Activity 2: Power/Influence analysis of your position.
Managers have to be aware of the different motivational forces behind their workers. Not all people are motivated by the same things. Offering money as an incentive to meet a company objective may not appeal to some colleagues in the same way it would appeal to others and this factor needs to be recognised by managers. A business deals with people whether indirectly or directly, and it is important not to get caught up in the sheer administrative duties of a company without realising that people need to be catered for. Companies target people and their internal operations are determined by people. Therefore when a manager makes decisions concerning the company, he should elevate beyond the business perspective at times, to realise the different needs of people. By understanding the different desires and different motivational needs of people, s/he will be able to effect a desired or expected response. This will be done through knowledge of influential tactics. These are the internal issues that have to be dealt with in a company and they are not often as promoted or praised as a company's ERP system.
Developing an effective power of influence entails the managers knowing themselves (therefore s/he will know what they tend to expect from people in a given situation), understanding what perception the workers have of her/him, clarifying her/his target, deciding on which strategy and tactics to adopt and diagnosing the system (Tutorial 2: Worksheet).
Activity 3:ERP.
The definition of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is an attempt to integrate all departments and functions across a company onto a single computer system that can serve all those different departments' particular needs. It facilitates communication and enables information to be shared more easily. In the business sense for example, if an order is made, it can be done with all the information about the product or service being ordered available and by eliminating the need to go into different departments, it saves time (See Appendix 3).
