Managers learn better from experience or theory Essay

Managers learn better from experience or theory - Essay Example Hence, management development programmes are conducted by organisations to update the managers on any new managerial behaviour. In the competitive environment managers often have to face difficult situations in the workplace. To handle such kind of situations, it is extremely important for the manager to have sufficient knowledge backed by theories and prior experience behind him. But in the most difficult situation, bookish knowledge will help to some extent and practical experience and instincts of managers will become more effective in handling the situation with utmost care. But the importance of theory cannot be underestimated since it is the theory that will show the path for the manager, and the experience will pave the path. An organisation also needs to look at educating the present managers. It is expected that whatever may be their formal education requirement, it will not be able to meet the job demands during their tenure in the organisation. Hence, providing continuing education for the managers is important. Learning by doing matters for professional investors. Most of the organisations today believe in ELT, or experimental learning theory, which has been the foundation of management learning over the years. It has been seen that there have been improvements in the efficiency of the output produced from the existing technologies, though the inputs remain the same. It shows that inputs are an important determinant of total productivity. So the organisations have started realising that ‘on-the-job-training’, or learning by doing, is as important as formal education received, which forms the base of human capital. Discussion Every practice by managers is based on theory itself. Management theory gives an overall view of managers’ role and the competencies which the managers need. It acts as a guide to understand the process to help the managers learn (Mailick and Stumpf, 1998). But management practice is more specifically concern ed with task selection and performance delivery, which defines the manager’s contribution to the organisation. Management practice basically utilises management theory to help managers determine the process which they need to follow in specific situations (Bell and Goldsmith, 2013). Every manager has their own way of handling things, which they might feel is the optimal and efficient one. But the real world does not go by that logic. It is only when they are faced with real world solutions that they realise that they need to change their strategy to come out with new solutions (Levitt, List and Syverson, 2013). For example, a sales manager must be able to handle the team under their leadership. Team dynamics is the most important factor which they cannot neglect. Team dynamics will vary with the composition of members in it. Each team has to be handled differently. Experiential learning theory (ELT) gives a holistic model of the learning process. Learning is best viewed as a process, not as an outcome. Hence, improving the performance of managers by engaging them will enhance their learning and performance. All learning is re-learning. It is a process through which the manager’s beliefs and ideas about a topic can be examined, applied and integrated to form more new refined ideas. Learning is a holistic process of adaptation. It involves the integrated functioning of thinking, perceiving, feeling and behaving apart from cognition. Learning is

Family Health Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Family Health Assessment - Essay Example Investing in health will lead to increase in health stock beneficial to individuals. Health deteriorates through involvement in activities such as smoking and drinking and feeding on refined food which lack roughages. This refers to the tradition and spiritual beliefs that guide in decision making. The finding unearths that religious affiliations, value-belief conflicts linked to health, special religious practices and whatever an individual perceives as significance are the pillars upon which value-health pattern is embedded. Many respondents attached seeking of medication to their spiritual beliefs as some said that they could not take drugs based on their belief. This is the metabolic pattern employed by an individual or family which unearths fluid and food consumption with respect to metabolic requirement and benchmarks local nutrients distribution and supply. This focuses on the status of teeth, hair, mucus membrane, skin and also weight and height (Gordon, 1994, p. 125). The researcher earmarked children decayed teeth based on over-feeding on sugary and refined food. Skin infection was also attached to lack of dietary amongst this family. There was a problem of weight loss based on malnutrition due to frequent refined food consumptions. This highlights the patterns of sleep, relaxation and rest. It is based on quantity and quality of energy and sleep, sleep routines as well as sleep aids employed by an individual. Many respondents basically males had lesser time to sleep and rest based on lack of work-life balance. The inadequacy and inequality of leisure hours and sleep was seen to affect males explaining massive weight loss. To females, quality and quantity sleep made them being healthier as they were not attached to more hours of work. This explains leisure, recreation and exercise patterns based on an individual hobbies and stretches to incorporate respiratory and