ABSTRACT
The fields of media and telecommunications are fast-paced and high-pressured environments. It is a world that is highly competitive where success is measured in rating points, market share and sales volume. Today’s manager is faced with a different set of industry players and technology challenges than was the case in past years. The purpose of this chapter is twofold. The first goal is to provide a practical and applied explanation of what media and telecommunications business managers do on a day-to-day basis. This includes six major points of inquiry.
Planning
Organizing
Leading
Staffing
Controlling (Evaluation)
Communicating
The second goal of this chapter is to look at two sets of issues; namely, (1) improving organizational performance and (2) creating a dynamic work culture. Organizational PerformanceThe practice of management has undergone a steady evolution during the past two decades where there is a greater emphasis placed on product design and continuous improvement. In this chapter section we consider four sets of theories. They include:
Total Quality Management
Six Sigma
Reengineering
Good-to-Great
What each of the following theories share in common is a commitment to the value of continuous improvement Creating a Dynamic Work CultureOrganizational culture (or corporate culture) is the collection of beliefs, expectations and values shared by an organization’s members and transmitted from one generation of employees to another. In short, does the organizational culture enhance (or take away) from the effectiveness of the company’s business operations? Does senior management promote a culture that is innovative and highly supportive of its employees or does it create a climate of fear and intimidation? Central to this discussion is what many start-up companies call hacker culture.
