The Different Methods and Styles of Leadership

In a seminal and much-cited article on the subject of lead-ership, Lewin, Lippitt, and White (1939) coined the term demo-cratic-style leadership to refer to a method of managing that involved give and take between leaders, or managers, and the people whose jobs they were guiding. Later identified with group leadership, democratic leadership was valorized vis-a-vis auto-cratic leadership on one side and laissez-faire leadership on the other. One may readily infer the bias in favor of democratic leadership style from the mere naming of the other style terms. The autocratic style of leadership has been linked to the so-called scientific management methods envisioned by Frederick Taylor, who in the early part of the 20th century was influen-tial in devising a strategy of workplace behavior meant to elim-inate uncertainty and chaos in the workplace. The problem was that managers tended to leave employees out of the policy-imple-mentation equation. Supposedly, scientific management would eliminate the adversary relationship between labor and manage-ment. Instead, â€Å"science, the impartial arbiter, would decide† (Kanigel, 1996, p. 45). Yet â€Å"science† inevitably meant top-down, hierarchical management practices: â€Å"Taylor's experts and engineers did the thinking, while you were consigned to mindless doing† (Kanigel, 1996, p. 51). Laissez-faire leadership, as the term implies, fully em-powers the group members. The actual leader recedes, but the group is responsible for its decisions. One trouble with that style is that the leader also withdraws as a resource, unless the group specifically asks for help, and intragroup rivalries and compe-tition can develop that can limit group effectiveness (Lewin, Lippitt, & White, 1939). There may be no shared vision about the group's objective. One may also infer the potential for the tyranny of the majority, a term attributed to Tocque-ville in his 1839 book Democracy in America. That idea also sur-faces in democratic-style management, but a leader changes the anarchic process by guiding the group away from internal power plays and toward unified group objectives. After World War II, influential management philosophy shifted toward ideas of democratic-style leadership with the work of W. Edwards Deming, whose famous Fourteen Points of man-agement included calls for management, not labor, to assume re-sponsibility for quality and for managers to act as leaders who clearly articulated work objectives and supported labor in im-plementing them (Walton, 1986). Yet Deming's management ideas were more wide-ranging than leadership per se, and the style associated with group dynamics is the focus of this research. Democratic-style leadership is consistent with management theory that views workers, or members of the leader's group, as resources rather than as drains or something to be coped with or otherwise got over. Even where some hierarchical struc-tures are in place, communication processes are meant to travel up, down, and laterally within an organization, and management practice diffuses decision-making events â€Å"throughout the organization. Even important decisions involve input from employees at all levels† (Hamiton & Parker, 2001, p. 58). The democratizing influence of such practice implies that communication will be interactive, not simply a matter of transmission of messages (commands) from managers to employees. The implication, too, is that such communication must take place in an environment of openness, honesty, and shared confi-dence (Hamilton & Parker, 2001, p. 58), which tends to yield cooperation and productivity. Because enterprise activity is necessarily collaborative, communication effectiveness is of paramount concern. Openness for leaders involves disclosure (sharing) of information with subordinates plus the reception or feedback from them. The authors of the best-selling One Minute Manager valorize simple, direct, and honest explanation of what is expected by management of workers, together with regular follow-up and evaluation of performance, and a commitment on the part of management to both people and results (Blanchard & Johnson, 1981, p. 8). That is, the more a manager facilitates subordinates' work (p. 19), the more likely the workers as members of the leader's group are to be productive and to produce high-quality work. Leadership that focuses on facilitating rather than defining the details or methods of the work of employees starts with making clear â€Å"what our responsibilities are and what we are being held accountable for† (p. 27). Realism about goals feeds realistic work habits and attention to achievement of those goals. As leaders, managers must both permit and enable disclosure and/or feedback by group members in an environment of psycholo-gical safety (Hamilton & Parker, 2001), which is also a hallmark of democratic systems. Equally, managers must be alert to non-verbal as well as verbal cues that may supply information about a group's performance and attitude. Hamilton and Parker give the (nonverbal) example of the prestige attached to corner offices as having the potential to affect the quality of workplace morale. Time management, too, sends messages about the kind of equality associated with democracy: Being late for meetings may stigmatize employees (Hamilton & Parker, 2001, p. 160) but send the message that some people (for example, managers) who are late when others (for example, secretaries) are on time are en-titled to be so. To be effective, democratic styles of leader-ship lead by example, with leaders asking nothing of subordi-nates that they are not equipped to do themselves.

Enterprise Resource Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Enterprise Resource Planning - Essay Example According to Lau (2005, p.127), there are several issues that need attention from a Chief Information Officer before implementation. A CIO basically needs to examine the objectives and need for implementing an ERP system. The management needs methods to tackle the continuous changes in requirements. The manager needs to identify the financial backup of the company as implementing an ERP system is highly expensive. The CIO has to take timely decisions based on the business factors and the changes required in structure and environment.(Willcocks, Leslie, & Sykes, 2000) Â  Future integration problems of different systems are always imminent and managers should be able to create plans to adapt to the scalability of an organization. The recent example for integration and changes in structures of the system is when the University of Kent chose IBM Cognos 8 for planning requirements, replacing the spreadsheets used earlier. It is the responsibility of the CIO to provide information systems that are responsive and efficient for students. (Navuluri 2008) The current mortgage crisis and the economic recession in US have certainly affected the ERP supported information systems. With further recession predicted, CIO’s would face more tough time as changes in ERP systems require high expenditure, a cost practically unaffordable in such a crisis.(Unit4aggresso, 2008) A progressive way to move forward would be to adapt right type of plans for an ERP system, to reengineer it and contour processes to avoid loss..

Social Psychology (Milgram's studies of obedience) Essay

Social Psychology (Milgram's studies of obedience) - Essay Example 205). This statement become fuel to the controversy over personal dispositions and social factors, and in more fundamental way, over nature versus nurture. In this paper, I will be presenting a summary of different opinions on the Milgram experiment as gathered from various academic writers in scholarly journals. To date, the Milgram experiment continues to be influential in the study of social psychology, and it has various implications in the conduct of research, as well as the research directions that social psychologists have taken. In conclusion, I will be discussing how Milgram’s experiment influenced the understanding of obedience in psychology. I will be drawing primarily from the articles that will be highlighted in this paper. Blass (1991) outlines five distinctive features of Milgram’s experiment which has gained its significant place in social psychology, and its lasting contributions. First, is the significance of the results which was far from the predicted outcome when Milgram ran a separate experiment to get the prediction rates of Yale seniors and a group of psychiatrists. Second, is the fact that Milgram conducted a series of experiments on the topic designing a more comprehensive picture of the phenomenon. Third stems from the controversies that the research has initiated. â€Å"More than any other research in social psychology, the obedience experiments have been embroiled from the beginning in a number of controversies in which they have played a central and enriching role†(Blass, 1991, p. 398). Fourth, is the far-reaching impact of the obedience research in other fields of discipline such as education, political science, communication research and philosophy. Fifth is how the res earch has accounted for discrepancies between the situational and dispositional determinants of behaviour. Although debate is continuing, Milgram’s research has paved the way for inquiry into which accounts for specific behaviours, and to

Locate articles on the Internet about how population demographics are Assignment

Locate articles on the Internet about how population demographics are changing in the U.S., and other developed countries - Assignment Example On the other hand, the population demographics of developing countries such as Nigeria, Indonesia, India and Pakistan are characterized by high birth rates. The population in Africa and Asia is estimated to triple by 2030 due to the high fertility rates and unexploited resources in those countries (Shapner, 2007). The changes in U.S population demographics will affect the work, healthcare, private wealth and income security of the citizens. The business firms will be required to increase their social security contributions due to the increase in the number of post-retirement years for their workers (Kachru, 2009). The business firms will have to align their employment practices with the changes in population demographics in order to remain competitive. The firms will have to incorporate diversity in their talent development and implement human talent development programs that aim at attracting next generation of young and skilled workforce (Little and Triest, para 3). The business firms will have to shift more of their employees from full-time positions to part-time positions in order to address the life-balance requirements of the aged workforce and the need for luxury (Kurtzleben, para 4). The aging population in the US will increase the demand for health-care services. This requires innovative health technologies that will address the high increase in acute and terminal diseases such as Alzheimer and cancer. The business firms will have to offer additional medical benefits in order to ensure the aged workforce remain productive (Shapner, 2007). In 2008, the birth rate was 14 live births per 1,000 representing a 2 percent decline from 2007 statistics and general fertility rate was 68.6 live births per 1,000 women aged 15-44 years. The high fertility rate was attributable to increased access to child care services and other societal adaptations such as male involvement in household labor. The mortality rate was 9.7 deaths per

Roles of School Administrator Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Roles of School Administrator - Essay Example An administrator should prioritize through zeroing on the most integral activities for bringing all learners to high levels of achievement. This can be done by setting clear expectations, deciding on a planning system, and taking stock of the daily school operations in order to determine the most urgent and effective (Hopkins, 2000). Administrators should ensure they build a positive aspects of the teaching ability of the teachers. This is important because it helps them to know where teachers should improve. The objective should be to create a relationship with all faculty members through offering advice and ideas on the way to improve wherever refinement is needed. The staff should always be encouraged to find a better way and continue in their pursuit of quality education. It is vital that an administrator keeps proper record so that each time a faculty is conducted, it should be noted on the date and a brief summary of the observation. This helps in cases where a teacher has areas of inadequacy and refuses to make improvements in those areas (Hopkins,

Effectiveness of the Free Market Economies over Mixed Economies Essay

Effectiveness of the Free Market Economies over Mixed Economies - Essay Example Competition is one of the simple reasons why there are generally so many diverse varieties of goods for consumers to choose from. On the production side of the market, firms making goods which are more popular with consumers can sell them at competitive prices and earn profits. But producers who make uninvited products, or operate unproductively and pay too much to create their products, will suffer losses, eventually, they must either learn to create and compete efficiently making produces customers need at competitive rates, or they will verve out of business. Another effectiveness of free market economies is that companies can fine-tune easily to changes i.e. they don’t have to follow the government procedures when they want to change the kind of products to produce. This is better as opposed as opposed to mixed economies where unsuccessful regulations may paralyze production processes. This can lead to shifting of economic balance. In a mixed economy, the government also d ecides on the amount of tax to be levied on products which lead to people grumpy about high taxes and their reluctance to pay. The main advantage is that a free market economy enjoys the determination of prices by forces of demand and supply without monopolistic or oligopolistic influences. The role of the state is very limited in determining what goes on in a free market as opposed to mixed market which is controlled by both government and private enterprises. Government regulation stimulates inefficiency. Free market leads to optimal allocation of resources in a country. This would only happen in a state of equilibrium or where the demand and supply are equal and there is a unique price for every commodity in question. In a practical world however...This essay offers a comprehensive theoretical analysis of the free market economy, as a type of the economic system. The free market example is The United States Of America. Economics system is the resolving system for the basic econom ics problem. There are three types of the economics system; planned economy, mixed economy and free market. Businesses and consumers select the products they will produce or buy in free market economy. In other words, the producers decide on the kind of goods to produce, how they are to be produced and what price to charge on the final goods produced and even what to pay their employees. The choices are made by persons themselves and not the government. Free market economies offer numerous advantages. One of the main advantages is competition Competition helps keep prices lower because several companies will be competing for customers. Lower prices are an effective way of attracting and retaining customers. Another effectiveness of free market economies is that companies can fine-tune easily to changes i.e. they don’t have to follow the government procedures when they want to change the kind of products to produce. This is better as opposed as opposed to mixed economies where unsuccessful regulations may paralyze production processes. In a free market economy innovation is compensated Producers who are innovative will come up with more efficient methods of production. Innovation of new products will see the needs of consumers in better ways that existing goods and services.

The Implementation of K+12 Essay Example for Free

The Implementation of K+12 Essay The current System of Education in the Philippines is in the brink of extinction, for a new Education System is being proposed. The existing system of 6 years in Elementary, and 4 years in Secondary before entering Tertiary is being challenged. In fact, a major reform in the Education System is on the horizon, and this shall radically change the way Filipinos are educated. Many queries arise because of the new system. Students, parents and even educators doubt the effectiveness of the K+12. Contrarily, the Department of Education does not want to be stopped and is determined to pursue the program. On a reform as massive as this, it is expected that the opinions of the people are divided; after all, it depends in the K+12 on how the Education of the country will progress. It is proper then that the public be educated about the issue. Parents must know about this because in it depends the Education of their child; students must know about this because in it depends the way on how they would be educated; and educators must know about this because in it depends how they’ll educated the students. The purpose of this essay is straightforward: to inform the public about the issue and present my arguments regarding the K+12. I will embark upon the effectiveness of the implementation of K+12, not necessarily the effectiveness of K+12 as a system. In Education lies the future of a society; it is appropriate then that the students be educated properly, because their individual as well as societal growth depends in it. (MJ Flores)