Partnership Management

As the workplace and management techniques have developed over the decades, employees have enjoyed an increasingly powerful position in their companies. According to Eisler and Montuori (2001), the changes in both business and its surrounding environment in terms of society, the economy and the environment have necessitated new paradigms of the employer-employee relationship. It is no longer sufficient to mindlessly follow traditional methods such as marionette management. Instead, the workplace needs to be assessed in terms of which management styles will most efficiently drive the specific business.

Partnership management is one of these new paradigms. In partnership management, it is acknowledged that employees are more than entities to perform specific functions for a specific time during the day. In this management style, employees are recognized as an important part of business growth and success. As such, they are expected to provide input that would be valuable for the future success of the company. Partnership managers therefore rely heavily upon their employees for help with the decision-making process.

This is especially important, as previously clearly defined concepts such as order, control and prediction are no longer intrinsically reliable (Eisler and Montuori, 2001). Workers are no longer required only to be obedient to leaders. Instead, as Eisler and Montuori point out, more demands are made of workers in terms of pro-active decision making, empowerment and the ability to handle, accept and use change for the benefit of the company.

In the new business paradigm, the authors suggest that, in addition to the changes in the business environment, the fundamental way in which employers and employees are regarded is also changing. Rather than a number of individuals each performing a separate function within the company, individuals are now seen in relationship to each other. As such, the function of employees and employers have become integrated, for the mutual benefit of all parties involved, as well as the company. This is well-known in business circles as the "win-win" situation. As such, companies themselves have become integrated with other companies in partnership and...

As society has changed from a largely competitive, autocratic one to a more tolerant, integrated paradigm, businesses have followed suit, and management is required to do the same. Partnership management works best where employees are provided with abundant opportunities for growth, learning and promotion. Partnership management then cultivates mutual respect and benefits for the company and its workers.
Conclusion

In the business world, it is often the case that one management style dominates for a company as a whole, management styles are adjusted to best suit the current needs of the workplace. Management styles have therefore become flexible in this paradigm.

For the modern business world, partnership management is probably the best paradigm, followed by chaos and entrepreneurial management. Marionette management still has a position in management, but only in certain cases. It is seldom the dominating management styles within a workplace. Workers need to be treated with respect, given responsibility and empowered to make decisions. This ensures worker satisfaction, which has also become an extremely important element in the workplace. When considering this, partnership appears to be the most important paradigm in the current business world.

Sources

Eisler, Riane and Montuori, Alfonso. (2001). The Partnership Organization: A systems approach. OD Practitioner, vol. 33, no. 2. http://www.partnershipway.org/html/subpages/articles/organization.htm

Eisler, Riane. (1991). Women, Men and Management; Redesigning Our Future. Futures, January/February. http://www.partnershipway.org/html/subpages/articles/management.htm

Heller, Robert. (2007). Business Enterprise: Entrepreneurship and spotting business opportunities. Thinking Manager's Blog. http://www.thinkingmanagers.com/management/business-enterprise.php

Nowicki, Michael & Summers, Jim. (2003, Oct). "The benevolent autocrat: is it the right fit for the times?." Heatlhcare Financial Management. Online database: FindArticles.com

Wojick, David E. (2007). Chaos Management and the Dyamics of Information. http://www.bydesign.com/powervision/Mathematics_Philosophy_Science/Chaosman.html