Management_and_Leadership

“Down with management and up with leadership is a bad idea”. Discuss this statement illustrating your answer with an example from an organization of your choice. Introduction To challenge and respond to this statement I will briefly explore the literature on management and leadership Then I will explore the role and function of management and try to explain that there are many types of managers and it is the leadership style they adopt that makes them effective I will attempt to explain how managers differs to leaders finally I will in the same circumstances, together with how this affects organizational behaviour Finally I will evaluate a company I am familiar with and discuss its methods of management and leadership to evaluate which method is most appropriate. My conclusion and recommendations will highlight the outcome of my research. This statement suggests that removing management layers and have self managing teams is a bad idea and while I would like to argue that while self managing teams are successfully working in many organization large bureaucratic organizations and many large private organizations operate through various functions such as planning, organizing, recruitment, budgeting and monitoring and control and these are a necessary layer of an organization however the large number of middle managers in hierarchial organizations are not necessary because the advancement of technology means that management can communicate directly with the shop floor or departments quickly. These departments could have team leaders In these days of self management automation etc it is not necessary to have middle managers who communicate with top managers and lower managers these just add to the bureaucracy and cost of a company Many organisations are complex and have a number of jobs at different levels and can include functional areas such as HRM, Finance managements while staff roles can be divided into areas such as managers plan organise and check progress whle supervisors or team leaders work with mangers to ensure best practice is carried out The title Manager is often included in a job title of a paid or unpaid worker and is seen as a legitimate power on the other hand a leader is usually seen as a person people chose to follow or elect although this can also be a paid official position such as team leader. The managers role is to plan, organise and control on the other hand leaders are seen as someone who gains the trust and support of colleagues. Literary Review Many authors have written about types of managers and the style of leadership that is adopted however it is easy to see the structures of organizations where certain types of management lead to failure. In literature it is often the behaviour of individuals who are studied however according to Mullins (2005ch2 p34) “whatever the individuals orientations to work , it is through the process of management that the effort of members …are coordinated directed …towards the achievement of organizational goals. Although he also acknowledges there are many interpretations to the term While Cloke (2002) offers a number of explainations for the term management but points out the rigid rules of management diminish creativity. Handy (1999) discusses the fact that management and leadership styles should be adopted with a best fit approach while he and Huczynski (2007) both discuss the work of Bennis and Nanus and their view that modern leadership is neither a dictator nor a charismatic figure. Huczynski goes on to cite Peter Gronn amongst others that “leadership acts can be observed at all levels” while “leadership research focused on identifying traits that distinguish leaders from non-leaders”: Management Decision (2002)V: 40No: 2: pp: 192-200 Management Theories There are many schools of thought on management styles, practices and motivation theories and bringing about a change in one at most organisations will have an effect on the others There are a number of management theories that have evolved over the years and these include scientific management, classical administration, bureaucracy, human relations approach systems approach and a contingency approach. Exploring these theories it is possible to identify by examining them it is possible to see what type of management exists in some organizations. . A change may threaten the leadership of individuals as often people who have become leaders within the work teams may not be paid to manage this may be down to their own abilities and a position over the years, new managers who think like the Americans may be in place. Paternalistic managers will try to do what is best for the staff, there is some consultation to find out views, however managers make decisions while trying to ensure that staff are happy but it is still autocratic. A laissez faire manager allows staff to work independently but this can cause some dissatisfaction as people will become frustrated by freedom as everyone needs some boundaries Autocratic style of management occurs when managers think that all decisions should be made at the top and decisions made forced onto staff. This is often found in large bureaucratic organizations such as health service trusts. One of the disadvantages of this type of tall hierarchial structure is that poor communication can occur due to the number of levels of management. Democratic this occurs when management consult with the staff and a more participative style of leadership is adopted people manage their own teams and the development of management theory has provided evidence that people are more likely to be motivated by the involvement they are afforded during this type of management. Further research has given us many models as well as a continuum of style that exists and that managers are likely to move up and down it to adapt to situations. In many organizations management to not include staff or anticipate their reactions to changes in working practices or others Management need to understand their workforce because if they stereotype them then they may misjudge the way to handle them. Management would perceive the need for change as an opportunity for the company to grow and maximize profits however they need to understand what the employee perceives as their loss due to change as often the resistance comes from the perception and not the actual change. Removing managers would be a bad idea because these can concentrate on managing while leaders can motivate and inspire and assist What do leaders do to achieve their tasks and gain the cooperation of others There are a number of types of leadership and these range from directive leadership where subordinates are told what to do to a more consultative leadership where discussing matters before the manager decides however this can go to participative leadership where subordinates are actually involved in the making of joint decisions while delegative leadership allows workers to make their own decisions. The laissez faire leaders avoids problems and will not intervene often does not follow up problems Management by exception only takes corrective action when mistakes occur The reward or contingent manager sets performance goals and on achievement there is a reward which may be financial or other Leaders can also allow for Individuals and provide opportunities. An inspirational or motivating leader encourages creativity In literature it is generally agreed that effective managers have a number of common traits they are usually employee centred while expecting a high level of performance they do not practice close supervision and they operate participative management Lewin Lippet and white (1939) researched the behavior of a group depending on the style of their leaders and it was seen that autocratic leadership style resulted in hostile behavior while democratic leadership group members were more group mindedness and the least work got done in the laissez faire group. Managements perception of the need for changes would be seen as opportunities for the company to grow and a need to maximise profits however, general mistrust and perceptions of change by the majority of staff as disruptive and intrusive hinder change here we can see a gap between workers and managers perception about the need for change, it is suggested that this is down to our aptitude (business for higher awards) Leadership Styles Leadership is the ability to influence a group towards the achievement of goals this is best done by a transformational leader as they are best suited to change according to theory the traits of these leaders include self assurance, imagination, charisma, and the ability to motivate. In many industries over the years leaders have evolved naturally and employees will resist being told what to do by appointed leaders. The trait theories of leadership relied heavily on identifying traits inherent in all natural leaders while leadership style theories were mainly behaviourist and it was generally accepted that all leaders must exercise authority but the style used can affect themotivation and effectiveness of the leaders staff. Management who want to introduce changes often try to get the natural leaders on side first as they will be able to assist in the period of change. A democratic leader would consult his staff and generate high levels of motivation amongst staff which could restlt in higher productivity, low absenteeism, rare occurrenced of staff turnoever while a poor leader adoptinga the wrong management style together with poor working conditionsmay lead to bad industrial relations. Max Weber also looked at the classical approach to management and use the idea of bureaucracies which would enable management to control an organization and give clearly defined roles. In the 60s Professor McGregor developed his X and Y theory and for this it was either people were lazy and had to be controlled or if given responsibility then they will work better One of the earlierst approaches was the classical school of management which together with Taylor and his development of the scientific approach who assumed that man was motivated by economic need and would be happy to work like a machine for the right reward, Problems associated with this was that people who could not work fast enough were sacked and often those who did adapt to the new ways left when their other needs were not being satisfied. Buchanan & Huczynski (1997) identified five main principles of scientific management which included selecting those who would do the job as instructed once a scientific way of doing it was devised and offering incentives in the form of higher wages worked however later studies (get ref) showed this willingness was not long term. On an individual level workers have not been consulted therefore they are likely to resist change as they may not have recognised the need for the changes and have a fear of the unknown, An individuals personality will influence their attitude towards management and whether they respond positively or negatively. The extent to which they expect policies and procedures to be in place i.e. people need to know the boundaries and it is individuals personalities which dictate how much control they feel the need to exercise or have from others Theories about organizational behaviour centres around understanding employee behaviour and are down to leadership style as it is how people respond to the manager that makes them behave as they do. Maslows theory and hierarchy of needs attempts to show that motivation and leadership styles should be abased upon the employees needs. Good management will offer more than wages as reward for work. Conclusion As can be seen within organizations there is the opportunity given the situation to accommodate both managers and leaders it is thought that with the more technological evolution then a layer of people are not needed. Management is a style of leading which may be adopted by leaders and it is this style which makes a good leader or not. It is clear that attitudes of staff towards their work can be varied according to the style of leadership although no matter what the style consistency is important. The term manager can be functional for example finance or departmental managers such as an area manager of a store or general manager of a factory who the functional managers report to. Each of these types of managers will have objectives to meet which fit into the organizations aims and objectives. A poor leader and adopting the wrong management style together with poor working conditions, reduced bonuses, poor leadership and bad industrial relations will not motivate the staff. A successful leader would generate high levels of motivation amongst staff a result of this could be higher productivity, low absenteeism, rare occurrences of staff turnover. Cloke K, goldsmith J (2002) the end of management and the rise of organizational democracy Huczynski, A A & Buchanan D A (2007) Organisational Behaviour: An Introductory Text 6th Edition, Harlow: FT Prentice Hall Mullins, L J (2005) Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th Edition, Harlow Financial Times Pitman Publishing Handy, C (1993) Understanding organisations 4th Edition Penguin Books Ltd. Thomas, J Peters, et al (1982) In search of Excellence, 1st Edition, Harpers & Row