An Investigation into the Leadership Practices of Volunteer Leaders Article by Posner - Assignment Example

Writer’s сhоiсе Name Institution Writer’s сhоiсе Posner, B. Z. (2015). An investigation into the leadership practices of volunteer leaders. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 36(7), 885-898. This is a comprehensive article that discusses leadership practices of volunteer leaders. This piece of paper will give a critical analysis in order to understand the same. Some of the areas to be examined include the problem of study, the hypothesis, the need for the study and the methodology used. Also, the literature review will be summarized, assumptions, limitations and potentials for future research identified, conclusion made and a critique done. The problem of study According to Posner (2015), there has been a gap in research when it comes to the research information about individuals leading in social, civic as well as community service organizations. Despite the fact that there have been various studies of leadership, most of them are inclined to the corporate and public sectors. Lack of adequate information on this area especially with respect to the manner in which the individuals lead and how their leadership practices are either similar or different from leaders in other sectors is an issue that prompted the author to undertake the study as a way of bridging the gap. It is however worth noting that the research is more inclined to leadership practices depicted in organizations that are made of volunteers. The hypothesis formulated by the authors Research studies are usually based on some hypothesis (es) or proposed explanations for a phenomenon. The hypothesis allows for predictions through reasoning. In the article in question, the hypothesis is that volunteer leaders lead differently compared to other leaders in other sectors such as corporate and public sector. There is also the hypothesis that leadership behaviour greatly influences effectiveness or performance especially with respect to the unique constraints that are associated with the objectives of non-profit making organizations. The hypotheses act as a base through which arguments are based although the findings could go contrary to the expectations. The need for the study The need for the study in the article is to get an insight into the leadership practices that are associated with volunteer leaders. The study was meant at bridging the gap that exists in literature on this area. According to Posner (2015), not much is known when it comes to leadership practices in organizations whereby the leaders or followers are volunteers or even where both parties work on a volunteer basis. The need for the study is based on the realization that there have been many research studies on leadership in public and corporate sectors, but few or none are dedicated to leadership practices in civic, social and community service institutions whereby volunteering is the main concept as opposed to where individuals are paid for the work they do. The methodology employed in the study To come up with comprehensive findings, the authors employed some designs and approaches. Sampling technique was employed as a means through which the general idea on the topic of study would be understood. To be specific, the author came up with a sample that entailed surveying more than 60 percent of the volunteer leaders (n=569) who are based in a national youth sports organization in the United States of America. This is a representative whole, an aspect that translates to the fact that the results gained from the study are adequate in making informed conclusions. The questions to be answered included the differences that exist in leadership behaviour of volunteer leaders compared to that of paid leaders and the manner in which leadership behaviours would be related to performance. Summary of the literature review Different views and opinions with regard to the topic of study were evaluated. Literature review greatly helps in having a deeper understanding of the topic of discussion. This is more so since opinions and perspectives from different scholars are evaluated and informed deductions made. Posner (2015) asserts that in the United States, there is a significant number of people who work on a volunteer basis. The statistics can be attributed to the fact that there are more than 2.3 million non-profit making organizations and most of their employees are volunteers. The situation is not so different even in the European Union. Here, approximately 92 million people, which accounts for 22 percent of the adult population undertake volunteer activities in different organizations. These facts and others in different parts of the world are enough justification that it is essential to have a deeper understanding of the concept of leadership especially where volunteers are involved both as leaders as well as employees. Volunteer leaders are more likely to engage in leadership behaviours compared to those that are compensated through salaries and other financial incentives. Differences in leadership behaviours can be seen based on aspects such as age, gender, employment status and educational level. The fact that volunteer leaders do not have extrinsic incentives to motivate the volunteers that they lead means that the intrinsic needs, goals and motivations of the volunteers they lead ought to be considered and fulfilled. To be successful, it is necessary for volunteer leaders to connect with those they work with in others ways. This is more so since volunteering lacks the traditional forms of motivation and authority present in paid jobs. The study’s assumptions, limitations and potentials for future research Some of the assumptions made by the author include the fact that leaders in a volunteer setting or organizations present different leadership behaviours with those in other settings where financial compensation is involved. Also, that leadership in volunteering organizations necessitate more motivation than in other sectors. The limitations of the study are that it was based on self-reported leadership behaviours of respondents. In addition, there was no link between the organization’s measure of effectiveness and respondent leadership behaviours. The article depicts some potential for future research. Future studies should carry on from this study by getting some insights from observers and constituents and use samples that include various kinds of volunteer organizations as well as more complex empirical connections. Conclusion of the research finding The concluding remarks of the author is that there is some difference in leadership with volunteers compared to leadership whereby the leaders are compensated for their work for instance in terms of salary. Leadership with volunteers tend to necessitate more energy and efforts compared to leadership in other settings. For instance, since the volunteer leaders do not get financial motivations, there is need for them to have more intrinsic motivation mechanisms as a way of keeping them moving. It is however worth noting that regardless of the situation or workplace set-up, there is need to uphold high standard leadership practices. Reinforcing the capability of leaders to lead other particularly in volunteer organizations would go a long way in benefiting the organizations and the society as a whole. Critique on the article From the above information about the article, various aspects can be deduced. The article is quite informative on the concept of leadership practices of volunteer leaders and various aspects associated with it. The author articulates the arguments quite well such that the reader is in a position to follow the topic of discussion without difficulty. For instance, the author begins by stating various facts that in one way or the other necessitate the need to carry out a research on leadership practices of volunteer leaders. According to the article, volunteers, through non profit making organizations, play a significant role in the growth of various economies such as in the Unites States of America and the European Union. This therefore gives reasons why the author is justified to go further into research in this area. The author has already identified a gap whereby not so much has been done when it comes to leadership practices in volunteer leaders. This has prompted further research into the idea with an aim of gaining more insight on the same. The article is well organized. It gives a detailed abstract that offers the reader with an overview of what the paper is all about. Giving some highlights on the purpose of the study, the design and methodology utilized is essential in preparing the reader. A summary of the findings, the research limitations and implications as well as the value or originality of the study are essential indicators and could work towards motivating the reader towards reading more. The other sections of the article are also well stipulated with the use of headings and subheadings. Information is given in a manner that flows well and leaves no room for confusion. At the end, the author gives a summary of the article. For instance, it seems that leadership with volunteers necessitates more energy and effort for example with regard to motivation. The motivations of workers in volunteer companies tend to have some differences with the individuals who are compensated financially for their involvement. Generally, volunteers are motivated or compensated through intrinsic mechanisms since extrinsic motivations are not usually at their disposal. Nonetheless, the author acknowledges that money is not the only motivating factor in the workplace and most effective leaders ought to strive to tap into intrinsic motivations since they play a great role on enhancing satisfaction and performance. It is also a positive thing that the author acknowledges previous studies on the same issue. For instance, it has been said that irrespective of setting and demographic factors, how often employees experience their leader leading is a crucial factor in influencing people on how they feel about their workplace. The author is also keen on advising on the future course with regard to research on the topic of study. He advocates for strengthening of the capability of individuals to lead others, particularly in volunteer organizations. This would go a long way in benefiting not only the organizations but also the society as a whole. References Posner, B. Z. (2015). An investigation into the leadership practices of volunteer leaders. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 36(7), 885-898. Read More