Managers, leadership and decision making (2) Flashcards
(47 cards)
What is leadership?
A relationship whereby one person influences the behaviour and actions of others?
Manager vs leader
Manager- enacts the plan, uses authority, manages risk, has subordinates
Leader- inspires, builds relationships, takes risks, has followers
What’s the role of a manager?
- Set targets
- Analyse situation
- Assess available resources
- Make a clear decision
- Review decision……..
How did Peter Drucker compare managers and leaders?
Peter Drucker said “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing right things”
What external factors can affect management and leaders?
Economy -e.g. survival needed in a recession
Speed of change in the industry
Legal change
What internal factors can affect management and leaders?
- Skill and experience of the workforce
- Work involved
- The natural style of the leader
- Time limit- quick decisions may be needed
Who created the x and y worker theory?
Douglas Mcgregor (1960)
What does the x and y worker theory show?
Hows managers beliefs about workers and what motivates them influences their style of leadership.
What is the theory x worker view?
Pessimistic view which assumes workers dislike work, lack ambition and prefer to be led, desire security, ate motivated financially.
What is the theory y worker view?
An optimistic view which assumes workers enjoy taking ownership of work, work is fulfilling and challenging and the workers are motivated through a multitude of factors.
What are the limitations of the x and y worker theory?
- Simplistic
- Hard to clearly categorise
- Workplaces may be a mix
- Nature of work will affect the attitudes of employees
- Cultural and generational gaps may impact
How has leadership changed over time?
Leaders are focusing less on command and control and more on inspiring employees and shaping a business culture.
Why has there been a change in leadership?
- There is more delegation which needs teamwork
- The market is rapidly changing
- More legislation
- More skilled workforce
- Changes in societal values
- More focus on soft skills
What are the four main leadership styles?
- Authoritarian/autocratic
- Paternalistic
- Democratic
- Laissez-faire
What is an autocratic leadership style?
- The focus of power is with the manager, one-way communication
- Rewards and penalties are used
- Very little delegation
- Mcgregor Theory X approach
What is a paternalistic leadership style?
- Like autocratic but leader decides what is best for employees
- Links with Mayo (addressing employee needs)
- Like a parent and child relationship
What is a democratic leadership style?
- The focus of power is with the whole group
- Leadership functions are shared
- Employees have greater involvement in decision making
- Emphasis on delegation and consultation
- More likely used for highly skilled workers
- Trade-off between productivity and morale?
What is a laissez-faire leadership style?
- The leader has little input into decision making
- Conscious decision to delegate power
- Managers and employees make decisions by themselves
- Most effective when staff are highly motivated
- Not the same as abdication (having no leader)
What are the limitations of the 4 styles of leadership?
- Depends on individual managers
- May have a mixed leadership culture
- Employment laws mean authoritarian styles arent possible
- Different scenarios may change the style
- Differences in culture
- Employees may react differently- leaders need to adapt
What is the Blake Mouton grid?
A grid, designed by Robert Blake and Jane Mouton, which identifies 5 leadership styles when comparing concern for employees and concern for performance.
A (9,9) indicates the best manager with the highest concern for both.
What are the 5 management styles in the Blake Mouton grid?
(1,1) Impoverished management: low concern for people and performance
(9,1) Produce-or-perish: high concern for performance, low concern for people
(1,9) Country club: high concern for people, low concern for performance
(9,9) Team management: high concern for people and performance
(5,5) Middle of the road: equal concern for both, however, this is considered one of the worst styles
What is the 1973 Tannebaum and Shmidt continuum?
A dynamic chart which uses the single variable of staff involvement in decision making.
What does the far left of the Tannebaum and Shmidt continuum show?
A manager-centred leadership where managers maintain full authority and control, they “tell” employees what to do and they must comply. It is similar to an autocratic leadership approach.
What does the far right of the Tannebaum and Shmidt continuum show?
An employee-centred leadership where employees are given full authority and decision making power. The manager ‘joins’ the employees in making decisions. It is a democratic leadership approach.
