Organizational Leadership - Term Paper Example

? There are different types of leadership styles as well as organizations and these have a strong bearing on the performance of the individuals as well as the organization as a whole. As such, this paper seeks to contrast the classical approach to leadership within bureaucratic, mechanist organization and the one that has leaders who welcome initiative, innovation and creativity. The paper will also look at measures that can be implemented by the leaders in a bureaucratic organization in order for it to flourish in its operations. The key concepts to this discussion will be based on self awareness and emotional intelligence. The paper starts by explaining the meaning of leadership as well as the classical approach in order to gain a full understanding of the whole concept. This will be followed by comparing and contrasting a bureaucratic organization and the one which is accommodative. The main discussion will focus on the steps that can be taken in order to improve the overall performance of a bureaucratic organization as a whole. A summary of the main points discussed will be given at the end of the paper. Basically, leadership is defined as the ability to influence a group towards the achievement offset goals (Robbins, 1993). In an organization there are leaders who may be vested with formal authority to influence the activities of the other members so that the goals of the organisation can be achieved. On the other hand, the classical approach to leadership loosely refers to a type of conditioning where an individual responds to some stimulus that would not invariably produce such a response (Robbins, 1993). In as far as leadership is concerned, it can be noted that there is need to influence people within an organization to behave in a particular way so that their efforts can be pulled in the same direction towards the attainment of the set goals. However, the success of this strategy mainly depends on the type of the organisation and the leadership style that is used by the leaders. Merton (1940) defines a bureaucratic structure as one that is formal and it involves clearly defined patterns of activities and every action is ideally related to the purposes of the organization. Such an organization is hierarchical in structure where power and authority follow a top to down structure. Another very important aspect of this organization is that power is vested in the office not the particular person who performs the official task. The formality of this type of organization suggests that subordinates have to take orders from their superiors and the methods of communication are also formalised where the leaders give orders to the junior employees. In a bureaucratic structure, everything is centralized and this particular type of organization cannot easily change its formalised way of operation. Another important aspect about this structure is that the decision making process is centralised and other ordinary members may not contribute their ideas. In short, the leadership style used by this organization is authoritative where focus is put on the vision of the firm. On the other hand, it can be noted that some organizations are liberal and they welcome initiative, innovation as well as creativity. Goleman (2000) posits to the effect that the effectiveness of this particular type of organization can be attributed to the leadership style that is used. In this case, the members of the organisation are given the autonomy to contribute towards the decision making process and it can be observed that this kind of firm is flexible since it allows people to learn and adapt to changes that can take place within and outside the organisation. The success of such kind of organisation can also be attributed to the leaders’ ability to encourage the members to learn from others as well as to participate in activities that are crucial to its operation. There is a shared vision among the members and it can be noted that this structure is more flexible compared to a bureaucratic structure which is more formalised in every respect. It can be noted that the performance of the members in a liberal organization is also flexible given that they are treated as valuable assets to the company. In order to improve the overall performance of the bureaucratic organisation so that it can flourish in its operations, it is imperative to adopt different leadership styles that are employee oriented. Whilst it may be challenging to put the right leadership style in place, it can be seen that this action pays off if it is employee centred as they will develop a sense of belonging to the organization. Goleman (2000) suggests that there are different leadership styles but in this case, the most ideal style is democratic leadership. This style of leadership seeks to build consensus through participation where all the members of the organization are given the opportunity to give their opinions as well as ideas in the decision making process. Such leadership style is accommodative to aspects such as creativity, innovation as well as initiative. Given that the environment in which the organization operates is dynamic, it will be very important to ensure that new ideas are generated as these will enhance the effectiveness of the organization. There are several advantages of using this particular type of leadership to the organisation as a whole. The members create a sense of belonging to the organization and the main advantage of this is that they will put optimum effort in their operations. This positively contributes to the productivity of the company and there will be high chances that the set goals can be achieved. If the employees put maximum performance in their operations, the organisation will continuously grow and develop. Such kind of leadership is flexible in that it can allow the organization to adapt to changes that can take place within the internal and external environments. This is very important in that the organization can keep pace with all the changes obtaining on the ground. As noted, a bureaucratic structure is more formalized and does not easily change hence there is need for the leaders in this particular organization to attempt to be accommodative to the diverse views of the employees so that they can have mutual understanding towards the set goals. If all the members share the same vision and goals, there will be high chances for them to pull their efforts towards the same direction. This organization also needs to put measures in place that can enable the employees to realise their own aspirations since this greatly motivates them. In short, a motivated employee is productive since he or she can put optimum performance at work. Quality treatment of the employee is very important since he is responsible for performing different tasks that are aimed at achieving the set goals of the firm. Therefore, the climate driver of flexibility is seen as more ideal in as much as the need to improve the operations of the bureaucratic organization is concerned. Research has linked aspects of emotional intelligence to the success of business. Emotional intelligence can be described as the ability to manage ourselves and our relationships effectively Goleman (2000). It can also be referred to as “an array of non-cognitive abilities, competencies and skills that influence one’s ability to succeed in coping with environmental demands and pressures,” (Reuven Bar-On, ND as cited by Taylor, 2007). Skills of emotional intelligence can be learned and constantly improved at any given time and these pay off in the long run as they enable the employees to remain knowledgeable in their tasks. Knowledge is constantly generated in order to meet the demands of the tasks that are performed by the employees within a certain company. This particular aspect can play a pivotal role in improving the operations of a bureaucratic organization which does not permit people to generate new knowledge. On the other hand, the concept of emotional self awareness can be implemented by an organization that is bureaucratic in nature. Goleman (2000) posits to the effect that emotional self awareness is the ability to read and understand your emotions as well as realise their impact on work performance and relationships. It also helps the members to build self confidence which significantly helps in creating a strong and positive sense of self worth. If the employees are given the opportunity function independently where they can find solutions to the problems they may encounter, they will be in a position to build self confidence which greatly inspires them to improve their performance at work. When performance is improved, the productivity of the company will also increase which entails that positive results will be attainable. A positive identity to the organization can also be developed among the employees and this will help an organization with a bureaucratic structure to flourish in its operations. In order to enhance self intelligence as well as self awareness among the individuals, it can be safely said that learning is a virtue especially in organizations that are bureaucratic in nature. Basically, learning can be defined as any relatively permanent change in behaviour that occurs as a result of experience (Robbins, 1993). Since organizations operate in a dynamic environment that is constantly changing, learning is a very important strategy that should be implemented in order to overcome the challenges that may be encountered during the operations of the organization. The concept of learning was popularised by Peter Senge (1990) who described it as, “the process whereby people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free and where people continually learn how to learn together through the exchange of ideas,” (Robbins, 1993). According to the definition given above, it can be seen that the basic tenets of learning include the following: exchange of information as well as creation of new ideas and knowledge. In such a way, the performance of the organisation can be improved such that the expectations of the organization as well as its goals can be truly met. Basically, the main idea behind learning is to facilitate a change in behaviour of different individuals through practice and experience. There are high chances that the organization will gain a competitive advantage since the employees will be in a better position to keep pace with the changes that may take place in the environment in which they will be operating. The growth of the company mainly depends on the ability of the employees to generate new ideas that can be fully utilised in order to improve the operations of the company as a whole. The behavioural theory posits to the effect that human behaviour in relation to learning can be explained in terms of external stimuli, responses, learned histories and reinforcement which mean that all human behaviour could therefore be understood in terms of cause and effect (Torrington, Hall & Taylor, 2008). If there has been a change in behaviour, then it can be said that learning has taken place. Learning involves change and it should be carefully designed in such a way that the goals of the organization can be achieved which will be a positive advantage. Learning also helps in improving the skills and talent of the employees within an organization. As such, a company with a bureaucratic structure ought to implement this strategy in order to turn around its fortunes. Once the skills of the employees have been improved, there will be need for the leaders of this particular organisation to put measures in place that are meant to ensure the retention of these employees. It can also be seen that some employees can be motivated by learning since they will know what will be expected of them in their operations. Wisdom is often created through learning hence it will be prudent for a bureaucracy to implement this strategy in its operations since it will help to improve its overall performance. If performance is improved, then the set goals are likely to be achieved. Innovation and creativity are also recipes for effective learning in an organization since the aim will be meant to create a positive change among the employees towards the achievement of the organizational goals (Vygotsky, 1978). New knowledge and ideas are created through learning and these are shared among the employees for the betterment of the organization as a whole. The operations of the organization will be transformed and this can lead to its growth. Through innovation, new ideas are developed and these significantly contribute to its operations. In view of the dynamic environment that characterizes the operations of many organizations, it can be noted that learning is essential as this will help the company to maintain its operations and it can also gain a competitive advantage. In order for bureaucratic organizations to improve their performance, there is need for the leaders to ensure that there are measures in place that are designed to equip the employees with tools that will enable them to generate new knowledge. A learning organization is ideal in as far as organizational performance is concerned. Zararkis (2011) describes a learning organization as one in which people at all levels, individually and collectively, are continually increasing their capacity to produce results they really care about. If people in the organization share the same vision and goals, they will generate knowledge that is beneficial to the organization as a whole with the aim of achieving desirable results that will benefit all of them. There is often a shift of mind if people collectively learn in a bid to create new knowledge. The concept of shift of mind was popularized by Senge who suggests that there are many factors that can lead people to view different situations in a different way. There are five disciplines that can influence the way people learn and these are going to be explained briefly. According to Zararckis (2011), the first discipline is personal mastery which involves formulating a coherent picture of the results people most desire to gain as individuals (their personal vision), alongside a realistic assessment of the current state of their lives today (their current reality). Individuals see the need to achieve something that is self fulfilling and this motivates them to learn. The second discipline is mental model and it particularly focuses on reflection and inquiry skills is focused around developing awareness of the attitudes and perceptions that influence thought and interaction. People can gain more control of the world around them if they continually talk about it as well as reflect on it. The third discipline is shared vision where people focus on mutually beneficial aspects of their life. People learn to nurture a sense of commitment to something when they are in a group and this is used to reflect on their needs and interests. The fourth discipline is team learning where particular focus is on team interaction with the aim of generating knowledge that is helpful to all the members of that particular group. The fifth discipline is systems thinking and it is particularly concerned with learning to understand better interdependency and change which can help in dealing more effectively with forces that often shape the consequences of their actions. Whilst all these disciplines are effective in promoting learning, it can be seen that shared vision and team learning are more ideal for an organisation that is bureaucratic in nature. Over and above, it has been seen that bureaucratic as well as an organization with a liberal structure function differently as a result of different factors. In a bureaucracy, all the activities are centralized and this organization is not flexible in its operations compared to the one that is liberal. In order to improve the operations of a bureaucratic organization, it is important for the leaders to adopt a democratic leadership style which is primarily concerned with promoting a shared vision through interaction of the members of the organization. If the employees are given the autonomy to contribute their ideas in the decision making process, they are likely to develop a sense of belonging to the organization which can lead to an improvement of their performance. An improvement in performance entails that the productivity of the organisation will also increase. The concepts of self awareness as well as emotional intelligence are also very essential in as far as the performance of a bureaucratic organization is concerned. Learning is another important step that can be implemented by a bureaucratic organization in order to flourish in its operations. References Golman, D. (March-April 2000).‘Leadership that gets results.’ Harvard Business Review. Merton, R.K. (May, 1940). ‘Bureaucratic structure and personality.’ Social forces, Vol 18, No.4. pp. 560- 568. Robins, S.P (1993). Organisational Behaviour: Concepts, controversies and applications. New Jersey: NJ. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs. Rollinson D. et al (2008). Organisational behaviour and analysis: An integrated approach. 4th Edition. Pearson. Schultz, H. et al (2003). Organisational behaviour. CT. Van Schaik Publishers. Taylor, D. (2007). Building Strengths for Success: Emotional Intelligence and Positive Psychology. International Conference on Emotional Intelligence. Zacharakis, J. (2011). Learning Organizations and Principles of Adult Learning. Department of Educational Leadership Kansas State University Read More