Management Theory in Alibaba Company

Introduction

Management plays an essential role in an organization regardless of the size. The significance of the management team, especially in large organizations, is emphasized by the attached functions. According to Huang et al. (2013), managers are entrusted with planning, coordinating, organizing, staffing, and leading. Notably, to execute the duties collectively calls for effective strategies. Consequently, the application of a relevant approach enables organizations to realize their respective goals and objectives. Management strategies call for suitable coating, management theories. Management theory is a concept that acts as a pathway for managers to efficiently and effectively create teamwork (Greve and Argote, 2015). Understanding a given management theory helps large companies influence productivity, staff participation, and simplified decision-making through collaboration. Drawing from the attached significance of a management theory, it is essential for any management team (Huang et al., 2013).  Even though different larges organizations are utilizing different management theories, the essay focuses on scientific theory in Alibaba Company.

Overview of Alibaba Company

Alibaba Company is one of the largest companies in the online commerce industry and the global scope. Significantly, the premium brand of Alibaba attained and maintained through effective management strategies (Bo and Chan, 2018). Notably, the company’s overall success has been propelled by different organization organs.  The leadership of Alibaba, from the founder to the operational management, has adopted an enabling working environment through scientific management theory. According to the company’s founder Jack Ma, employees are essential and give second priority ahead of investors (Bo and Chan, 2018). Alibaba employees are motivated through good salary packages and involvement in decision-making. Consequently, motivation and morale have improved the team working culture.

Management Theory Influences Team Working

Large companies such as Alibaba, Samsung, and BMW, among other organizations, are characterized by many employees within departments and entire corporations. According to Huang et al. (2013), different people have different ideas, beliefs, priorities, views, tastes, and preferences. Therefore, harnessing and channelling such diversity to attain organizational goals and objectives is critical. Additionally, inducing a culture of productivity and employee participation in large companies calls for effective management interventions (Greve and Argote, 2015). Notably, there is a need for team working to enable large companies to remain competitive and realize a return on investment. Therefore, it implies that the management team should readily deploy applicable and relevant management theories to create a team working culture. Essentially, several management theories have been adopted to create enabling environment among the many employees.

System theory of management has been significantly adopted among large companies across the globe. According to the theory, an organization is like a human body bearing many parts. It implies that to attain unity, every aspect of the body plays a role in achieving the general goal (Huang et al., 2013). Similarly, employees, strategies, synergies, and systems form vital components in an organization setting.  However, employees create the best elements crucial in attaining success in the organizational departments, workshops, and business units.

A scientific theory is a management theory utilized among large companies to create a team working environment. The theory was pioneered by an American engineer, Fredrick Taylor (Huang et al., 2013). According to the management theorist, management should adopt an organizational culture, where complex tasks are broken down into simple activities. Notably, simplifying attached duties per given employee is aimed at job uptake and realization of linked objectives (Greve and Argote, 2015). Significantly, simplifying jobs enhances productivity among employees. Additionally, management should develop “a fair salary for fair” system because money forms a significant incentive to motivation (Huang et al. 2013).  Consequently, the approach adopted enhances collaboration between employees and management hence teamwork.

Moreover, behavioural management theory is adopted in large organizations likes Apple, BMW, and Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) (Greve and Argote, 2015). According to the theory, the success of an organization is emphasized by people-oriented methods. Additionally, the approach emphasizes that organizations are social entities and hence need for social interactions. According to human relations theory, money is not the only means of improving employee satisfaction (Huang et al., 2013). However, the employees’ morale is crucial in improving performance.

Behavioural Management Theory in Alibaba Company

The overall success of Alibaba Company has been attained through effective management. Through the founder, Jack Ma, the company adopted behavioural management theory as a workforce management strategy (Bo and Chan, 2018). The strategy was adopted to motivate and enhance employees’ commitments towards higher achievements. Consequently, as a result of motivation, the company has significantly increased its production frontier. Besides, through encouraged workers, Alibaba Company has maintained high customer service on the online platforms. According to Yun et al. (2020), the company operates in different online commerce platforms, Alibaba.com, Taobao, and Tmall, and behavioural management theory has improved social sharing and networking.

Moreover, the adoption of the theory has enabled the company to attain improved leadership models. Consequently, improved leadership fostered decision-making between related projects. In essence, the approach improved sharing among departments allowing a teamwork culture. Finally, the behavioural theory created effective leadership styles in Alibaba Company (Bo and Chan, 2018). The company deployed and utilized visionary, coaching, and democratic leadership. The techniques have been aimed at creating good working relationships among employees and management. In conclusion, the adoption of behavioural theory in Alibaba improved teamwork, translating to goals and objectives achievement.  

Principles of Effective Teamwork

Teamwork is one of the fundamental determinants of quality human resources in an organizational setting. Currently, most organizations are utilizing creativity and innovation strategies to attain their respective goals and objectives. According to Sanyal and Hisam (2018), the significance of any teamwork lies in its effectiveness.  Notably, effective teamwork is characterized by purpose, trust, commitment, and ownership, captured in its principles.  There are essential principles of effective teamwork. There is the principle of effective communication among the team members. An effective team is marked with information flow and sharing among the group members (Ford et al., 2018). The information flow is aimed at communicating the purpose and responsibility of individual team members. Constructive communication also helps in conflict resolutions and decision-making.

Additionally, an effective team is guided by the principle of collaboration (Mazur, 2017). Notably, effective teamwork is marked by collective information sharing and duty executive. The principle implies that good teamwork plans, learn, works, and celebrates together. The principle of defined purpose also marks good teamwork. According to the principle, all members should pull towards a given direction. In essence, team members should participate in the achievement of the team goals and objectives. According to Sanyal and Hisam 2018, most organizational teams fail to be united because there are no predefined aims. It implies that the efforts and ideas are not channelled towards purpose realization.

Conversely, lack of purpose in a team infiltrates irrelevancy, diverse ideas, and wastage of ideas. Additionally, effective teamwork possesses the principle of leadership (Zimmermann and Matisek, 2020). Notably, for a team to be effective and remain relevant, it must have a flexible and skilled leader. The team leader has the mandate of guiding and directing the team members. Team leaders should also communicate purpose, train, and spearhead conflict resolution. Moreover, an effective team is guided by the principle of resource allocation (Sanyal and Hisam, 2018). Essentially, every corporate team has a purpose of pursuing. Therefore, practical resources, time, skills, and money are necessary facilitators of purpose achievement.

Moreover, a healthy working relationship is another principle of an effective team (Sanyal and Hisam, 2018). Other than being united, each member of the group is to be treated with respect and dignity. Notably, the rights and freedom of a team member should not violate ethical working relationships with colleagues. According to Ford et al. (2018), effective teamwork is marked by the principle of reliability. Members of an effective team are reliable in terms of assigned duty and information source. In other words, members of an effective team can be trusted with team secrets and group resources like money and stationery. Finally, good teamwork is characterized by diversity and equality (Sanyal and Hisam, 2018). Effective teamwork should acknowledge different diversities like gender, race, age, and colour. Collectively, an effective team treats its members the same.

Reflection

Drawing from the principle of good leadership, the Alibaba Company team was effective and hence able to achieve several objectives. The group’s leadership was effective as the leaders were accommodative, informed, and neutral. The leaders communicated the company’s goals and expectations. They also emphasized the essence of ownership. More so, they led and directed the group in professional ways. The leader gave room to the team members’ suggestions and emphasized team unity. They also treated the members with dignity and respect. Members readily suggested how to work, relate, and be our brother’s keeper. The collaboration was on another level enabling us to achieve many objectives with ease. Every activity assigned, we did as a team and readily shared.  Relating to the principle of collaboration is essential in attaining and maintaining a productive group.

Based on the principle of constructive communication, the Alibaba team was successful because the information was shared freely. Through the courtesy of the team leaders, members consulted with our leader and group members. Consequently, information sharing lowered the workload of the members. Moreover, the team demonstrated the principle of inclusion. Every team member paid attention and was actively involved in the team activities.  Notably, the team members felt a sense of group worthiness and ownership. 

The team also adopted the effective conflict moment. The team leaders communicated the essence to timely reporting of unprofessional differences between the members of the group. Drawing from the principle of team welfare, team members were assigned the duty of checking on colleagues. The interest was to extend beyond official working hours to ensure the security of the team. Personal welfare from the leader and among colleagues was remarkable.

The team adopted the principle of respect and dignity among members. Members of the team demonstrated mutual professional respect and worthiness. Consequently, the team was peaceful and united. Alibaba team members were reliable and trustworthy. The leaders of the group emphasized the benefits of keeping group secrets. Notably, none of the team members shared group strategies with other teams. The significance of secrecy resulted in group uniqueness and creativity.

Drawing from the principle of resource allocation, the team ran out of fieldwork facilitation money. The situation delayed field visits that week. Consequently, the team was not able to meet the predetermined. In essence, the principle of resource allocation is essential. Even though resources do not directly help create an influential group, it helps realize the objectives and goals of a team. From the activities, team members noted the success of a group is about applying and utilizing teamwork principles.

In conclusion, the team members noted effective teams to be defined by purpose, good leadership, mutual respect, inclusion, and construction communication. Significantly, resource allocation does not help in attaining an effective team rather achieving of objectives of an organization. Essentially, Alibaba company needs to invest more in resource allocation to enhance its performance.

References

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Ford, R. C., Piccolo, R. F., & Ford, L. R. (2017). Strategies for building effective virtual teams: Trust is key. Business Horizons, 60(1), 25-34.

Greve, H. R., & Argote, L. (2015). Behavioral Theories of Organization. International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 2nd ed. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 481-86.

Huang, K. P., Tung, J., Lo, S. C., & Chou, M. J. (2013). A Review and Critical Analysis of the Principles of Scientific Management. International Journal of Organizational Innovation (Online), 5(4), 78.

Sanyal, S., & Hisam, M. W. (2018). The Impact of Teamwork on Work Performance of Employees: A Study of Faculty Members in Dhofar University. IOSR Journal of Business and Management, 20(3), 15-22.

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Yun, J. J., Zhao, X., Park, K., & Shi, L. (2020). Sustainability condition of open innovation: Dynamic growth of Alibaba from SME to large enterprise. Sustainability, 12(11), 4379.

Zimmermann, N., & Matisek, J. (2020). A Developmental Role for Militaries in Africa: The Peace Engineering Corps Solution? S&F Sicherheit und Frieden, 38(2), 112-117.

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