Freedom in Management
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Freedom in management Managers are the community that visibly stands apart in present-day business or- ganization, although heterogeneous and difficult to unequivocal defining. The reasons for this phenomenon are concerned with the process of ownership and management’s separation, therefore with so called “managerial revolution”. [1] R.W. Griffin defines manager as a person who first of all is responsible for realization of management process. In particular manager is the person, that makes plans and decisions, organizes, supervises and controls human, finance and information resources. Modern management theory has been established on the Taylorism, emphasizing control over accountability, conformity over uniqueness, and constraint over freedom. Leadership and management theories and the practical approaches of this age of society can be understood as an ongoing struggle to overcome the boundaries of such a concept of organizations and society.[2] Z. Bauman, in his famous work “Freedom”, notes the deep connection between the modern version of freedom and capitalism. Without freedom, it is impossible to achieve the goals of economic activity. A new understanding of managerial freedom as an essential factor affecting the productivity and efficiency of managerial processes, transfers this meaning from the sphere of the individual state of a person to the social sphere. Forms of leadership are becoming a key aspect of the development of an organization.[3] Most of all the problem of freedom in management applies specifically to middle managers as the most vulnerable position in the company. Unlike top managers that performingfunctions of developing strategic organization development goals and external representation the interests of the company, middle managers are the foundation of any business. They have apractical experience, know the problem areas of the company, are engaged in the organization and implementation of daily business activities. From the professionalism of middle managers
on, timeliness, efficiency and quality of their decisions depends the result of the work of the company. They also communicate with counterparties and internal middle managers. The specific of the position of middle managers is that these employees are under pressure from two sides at once: subordinates, perceiving line managers as full-fledged representatives of the companys management, and its senior management, who expect, first of all, executive disciplinewithout an explanation of the purpose for which the orders are given. Thus, the employee on the certain position in the organizational hierarchy has a formal right to use his/her managerial potential, but it is far from always able to use this right. In connection with this, the issue of the boundaries of its managerial freedom and the forms, in which it can be implemented.[4] Freedom in management is the ability to make management decisions independently, using the necessary resources and act in accordance to personal expirience in specific organizational activities within an organizational culture. [5] It includes:1. Management decisions – the ability to make it by yourself without help and influence from others,2. Resources required for the implementation of the tasks – access to the necessary resources and the possibility to use it,3. Communication – interactions with management board, employees, colleagues including those from other organizations, in a specific choosen form, and the possibility to create a strategy of communication,4. Self-realization – the possibility of applying a certain leadership style, the presencespace for managerial maneuver, making of the work process in accordance to the personalprofessional and personal growth (opportunity and necessity).[6] Well-established channels are the key condition for the existence of freedom in management. Charles H. Cooley noted that large and complex communities, which, in fact, are many organizations today, should be built on the principles of freedom, but the availability of their existence and effective work depends on the “speed, availability and efficiency of communication”.[7] At the same time, freedom of management through communicative