concern of the traditional and modern models. Absenteeism is the failure to arrive for work and turnover is the voluntary and involuntary permanent withdrawal from an organization. Organizational citizenship behavior is work outside of the official job requirements that supports coworkers and creates a productive atmosphere.

Workplace behavior is any intentional employee behavior that could negatively affect the workplace.

While the traditional model was concerned with how these behaviors would affect the overall

8 productivity, the modern model is concerned with employees’ mental health. There are some disadvantages to these studies. Some employees are worried about the amount of interest the organization has in their daily lives. There are also biases and false perceptions on the part of the organization, which may affect the studies’ conclusions. The modern model is interested in the mental and emotional motivations of employees and how it affects the organization, but there is the slight concern that the organization may be too interested in behaviors outside of the workplace and potentially invade personal privacy. The main focus of “Hit Squad” is the problem of cognitive dissonance, which affects behavior inside and outside of the workplace. Cognitive dissonance is any incompatibility or inconsistency between attitudes or behavior and attitude. According to the theory, a person with cognitive dissonance will attempt to reduce the difference by altering either the attitude or behavior. The amount of change depends on three things: the importance of the factors that created the dissonance, the degree of influence the individual has over these factors, and the rewards that may be involved. New Boss feels cognitive dissonance between his morals and his duties as the head of the mafia. While he dislikes killing, his duties as head of the mafia command him to clear the market for his own products, eliminate competition, and protect his own grunts. Using the above concerns, New Boss discovers that he cannot alter his behavior as the mafia boss and must alter his attitude instead. Thus, he eliminates his cognitive dissonance. The earlier psychological studies focus on individual personalities and behaviors, but there were studies concerned with group and team dynamics.

In “Boxes,” New Boss learns about group development, behavior, and the formation of a variety of work teams. The episode begins with New Boss commanding a minion to shift cargo alone, which results in poor work and potential health problems. Fu-Sensei offers teamwork as a potential solution. Groups and work teams are becoming increasingly popular in the modern model of management as innovation demands collaboration and sharing ideas. While a group is defined as two or more interacting individuals with a specific goal, there are several different types of groups within organizations. All groups all under two categories: informal groups, which are social groups based on friendships and common interests, and

9 formal groups, which are defined by organizational structure and have designated tasks for accomplishing company goals. Informal groups influence organizational culture and the ties between employees. Formal groups are more interested in accomplishing official tasks and goals. Psychological research shows that groups go through five stages of development in order to form a cohesive, productive collaboration. The forming stage is when people join the group and define the group’s purpose, structure, and leadership.

The storming stage is the intragroup conflict where leadership is claimed and hierarchy established. A potential problem in the storming stage is continued conflict. Is a leader or hierarchy is not established or an individual does not conform, there may be continuous conflict. The norming stage is where close relationships develop and the group becomes cohesive. This is another potential problem stage due to the development of relationships. If two or more individuals become more interested in their relationship than the group’s goals, they may be less focused and productive. The performing stage is the actual completion of tasks. Finally, the adjourning stage is when a temporary group disbands. These studies provide information about how to develop and effectively manage a work group, but there is a difference between a work group and a team. A work team is a group whose members work intensely on a specific, common goal using positive synergy, accountability, and compatible skills. There are four different types of team: problem solving, self-managed, cross functional, and virtual. Each team has its advantages and disadvantages. Overall, the benefits of groups and teams are more creative solutions, the creation of positive relationships and environment, and the completion of complex goals that an individual could not finish. There are several disadvantages, such as conflict, confusion, and social loafing. However, some tasks are more suited to an individual employee and preserves resources. While teams are an accepted traditional concept, the focus on the psychology and development is becoming more important. The traditional model of management relied on groups and teams in order to be more productive. An “assembly line” mentality was encouraged in organizations since it was more efficient. This mentality did not promote close relationships or a hierarchy since most interaction was limited between stations and departments. The modern model encourages collaboration and personal relationships in order to create organizational culture and provide motivation to the employees.

10 The motivation of employees has always been of concern to managers and organizations, but the psychology of the individual and true effects of motivation has been a more recent study. Motivation is the process when a person’s efforts are energized, directed, and maintained until a goal is met. Motivating employees used to be a matter of paycheck and a monetary or personal bonus. However, more recent studies suggest that true motivation can be discerned through four different theories on behavior. The first theory is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. The higher order needs are social, esteem, and self-actualization, while the lower order needs are physiological and safety. One of the complications of the Hierarchy of needs is the assumption of the order. Maslow argues that psychological and safety needs are the base of all needs. Some people disagree with this hierarchy and state that the order of the needs depends on the individual. For example, a person may be more interested self-actualization than safety. Theory X and Y, the focus of episode eight, focuses on two different behaviors. Theory X, which happens to align with the philosophy of the traditional manager and New Boss, states that people have little ambition, dislike work, avoid responsibility, and needs to be closely controlled. Theory Y, which aligns with the modern model and Fu-Sensei, states that people enjoy work, seek and accept responsibility, and exercise self-direction.

Theory X and Y is another example of “black and white” reasoning by stating that all people are either completely un-motivated or fully willing to accept work and responsibility. Some people fall between these extremes into a “gray area.” An employee may be willing to accept responsibilities and selfmotivate, but may need guidance. Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory or Motivation-Hygiene theory states that intrinsic factors are related to job satisfaction, while extrinsic factors are linked to dissatisfaction. In other words, employees were satisfied with achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility, and advancement. The motivation aspect and satisfaction were based on internal positives. Dissatisfaction was the result of company policy, supervisors, working conditions, salary, or status. Dissatisfaction was blamed on external factors and influences outside of the individual’s control. One method of motivation based on the Two-Factor Theory in episode eight is the elimination of job dissatisfaction through incentives, such as salary bonuses, security, and health benefits. While these incentives may not completely motivate an individual, the employee will be more likely to focus on personal achievements

11 and other positive aspects of the job. Finally, McClelland’s Three Needs Theory states that acquired needs are the major motives of work. Another part of motivation and how it affects the organization is the relationship with the manager or superior. Alongside a supportive organizational culture, employees depend on their relationships with coworkers and supervisors. If an employee feels slighted or uncomfortable with a manager, he is less likely to be motivated. As such, a manager needs to encourage trust and camaraderie with subordinates. According to the path-goal theory and Robert House, a leader can encourage trust with four different leadership behaviors. A directive leader sets goals, expectations, and gives specific guidance. A supportive leader shows concerns for the needs of the employees and is friendly. A participative leader consults with group members and uses their suggestions. Finally, an achievement-oriented leader sets challenging goals and expects results. There are potential problems with these leadership behaviors. A leader who is too interested in the employees’ needs may be seen as nosy or invasive. Also, a leader who asks for suggestions too frequently may be considered incompetent and lacking necessary skills. In “Birthday,” Fu-sensei encourages New Boss to be friendlier with the grunts.

More specifically, Fu-Sensei suggests that a leader is someone perceived as “honest and competent” and enthusiastic.

One method of encouraging trust between a manager and subordinates is proper

communication.

In episode nine, New Boss considers oral and written communication and potential problems within an organization. According to the traditional model, a manager sends his directions through proper, formal channels in the organization to subordinates. There is little personal interaction with the employees. The modern model relies on direct contact and the relationship that develops. Communication is one of the most important factors in an organization as the transfer of understanding and meaning from one person to another. The communication process has been simplified into seven parts: the communication source or sender, the encoding, the message, the channel, decoding, the receiver, and feedback.

Oral

communication is the direct verbal contact between the sender and receiver. Oral communication has the benefits of immediate feedback and using nonverbal cues. Nonverbal cues or body language are gestures,

12 facial configurations, and other movements of the body that can communication emotions, thoughts, and temperaments. Verbal intonation is the emphasis placed on words or phases. New Boss attempts to us oral communication to pass a message to his subordinates. However, he encounters some of the common problems with oral communication. Reflecting the episode title, New Boss encounters how information is miscommunicated along a chain, similar to the game of “Telephone.” A few different flaws in oral communication are selective perception, excessive emotion, jargon or technical language in a department or organization, and the grapevine. The grapevine is one form of oral communication that unofficially passes information between employees and often focuses on negative news. Some of these flaws are avoided in written communication. Written communication includes memos, letters, emails, and other forms of written words. These messages are more tangible, permanent, and verifiable since an official document is printed and recorded by the sender and receiver. However, there are flaws in written communication as well. Since there is no direct contact between people, the message may be lost or misplaced. One cannot receive immediate feedback with written communication. There are advantages and disadvantages to oral and written communication. A Manager will select a form of communication based on specific circumstances or employees. Communication becomes more difficult as the organization’s size increases. This is one of the reasons why a traditional manager or mechanistic structure relies on proper, formal communication channels. In order to ensure that every employee receives a message, there must be a logical system. Communication becomes incredibly important as the organization expands and encounters new environmental uncertainties. One method of managing communication and other resources as an organization expands is value chain management.

In the final episode of “Sockfia,” New Boss has begun to embrace more modern techniques in management and expanded his bootlegging empire. As the grunts begin to form teams and departments in order to handle the larger orders of moonshine, New Boss decides that value chain management will benefit the company and calls a meeting. Value Chain management is a business model that helps organizations adapt to a more competitive environment while maintaining its communication. Value chain

13 management has six requirements: technology investment, organizational processes, leadership, employee/human resources, organizational cultures and attitudes, and coordination and collaboration.

Technology investment is an organization taking advantage of new technology for scheduling, planning, managing different systems, and communication between departments and the organization to outside companies and markets. Organizational processes are the methods an organization uses to complete a product or service. In evaluating organizational processes, a manager must examine the fine details and how to better communicate or gather resources. Value chain management cannot function without a capable leader. The leader must have an interest in all processes of the organization and articulate goals and expectations clearly. As departments work together and processes thoroughly examined, a manager needs to maintain a standard in employee and human resources. As the workload increases or alters according to new guidelines, the hiring process must reflect the new tasks or expectations. The manager must also examine the motivations and concerns of employees throughout the system. Organizational culture must support all of its workers and encourage innovation. The organizational attitudes include collaborating, sharing, flexibility, creativity, and trust. In coordination and collaboration, all parts of the chain must share information and work seamlessly together. New Boss encourages the moonshine distillers and packaging department to share ideas. While these factors appear to be a given in an organization, there are many potential problems in the system. There may be a reluctance to share information or resources between departments or organizations. Individual managers or employees, difficulty understanding a system or technology, or limited resources may cause this lack of communication and collaboration. Security is one of the most important issues in value chain management. Since so much information is shared between departments about goals, issues, resources, and other important or potentially classified information, any security breach can result in major damage to the organization. While an individual manager may not be able to entirely solve this problem, he can react to the immediate concerns, bolster security, research potential problems, and compensate for the damage. Another issue is the manager and employees. There is always a human error and achievement in organizations. A manager must account for human error, such as a problem in paperwork, calculations, or

14 other accidental occurrences. A manager must also be prepared for other human emotions, such as greed, selfishness, stubbornness, or arrogance. While these seem minimal on an individual level, the effects can reach through an entire business and sour the organizational culture and personal relationships. Overall, the modern manager is well equipped to handle the employees and technology in the current environment.

With constant environmental uncertainty, more organizations are shifting to the modern model of management and the organic organizational structure to cope with new technology and the demand for innovation.

The television show “Sockfia” relies on humor and the intrigue of the underground crime system to attract viewers and describe the fundamental demands and problems of management. Through the characters of New Boss and Fu-Sensei, viewers can understand the conflict between the traditional model of management, which was highly successful in early business and taught in many schools today, and the modern model, which is a more recent technique that adapts to globalization, human psychology, and leaps in technology. “Sockfia” focuses on some of the most prominent concerns of the modern model of management. These concerns are humorously applied to “mafia management,” but can be applied to realistic management and daily life. The pilot episode reveals the key differences between the traditional and modern models of management. The second episode, “Sockuza,” presents the effects of globalization and how cultural diplomacy and diversity benefits organizations. The third episode focuses on the “8 Step Decision-Making Process,” Bounded Rationality, and Intuitive decision-making. In “Candy From a Baby,” Selection devices and performance simulation tests are described as part of the hiring process. The use of organizational cultures as a method of encouraging innovation is the theme of episode 5, “Teddy Bears.” “Hit Squad” reveals the use of psychology and the study of individual behaviors for the benefit of employees, managers, and organizations. “Boxes” shows the formation of groups and teams within an organization and the potential benefits and disadvantages. Episode eight continues the use of human psychology and behaviors by explaining employee motivation and the relationship between a manager and his subordinates. This relationship is encouraged by personal communication, the topic of episode

15 nine. Finally, episode ten summarizes the importance of all prior topics as a part of the system of value chain management. “Sockfia� represents a humorous, simple interpretation of the common problems and solutions in modern organizations.