21st-Century Leadership - Term Paper Example

21st Century Leadership Location 21st Century Leadership Organizations for today face significant challenges than in the past. Multinational companies face challenges in developing their operations an environment that is constantly changing and in different environments. To be able to succeed in the market, companies need to take a deep analysis of their capabilities and weakness to face these challenges. However, this is just the first stage in the long journey of handling challenges in the market. Multinational companies face a number of issues that become obstacles in their progress. Some of these challenges include government rules and regulations, international competition, employee’s diversity, effects of mergers and acquisitions, and the culture of the working environment and the country. The complexity of issues faced by these company needs to be addressed so that the impact to the organization is minimized. One way of addressing these issues is through leadership skills in organizations and also their negotiation capabilities. This paper looks at the challenges that organization face as a result of technological change and looks at the leadership and negotiation concepts required in addressing the issue. Body Challenge facing organizations In order to survive in a competitive market, many companies follow the strategy of maintaining and expanding their market share. One crucial asset that companies need to look at in order to succeed in the market is technology. Researchers have stressed that leaders and managers need to look at the impact of technological changes in the achievement of this goal. One problem that faces managers today is technological changes. Technology has revolutionized the way companies are conducting business. Technological advancement like the use of websites, computers, servers, and other development give companies a competitive advantage as compared to competitors. Technological advancement has the advantage of reducing the costs in a company by automating many business functions. This also helps in maintaining some level of security of information. Technological advancement has become a challenge in many organizations today. Even with this advancement, companies see little gain or efficiency because of people’s natural resistance to the changes brought by the advancement in technology. May organizations tend to be resentful and anxious of being forced to change the way they perform their function as a result of changes in technology. In every organization, there are individuals who prefer to be operating in the old ways. In normal cases, these individuals end up accepting the change or face elimination in form of layoff. Technological advancements like the use of computers have led to the completion of repetitive jobs. This is somehow predicted leading to individuals to compromise the effectiveness of the technology. Many people who do not get the required skills also find themselves eliminated in organizations. Even though many jobs have been reduced by the advancement in technology, a new challenge has emerged for organizations in getting innovative, adaptive, and skilled workers who can constantly be upgraded and are willing to learn new skills (MARJORIBANKS, 2000). Technological Advancement has led to flexibility in workplaces. In most companies, employees were required to be physically present in their offices during the normal working hours. This is where they perform their job function and are able to interact with each other. However, this is changing with the advancement in technology. Many organizations are already encouraging flexible work environments. An advancement in technology is telecommunication that has made flexibility in the work environment possible (IGBARIA, 1998). Some employees are already using this technology to connect to their computer networks from their homes and be able to work without visiting their offices on a daily basis. This is aimed at helping employees to control their own schedule. However, this advancement has come with its own challenges. The biggest challenge is the lack of interaction between employees who are working at the office and those who are working from home. This tends to negatively affect the team spirit among employees working in a project. Technological advancement has had a big impact on globalization where companies of all sizes are now able to do business from any part of the world. Companies are also able to set up satellite offices in any country as long as the region has internet access. The use of websites has further improved this because companies are able to interact and sell their goods and service to any part of the world. Globalization as a result of technological advancement however brings in the challenge of increased competition among companies. Both local and multinational companies compete for the same market. Advancement in technology has tempered with privacy rights. Key cards, surveillance equipments, phone monitoring and the use of internet at workplaces raise the issue of employee privacy. This raises the question of coming up with personnel policies that justify the watchfulness of management. At the same time, advancement in technology has increased the security risks at companies. The shift to paperless offices has left companies very vulnerable in terms of loss of data. This is especially evident when there is a power outage and there are no backup files. Other risks that companies face are from hacking and computer viruses which can compromise clients’ confidentiality, vital records, and databases. Leadership capabilities required To be able to deal with challenges expected, organizations need to develop leadership skills. Leadership is a mix of values, behaviors knowledge, and skills (NEAL, 2012). To be able to succeed, managers need to gain knowledge and understanding of effects of technological advancement and the skills and knowledge to communicate in a manner that employees will understand and be inspires. However, one key component that is crucial in communication is listening (KUSLUVAN, 2003). Leaders will need to acquire new leadership styles and approaches in order to survive in this unpredictable and complex environment. One theory that will need to be applied is the Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership theory that is based on the support that a leader provides. This theory is based on the amount of social emotional (relationship behavior) and direction support (task behavior) provided in a given situation. Task behavior is the extent to which a leader spells out the duties and responsibilities to employees. In managing the challenges that come as a result of technological changes, leaders need to tell employees their effects to them and the company. Employees need to feel secure that their jobs will not be affected so that they accept changes that come along with advancement in technology. This will increase effectiveness in the company and will also make employee be more willing to acquire new skills that will help them work with the technology. Relationship behavior is the extent to which leaders engage in multi-way communication. This implies that apart from communicating to employees, leaders also need to listen, support, and facilitate employees. It is crucial for leaders to provide support in mitigating challenges that come as a result of technological advancements. A leader is not able to succeed alone. The old notion stating that the leader is top of the pyramid is false. An effective leader needs to be involved and in touch with his or her group members. This also helps in motivating employees who will feel part of the organization. They will be more willing to be loyal to the organization and thus help the organization retain skills and knowledge in the organization (ANDERSON, 2008). With increase in globalization and competition leaders need to develop visions in order to succeed. They need to communicate this vision to employees, allowing them to give their input and also to be part of the visionary process. Effective leaders build the organizational vision with others. This will also build employees commitment to a vision that is shared by all (MINER, 2007). However, it is crucial for managers to look for a leadership style that can be applicable in a given situation because one style cannot be used universally in all the situations. The effectiveness of the behavior of a leader depends on the situation of the organization. Negotiation concept Negotiation is the process of making joint decision when different parties have different preferences. In organization, negotiation concept is crucial when trying to solve human resource issues (JOHNSON, 1996). This can be considered to be the best way of finding a solution or coming up with agreements. Negotiations takes place before a decision is made, during and after the process. Powers in negotiations contribute and influence the outcome of negotiations. Companies use this strategy to get what they want through negotiation process (STARKEY, 2010). Companies use negotiation concepts to get approval from employees on changes to be made. This is also crucial is agreeing with employees about the direction and goals of the company (STEELE, 1999). Conclusion Organizations for today face significant challenges than in the past. With the introduction of technology, companies face challenges in developing their operations an environment that is constantly changing and in different environments. These challenges include getting innovative, adaptive, and skilled workers who can constantly be upgraded and are willing to learn new skills. Another challenge is the lack of interaction between employees who are working at the office and those who are working from home. Finally, companies face increased competition, increased level of vulnerable in terms of loss of data, hacking and computer viruses which can compromise clients’ confidentiality, vital records, and databases. To be able to succeed in the market, companies need to take a deep analysis of their capabilities and weakness to face these challenges. Researchers have stressed that leaders and managers need to look at the impact of technological advancement in the achievement of this goal. Unlike before where employees were being managed in a bureaucratic manner and they followed instructions given, now employees have more powers in organizations. The increase in demand, their diversity, and the ease with which they can move from one company to another has made employee crucial in the success of an organization (BECK, 2004). To be able to achieve high performance, managers need to change with changes in the environment by leadership capabilities that include being visionary, communication with employees, and encouraging teamwork among employees. Leadership is a mix of values, behaviors knowledge, and skills. To be able to succeed, managers need to gain knowledge and understanding of their employees. References List ANDERSON, M., & CAWSEY, C. (2008). Learning for Leadership: Building a school of professional practice. Camberwell, Australian Council for Educational Research Ltd. BECK, R. C., (2004). Motivation: theories and principles. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson Education. IGBARIA, M., & TAN, M. (1998). The virtual workplace. Hershey, USA, Idea Group Pub. JOHNSON, R. A. (1996). Negotiation basics: concepts, skills, and exercises. Newbury Park, Calif. [u.a.], Sage Publ. KUSLUVAN, S., 2003. Managing employee attitudes and behaviors in the tourism and hospitality industry. New York: Nova Science Publishers. MARJORIBANKS, T. (2000). News corporation, technology and the workplace: global strategies, local change. Cambridge [u.a.], Cambridge Univ. Press. MINER, J. B., 2007. Organizational behavior. Armonk, N.Y: M.E. Sharpe. NEAL, A., & SONSINO, D. (2012). Developing a leadership strategy. Alexandria, VA, ASTD Press. STARKEY, B., BOYER, M. A., & WILKENFELD, J. (2010). International negotiation in a complex world. Lanham, MD [etc.], Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. STEELE, P., & BEASOR, T. (1999). Business negotiation: a practical workbook. Vermont, USA, Gower Pub. Read More