Building Your Management Skills Portfolio

Building Your Management Skills Portfolio Your Management Skills Portfolio is the

Building Your Management Skills Portfolio Your Management Skills Portfolio is a collection of activities specially designed to demonstrate your management knowledge and skill. Be sure to save your work. Taking your printed portfolio to an employment interview could be helpful in obtaining a job. The portfolio activity for this chapter is Motivating Workers at Honda of America.

Read the following about Honda of America and answer the questions that follow. In 1977, Honda, a Japanese company, announced plans to build a motorcycle manufacturing plant in the United States near Marysville, Ohio, and in 1980 announced plans to build an automobile manufacturing facility in the same area. Ever since the company made these announcements, Honda’s history has been nothing but impressive. To emphasize this success, the Marysville Auto Plant now produces the Accord Coupe for export to Japan. Honda of America has become a leading auto exporter in the United States, and the motorcycle plant has produced its one-millionth unit of the Gold Wing motorcycle.

Many maintain that the following belief statement, which appears prominently on the Honda of America website, is a primary reason for the company’s success: “Why do people want to work for Honda? How does Honda achieve industry-leading quality year after year, making extremely complex products such as cars, trucks, motorcycles, and engines? The answer is in Honda’s foundation principle—the tenant upon which all the other Honda philosophies are based. It’s called Respect for the Individual.” Founders Soichiro Honda and Takeo Fujisawa believed in creating a workforce in which each member’s ideas received the full consideration and respect of the group. People are diverse and that’s a good thing, Mr. Honda believed, because diversity of thought, skills, background, and experiences can enrich the workplace and the product, if the differences are allowed to generate ideas. In order for the associates’ best ideas to come forward, they must feel valued and comfortable speaking up and interacting with their work groups. That’s where respect comes in. Only in an atmosphere of maximized respect and inclusion can a workforce reach its highest levels of achievement. Activities You have just been contacted to interview for the top management position at Honda of America. You would be responsible for both automobile and motorcycle manufacturing. Before you visit the Marysville facility for a series of face-to-face interviews, however, you have been asked to answer the following questions related to your own beliefs about how managers should handle people. Answer the following questions in preparation for your trip to Marysville. (Assignment below must be at least 400 words total.) 1. 14-15. What role do you think the individual needs of people play in building a successful company?

2. 14-16. What insights do you have about creating employee commitment to the success of Honda of America?

3. 14-17. Do you believe that maintaining fair pay in Honda’s Marysville plant is important? Why?

4. 14-18. What is your personal philosophy about using “job design’ as a tool for motivating Honda of America employees?

5. 14-19. What management style would you use at Honda of America? Discuss its short- and long-term implications for production levels.

Paper For Above instruction

Building a management skills portfolio is a crucial component for aspiring managers, as it encapsulates their understanding of effective leadership strategies, human resource management, and organizational behavior. In the context of Honda of America, a company renowned for its respect for individual differences and inclusive culture, a managerial approach emphasizing respect, motivation, and adaptive management styles is essential. This paper explores the significance of individual needs, employee commitment, fair compensation, job design, and management style in fostering a successful manufacturing environment like Honda.

Firstly, the individual needs of employees are fundamental in building a successful company. Recognizing and respecting individual differences—such as skills, backgrounds, motivations, and aspirations—enables managers to tailor their leadership approaches effectively. According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, addressing basic physiological and safety needs is essential, but fulfilling social, esteem, and self-actualization needs motivates employees to perform at their best (Maslow, 1943). Honda’s philosophy of “Respect for the Individual” aligns with this understanding, emphasizing that acknowledging personal differences fosters engagement, satisfaction, and productivity. When employees feel their unique contributions are valued, they are more likely to demonstrate commitment and innovate, which drives organizational success.

Creating employee commitment requires managers to foster a sense of ownership and purpose among their teams. At Honda of America, this can be achieved through transparent communication, involvement in decision-making, recognition of achievements, and providing opportunities for personal growth (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). When employees see a clear connection between their work and organizational goals, they develop intrinsic motivation. Moreover, a culture that emphasizes respect and inclusion encourages employees to voice ideas without fear of retribution, further strengthening their commitment (Deci & Ryan, 2000). This intrinsic motivation is vital for maintaining high performance and adapting to the dynamic manufacturing environment.

Fair compensation is another critical factor. Maintaining equitable pay at Honda’s Marysville plant sustains employee morale and reduces turnover. Fair pay affirms the value of employees' contributions and aligns with organizational justice theories, which suggest that perceptions of fairness significantly influence job satisfaction and loyalty (Greenberg, 1987). Given Honda’s commitment to respecting individuals, providing competitive wages ensures that employees feel appreciated and motivated, leading to increased productivity and quality standards.

Regarding job design, my personal philosophy is that empowering employees through meaningful work enhances motivation. By designing jobs that include variety, autonomy, and opportunities for skill development, managers can cultivate a sense of ownership and purpose among workers (Hackman & Oldham, 1976). At Honda, this approach could involve rotating tasks to develop versatile skills or engaging employees in continuous improvement initiatives. Such strategies foster intrinsic motivation, leading to greater job satisfaction and innovation.

Finally, the management style I would advocate at Honda would be participative, emphasizing collaboration and respect. This style promotes open communication, encourages input from all levels, and supports a shared vision (Vroom & Yetton, 1973). In the short term, this approach can boost morale and increase productivity; in the long term, it cultivates a committed, empowered workforce that can adapt to changing demands and sustain high-quality output. This participative style aligns with Honda’s values and is essential for maintaining the company’s competitive edge in complex manufacturing processes.

References

• Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The "what" and "why" of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination theory. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227-268.
• Greenberg, J. (1987). A taxonomy of organizational justice theories. Academy of Management Review, 12(1), 9-22.
• Hackman, J. R., & Oldham, G. R. (1976). Motivation through the design of work: Test of a theory. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 16(2), 250-279.
• Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2012). The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations. Jossey-Bass.
• Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370-396.
• Vroom, V. H., & Yetton, P. W. (1973). Leadership and Decision-Making. University of Pittsburgh Press.