Leadership in the Millennial Generation - Coursework Example

Leadership in the Millennial Generation Introduction The Y generation is soon being left in the management positions of most organizations. Having management being run by this technology-crazy generation may have some effects on the working environments. There are various leadership styles which may also be adapted into an organization by the managers. This paper is going to highlight the effects of introducing the millennial generation into the management, and the different leadership styles. Dq 8.1 Due to their preference of using the internet and other advancement technology in communication, the Y generation rarely uses the face-to-face mode of communication. They prefer passing messages through instant platforms such as texts and mails where people do not have to think of organizing a meeting for communication to take place. Family is given the first priority over work by the generation Y. The generation that existed just before this one showed a lot of concern about their work and nation. It is this generation that had people who could leave their homes and family just for work related activities that were too risky to survive. For example, the baby boomers attended military wars that lead to some of them dying on the battle fields. Generation Y does not give work such a priority to the extent of caring less about the family. Another great trait that this high-tech generation portrays is being achievers. The group is always ambitious that they will achieve their goals despite the challenges they face. The reason is because they grew up in an environment where their folks were struggling to survive in tough situations such economic downfalls and the great recession. Therefore, the Y generation has ended up being a group that goes out to face challenges that come their way. The fact that they always seek to be on communication sites for 24 hours in a day makes them notice opportunities very fast. For example, one gets to find like-minded fellows and career development opportunities when he or she is on the internet for longer hours. Dq8.1.1 (1)Based on this knowledge of Gen Y, how do you see the work environment changing as Gen Y enters management positions? The work environment is prone to change as the Y generation moves to the managerial levels of organizations. There are various ways through which these changes can be impacted on the working fields. One of the changes to be recorded in the working environment is an increase in ambition in the workers. The Y generation is usually an ambitious lot. Once we have managers of this type, the stuff they manage is mostly expected to be of high goals[Boy15]. The Y generation is characterized with the love for attention. The people in this generation are always interested in being known by many other people. Their attention seeking skills may end up changing the environment in which the workers they manage work in. for example, managers from this generation may work harder to ensure their areas of work is very conspicuous. The reason for this is to catch the attention of other managers and the market generally. When the working environment is made unique, it is more likely that the performance may also change for the better. With the new technology it becomes easier for innovations to be released from the environments in which the workers do their activities. The workers will have an environment where new ways of doing different activities are always introduced. Therefore, we expect new operational activities from time to time when generation Y is left in the management position. One of the characteristics of this generation is trying out new ideas. When management is left on their hands, the working environment is expected to experience frequent changes[Cla13]. (2)Will Gen Y be more adept at managing distributed workers than baby boomer managers? (3)Why or why not? The millennial generation managers are placed at the best position to manage the distributed workers than the baby boomer managers. The young generation managers have better opportunities that they can use to coordinate team members who are operating from distanced places. There are various reasons why they are better placed than the baby boomer generation mangers[Gre11]. One reason why the Y generation can manage the distributed workers better is because they have a trait of encouraging teamwork. When workers are distributed across the globe, it becomes hard to ensure that the work they do is coordinated especially in cases where work has been divided among workers. Therefore, the management is tasked with ensuring all the workers of the organization have the quality of team work within oneself[DeV12]. The other reason why I believe the Y generation managers can play a better role in coordinating the distributed team members is the attraction that this type of managers will always have towards technology. Technology is an active element when it comes to coordinated people situated in different parts of the world. When the management is left to these Y generation managers, more advanced technological operations are going to be adapted by the organizations[Kro14]. Therefore, the workers will be able to be coordinated with their colleagues who are dispersed in far places using the technologies that the management shall introduce. Dq 8.2 (1) what is the effect of organizational culture on leadership style? The organizational culture used by a firm will always affect the leadership style that is going to be adapted by the management. The culture of an organization makes it operate in specific ways that may require unique handling by the leadership. The operations of the organization will always determine how the management of the teams will be structured. The organizational culture determines how resources in the organization will be administered. It is the culture that defines the areas of operation that are given more priority than the other. Therefore, through this the management gets to allocate its resources varyingly. The resources here are things such as funds, workers and tools of work. The style of leadership will also determine how these resources are allocated. Therefore, in this case the organizational culture would have influenced the style of leadership by setting some goals[Kot12]. The culture would dictate the activities that are accepted to be done within the organization. In return, these activities that are to be undertaken will determine the style of leadership that the organization can adapt. For example, there are some tasks that can only be managed through mobilization, but not through dictatorship. Therefore, the leadership style in this case will be visionary[Ell121]. (2)How does organizational culture interact with personal leadership style? There is some relationship between organizational culture and personal leadership styles that are used to run the operation of an organization. One way in which this relationship can be highlighted, is by considering the fact that the values set by the organization’s culture originate from the leadership. It is the values that the leaders advocate for that makes up the culture of the firm. Eventually, these values move to the level of creating the leadership style that the managers are going to rely on when managing the operations of the organization. It is a good example of how the operational culture of a firm or group would determine the leadership style used[Kot121]. The other example where personal leadership styles connect to the organizational culture is when we consider that the code of conduct is mostly determined by the culture within the organization. The activities to be conducted by the organization must comply with the norms[Den14]. Personal leadership must also consider the culture of the organization. Dq 8.3 (1) what are the differences between transactional and transformational leadership? Transactional and transformational leadership are among the most used styles of leadership in organizations. The two styles are in some cases confused to be closely related though they have some slight differences. When these differences are deeply analyzed, these two types of leadership turn out to be completely different styles. The following are some of the differences[Vin11]. One major difference of these two styles can be displayed in the main objective of the leaderships. The transactional leadership is usually targeted at ensuring the organization being led operates in the culture that is available. In this case, the leadership finds ways of ensuring the workers have adapted to the existing environment. On the other hand, transformational leadership aims at improving the operations of the organizations through adaption of new effective changes[Hof14]. Transformational way of leading is interested in rewarding the entire organization as a team. Transactional leadership aims at rewarding workers at a private capacity. Therefore it majors on employees individually[DuS13]. (2)How might each of them contribute to or hinder distributed team performance? Transactional leadership contributes positively to the performance of distributed teams in various ways. One advantage of this type of leadership is that it enables a business firm to solve any operational issues that it is facing very swiftly. It is possible here since the leadership is always ready to solve problems. Therefore, distributed teams are going to be given an avenue where their issues can quickly be solved. The transactional leadership is also important in creating a good reputation for the organization[Öze14]. A good reputation is important when it comes to increasing the market area that this organization serves. However, the transactional leadership may hinder performance of distributed teams if not keenly looked at. Taking an example of when there is some work being done by distributed employees, this leadership is not concerned with making the team perform well together. It is interested in appreciating the performance of individuals. Therefore, it maybe unfavorable when coordinating distributed workers. The transformational leadership is also important in enhancing performance among distributed teams. For instance, this style of leadership usually uses some team building skills when managing human resource. This is seen in a case where the management works towards the team becoming successful as one body. Therefore, the operation of distributed organizations can be improved when this style of leadership is used by the administration. 3)What are other leadership styles you might use in a team environment? There are team leadership styles that are also effective when used a team environment. One of them is the laissez faire leadership. It is a style that lets the organization remain with its original processes of carrying out activities without introducing new policies in the management. The laissez leadership style is in most cases not interested at team building. It aims at making sure the organization in question keeps operational despite a change in management. Participative leadership is another style which usually gives room for every team members to contribute to the management of the organization or team. In this case, the leadership makes sure all members have a part to play. Therefore, it is interested in team building. It is also characterized by advocating for creativity within the team. The authoritarian is another leadership style that can be used. The style is one that leaves every decision for the leaders to make. Under this type of managing workers, the contribution of the team members is hardly sought. Therefore, the useful knowledge and talents that team members may have are usually wasted under this type of management. It is considered in most cases to be a dictatorship style of leading where team building is not encouraged. (4)Can teams function without a leader? It is practically not possible for a team to function without a leader. The leaders of teams usually play crucial roles that are very important when it comes to determining success for the teams. There are some important roles that can only be played when one is in the leadership position. One major function that the leaders have is ensuring the team sticks to the vision and mission of the team. It is usually the leaders who keep reminding members of the missions they are acting towards achieving. Working without good knowledge of the mission and vision of one’s team is very hard. It can cause a team player to work hard but fail to meet the requirements that the management needs one to accomplish. The other reason why it is hard for teams to operate without leaders is that it is these leaders who keep track of the actions been undertaken by the team. It is important for one to be reminded always of the part that he or she has solved and the remaining portion. Doing this makes the team members work harder to reach the finish spot[Mon14]. The other factor that makes leaders crucial in a team is their participation when it comes to keeping every stakeholder updated about the performance of the team and the challenges being faced. Therefore, it is important for teams to consider having leaders to keep track of performance. Conclusion The Y generation managers can be very effective in managing teams especially the distributed teams. Managers from this generation are characterized with their support for team building. Therefore, it becomes easier for them to coordinate even the globally distributed teams. The various leadership styles that one can adopt are also a determinant of the success a team can have. However, organizational factors play a part in influencing the styles that the management can adapt. References Boy15: , (Boyce & Nieminen, 2015), Cla13: , (Clarke, 2013), Gre11: , (Gregory, 2011), DeV12: , (De Vries, 2012), Kro14: , (Krog, 2014), Kot12: , (Kotrba, 2012), Ell121: , (Ellen, 2012), Kot121: , (Kotrba, 2012), Den14: , (Denison & Nieminen, 2014), Vin11: , (Vinkenburg, 2011), Hof14: , (Hoffmeister, 2014), DuS13: , (Du, 2013), Öze14: , (Özer & Tınaztepe, 2014), Mon14: , (Monzani & Ripoll, 2014), Read More