17 February
Topic:Organisational strategy (PESTEL) and stakeholders
     As the further studying of our business and management course, I have understood lots of theories about organisations deeply. Through this week's study,I mastered some fresh professional knowledge and got the continuous learning to last week.Now,I will talk about some important points about the organisational strategy and stakeholders in detail.     

     Firstly, I want to talk about the general environment---PESTEL.It is a technique which includes six factors---political,economic,social,technological,environment and legal.Each of them is consisted of many different points and all of them are relevant to an organisation. The theory of PESREL provides different angels to help managers analyse organisations' pressure and problems from the external environment,ensuring they can solve these problems exactly as well as formulate feasible development strategy.For example,I was taught a case which is analysed with PESTEL---university of Sussex.Through the analysis of six aspects,let me have a clear understanding for the general environment of the university.Thus, PESTEL likes a tool to make organisations progress.

      Secondly,I focus on the strategy.Strategy is about how people decide to organise major resources to enhance performance of an enterprise.It is significant for organisations and divided into different types,like competitive strategy,emergent strategy and so on.Moreover,I know some methods which managers use to develop strategies,such as shifting from formalised to less formal,decreasing documentations and increasing the flexibility in plans.

      Finally,let me talk some important points about stakeholders.Stakeholders refer to any individual or group or organisation that is vital to the surveil or success of the organisation.A wider definition includes any of above that affects or is affected by the organisation.The power of stakeholders have strong influence.It can bring lots of advantages and disadvantages for organisations,even affecting the overall interests.In addition,according to sources of power for internal stakeholders and external stakeholders,managers can analyse business cases and work easily and correctly.In fact,equal levels of power and impacts for all stakeholders are nonexistent.The analysis of British Airways as an important negative example,showing the importance of these theories.Due to its shortcomings and huge losses,British Airways have to change its original management strategy to get development.These measures make stakeholders get new benefits and more powerful position in the market.

      All of these are fresh knowledge for me,although some of them are quite difficult to be mastered,I am still interested in this course.After classes,I will research some typical business cases to read and expert the further studying. 

3 February

Topic:Placing organisations in context part 1-internal environment,micro environment

      This week, we concentrate on another vital context about organisations. Environment is the surroundings or conditions in which a person,animal,or plant lives or operates.The organisations' environment as one of important parts, including a lot of different factors which effect or decide the development of organisations. Now I will talk about two parts of this context in detail,one is internal environment and the other is micro environment.

       The internal environment is regarded as a major contextual feature,which consists of elements within the organisation such as its  technology,structure or business processes.This kind of environment should be pay attention because of its importance.The world's leading manufacturer of mobile phones,named Nokia,is one of very important examples to prove this opinion.It success depends on many factors like its abilities,but its advantageous internal environment,such as extensive consumers in the mobile phone market,experienced managers,professional technology and so on,also provides a positive support for its development.Obviously,beneficial and steady internal environment can offer many platforms for developing and ensure the organisation has strong power to be supported.

        On the other hand,the competitive environment,sometimes known as the micro-environment,is the industry-specific environment comprising the organisation's customers,suppliers and competitors.Organisations and managers should have a correct attitude to treat it.It gives them not only challenge but also opportunity.There is a useful tool,which is divided into five points,helping people analyse the micro environment clearly.Buyers,competitors, potential entrants,substitutes and suppliers are regarded as five significant forces.All of them influence organisations commonly,expect the pressure,the micro environment also can make organisations become better and have stronger competitive power.In addition,let us talk about the most important force among them.In fact,it depends on the industry.Different industry has different important force need to be focused on and also has its own way to manage.

         Although the internal environment and competitive environment are not the whole environment which have important influences for organisations,they are essential and inevitable. To sum up,master these environments clearly and have a positive attitude to treat as well as deal with,really can help organisations get better development and further perfection.
        

20 January

Topic:Organisational design and structure

       This week,we have a further studying of organisation. Though a successful example of a company named Oticon, which was changed from an industrial organisation into a service organisation with a physical product, let me know a significant principle clearly,the better your processes are defined, the more flexible you can be.After this studying case,I want to talk about some professional knowledge about organisational design and structure in detail.

        On the one hand, understanding the meaning of some frequently-used definitions is very necessary,these can help me master and distinguish different cases accurately and easily. Organisation structure as a basic concept, its definition is the sum total of the ways in which it divides its labour into distinct tasks and then achieves co-ordination among them.Basing on it, from organisation chart,I know that the main departments and job titles. It also shows who people report to, and clarified four features of the formal structure.Then through the work specialisantion,I know how to manage in order ways,divide different strong power and lead the staff and companies go on objective ways.All of these can help managers change these rules into actions and encourage them to act consistently with their careers.For example,most medium and large-sized firms set up line-and-staff organisations structures.Managers realize the characteristics of organisations and take corresponding measures to manage.This method put these theories into actions and get success.

        On the other hand,I need to focus on centralisation and decentralisation. In order to get an excellent management way and realize the maximization of interests,all the staff and managers need a common leader to lead them.It likes a huge machine,needing a core component to control,through this method to ensure every part can achieve its value in the whole environment.In addition,chain of command as well as span of control have lots of common expects and relations with this theory. Managers who have formal authority must give people the right to make decisions and respect each person' right.This way can reduce the differences of opinions and increase decisions' executive force.As the business grows,the hierarchy are more complex,but three levels,such as RBS,are still possible to see.And the span of control becomes wider than before.Besides these,matrix structures,combining functional and divisional structures, as one part of organisantional design and structure,its benefits reflects in the allocation and integration of actual tasks.

        Totally speaking,organisational design and structure really make sense in managing usefully.Excellent organisational design and structure can bring much positive energy to each division and support companies continue their work.

13 January

Topic:Introduction to organisations and management 

      This is the first week we study in year one, and from this week we start to learn professional courses.Business and

management as one of important subjects for us,let we know lots of knowledge about organisations and management clearly.

       Firstly, the class gave me a general introduction about organisations and set up a series of examples about them,such as supermarkets,Google,international committee of the Red Cross and so on.The definition of an organisation shows that it is a social arrangement for achieving controlled performance towards goals that create value. It let me have a total impression and preliminary understanding of it. According to common features in organisations,ways of seeing them and the basic parts about them,I have a further understanding. Also,I know that our society cannot live without them and lots of people work for them,so I realize the importance of organisations in detail.

      Secondly,I was told that management as an universal human activity,occurring whenever people take responsibility for an activity and consciously try to shape its progress and outcome.In addition, management as a distinct role develops when activities previously embedded in the work itself become the responsibility not of the employee but of owners or their agents.Except these,managerial levels ,management functions and factors influencing larger span of management also let me know the necessity and the strong power of the management.For example,as a famous American fast food chain enterprise,KFC has specification and detailed management system and development plan.All different levels of staff has strict requirements and training.KFC implements technical and normalised production and management system all the time,its successful management measures make it has strong competitive advantages.

       In addition,focus on the relationship between organisations and management,such as a pictorial representation about managing transformation processes and organisations,I master lots of professional knowledge about them.Moreover,many useful examples,which put theories into actions,make me know practicing is very necessary of this subject.

       To sum up,both organisations and management are important,each of them is a part of the society.Organisations are essential,and management likes a power to support them and make sure organisations can have normal operations as well as development. Through this week's studying,I just have a general knowledge structure and instruction about them,but these can provide an important base for the further study in the future.