THE CONCEPT OF THE HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT AS A NEW APPROACH IN THE THEORY OF MANAGEMENT

The concept of the holistic management as a new approach in the theory of management

 

Jan Porvaznik,  University of Economics in Bratislava, Faculty of Business

Management, Department of Management

2011

 

 

Online at http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/57444/

MPRA Paper No. 57444, posted 21. July 2014 00:23 UTC

 

 

 

The types of objects scientifically researched and the types of sciences used for research till recently are now questioned after the crisis of contemporary science. Classical management which was based on traditional science is also thereby questioned and is getting gradually supplemented if not replaced by  Holistic management. The knowledge pillar of management, the application pillar of management, social pillar of management have to be seen in this context. Holistic intelligence (HQ), knowledge intelligence (KQ), application intelligence (AQ), social intelligence (SQ) are some of the new terms in operation now. As management is basically human mangement and with whatever expansion is originally and finally aimed at solving human problems, so Holistic management and its role in solving the contemporary problems of mankind. (Prof. Ing. Ján Porvazník, CSc University of Economics in Bratislava, Slovakia.)

 

Even though Science started with an original aim 'To make human life easier and simpler, and give it sense by means of a unifying explanation.’ It has failed to do so  as technology progressed in leaps and bounds.

 

Some of the questions often asked and yet unanswered are:

•     The sense and object of life,

•     Human essence and how to achieve it,

•     Priority of values, ethical and moral,

•     Right or justice in the distribution of production,

•      Management and organizations of society

•     And others.

As the complexity of life and the pinch of above questions is increasing willingness and ability of people to manage them is disappearing. Climate change, overpopulation, overproduction, pollution, plundering of nature, globalization, etc. are some of the other issues in question.this is the cause of the multidisciplinary crisis in the system (culture, civilisation) which is unable to cope up with its own speed, products and experiences.

 

 

 

 

It is essential to ensure a socially responsible behaviour and a sustainable development of economical units (companies) and it is by now clear that this also depends on many non economic or non business units like state organisations-educational and medical facilties and instituitons, ministries, municipalities, institutions or authorities, cultural facilities, etc. The knowledge about them and the way individual cognition and perception is affected by them is the matter of a new science and management. These organizations can be managed on business principles, but also as non-profit organisations or civic associations. In the fulfilment of their mission, they can manage either the public or state means, oral so a combination with business.  The diversity of the missions of such  organizations  creates  major difficulties in the creation of knowledge about these units.

In a simplified way, we can say that the ‘knowledge about the mission and basis of economical units is contained in a science called Economics.’ The use of this knowledge is connected with the questions what and for whom to produce, which products to produce, and how to produce them. “The mission of science is not only to know the objects-to form the system of knowledge about objects that turn through knowledge into the complexes of individual sciences, but to use the acquired knowledge in favour of the long-term sustainable development of human society.”

 

  The object and subjects of holistic management

 

management is one of the social sciences, in reality management is a multidisciplinary science as both the formation and use of management knowledge are greatly nurtured and groomed by the  knowledge  from  the  technical  and  natural  sciences.  Cybernetics, is defined by Norbert Wiever as science about control and reporting within living organisms and machines. Cybernetics  and  the  use  of  its  knowledge  for  management objects, makes management also multidisciplinary science. with inputs from natural, technical, and social sciences

Recalling the functions as given by Henry Fayol, namely, anticipation, planning, organizing, ordering, control and coordination are accepted all over. However many specialists felt that among these controlling is main function and there is quite a difference of opinion about what and how many should be control functions. Only recently there is an understanding that management is different from control and in fact is much more than it. It also has much wider context than only for economic units or organizations.  

“The knowledge of general management formed (or created) on systematic principles  and  applied  to  units  of  any nature (entrepreneurial  and  non- entrepreneurial, public, legal, or non-profit organizations) is the basis for holistic management theory, or more simply, holistic management.”

 Model of the Elements and Parts of the Unit in Organizational Management

 

holistic management object as being as a comprehensive, integrated, and complex system of knowledge about the properties, skills and attainments of management subjects.

 

  •             In addition to professional knowledge and practical skills, there is social   maturity   of management subjects

•     “Consider every individual, every man to be a subject of management.

Every man through being a member of certain group has a possibility himself to manage his work, tasks, and personal life. This means that he can plan what does he want to do; organize how he wants to live; realize the fulfilment of his plans; and assess the level of his plans and fulfilment thereof. “

The above described postulates (paradigms) enable us to define the object of holistic management.

Thus the system consists of :

•     General and professional knowledge,

•     Practical and application skills,

•     Personal and human qualities.

distinguishing parts of it are :

• PersonalManagement,

• TeamManagement

• Managementoftheorganization.

 

To reiterate the main points it is

•     Professional ability – attainments – what they know,

•     Practical skills – the ability to apply the attainments – what they can do,

•     Social maturity – personal qualities – how they shall be,

 

The following seven points shall help to guide our understanding and characterization of the term competence: (………)

1.   French  author  L.  Paguay5    understands  competence  as  the  system  of declarative procedural and conditional knowledge organized into procedural rules (operative scheme) enabling one to distinguish (identify) and solve problems.

2.  The competence of a management subject is given (determined) by the extent of his ability to apply, concurrently, and holistically, human attitudes  (social  maturity),  professional  knowledge  (theoretical attainments), and practical usefulness (acquired experience and skills) for the identification and solving of problems

3.   The above determination and study of the literature dedicated to competence

demonstrates that the capability of the man is prevailingly his individual dimension, which is exclusively the "personal affair" of the management subjects, i.e., of each of us. The reason is that every man disposes with so called tacit knowledge (knowledge that characterizes only him, his makeup and it cannot be shared with anybody else). Also the knowledge acquisition process – education with the objective of achieving the relevant necessary competence level (it means education, study and training processes) are specific to each of us.

4.   The term capability has its origin in the activities of people connected with the world of work, and the level and quality of its execution. However, it applies today also to capability in either personal or social life.

5.   The capability of management subjects can, and has to be, evaluated. Great attention is paid to the evaluation of managerial competence in the theory of management.  It  is  the  effort  of  professionals  to  express  the  level  of managerial competence of individual subjects, where the major attentions is paid to the evaluation of their IQ level and skills, so called application intelligence by which we evaluate the ability to use the attainments (AQ).

Our  effort  is  to  evaluate  the  holistic  manager  competence  (intelligence), which also includes also the evaluation of personal qualities originating from

 

 

 

the  emotional  qualities  of  the  man.  It  means  that  holistic  intelligence  is expressed as CQ=IQ,AQ,EQ.

6.   the evaluation of the measure of managerial competence, principles, and methods of assessment. Here, we will state that the determination appears in the professional literature of:

•     Basic competence rate,

•     Higher competence rate and,

•     Developed competence rate.

7. The requirements come up to the level of complex organizations with complicated structures but also the parts there of, in the professionalizing of the manager profession. This means that this profession should be carried out exclusively by persons who have received a relevant certificate based on the assessment. It is expected that holistic management theory will elaborate the managerial skills expected from managers on individual level.

 

The classification of the knowledge of individual competence pillars

 

the competence pillars are:

•     Knowledge of the social maturity of management subjects,

•     Knowledge of the professional ability of management subjects,

•     Knowledge of the application skills of management subjects.

 

The Social Maturity Pillar, based on the personal qualities of management subjects is composed of:

•     Knowledge of character qualities,

•     Knowledge of creative and discrimination qualities,

•     Knowledge of temperament qualities,

• Knowledge of somatic qualities. Simply structured, it is the knowledge of:

•     character,

•    discrimination and creativity.

•    temperament, and...

•     somatic.

The pillar of practical skills based on the application and abilities acquired by practice of the management is created by:

•     knowledge of communication abilities,

•     knowledge of motivation abilities,

•     knowledge  of  the  capability  to  work  in  team  and  skills  of  team building,

•     knowledge of personal management (self and time management). Again, put simply, this is the knowledge of:

• communication,

•     motivation,

•     teamwork,

•     self and time control.

The professional efficiency pillar based on the attainments (or knowledge)

of the management subjects consists of:

•     knowledge of methodology and system thinking,

•     knowledge of controlled units (objects),

•     knowledge of functions of control,

•     knowledge of information for the control.

 

It is required from the management subject to have the necessary attainments (knowledge) about the findings of system thinking, object of control, functions, and information of control.