Essay Sample on Reforming Business Organizations: The Zendesk Model vs. Henri Fayol's Five Pillars

Introduction

The nature of business organizations has changed in the last few years. These changes have been attributed to the need for reform leadership and organizational culture (Daft, Murphy & Willmott, 2010). For instance, Zendesk company encourages customer-centric organizational model that dwells on the customers' achievement involving alongside enthusiastic, talented, and cohesive culture. Zendesk company is simply against the Henri Fayol management models that encompass five pillars. These pillars include planning, organizing, commanding, coordination, and controlling. A modern model consists of two pillars only coordinating and commanding; however, the nature of commanding is different because managers do not dive orders in the business, but they perform their part and organize all members in the company. Modern leadership and management should take particular roles in achievable business organizational and competitive advantage.

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Zendesk Organisational Culture

Organizational culture attributes to assumptions, beliefs, ways, and values of institution interactions that realize the unique and uniform psychological environment and social organization. Zendesk company involves an excellent example of organizational culture that is fostered by better management and leadership. Leadership and management are two terms which are often interchanged in their meaning; however, there is a slight and very critical difference that realizes a competitive advantage in a company. In a business environment, leadership is regarded as the ability to establish direction and influence members of the organization to follow them.

On the other hand, management involves effective business operations which solve complexity is involved in business administration. Both management and leadership are all necessary skills in business. However, it is advisable to note the skills required in every area since both skills often overlap. For instance, a manager requires leadership skills and managerial activities. Zendesk company is a good example that shows how leadership and management are influenced by organizational culture.

The CEO of Zendesk came up with a modern approach to run a business which encourages social interaction and customer-centric approach (Zendesk, 2019). The CEO manages to influence the employees through learning their needs; this can be expressed in the Maslow's hierarchy of needs which include self-actualization, esteem, social, security, and physiology. The CEO is seen dressed in different attire while meeting with san Francisco mayor, but in Zendesk he is seen with a Zendesk hat (influencing others to get to work). The CEO shows a different organizational culture as opposed to the five pillars of an organization by Henri Fayol; this is because he influences people to do something rather than commanding. Corporate culture also includes values of the employees and employees needs that motivate them to perform a particular task. For instance, Zendesk involves motivational elements that create cohesiveness in the attainment of the business objectives. Zendesk Company when employees are arriving and leaving from work, they receive greeting from a saluter. The company has a special place where employees get snacks, takes coffee, lunch, and somewhere to get drinks after work. All those facilitates and values makes employees in Zendesk fell comfortable in their workplaces without any restrictions.

The CEO knew that for the company to be functioning efficiently at all time, its management needed to understand its employee and catered for their needs. The CEO implements the Need-based theory of motivation to make the company work towards stipulated objectives without commanding. Further, in the engineering department is built-in diversity and inclusion; it is also an all-purpose office where every employee meets disregarding their department to have a distinguished task. Moreover, inside that office, there a basketball section where people meet to make fun and accelerates cohesion and unity.

Zendesk Organisational Structure

Organizational cultures in the business refer to the online and norms made to achieve the goals of the company via related objectives. Zendesk is capable of having its activities done expertly and with ease through leadership and management. The company does not choose a specific group of people to volunteer in the city but mixes employees from every department. Another surprising thing about the company structure is that in the engineering team there are managers in the group, but one cannot tell who or who is not. The team is structured in a way that they are aware of their specific tasks, but there are no boundaries in social interaction and goals of the company.

Zendesk organizational structure is built in a straightforward approach; for instance, the IT team is structured in a manner that they feel comfortable and motivated to work. Warren Buffet is a believer in simplicity and enthusiastic team that will work motivated to perform a specified gaol (Heflin & Lumen Learning, n.d.). It is a trait that is exhibited by many successful leaders in recognized institutions like Amazon. Charisma is a virtual that most leaders fail to have, but Jeff Bezos, the Amazon CEO, has managed to instil to the industries and societies at entirety. Zendesk CEO is making long-term strategy towards organizational structure, starting with the Zendesk headquarter in San Francisco.

Conclusion

Conclusively for a business to excel and acquire a competitive advantage, it is advisable leadership, and management skills must be well implemented. Further, leadership and management skills would be directed to a modern approach that reforms organizational culture and organizational structure. Companies have implemented management and leadership skills that emphasis corporate culture, motivation, and positive relationship among employees and upper management; it is noted from Jeff Bezos and Warren Buffet leadership (Thompson & Lumen Learning, n.d.). The most critical facets in organizational culture and structure are motivation, learning needs of employees, societal needs, and simplicity as opposed to past approaches.

References

Daft, R. L., Murphy, J., & Willmott, H. (2010). Organization theory and design. Cengage Learning EMEA.

Heflin, J., & Lumen Learning. (n.d.). Putting it together: Leadership. In Principles of Management. Retrieved from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wmopen-principlesofmanagement/chapter/putting-it-together-leadership/

Thompson, D. J., & Lumen Learning. (n.d.). The importance of employee motivation. In Principles of Management. Retrieved from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wmopen-principlesofmanagement/chapter/the-importance-of-employee-motivation/

Zendesk. (2012, May 16). This is Zendesk [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0uaSU6IVN4&feature=youtu.be