Operations Management

Operations Management can be summed up as the strategies employed by an organization to provide a competitive advantage to optimize all decisions and processes encountered in business practices. A solid operation management team ensures that company's day-to-day activities run smoothly and will assist in maximizing revenues. A key consideration of an effective OM manager is one that makes ethical decisions during the planning, review and implementation stages of any new process to be introduced. This paper will briefly examine the purpose of operations management as well as analyze an ethics decision made with respect to OM within my own organization.

Operational management (OM) consists of many facets, but in general examines the best methods to produce and deliver products and/or services into the hands of the targeted consumer. OM decisions are involved in the following ways: designing new procedures, reviewing and improving processes, and determining when a process/product should be eliminated. The goal of operational management is to weigh decisions in such a way to minimize risk, establish a balance between effective and efficient processes, and maximize revenue for the organization.

Managers should employ ethical decision-making as a regular tool while determining with proper OM techniques to use. The principle of ethics is one that distinguishes between what is right and wrong human behavior. In practice, decision makers may be tempted or improperly motivated to make decisions that benefit themselves or their organization at the expense of others. This practice is contrary to those organizations that have developed a code of ethics describing a set of moral principles and values for all employees to follow.

Managers in my organization seem to lack any formal ethics training other than an introductory online course that is required by all employees. Common sense seems to be the governing factor, but with the broad range of cultures, beliefs, and interests within our organization, the ability to make the proper and ethical decision should be of far greater importance. More to the point, managers are driven by meeting the bottom line and making "their numbers" to earn bonuses. This practice is commonly discussed and openly encouraged.

An example of poor ethics in use is during times of layoffs. I have survived several