Case study management practices and approaches

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The decision of the IBM company to adapt a business philosophy based on the concept of collaborative influence is a direct response to the contemporary conditions for conducting business, such as globalization, the development of new media and the access to them, the fast rhythm of changes, the increased influence of the customers. From this point-of-view, it can be stated that there is an important connection between the principles of e-leadership and the situation that IBM finds itself in.

The change that IBM is willing to make is a reaction to the changes which are taking place in the market, a pro-active approach to the changing needs of the customers. If the IBM customers are becoming "on-demand" companies, this happens because the development of technology makes them. Hyper connectivity is possible due to the boom of the internet use, which allows immediate access to a huge variety of information. Another aspect that IBM is not forgetting when taking into consideration this new approach is represented by the competition. It is and it will be fierce, so one way of efficaciously fighting against it is by creating long-term relationships with both the suppliers and the customers. One of the consequences of e-leadership is that leadership has the tendency to move to levels outside the organization, namely, the suppliers and the clients.

The building of human and social capital is an important factor when discussing the present case. There is not a single group or department cable of satisfying all the needs of the customer. Taking this aspect into consideration, it is essential for the manager of any department to understand the importance of communication and collaboration. Collaboration is a successful technique when it comes to building social capital because the best resources are put together in order to serve the reaching of a single purpose.

By supporting teamwork and cooperation, the company is actually creating string networks which will strengthen it. The members of the company staff, together with other important factors of decision such as the suppliers will create relationships with ach other and this can only contribute to the well functioning of IBM. Collaborative influence is supported by the creation of social capital. It is based on the wise use of the human capital that the company benefits from.

Wilson reached the conclusion that there are eleven fundamental traits that a good manager should have. Among them there are four managerial skills which the future managers working for IBM should better have. First and foremost, the future manager must be able to clearly state the goals and objectives for everybody. It is essential for all the parties which are involved to understand what each of them is supposed to do and where it needs to arrive. When more departments are working together in order to achieve a certain goal, it is crucial for them to exactly what they need to do, otherwise they might compromise the work of each other. In addition, no collaboration process can ever function efficiently if the involved parties have different ideas about the final result of their work.

Another trait that is important from a managerial point-of-view is represented by the capacity to encourage participation. From this point-of-view, it is safe to say that the manager's role is to stimulate people to use their potential. Many people have undiscovered potential and it is the manger the one who is supposed to encourage people to get involved as much as they can in their work, having initiatives and expressing their views upon the matters. An honest feedback is also essential from the part of the manager and another trait chosen from Wilson's list.

It is fair to say that there is a strong link between the concept of the twenty first century leader and the managers which IBM wishes to empower collaborative influence. The roles that the manger plays under these circumstances is in fact that of a facilitator and a coach, supporting and empowering involvement. In order for the future manager to be perceived as a leader created from units which do not function inside the company, it is essential for him to have high technological and interpersonal knowledge, providing him withy power.

In order for collaborative influence to function, people must recognize the value of the one who has a higher position. Orders given based on the simple fact of a superior status within the company are not efficient in this context. The twenty first century manager facilitates change and allows the people he manages to have access to key information. This is a strategic point for the efficacious functioning of collaborative influence, just like the support of cooperation through a continuous process of multidirectional communication and the desire to learn continuously.