Page 247 - DMGT106_MANAGING_HUMAN_ELEMENTS_AT_WORK

Unit 11: Individuals and Self-Management

11.2 Impacts of Self-Management Notes

11.2.1 Impact on Self-Efficacy
Self-efficacy refers to an individual’s belief in their capacity to successfully learn and perform
a specific behaviour. A strong sense of self-efficacy leads to a feeling of control, and
willingness to take on and persist with new and difficult tasks. When applied to health, this
theory suggests that patients are empowered and motivated to manage their health problems
when they feel confident in their ability to achieve this goal.

There is evidence that improved self-efficacy is correlated with improved health behaviours
and clinical outcomes so it is valid to examine the impact of self-management support on
self-efficacy as representative of other outcomes.

11.2.2 Self-Managing Team
“Self-managing teams” is a term used to describe a form of organisation in which the
employees at the operational level are given a number of tasks collectively which is
traditionally carried out by managers and staff members. Which tasks they are given will
vary greatly. In an industrial context, the team’s tasks and responsibilities will vary from
few and simple tasks, such as organising job rotations or ordering the raw materials needed,
to carrying out all operational tasks. The individual company, primarily management, will
decide which tasks the self-managing teams will carry out and which task will remain with
management or others in the organisation. Also, decisions about who does what will not
be final but will be remade regularly.

Management may choose to continuously let the self-managing teams do more and more
tasks on their own. Or management may decide that there are tasks not suitable for
delegation.

11.2.3 Consensus between Ability and Aptitude
A good person-job fit requires a consensus between the abilities and aptitudes of employees.
Ability is the capacity to do physical and intellectual tasks. Aptitude is the capacity to learn
the ability. People differ in their abilities and aptitudes. A person may have the ability to
play cricket as well as Sachin Tendulkar or sing as sweetly as Lata Mangeshkar but may not
have the aptitude to do so. Most of us do not have the aptitude to match the abilities.
Managers should be clear about the abilities that are required to do a particular job and
ensure that the employee chosen to do the job has the ability to do it, as also the aptitude
to learn it. The aptitude to learn does not diminish with age. People who lack either the
ability or the aptitude to do a job are likely to fail and be dissatisfied. Those who have the
aptitude can make an effort to learn, but those who lack the ability are likely to face
problems. Those who are highly competent or highly skilled may also get demotivated.
Therefore, the key is in finding the right match between the abilities of the person and the
demands of the job. There are other related factors that affect the performance of the
individual at the job besides his personality such as perception, learning, attitude, and
values, which have been discussed in the later units.

List down the stages involved in the process of self-management.

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