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International Management - Rodchenko VV

Advantages and disadvantages of the "model of Harzburg"

In the course of the gradual introduction of the " Harzburg model ", three events deserve special attention in enterprises and organizations.

1. Determination by the management of the enterprise or consulting firm of a range of tasks.

2. Fixing the areas of delegation of responsibility from a business point of view, ie, without relation to the capabilities of specific individuals. The established spheres, as was shown above, are fixed in the description of posts. As an example, you can describe the positions at the successfully operating enterprise "3M Deutschland", which is a subsidiary of a large US company, Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co. It includes the title of the post; Scope of activities; Location of the enterprise; Rank level (only for management functions); The name of the post of direct superior and his rank level; The staff of the organizational unit; Number of staff at subsequent levels; The list of employees outside the organizational structure and professionally subordinate to the person holding the position; Number of professionally subordinate employees at different levels; The necessary qualifications for certain posts (secondary school diploma, special courses, etc.); Necessary for this position professional experience (relevant training and work experience); Special knowledge and skills necessary for the performance of their duties; Target setting of the position (a brief summary of the tasks assigned), competence; Detailed description of the tasks that the official should perform independently within the limits of his authority; Possible obstacles that impede the fulfillment of tasks and are difficult to remove for a person holding a position. When you change the scope of a particular position (for example, modify the task list), the description of the latter should be adapted to the new conditions.

3. Development of the "General Design of Management" or "General Management Directive", where the duties of employees and managers are recorded. Such managerial documents include rules for conducting service negotiations, organizing information flows, performing selective monitoring during the performance of the assignment and monitoring the results achieved, using labor collectives, and also recording complaints. When the instruction (directive) comes into force, these rules are considered the norm and serve as a basis for monitoring and evaluating the performance of a particular official.

"The model of Harzburg" is effective in terms of using new technology and modern technology. The higher the technological level, the higher the requirements for leadership, and the principle of delegating responsibility should be more firmly established as a prerequisite for skilled entrepreneurial actions. This model has proved itself where it is necessary to perform predominantly repetitive and relatively well-structured labor tasks. Its drawback lies in the fact that in connection with the strict regulation of the spheres of activity in the organization, there is a danger of its "ossification". "The model of Harzburg" is, first of all, the implementation model, that is, ordinary employees act in line with the goals set on top, and only conditionally we can assume that they are participating in their establishment. The control mechanism is constructed in such a way that the control is more or less one-sided and comes from the manager. However, despite the listed shortcomings, it can be stated that the application of the "model of Harzburg" is quite effective. At present, its implementation in the new federal states of Germany (the former GDR) has shown good results. Economists-practitioners note the wide possibilities of the model for the optimal solution of management problems in the enterprise.

An analysis of the experience of the prosperous German enterprises shows that the "Harzburg model" has certain advantages in the field of personnel management: with the delegation of increased responsibility to an individual employee, there are great opportunities for independent action, as a result of which its internal production independence increases; Each employee, expressing his own opinion on various issues, becomes, as it were, a "consultant entrepreneur" who can more flexibly react to emerging problems and resolve them in a timely manner. At the same time, additional labor reserves are mobilized and the identification of the employee with the enterprise is increasing; Cooperation at all levels of the enterprise improves, and therefore the costs for coordinating the actions of employees on the part of managers are reduced, which are freed from routine work and can devote more time to strategic tasks; The model facilitates the open detection of errors and shortcomings; Ordinary employees and managers act within the framework of certain rules that guarantee a correct approach to problems and correct behavior. The shortcomings in managerial activities of managers are more clearly manifested and can therefore be eliminated more quickly; The organization becomes "transparent", which reduces the possibility of conflicts. Every employee of the enterprise knows what tasks he must solve, what is his competence and what he is responsible for.

Questions for self-examination

1. Name the main duties of employees when working with delegation of responsibility.

2. What is the "model of counseling"?

3. Give a description of the main principles of criticism according to the "model of Harzburg".

4. Name the stages of control in the management with delegation of authority.

5. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the "model of Harzburg"?