(Leadership and management solutions) - Essay Example

Part Answer Organizations have distinct goals and functions. The management is entrusted with the task of efficiently utilizing the organizational resources to achieve its objectives through planning, organizing, recruiting, leading and control (Koontz and Weihrich 1990). Managing and creating resources therefore, are vital ingredients of organizational effectiveness that is broadly focused on productivity. Taylor’s scientific management is important paradigm that defines the various processes of production so as to optimize productivity by increasing production efficiency.

The major goal of Taylor’s scientific management was to control the production process through scientific method. Taylor believed that that technology can be used to enhance productivity by controlling labor processes. He had evolved the concept of best practices and advocated the training of workers on the best practice so that they can follow set procedure for production. Taylor’s scientific management relies on breaking the process of production into specific parts and training the labor force on how to accomplish the tasks efficiently and in time bound manner.

He used machines as major facilitators of production process and applied management control on workers and operation. According to him, scientific management is to know what exactly one wants the workers to do and ensures that the work is done in the best and cheapest way (Taylor, 1911). The workers were trained on various production processes and their work was strictly monitored. Taylor’s emphasis on the rationalization of production and thereby of the workplace was intended to delineate the importance of labor force and use them as machines to reduce cost.

Taylorism had become famous for the mass production. The scientific management is underpinned by five principles: clear division of task between the workers and management; evolving scientific method to find the best way of doing the task; scientific selection of workers; training of workers on doing the job in specific manner; and close monitoring of workers which is time bound. Ford Motors has exploited the scientific management to introduce technology and develop automated assembly line for manufacturing standardized parts for mass automobile production (Mullins, 2010).

Taylor’s scientific management has come under controversy for many reasons including devaluation of human resource and unethical practices at workplace to increase profit. In mass production of goods, it is still very pertinent. In the contemporary times, McDonalds’ is prime example where Taylor’s scientific process is extensively applied. Workers are trained in the production processes to ensure uniformity in its products which has now become the hallmark of its fast food across the globe.

The uniform quality of its food products is unique and the customers can get the same taste of burgers at any globally located McDonalds’ outlet. Indeed, McDonaldization is distinct in its four well defined production processes which includes efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control through the use of technology and automation (Ritzer, p13). It has promoted an organizational culture that is based on specific standards and lacks human emotions and human interaction at personal levels.

The main advantage of the scientific management is that it eliminates waste and optimizes time management through strict procedures and processes using man and machine efficiently and in tandem. The major contribution of the scientific management is in breaking the complex task into number of easy to do subtasks that can be performed optimally by even unskilled labor. The key disadvantage is that workforce is exploited like machines and human factor like socio-psychological wellbeing is ignored.

The routine of the job becomes not only monotonous but the standardization of production process on machines becomes unrealistic as employees cannot perform optimally at all times without experiencing physical and emotional exhaustion. Taylor’s scientific method is still popular in units where mass production is major objective of the organization or where the routine is necessary to expedite work. In the case study of Superbrand, the food retail outlet, scientific method is useful in sorting out expiring goods.

The manpower had also used the concept for rearranging shelves with fresh and new products for next day business. Moreover, the principle of scientific management is inherently exploited to divide work across the employees so that organizational objectives and daily targets of the team could be easily achieved. Most importantly, flexible working arrangement and concept of temporary and contract workers also highlight the importance of scientific management that allows managerial leadership to choose workers for different work processes.

(words: 717)Answer 2a In the recent years, workplace conditions and wellbeing of the workforce has become crucial part of management focus across the world. Perceived outlook of work has shifted from the financial remuneration to the workplace environment where the overall wellbeing of the workers is not only recognized as vital part of organizational productivity but as an intrinsic organizational strategy that adds value to its vision, mission and goal. UK Government has come up with comprehensive package to manage health and safety of workers at work (CIPD, 2012).

Indeed, the issue of health and wellness of the employees has increasingly become important to the employers and policy makers due to many reasons. UK labor force is much behind its counterpart G7 partners in the productivity stake due to bad health of its working population (Bevan, 2010). CIPD (2007) research shows that the increased absenteeism at workplace due to bad health has resulted not only in increased medical expenses but the loss of man-days has seriously impacted the productivity of the organizations.

Though workplace injuries have decreased by 38%, stress costs businessmore than £3.8 billion a year with significant rise in the IB claimants (ACAS, 2012; CIPD, 2007). It is believed that if the organizations address the health and wellness of the employees, it would lead to major impact on the productivity of the business (Gray, 2014). The issues is hugely relevant because looking after the physical and mental wellbeing of its people, organizations can save substantially on the absence cost, recruitment cost, insurance and medical expenses.

Foot and Hook (2011) confirm that firms with healthiest workforce are better equipped to engage their workers meaningfully to increase productivity and meet new challenges with higher confidence. In the current environment of highly competitive business, people face new challenges which need to be innovatively addressed. Major work place related health challengesare stress, back pain, depression, anxiety, risk of heart diseases etc. (Bevan, 2010). Work-life balance has also evolved into important issue that adversely influences the wellbeing of the employees.

Wellbeing is a subjective experience that necessitates evaluation of myriad factors and issues that may have some impact on the health of the employees. Employers have realized that to maintain a competitive advantage within the industry, they need to ensure that their employees are provided with facilitating environment that makes them happy and self-motivated. Thus, organizations have come up with creative initiatives to develop better working conditions and engage them in ways that makes them feel valued.

Marks & Spenser is exemplary example of business that has constantly ensured that employees’ wellbeing remains the top priority within the organization. They have family friendly policies with flexible work schedule and ensure that along with good physical environment, all employees have access to holistic services like hairdressing, chiropody, dentistry etc. The have fast referral for physical therapy for work related problems. Consequently, the business has seen sharp decline of 8% in the absence cost (CIPD, 2014).

Scotia Chiropractic Ltd. is yet another excellent business that promotes ergonomic based health and wellness measures in its different branches. It promotes a no hierarchy culture where employees can discuss their problems with whomsoever they wish. Employees’ overall wellbeing remains the basic concern in all their activities and operations that boosts their morale and motivates them towards more committed work (ibid). Indeed, it is observed that health and wellbeing is closely linked to factors like empowerment of the employees and freedom to make decisions independently based on informed choices.

They get a boost when they know that they have the support of the management or the peer group. When information is shared with them, they can better manage challenging situations and changes which considerably help to reduce workplace stress. Other factors like fair appraisal, fringe benefits and rewards that recognize the hard work and performance of the employees go a long well in reinforcing their enthusiasm and loyalty.(words: 648)Answer 2b The initiatives taken on the health and wellbeing of employees by the organizations need to be monitored and assessed periodically for their effectiveness.

The regular appraisal of health related policies help to identify flaws or requirements that need interventions. The organizations adopt many mechanisms to evaluate the effectiveness of their health and wellness policies and measures. Studying the absence cost over a period of time is a good way to understand if the initiatives taken by the organizations are right. Long absence of employees is costly for management. The case study of Royal Mail demonstrates that various health related measures that it had introduced have significantly reduced absenteeism, saving the organization more than £230m after four years of implementing the programme(Marsden and Moriconi, 2008).

Royal Mail of UK had introduced an integrated package of health measures that included: periodic health screening; networking with health clinics to expedite access to occupational health services and physiotherapy. Rehabilitation centers for improving back, neck and shoulder injury as well as developing employee assistance programme. They had also made provision for phased and partial return to work. These measures were hugely successful (CIPD, 2007) Another way to monitor and asses health programmes is by measuring the incidences of injury and workplace accidents which tend to be very expensive affairs for the organizations.

Poor working conditions that lack necessary safety procedures are important reasons for low productivity. Fatigue often becomes key reason for workplace casualty, causing immeasurable loss to the employee as well as the organizations. Stringent adherence to the laws promotes better working conditions that reduce workplace injuries. At the same time, wellbeing programmes of the business focus on improving the health of the employees and provide them with attractive incentives that reinforce their energy for improved performance.

The other ways to monitor health and wellbeing programme is to constantly observe retention, attrition, improved performance, higher productivity etc. that also provide the business with unique market credibility. The case study of Prudential highlights that how wellbeing strategy had become a success when it was pursued as part of employee engagement. ‘Feeling good’ was a sustained campaign for employees’ wellbeing. It rewarded its employees for motivating colleagues to participate in various healthcare initiatives like gym benefits, stress management, nutrition, sickness prevention etc.

that the company had introduced. It monitored the health of its workers and found that 80% of the targeted employees had registered for health programmes. The campaign was a success and revealed that absenteeism had come down by 11%, productivity ratio had gone up by 1.77 days and turnover was reduced to 3%. Thus, monitoring and assessing health and wellness programmes is easy. (words: 440)Answer 3 Managerial leadership initiatives are critical imperatives that help create facilitating environment of trust and shared knowledge.

The role of manager as leader becomes especially pertinent as his/ her develops traits of engaging the workforce in constructive dialogue. Motivating and labor friendly approach helps to develop an organization culture that is based on creativity, commitment to organizational goals and beliefs that shared goals and collective actions are mutually beneficial. This becomes the vital mechanism for improved performance as the shared visions provide the necessary stimulus to the employees to strive towards collective goals.

Sjostrand and Tyrstrup (2001) believe that managerial leadership is a relational, continuing social construction process rather than as a single flawlessphenomenon. It constantly uses new ways to exploit the ideas of the workers to improve performance. Jones & George, (2008, p51) state that managers ‘should allow employees to be innovative and creative’. Effective managers are therefore help promote an organizational culture that facilitates better understanding, prediction and improvisation in work place that leads to improved performance.

It highlights horizontal communication that is distinct in mutual understanding, multiple skill development and shared learning. Workers are committed to organizational goals and objectives and work in teams that encourages collective decision making.Indeed, team work is one of the most important factors that make valuable contribution in promoting a sense of togetherness and collective responsibility. A team therefore becomes highly innovative when it brainstorms ideas for creative input and exploits the same for improving performance.

Successful managers also engage workers constructively and give them freedom to air their views. In fact they seek workers’ views to resolve workplace problems that not only inculcates sense of belonging but it also ensures their commitment and loyalty towards their work as well to the organizational leadership. Employee engagement broadly refers to their involvement and commitment to their work such that they experience positive emotions and sense of connectedness with others (Alfes et al., 2010). They are highly innovative in their approach to work and share ideas with others to improve and improvise.

This was very visible in managerial approach of grocery manager of Superbrand, Stockington branch. He had brought together different members of his group to sort out solution for the high wastage due to out of date products. When the new process was put into practice, everyone enjoyed the half an hour daily session of frantic activity of sorting soon to be expire products and putting them on sale at lower price. Effective managers also excel in critical thinking and involve workers at all levels of decision making.

Managers as leaders becomethe key anchors who help create a sense of achievement amongst the employees and provide stimulus for higher goals leading to personal and professional success. There is high level of satisfaction amongst the workers as they feel valued because the managers are able to involve them in intellectual engagement, affective engagement and social engagement (Bakker &Schaufeli, 2008). Employees are intellectually engaged when they are motivated to strive for higher performance.

Affective engagement is when they feel good at doing their work which happens when their efforts are appreciated, recognized and rewarded. The social engagement promotes employees’ proactive participation in workplace discussions on improving performance. The managers become successful when they empower their employees and seek their views on different issues that are related to organizational performance. Such cultures are distinct in organizations where workforce is encouraged to develop mutual understanding and respect.

They use different means to engage employees. Regular brainstorming sessions for new ideas, feedback from employees, reducing hierarchy so that he/she is approachable to the employees and giving due recognition to the employees’ good work etc. are few of the ways that successful managers use to generate new ideas in the workplace.(words: 625)Answer 4 Motivation of employees is key issue for managerial leadership as it influences workplace performance and organizational productivity. The leadership creates workplace environment that supports employees’ socio-economic and psychological needs that inspires them to give their best.

The management adopts various strategies to motivate better performance and productivity at the workforce. There are many factors that tend to serve as motivation for higher performance like extrinsic rewards which satisfy basic needs and intrinsic rewardswhich promote psychological wellbeing (Arnold & Randall, 2010). At the same time, the personal goals and career development of the employees have also become major work paradigms that must be addressed by the managerial leadership. It is therefore important to analyze to what extent money motivates employees to perform in the workplace.

Motivation is an individual phenomenon that may vary across people. While motivated employees have strong desire to perform better, demotivated workers are least bothered about their performance. Herzberg’s two factors theory is quite pertinent in explaining howwork performance is influenced by different factors (1959). He expounds that Motivational factors like recognition, challenging work, growth, achievement etc. always lead to satisfaction and sense of wellbeing but Hygiene factors like salary, status, job security, company policy, workplace relationship etc.

may lead to dissatisfaction and low performance if one’s expectations are not met. Herzberg’s factors also define extrinsic and intrinsic needs which are also linked to Maslow’s Hierarchy of need. While lower order needs of Maslow are confined to extrinsic factors, self-actualization is inherently intrinsic that is related to the feeling of wellbeing of the individual workers. Extrinsic as well as intrinsic factors play important role in motivating individuals within an organization. In the contemporary environment of materialistic world, money has emerged as critical issue for employees.

It helps to satisfy their personal and professional aspirations. The merit based remuneration and pay equity greatly inculcates confidence and mutual trust building, leading to goal based performance. Money significantly contributes to the acquisition of material goods like luxury cars, social status, state of the art goods like latest smartphones, high flying lifestyle etc. Employees correlate salary with their needs and to what extent their pay can satisfy those needs. Money as such becomes a very important motivating factor.

Thus, financial compensation is vital element of improving and improvising performance outcome of the individuals.Vroom’s expectancy theory is also significant as it gives insight into the motivating factors of employees. The expectancy theory reveals employees’ expectations towards the outcome (Vroom, 1964). Employees are evaluated by their performance and if the employee feels that his/her efforts would result in higher performance that would be appreciated and rewarded by the management, employees would give his best.

Ramlall (2004) argues that individual estimate of the outcome would have positive valence if the reward corresponds to personal goals. Contrarily, if the employees feel that appraisal system is more inclined to evaluate non performance related factors like job tenure, he would not be motivated for higher performance. Thus financial incentives do result in motivation for higher performance.Various types of financial incentive are designed to influence the performance and productivity of the employees.

Merit based appraisal system has emerged as motivation for improved performance. Armstrong &Murlis, (2007) assert that the appraisal system is an important aspect of rewarding high performing employees. A uniform appraisal system promotes pay equity and job satisfaction as they are better able to access and adopt new opportunities of growth. Indeed, timely and fair promotional avenues which are linked to financial incentives are highly relevant to create a cohesive and committed workforce that is constantly motivated towards optimal performance.

It provides them with the financial and emotional security as higher remunerations can meet their changing demands and personal goals. Cascio, (2005) says that effective management tries to understand the expectations and hopes of the employees so that they can be linked to performance. Other types of financial benefits include family insurance, free vacations for family etc. that are used as performance based rewards and serve to motivate employees for continued high performance. Another important work related strategy is to let employees become part of the organization’s profit sharing through bonus shares (Bratton & Gold, 2007).

It is highly motivating factor for constant high performance. As a shareholder, employees get a stake in the firm and become more personally involved in its productivity and performance. Thus, it can be concluded that money is very powerful motivation for high performance.(738)Answer 5 Conflict is individual perception of event that has the capacity to adversely impact others. Workplace conflicts tend to affect personal and professional work paradigms and need to be resolved at the earliest. They lower the morale of the workers that leads to low productivity, higher absenteeism and confrontations.

As such, conflicts need to be evaluated and analyzed for fast resolution. Moreover, understanding conflict is vital for improving productivity. It necessitates development of strategies to address the various factors that might be responsible for the workplace conflicts. Indeed, it tends to create problems that could develop into serious issues if not identified early. Thus, the causes of workplace conflicts must be identified at the earliest so that they could be resolved.The workplace conflicts are mostly external in nature and may arise due to differing personal and work ideologies.

External causes of conflicts broadly refer to situations and issues which are ostensibly created by others and which threaten personal and professional goals and desires of the employee. Hitt et al. (2005) describe major factors for workplace conflict as: lack of understanding; different assessment; self interest and envy; and low tolerance (Hitt el al, 2005). Within an organization, interaction among the employees and managers is often challenged by diverse interests, work place conflicts and display of power politics.

Good leadership strongly advocates effective communication to discuss and resolve conflicting ideas and develop constructive relationships based on mutual trust , understanding and confidence. The factors enunciated by Hitt et al. highlight employees’ drawback in perceiving the external changes negatively which develop into serious issues of conflict with the management and create sense of insecurity amongst the workforce. Other causes of conflict vis-à-vis poor management, unfair treatment, unclear job roles, poor communication, poor work environment, different goals and values etc.

become potent elements that adversely impact work productivity (ACAS, 2009). These factors create doubts and lower performance. The workers are often not given proper training or job detailing and what is expected of them which results in low esteem and may ultimately lead to conflicts.The first step to the resolution of conflicts is to provide extensive training and clearly define employees duties and workplace targets. Management should ensure seamless communication across the workforce emphasizing organizational vision, mission and objectives.

They should encourage a culture of collaboration and shared learning so that people can engage in constructive dialogues to resolve personal and workplace differences amicably. The management should inform workers about the workplace code of conduct and disciplinary actions that can be taken against the erring employee when they violate workplace rules and regulations. Whetton and Cameron (2011) agree that the psycho-analytical perspectives are important instruments to understand the hidden dynamics of human relationship, especially when they are related to corporate culture, social defenses, leadership imperatives, motivation and other paradigms associated with organizational behavior.

Hence, the management needs to create amiable environment of mutual trust and confidence building to resolve conflicts. It should encourage effective communication in order to strengthen interpersonal understanding within the group in an organization (Bell, 2002). Indeed, the best way to tackle conflicts is to facilitate a neutral platform where individuals with conflicts can come together with clear intentions of solving the issues and thrash out their differences with a mediator.The role of mediator is important as he/she can evolve well planned strategy that can identify problems and help warring groups or individuals to discuss the issues with open mind.

The management of conflict therefore, becomes the responsibility of the management as well as that of the employees. Management can control conflicting situations through proper dissemination of information and engaging employees meaningfully so that they are proactively involved in the development processes of the organization. They should ensure that employees are well informed about the code of practice of discipline and grievance procedure (ACAS, 2014). Management of the conflict by the individual is focused on his/her understanding of the workplace discipline and rules and regulation.

By adhering to them, the employees can avoid workplace conflicts and strive to work with high collaborative approach.Employees must be familiar with the code of practice of discipline and grievances procedures and make efforts to settle workplace grievances informally before taking them to the tribunal. (words: 702)Part 2Answer 6Introduction In the highly competitive business environment, creating and organizing an effective workforce that is able to make valuable contribution becomes extremely crucial.

The employees are the pillar of the organization and their work disposition greatly influences their performance and organizational outcome. Indeed, employees’ performance is closely related to human behavior. Various internal and external factors influence and affect individual employee behavior.Arnold et al (2010:310) affirm that motivation has emerged as one of the leading factors that ‘push us or pull us to behave in certain ways’. A happy workforce is better equipped to contribute constructively to the shared goals of the organization for higher work performance as psychological well-being is associated with the psychological well-being of the employees (Cropanzano& Wright, 2001).

Dowling, Festing& Engle (2008:110-120) assert that each worker is unique with feelings, emotions, expectations and frames of references that is distinct to him/her. Consequently, individuals or employees require constant reassessment, evaluation and capacity building within the work context in order to meet the new challenges of time. Scholars reveal that within work environment, workers experience different physical, social and psychological influences that impact their work place behavior and subsequently their performance.

The issues have to be addressed with innovative approach that considerably enhances their work satisfaction. Case study of Stockingtonbranch of Superbrand, a leading retail organization of UK is undertaken to analyze factors that influence employees’ behavior.Brief outline of Superbrand retail chain and its Stockington branchIt is one of the leading chains of supermarket in UK with focus on food items. It has more than 1000 medium and large supermarkets and around 450 convenience stores. It has wide range of products ranging from exclusive to low cost products to meet the requirements of different demographic segment.

It is renowned for excellent customer service and quality products. The Stockington branch is facing some difficulties for the last nine to twelve months. A new supermarket in the town has put pressure on the sale. Currently it employs 31 managers supervising 500 strong workforce including permanent, part-time and temporary workers to meet the demands of fluctuating numbers of customers. It has weekly turnover of £1m. he branch has 6 departments with checkouts department having maximum numbers of employees, high absenteeism and lowest satisfaction level.

Grocery department has relatively fewer employees but it is best managed with highly satisfied staff. The night shift has smallest number of workers with five full time staff and part time workers. It is the most mismanaged department with high staff turnover and high ‘wastage’.Empowerment of the workforce Empowering workforce with relevant information so that they can make decisions based on informed choices become crucial enablers for employees. The main reason is that it inculcates confidence and greater sense of responsibility amongst the workers which serves as motivation for them to achieve shared goals with zeal.

When employees are empowered to make decisions independently, they do so with heightened sense of responsibility which ensures that they give their best. Grocery department has least wastage because the manager creatively exploits their competencies by seeking their advice and engaging them to look for ways to improve performance.Participatory approach of the management and employees Participatory approach of the management promotes equity that also empowers the workforce. It becomes important that effective organizational leadership ensure and create facilitating work environment for its workforce.

It encourages collective decision making and sharing of ideas. As a result, workers become strong team, developing a strong sense of togetherness and collective responsibility that is reflected in the increased output and improved performance of the organization. Effective communication helps to promote understanding between the managerial leadership and the employees (Giancola, 2007). It highlights the benefits for the organization as well as for the workers. Indeed, if employees feel an integral part of the organization and partners in the success or failure of an organization, their performance gets significant boost.

The lack of communication within the nightshift is a prime example of missing target and inadequate leadership initiative of shift manager which do not motivate employees for higher performance.Individual motivationalneeds Maslow argues that people are motivated by the hierarchy of needs that they tend to align with organizational goals as a means of achieving them (Schwalbe, 2007). It comprises of self-actualization, status, acknowledgement, reward and retention. These are factors that affect employees’ performance if they feel that the present work environment is not satisfying their needs as mentioned by Maslow.

Maslow (1943:370-96) believes that while physiological needs are at the lowest level, people strive to achieve other needs as they are satisfied. The five step model of needs has considerable impact on the motivation of the workers that is reflected on their performance. External and internal environment factorsInternal factors are linked to the performance management including remuneration, performance appraisal, job satisfaction etc. Armstrong and Baron (2005) assert that the performance management relies on effective management of individuals and team.

The merit based remuneration and pay equity instills confidence and promotes mutual trust building. While financial compensation is vital element of improving and improvising performance outcome of the individuals, other factors like job satisfaction, incentives and fringe benefits, effective appraisal system, new opportunities of personal and professional growth etc. have also evolved into powerful tools to influence employees’ behavior and performance.The criteria for job satisfaction often vary but it invariably encourages retention, quality and consistency in work paradigms.

Armstrong & Baron, (2005) insist that it is directly linked to improved work performance, high values, better health, reduced absenteeism and motivation. Employers tend to employ people who fit the job description and provide facilitating environment that boosts their morale. Employees’ commitment to work is increased through shared values and shared learning. Employees at Checkout department are not satisfied because they feel they are not valued as nobody listens to their problems.Armstrong &Murlis, (2007) claim that effective appraisal system is an important aspect of rewarding employees that also serves as an important feedback for others to improve their performance.

It is measured against established standard that help to make decisions regarding promotion, compensation, training, firing etc. The standards are regularly communicated to employees and results are discussed with employees so that corrective actions could be taken. The 360 degree review appraisal has increasingly become popular as it promotes an unbiased approach and includes feedback on employees’ abilities from different stakeholders. Fair appraisal system boosts emotional security which is inherently linked to human behavior.

Indeed, fair promotional avenues along with adequate financial incentives help create a cohesive and committed workforce. Effective communication and feedback system helps the management to understand workers’ expectations, their needs and their requirements vis-à-vis job fulfillment and job satisfaction etc. It helps to build an environment of trust and mutual respect that contributes to higher work productivity and commitment to the organization. The branch seems low at communicating important messages to the workforce.

Organizational cultureOrganization consists of diverse people that co-exist and conform to certain social norm and hierarchy and work towards common goals. Organizational behavior basically refers to the interaction of employees in a given organization and analysis of individuals and groups characteristics in order to better understand, predict and improvise in work place that lead to improved performance. Organizational culture is defined through shared vision and collective goals of the organization which is developed by sharing information or through the messages and stories that are shared amongst the workforce (Bloisi, cook and Husaker, 2007).

It is fundamentally linked to understanding of organizational behavior that impacts the performance outcome of the employee and thereby, the organization.Organizational culture is developed over a period of time and endows workers with sense of stability and desired motivation for improved outcome. It evolves over a period of time through shared learning and having common goals. It is critical input that hugely facilitates workers to become part of the organization and contribute to improved performance through hard work, commitment and loyalty.

Schwenk (1997: 4) emphasizes that ‘employee’s absolute commitment to a shared vision of change is seen by many leaders/ change agents as so important for their organization’s continued survival’. This is vital imperative that enables better understanding of diverse workforce and motivates them to perform better, leading to higher organizational productivity.In he case, the branch lacks effective organizational culture of shared learning that promotes better understanding across the staff, including permanent, part-time and temporary workers as they remain segregatedLeadership styleMullin (2010) says that managerial leadership approach to organizational behavior is the key ingredientthat impacts organizational effectiveness and work performance.

Effective leadership acknowledges the importance of people’s participation in the overall strategy of having common goals through shared learning. The leadership must make efforts to involve employees in the decision making process and engage them in constructive dialogue. It promotes confidence building and strengthens interpersonal understanding with the group (Boddy, 2008; Pettinger, 2002). Thus making managerial leadership an intrinsic part of the work processthat is distinct in the stability provided by the system and the integrated approach of the workers.

In the contemporary times, situational leadership’ becomes highly relevant in the context of globalization which has promoted a multi-cultural work environment where people come from different race, color and culture. It endorses dynamic leadership that uses different leadership traits as per the demands of the situation or issue.The key trait of situational leadership fundamentally relies on effective communication, ethical consideration and values to facilitate better understanding of myriad issues across the workforce (Meyer et al.

, 2007; Hasard and Parker, 1994). The various managers of different departments at Stockington branch have varying degree of leadership initiatives. While manager of grocery department has dynamic ideas and involves workers to sort out problems, nightshift manager is least bothered to motivate his temporary employees to have SMART goals and achieve them efficiently.Health and safety for employees This is very important aspect within an organization that ensures workplace security by benchmarking measures for workers’ health and safety.

It provides them with safe working environment and promotes health imperatives for their overall well-being. It helps earn workers’ loyalty and confidence on long term basis thereby inculcating positive attitude and greater conformation to the ethical considerations.Training and development Providing employees with wide scope of personal and professional growth through training and development equips them with necessary skills and knowledge to meet the challenges of time effectively. Early job orientation followed by regular training not only helps them to understand the changing dynamics of the business but it also rejuvenates them to tackle new workplace situations with greater confidence.

While, the staff undergo orientation program but it is often not followed by regular training. Managers are also not trained.Recommendations All employees should be regularly trained so that they are better equipped to meet new challenges.The managers should also undergo training programmes that hone their leadership skills.The managerial leadership needs to promote more facilitating organizational culture that is based on shared learning. Older and permanent staff must be encouraged to engage temporary and part time workers so that they are motivated to higher performance.

Effective communication system must be introduced by managers to disseminate important information, target, incentives, penalties etc. Weekly sessions of brainstorming ideas and discussing feedbacks from the employees would not only inculcate confidence and motivate staff, it would also increase staff loyalty when they know that their problems are listened. It is important to understand their problems, expectations and other things that might be adversely impacting their workplace behavior.The leadership in the organization mainly determines the success or failure of the strategies implemented in order to achieve certain goals.

This forms part of the overall decision making process and the leaders play a number of roles in creation and communication of organizational strategy. Basically, decision making with regards to organizational strategy is primarily concerned with approving the course of action to that can be taken in the organization towards the attainment of the desired goals and it is mainly practised at the top management level within large organisations (Kleynhans et al., 2007). However, aspects such as involvement of other people as well as adopting ethical leadership are very important aspects that ought to be taken into consideration when making decisions about the strategies that impacts the operations of the organization as a whole.

There are quite a number of benefits that can be obtained from involving other members of the organization in making decisions. Mutual understanding is likely to be created when all the members are involved in the decision making process and employee motivation is likely to be significantly improved (Robbins, 1993). When the employees are given the autonomy to contribute their ideas towards the decision making process in the organization, there are high chances that they will share the same vision of the organization with their leaders.

Their commitment to work is likely to improve since they become part of the strategies that are implemented in the organization. Employees who are treated as valuable assets to the organization are motivated and this in turn improves productivity. Knowledge creation is likely to be improved when employees share their ideas through involvement in decision making. Interaction in the organization is also improved when there are open communication channels. This means that chances of conflicts in the company are minimized and problems can be solved easily.

On the other hand, it can be observed that the concept of ethical leadership is indispensible in any organization. According to Kleynhans et al. (2007), leaders who act in an ethical way are exemplary and they are likely to positively influence the behaviour of their followers. Leaders have a role to influence their followers to positively contribute towards the attainment of the desired goals and they should always try to display attitudes and behaviours that can be emulated by their followers within the company.

This will help the employees to pull their efforts towards the attainment of the desired goals. The other important aspect about ethical leadership is that the leaders are in a better position to create a positive image about the company. Ethical leaders are likely to appeal to the interests of the targeted consumers such that they will also develop trust in the firm. This is very effective in as far as organizational performance is concerned. A company that is able to appeal to the interests of many people is in a better position to operate effectively and it can also attract more customers.

The viability of the company mainly depends on the number of customers it has. Thus, ethical leadership is indispensable in the operations of any organization that is concerned with achieving its goals. (words: 1918)BibliographyACAS (2009) Managing conflict at work, Available http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1218 [29 November, 2014]. ACAS. (2012). The future of health and wellbeing in the workplace,Available http://www.acas.org.uk/media/pdf/7/k/The_future_of_health_and_wellbeing_in_the_workplace.

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