Your manager is impressed with your analysis on the previous report and wants to
ID: 381533 • Letter: Y
Question
Your manager is impressed with your analysis on the previous report and wants to give you additional responsibilities with a promotion; therefore you are currently being reviewed for possible promotion to a senior supervisory role in your department and as part of your review you have been asked to prepare a concise booklet for aspiring managers which:
Learning outcomes
2.1: Compare the effectiveness of different leadership styles in different organisations
3.1: Discuss the impact that different leadership styles may have on motivation in organisations in periods of change
3.2: Compare the application of different motivational theories within the workplace
3.3: Evaluate the usefulness of a motivation theory for managers
GUIDELINES FOR 2.1, 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3:
Describe different leadership styles and compare the effectiveness of leadership styles in different organisations (such as which type of leadership is suitable to a Military organisation)
Describe 5 different motivational theories
Evaluate the usefulness of motivation theories for managers in the workplace
Explanation / Answer
2.1: Compare the effectiveness of different leadership styles in different organisations.
3.1: Discuss the impact that different leadership styles may have on motivation in organisations in periods of change.
ANSWER –
Leadership is an art. An effective leader is a person who inspires, motivates, directs, guides, engages and helps the people subordinate to him work effectively, provides them work satisfaction and sees to their personal growth as well.
Leadership style is the way a person uses power to lead the way of others to meet the expectations of the organisation.
Leadership style
Definition
Autocratic
This type of leader holds all the power, authority and responsibility.
They finalize the things, without any consultation and communicate the orders to be followed.
Such leadership style can be beneficial when quick decisions are needed and things need to be accomplished quickly.
As this style is bossy, controlling and dictatorial, this style is may be problematic and may result in resentment from the group members or followers.
Democratic
This type of leader does not use his position as the sole authority rather believes in sharing and discussing with subordinates.
He discusses the actions and activities with his subordinates. Upward and downward communication is active in this style of leadership.
This leadership style creates employee job satisfaction and encouragement for creativity and initiatives.
May result in decreased efficiency and accountability problems.
Transformational
This type of leader initiates and motivates change in work style, atmosphere etc. for achievement of higher performance.
This leader sets more challenging expectations for his team and motivates them to make up to the level required. Such leaders have more committed and satisfied followers.
Such leaders are famous for their working style due to their ability to inspire and motivate
Such leadership needs charisma and efficiency to inspire, and is time consuming as well.
Facilitative
This type of leader works as per the performance of the group, if the group works effectively high then the leader uses light hand on the process but if the group gives low performance, then involves himself more, gives directions and helps the group performance improve.
He monitors the group performance continuously and offers interventions from time to time to help the group stay on track.
The followers of this type of leaders feel empowered and job satisfaction rises.
Sometimes there may be confusion, customer dissatisfaction and decreased profitability because of less interference unless low performance is observed.
Laissez-faire
This type of leaders gives authority to employees and lets them free to work in the way they wish.
He rarely interferes or intervenes in the employees activities.
May work well in case of self motivated and experienced followers.
Projects go of track and targets are missed due to too much freedom and authority delegated.
Transactional
This type of leaders sets expectations for his followers, guides them the ways to meet the expectations.
He also offers tangible rewards for carrying out his orders up to the mark and maintains his superiority.
Employees feel motivated and goals are achieved due to clear structure and work plan given to the followers.
As these leaders do not encourage creativity, rather want the followers to work as per given guidelines, this may sometimes create dissatisfaction.
Charismatic
This type of leader manifests his or her revolutionary powers.
He actually transforms his followers’ values and beliefs.
Such leaders are catalysts for social changes.
They are not fit for that depend on rigid structures and processes to function.
Visionary
This type of leaders have aspects of vision in them.
They transform their visions into reality with the coordination of their followers.
As such leaders have clear and defined visions, goals are achieved for sure and to the satisfaction of all.
Dependency of organisation on such leaders may sometimes prove clear weakness
3.2: Compare the application of different motivational theories within the workplace
3.3: Evaluate the usefulness of a motivation theory for managers
ANSWER – MOTIVATIONAL THEORIES IN THE WORKPLACE AND THEIR USEFULNESS –
Motivation is about individual behaviour improvement due to a reason. It gives the reason for doing something and this encourages the actions and efforts and ultimately affects the result.
Five theories of Motivation as discussed below –
1. Hertzberg’s two factor theory- This two factor theory was developed in 1950s by psychologist Hertzberg on the analysing the responses of accountants and engineers on their feelings about their work, both positive and negative.
According to his study, motivator and hygiene both influenced motivation.
To apply this in workplace motivator and hygiene factors are to be worked upon, and the employees are to be appreciated and supported.
2. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs – This term was coined by psychologist Abrahim Maslow in 1943. As per this theory, hierarchy is made up of five levels, ie. Psychological, Safety, Sense of belonging, Respect and Self actualisation. To apply this in workplace and to get most out of the team, the team has to be supported, respected and motivated.
3. Hawthorne effect – This was first described by Henry Landsberger in 1950. The Hawthorne Effect is named after a series of social experiments on the influence of physical conditions on productivity at Western Electric’s factory at Hawthorne, Chicago in the 1920s and 30s.
The researchers changed a number of physical conditions over the course of the experiments including lighting, working hours and breaks. In all cases, employee productivity increased when a change was made. The researchers concluded that employees became motivated to work harder as a response to the attention being paid to them, rather than the actual physical changes themselves. To apply this in the workplace, it is suggested that observation makes employees work harder. Regular feedback also helps in motivation and improved performance.
4. Expectancy theory – This theory proposes that people will choose how to behave depending on the outcomes they expect as a result of their behaviour. In other words, we decide what to do based on what we expect the outcome to be. At work, it might be that we work longer hours because we expect a pay rise.This theory is based on three factors – Expectancy, instrumentality and valence. People are most motivated if they believe they will receive awards with results. To apply this in workplace, achievable goals are to be set for employees
5. Three-dimensional theory of Attribution - Bernard Weiner’s Three-Dimensional theory of attribution assumes that people try to determine why we do what we do. According to Weiner, the reasons we attribute to our behaviour can influence how we behave in the future. As per this theory, three factors influence motivation – stability, controllability, and locus of control. To apply this in workplace, Make sure you give your employees specific feedback, letting them know that you know they can improve and how they can about it. This, in theory, will help prevent them from attributing their failure to an innate lack of skill and see that success is controllable if they work harder or use different strategies.
Leadership style
Definition
Autocratic
This type of leader holds all the power, authority and responsibility.
They finalize the things, without any consultation and communicate the orders to be followed.
Such leadership style can be beneficial when quick decisions are needed and things need to be accomplished quickly.
As this style is bossy, controlling and dictatorial, this style is may be problematic and may result in resentment from the group members or followers.
Democratic
This type of leader does not use his position as the sole authority rather believes in sharing and discussing with subordinates.
He discusses the actions and activities with his subordinates. Upward and downward communication is active in this style of leadership.
This leadership style creates employee job satisfaction and encouragement for creativity and initiatives.
May result in decreased efficiency and accountability problems.
Transformational
This type of leader initiates and motivates change in work style, atmosphere etc. for achievement of higher performance.
This leader sets more challenging expectations for his team and motivates them to make up to the level required. Such leaders have more committed and satisfied followers.
Such leaders are famous for their working style due to their ability to inspire and motivate
Such leadership needs charisma and efficiency to inspire, and is time consuming as well.
Facilitative
This type of leader works as per the performance of the group, if the group works effectively high then the leader uses light hand on the process but if the group gives low performance, then involves himself more, gives directions and helps the group performance improve.
He monitors the group performance continuously and offers interventions from time to time to help the group stay on track.
The followers of this type of leaders feel empowered and job satisfaction rises.
Sometimes there may be confusion, customer dissatisfaction and decreased profitability because of less interference unless low performance is observed.
Laissez-faire
This type of leaders gives authority to employees and lets them free to work in the way they wish.
He rarely interferes or intervenes in the employees activities.
May work well in case of self motivated and experienced followers.
Projects go of track and targets are missed due to too much freedom and authority delegated.
Transactional
This type of leaders sets expectations for his followers, guides them the ways to meet the expectations.
He also offers tangible rewards for carrying out his orders up to the mark and maintains his superiority.
Employees feel motivated and goals are achieved due to clear structure and work plan given to the followers.
As these leaders do not encourage creativity, rather want the followers to work as per given guidelines, this may sometimes create dissatisfaction.
Charismatic
This type of leader manifests his or her revolutionary powers.
He actually transforms his followers’ values and beliefs.
Such leaders are catalysts for social changes.
They are not fit for that depend on rigid structures and processes to function.
Visionary
This type of leaders have aspects of vision in them.
They transform their visions into reality with the coordination of their followers.
As such leaders have clear and defined visions, goals are achieved for sure and to the satisfaction of all.
Dependency of organisation on such leaders may sometimes prove clear weakness
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