This organizational leadership paper identifies Alizz Islamic Bank in Oman, where I work, as the best-case scenario in describing leadership concepts and to understand the concepts of Seven Leadership Mindset Theory. The bank is charged with providing corporate and retail financial solutions through retail branches and online platforms. The bank also employs mobile applications to reach to its esteemed customers. The Alizz Islamic Bank of Oman bank also provides financial solutions that are Sharia’ compliant.
Most importantly, the bank was founded as a digital Islamic banking solution in 2012. By the time it began operation, many banks already existed. However, as time passed, the banking system has achieved a substantial amount of growth into one of the renowned banks within the Arab Union. The Alizz Islamic Bank of Oman’s steady expansion is driven by a constant influx of corporate and retail investments and a large profit margin that it generates through its online financial assistance endeavors. Throughout the years of its operation, the Alizz Islamic Bank of Oman has employed appropriate strategies towards meeting its vision and mission. The Alizz Islamic Bank of Oman’s vision is embedded in the fact that it struggles to be the best banking system in the world – in the minds and hearts of its customers and workers. Otherwise, the main aim of Alizz Islamic Bank of Oman is to become a top achieving financial hot-point in the industry – one of which the corporation has already achieved.
Most importantly, Alizz Islamic Bank of Oman has successfully managed to influence the mindset of its workers and customers to attain financial benefits. While workers earn their wages, consumers save a lot of money due to the strategy of reduced interest rates offered by Alizz Islamic Bank. Therefore, this paper will outline the manner in which the seven structure and system theory influence the characteristics of Alizz Islamic Bank. The paper will also examine the evolution of the organizational sectors towards ensuring success. Another activity that this paper intends to solicit is the critical examination of the development and change within the structural organization of Alizz Islamic Bank of Oman.
The Seven Structures and Systems of Alizz Islamic Bank of Oman
The Seven S model is a theoretical framework that several organizations employ in management situations – however, it is mainly used in the assessment of organizational design. In our case, the structure will be helpful in:
The Seven S model, also known as the McKinsey model, represents seven organizational sectors. The sectors are divided into hard and soft areas. Hard elements include structure, strategy, and systems because they are easy to manage and identify, unlike flexible elements. Contrarily, flexible components are the organization’s foundation or building blocks. Soft factors are thus, more likely to develop an organization’s sustainable competitive advantage. The elastic elements include skills, style, staff, and shared values (Beck and Cowan, 2014).
Impacts of the Seven Structures and Systems on Management and Leadership of Alizz Islamic Bank of Oman
In Alizz Islamic Bank of Oman’s Finance Department, for instance, the systems of operation that Alizz Islamic Bank of Oman employs can best be seen in its inventory sub-section. This sub-section requires proper decision-making capabilities thus; the management of the inventory section involves the application of inventory models that are vendor-managed. Within the vendor-managed inventory model, Alizz Islamic Bank of Oman’s investors has access to financial information systems (Rooke and Torbert, 2015). However, clients use the same model to determine the appropriate time to get loans based on inventory levels’ real-time data and the information received from the finance department. As a result, Alizz Islamic Bank of Oman can avoid loan outs bursts. By doing so, the firm’s effort towards cost-minimization gets support. Therefore, the explained systems are important to Alizz Islamic Bank of Oman because they maximize its performance within the operations management’s decision-making area, unlike its Islamic bank competitors that have long inventories and high costs (MindToolsVideos, 2014).
On the other note, the styles of leadership that Alizz Islamic Bank of Oman employs – which are the transactional and transformational styles of management, encourages managers to be visionary, charismatic, strategic, ethically considerate, as well as have distributive skills. Apart from that, Alizz Islamic Bank of Oman helps its managers and workers acquire skills by training them in the work enforcement centers. As mentioned before, Alizz Islamic Bank of Oman has created many work enforcement centers and workshops. Such workshops are known as ‘Alizz Islamic Bank of Oman work enforcement centers and are geared toward training individuals into becoming department supervisors and more-experienced managers (Robichaux, n.d.). As mentioned before, individuals are sectioned to work in classrooms within different locations created by the company. In the work enforcement centers, employees are taught how to determine loss statements, calculate profits as well as how to run the departments like micro businesses (Tsang and Tsang, 2017, pg. 40).
On the other hand, managers are then taught how to understand their home life while managing workers. Otherwise, Alizz Islamic Bank of Oman is considered as the pariah of rural Arabic Society. Currently, the company is geared towards rebranding itself to meet the needs of workers and customers. Such is an area that Alizz Islamic Bank of Oman creates a credit score ahead of its Islamic competitors (Porter, 2016).
Alizz Islamic Bank of Oman is unique in its system of management. With time, the administration and the fraternity of the entire banking system have come to believe in certain cultural aspects that make it different from its global competitors. Most importantly, the management of the banking system has outlined several changes within the framework of the organization. Such changes include organizational beliefs, actions of workers and managers, and value systems. Therefore, the work environment has been tweaked to improve workers’ bio-pschyco-social conditions such as their lifestyle, cognitive abilities, operational culture, as well as the reduced capability to perform particular tasks concerning age. Concerning systems and structure theory, the established learning centers by the management of Alizz Islamic Bank of Oman has changed the leadership mindset into making better work structures and methods for works. In turn, the work and living conditions for the stakeholders have been improved. A different perspective of the vMEME theory highlights some of the significance of changes that the banking system has undergone (Rothaermel, 2017).
Most importantly, the changes in Alizz Islamic Bank’s value system are noticeable regarding improvement in leadership mindset of Alizz Islamic Bank’s managers has conformed into transitioning the workplace into one that is focused on equality and sustainability. Most importantly, the aspect of social networking has taken center stage of operation. Unlike other banking systems in the Islamic region and the world at large, the opportunity is considered as a critical aspect of financial growth and competitiveness by the firm. Therefore, the bank, through its leadership, has been on the frontline towards the promotion of vision, charisma, strategy, ethics, and distribution ( Mauri, 2016).
Most importantly, the bank has a new operational framework compared to its competitors. The new structure is geared towards ensuring that the banking system achieves sustainable growth within its time while operating. The management made up of the CEO and the board of board of governors, control every process involving decision-making. On the other hand, team empowerment and team play are essential concepts that the system use to ensure growth. However, most importantly, the mid-level and top managers employ the red level mindset of leadership (Kryscynski, 2015). Such managers also work hard to identify new opportunities and growth niches, allocate available resources, oversee business processes, and execute changes whenever necessary. Therefore, managers are not just administrators but are considered as leaders – and since they are leaders, they monitor performance within the departments. However, it is difficult to comprehend, why the top management of Alizz Islamic Bank does not consider, quite often, the suggestions and ideas put forward by department managers in processes of decision-making. Many world competitors use the factor as a threat towards establishing marketing grounds against Alizz Islamic Bank. Department managers should be part of the systemic procession of the organization and thus, contribute to activities involving decision-making. Most importantly, the ideas of branch managers should be considered implemented if such plans are viable (Hamel and Prahalad, 2005, pg. 249).
Alizz Islamic Bank’s leadership trait is most authoritative. Therefore, the top management is sole decision makers and dictators of the work processes and methods. As a result, the leadership system of Alizz Islamic Bank has created a working framework that is rigid and strict. The disadvantage of such a structure is that innovation is hindered while employee disengagement and retention issues may be massive (Walker, 2017). However, in as much as the leadership structure is authoritative, the firm tries to curb worker disengagement and retention issues by encouraging managers to influence employees within their departments to work towards meeting organizational objective and goals while offering rewards and enticements to those that work hard enough.
Most importantly, branch leaders inspire workers within their departments to become achievers and receive recognition (Grundy, 2006, pg. 216). Such managers manage such influential roles by being role models themselves. Alizz Islamic Bank puts in place, active structures, principles, and procedures in which workers are required to be able to perform delegated tasks and do so effectively with minimal follow up. Therefore, the mindset that is associated with such a leadership outlook is practical, self-interestedness, directness, and conservativeness. However, the management of Alizz Islamic Bank does not conform to such attributes even if the system is involved in such strict delegation and preciseness. The system is based on managers and worker being motivated, listening, ensuring forward progression, as well as appreciating and exceeding the expectations of customers.
Most importantly, the emphasis is placed on better performance. Such a system can be recognized as a green value mindset – which is most of all, viable in the customer service branch. The customer service section also identifies inclusiveness and social networking to ensure that better service delivery is attained while also striving to achieve the loyalty of customers (Gerdeman, 2012). Most importantly, it is worth noting that within the short period of operation, Alizz Islamic Bank has recognized and implemented several leadership structures and systems in an attempt to increase service delivery, improve internal communication, and address several other management complications that the firm could face. With vivid consideration, Alizz Islamic Bank value effective organizational communication and teamwork. Alizz Islamic Bank value effective corporate communication and teamwork because the two useful management attributes are constructive towards solving customer related issues – most of which are attached to service delivery and the quality of service itself (Yukl, 2012). However, the leadership traits that the management of Alizz Islamic Bank value and exalt are being empathetic, accommodative, encouraging active engagement, being collaborative, as well as being self-driven and motivated. Within the department that I work, for instance, I support my team to possess two main mindsets – the green value system and the orange value system. The two value systems are critical because they recognize the personal attributes of workers. There are those who are motivated to work even without rewards, whereas, there is another pair that requires recognition and prizes to be more motivated (Duval, Sharples and Sutherland, 2017, pg. 8). For both sets of workers, green and orange value systems work best about getting the best out of such workers. The value systems ensure that both kinds of workers comply with the principles and practices already established with minimal supervision and not deviating from the recommended task outline. Finally, the work enforcement centers and workshops created by the management of the firm are geared toward training individuals into becoming better financial operations supervisors and more-experienced banking managers. Individuals are sectioned to work in workshops within different locations created by the company. In the work enforcement centers, employees get taught how to determine loss statements, calculate profits as well as how to run the sections like micro banking businesses. Managers also learn how to understand their home lives, how to handle stakeholders, and how to be role models while managing workers. Otherwise, Alizz Islamic Bank in Oman is currently geared towards enhancing performance through reimaging to meet the needs of workers and customers ( Dawlabani, 2013).
The main reason why Alizz Islamic Bank of Oman bank was initiated was to provide financial assistance that is Sharia’ compliant. Having been founded in 2012 – in the digital era and on the digital Islamic banking principles, the system needed to encourage innovation and technological growth. However, in as much as the banking system has achieved a substantial amount of growth and becoming a renowned bank within the Islamic community, Alizz Islamic Bank has faced many management challenges. Still, the Alizz Islamic Bank of Oman has managed a steady expansion because of a constant influx of corporate and retail investments as well as large profit margin that it generates through its online financial assistance endeavors (Collins and Leaderpowertools, 2009).
Most importantly, the bank, throughout its years of operation, has employed appropriate strategies towards meeting its vision and mission. The image of Alizz Islamic Bank of Oman is embedded on its struggles to be the best banking system in the world while considering the minds and hearts of its customers and workers. However, the main aim of Alizz Islamic Bank of Oman that is to become a top achieving financial hot-point in the industry cannot be sustained if some of the management challenges affecting the company are not adequately handled. Influencing the mindset of customers and workers alone is not enough to attain continued financial benefits and growth (Brotchie, Newton, Hall and Nijkamp, 2017).
Most importantly, with continued advocacy for openness and flexibility within organizations in the business world, Alizz Islamic Bank finds itself in a difficult situation to compete with large financial institutions like The World Bank. As mentioned before, Alizz Islamic Bank’s leadership is most authoritative. Therefore, the top management is the sole decision maker and dictator of the work processes and methods. Such a leadership trait leaves the firm in a difficult situation because several global businesses act as well as organizational management trends encourage the involvement of workers and customers in regulatory decision-making processes. The participation of workers and customers in organizational decision-making processes to ensure that an organization is transparent and efficient in its dealings is known as corporate social responsibility. The trend of corporate social responsibility is, therefore, lacking in the management framework of Alizz Islamic Bank. Most considerably, Alizz Islamic Bank has a working structure that is rigid and strict – according to the Islamic doctrines. However, the global business trend requires multinational corporations to be considerate of cultural issues and effects towards ensuring effective organizational management (Bennett, Dawson, Bearman, Molloy and Boud, 2017, pg. 677). The management guidelines of Alizz Islamic Bank should not only be based on Islamic Sharia but also global ethical and moral doctrines to ensure global organizational success. Most of all, Alizz Islamic Bank’s strict management structure hinders innovation with issues of employee disengagement and retention being massive. It is essential, therefore, that the firm tries to curb worker disengagement and retention by incorporating open decision-making models to include workers and customers in processes of decision-making. Otherwise, encouraging managers to influence employees within their departments to work towards meeting organizational objective and goals while offering rewards and enticements to those that work hard enough is not effective enough in this case. However, branch leaders need to continue inspiring workers within their departments to become achievers and receive recognition (Allio, 2011, pg. 7).
Every organization faces management challenges in one way or the other – even the most established firms like The World Bank. Therefore, Alizz Islamic Bank is not an exception. However, two most certain challenges that the firm will face include the management of finance and uncertainty of the future. On the risks of the future, Alizz Islamic Bank will have problems that relate to being able to forecast customer and market trends. Such is because the global changing economic spectrum is fast changing. The banking system has not put in place, mechanisms and strategies that predict marketing and customer outcomes. Otherwise, by incorporating consultants that are trained to anticipate and read the all-important trends, Alizz Islamic Bank stands a chance of having a bright business future (Alizz Islamic Bank, 2018). On financial management, the management of Alizz Islamic Bank is made of individuals that are full of ideas. In simple terms, the management team is good at looking at the bigger picture and employing disruptive thinking. However, the team is not as good in managing profit margins, cash flow, financing, and reducing costs among others. However, this challenge may soon be alleviated since the firm has a center of work-enforcement and workshops. Such workshops are geared toward training individuals into becoming department supervisors and more-experienced managers. Individuals are sectioned to work in classrooms within different locations created by the company. In the work enforcement centers, employees are taught how to determine loss statements, calculate profits as well as how to run the departments like micro businesses. On the other hand, managers are then trained in how to understand their home life while managing workers (Ainul-Azyan, Pulakanam, and Pons, 2017, pg. 471).
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