Leadership Styles and TQM - Essay Example

To begin with, it is important to understand these concepts. Chew (2010) defines leadership styles as the approach and way in which direction are provided, people are motivated, and plans are implemented within a given organization or setting. Also, leadership styles can refer to how a person (a leader) plays his or her leadership role; that is how he or she treats others, make decisions, and interacts with others (Northouse, 2011). In other words, leadership styles are about how a leader behaves, his/her experience, decisions, personality, actions, and philosophy.

On the other hand, TQM is defined as an approach that aims at improving performance and quality that exceed and meet the expectations of customers of the organization Rawlins (2010). According to Evans and Lindsay (2010), TQM refers to a management philosophy or approach that is integrated for constant improvement of the quality of processes and products of an organization. In regard to leadership styles, there are several styles. However, most of these styles can be grouped into three major categories namely; authoritarian or autocratic style, democratic or participative style, and delegative or free reign (Schein, 2010).

In authoritarian style, all or nearly all the decision making processes and powers are centralized to the organizational leader; there is very little or no contribution at all from the subordinates. Participative leadership involves participation of both the leader and subordinates in decision making; the decisions are not unilateral but rather collaborative (Schein, 2010). Lastly, a delegative or free rein style of leadership where the leader transfers responsibilities and authority to others who may often be the subordinates.

It is based on the belief that a single person cannot do everything and has to set priorities and delegate certain tasks and subordinates are sometime free to decide their own methods and policies (Northouse, 2011). It is also crucial to understand TQM in details. Evans and Lindsay (2010) explain that TQM achieves its objective through integration of processes and all quality- related functions throughout the organization. According to Rawlins (2010), TQM is guided by a number of principles. These principles include; customer focus, employee involvement, continuous improvement, executive management, decision making, organizational culture, methodology, and training.

Rawlins also argues that TQM involves costs that are essential in yielding better results for the organization. They include; failure costs, appraisal costs, and prevention costs. It is in the light of the above that the relationship between leadership styles and TQM can be understood and be explained. Pauleen and Gorman (2011) observe that the two concepts are fundamentally different but related especially in regard to operations and management of an organization towards achieving the set goals and objectives.

As noted from the above explanations of the two concepts, they differ in meaning and functions. However, they relate in a number of aspects. First, application of these aspects in the organization is aimed at achieving organizational goals and objectives (Ivancevich, 2011). Secondly, they are both functions of the organizations that are necessary for the proper