Impact of Leadership Styles on Organizational Culture - Annotated Bibliography Example

Running Head: Impact of Leadership Styles on Organizational Culture Leadership Styles Customer’s Name: Customer’s Course: Tutor’s Name: June 30th, 2012 Introduction Leadership styles in an organization influence the short-term performance of a firm and ultimately the strategic goals of the organization. It follows that organizations that have been able to recruit and keep visionary and competent leaders always return better results in their operation than other firms. Leaders play a big role in the creation, maintenance and shifting of organizational culture which is the framework of an organization strategic goals. This paper explores the role of leaders play as regard the organizational culture of their workplaces by critically reviewing the work of various scholars on the subject. It then presents an actual reflection of the role of leadership in an organization by referring to the role of leaders depicted by theory with a practical application of the role in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Critical Review A critical review of   Goleman and Boyatzis, 2008, Social Intelligence and the Biology of Leadership, Harvard Business Review, 76 This research in social neuroscience was aimed to provide a scientific backing to the idea that empathy and self-knowledge play a vital role in effective leadership. The study found out that the brains of leaders and the followers are closely connected and the action of the leader closely influences the performance of his followers. It follows then that the kind of feedback a leader gives his followers greatly affects their feelings of well being. An effective leadership style should be able to promote positive feelings in the people they are leading. The research reported the discovery of mirror neurons in various parts of the brain that show people are able to reproduce the emotions of other people they come into contact with everyday. Although, the results presented in this research are based on short time studies it provides an insight into the workings of the brain in a leader-follower setting and the importance of a leader’s emotional response on the moods of those he is leading. In conclusion, research into the field of social neuroscience still needs a longer time to mature. Further research that uses human subjects should be conducted in a job environment to find the effects of leader’s behavior on positive attitudes in employees. In spite of the shortcomings noted the study has provided a background to enhance leadership styles to promote a positive organizational culture. A critical review of Getz, 2009, Liberating Leadership: How the Initiative-Freeing Radical Organizational Form Has Been Successfully Adopted, California Management Review, 51(4) Getz (2009) furthers research into the need to create a free work environment that enables innovation and initiative taking by employees. The author presents the effect of using a leadership style that frees employees to make decisions on behalf of the company. The author gives a narrative how the night cleaner once went to the Airport to get a visitor when she had received a call at a time nobody else was at the office. Getz describes the F-form leadership approach as a style that allows employees “freedom and responsibility” over their daily work to do what they think is best for the company. The research found out that F-form leadership can enhance a positive feeling where workers feel happy about their workplace and do their best in their work. The research main strength is that it gathers information from actual companies where the liberating style of leadership has been able to create a culture where workers seek to do more than their job descriptions require of them. In summary, freeing up leadership is important in creating a culture where employees strive to exceed their performance expectations. A critical review of Sandbakken, 2006, Leadership Practices and Organizational performance, EDAMBA Journal Sandabakken (2006) looks at the impact that the conduct of organizational leaders has on organization performance in a Norwegian context. The work briefly discusses the “New theory of leadership, particularly focusing on the Transactional/Transformational theory. He defines a transformational leader as one who identifies a strong vision for an organization and practices “supporting actions” in his interaction with employees. The supporting actions are concerned with empowering employees to make decisions and they include: accommodating varied opinions, backing employee decisions, being pleased with co workers contribution and respecting his followers. Sandbakken (2006) credits a transformational leadership style as enabling factor for creativeness and innovation and a culture where employees strive to achieve their full potential. The researches found out Norwegian organizations that apply a transformational leadership style perform better than organizations that apply the transactional approach (Tharp, 2009). In conclusion, the work of Sandbakken (2006) presents primary data that supports that transformational leadership through supporting actions contributes to formations of a culture of creativity and innovation in an organization. A critical review of Kaufman, 2012, Overachieving leaders: when an “A” is not good enough, Business Strategy Series, Volume 13 Number 2, 2012. Kaufman (2012) looks at the effect of the behavior of Charismatic leaders who are highly motivated on an organizations workforce. The article notes there is a negative effect in being led by an overachieving leader who is always pressuring those under his leadership to achieve results far above expectations. Leaders seeking to achieve rapid success in an organization apply this approach of leadership. Overachieving leaders have several negative ways of dealing with their followers in the organization including: being unappreciative where results are not excellent, micromanaging, and lack of patience in awaiting results to improve. In an organization an overachieving/charismatic leader leads to the lack of innovation and whose skills are underutilized in the company. The work by Kaufman reported that charismatic leaders who always seek over achievement in their firms lead to the formation of an organizational culture where workers are discouraged and do not feel like a part of the organization. However, Kaufman proposes that overachieving leadership can be channeled to transform the organization. In Conclusion, a leader who constantly pressurizes employee and does not recognize good performance unless it is excellent has the effect of stifling freedom within the organization and therefore the growth of enabling environment to unleash the full potential of employees. A critical review of Ross and Gray 2006, Transformational Leadership and Teacher Commitment to Organizational Values: The mediating effects of Collective teacher efficacy, School Effectiveness and School Improvement, Vol. 17, No. 2, June 2006, pp. 179 – 199 Ross and Gray studies the role transformational leadership plays in formation of teachers’ belief of self-efficacy. The research proposes that transformational leadership leads to employees being more committed to the organizational goals through improving their own belief of self efficacy. The research found out that principals practicing transformational leadership offer their members of staff opportunities that improve their self-efficacy. Belief of employees in their own ability is crucial in firms who want to excel in their operation. By promoting a feeling of self efficacy principals are able to develop a culture of self-belief in their schools enabling their teachers confidently tackle seemingly impossible tasks in their work In summary, the leadership style adopted by any organization influences the belief of workers in their own ability to tackle seemingly impossible issues in their day to day work. A critical Review of Euwema, Wendt and Van Emmerik, 2007, the effect of Leadership styles and group organizational citizenship behavior across cultures, Journal of Organizational Behavior, 28, 1035–1057 This research paper sets out to investigate effects of the society’s culture on group organizational citizenship behavior (GOCB) and the effects of leadership style on GOCB. The researchers argue that the societal culture has little effect on the organizational culture. Most importantly, the findings of the research brought to the fore the negative relationship between directive leadership and GOCB while the relationship between directive leadership and GOCB was negative (Howell and Hall-Merenda, 1999). However, the views of the research above have been found to be biased as the survey of employees took place are mostly from organization based in the West. Despite this bias the research brings out the role supportive leadership has in motivating good attitudes among employees (Peterson, Smith and Tayeb, 1993).To conclude organizations must make sure their leaders adopt styles of running organizations that are supportive for employees to achieve their potential rather than directing them on how to do their jobs. A critical review of Kavanag and Asakanasy, 2006, The Impact of Leadership and Change Management Strategy on Organizational Culture and Individual Acceptance of Change during a Merger, British Journal of Management, Vol. 17. Kavanag and Asakanasy (2006) investigate the effect that the change management strategy and leadership style adopted by an organization in times where organizations have to go through mergers has an effect on the acceptance of changes and the acceptance of a shift in organizational culture. They argue that organizational mergers may create a feeling of low self-belief in workers and job insecurity. It is the role of leaders to make workers feel secure during the transition phase by granting them a high level of individual autonomy. The research found that even though leaders are sometimes victims of shift in organizational culture they still have to play a role in leading the organizational change. The research provides the most important views of leadership during the process shifting organizational culture (Clement, 2012). Further, it expands the notion that the granting of autonomy to employees promotes a feeling of self-belief and Job security. Experience of Leadership at RAAF As illustrated above, leadership is a topic of vast literature and is of key concern to social sciences and humanities e.g. human resource management. In our organization which is Royal Australian Air-Force (RAAF), leadership has shaped and managed the organization’s personnel through Royal Air Force Leadership Centre which was established and set-up by John Jupp. The centre emphasizes on leadership training of all its personnel throughout the working experience (Jupp & Grint, 2005). The centre recognizes that leadership has many internal and external audiences which are important leadership attribute within any organization. The organization trains all of its personnel to be leaders in all departments of the air force. Among other things, our organization has many areas in which the leadership style benefits the personnel. In general perspectives, Royal Australian Air Force has accredited training for all its officers which has positive impacts on the leadership style to all its personnel. Moreover, the leadership style exercised in our organization calls for democracy more so in decision making process. As personnel of the organization, the leadership style has enabled me to grasp the whole concept of transformational leadership in which the leaders assist their followers in a certain department so that they can reach higher level of moral responsibility (Howell and Hall-Merenda, 1999). I can now participate in the process of generating and maintaining a shared vision in a commented organization. From Frankl’s motivation theory, the RAAF leadership style has not only benefited me as a person but also other practitioners across all departments. In particular, the Airfield Defence Guard pays which include service allowance, good salary, and high readiness allowances among others financial benefits have been one of the motivating factors in our organization. This concept is supported by (Flamholtz, 1986) theory of equity in which fairness and equality in ones’ rewards should be done using the efforts made by an individual and in comparison with others’ pay. Another motivating feature to Ground Defence Officers is; planning beforehand the conduct of operations and training exercises which is done by all the workers of the organization regardless of the position in the leadership protocol. The primary role of motivation of workers through leadership is to be fulfilled through discovering and implementing meaning to the corresponding values. In RAAF, this is maintained and translated into goals and are achieved and followed by enacting the corresponding behaviours through primary motive as opposed to secondary activities (Kaufman, 2012). According to Admiral Nelson’s definition of leadership as heroism, the RAAF officer works with a certain level of ambition that can only be described as obsession (Northouse, 2001). In addition, through constant training and departmental meetings we are remained of our achievements by telling some of the heroic stories so that we be inspired and reminded of the values of leadership that we must admire. Since RAAF is a military organization, and heroism is a quality necessary to military leaders more so when they are in battle field, the invention of ballistic missiles and rifles makes the role of leaders as heroes invisible. Therefore, the current form of leadership in our work place is characterized by both heroic and moral leadership (Northouse, 2001). Traditionally, the RAAF working culture has been one characterized by collaboration of every individual not only in battle fields but also in organizational day-to-day activities. The leadership put in place ensures that the collaboration is effective in all departments since success of each department reflect success to all other departments within the organization. Specifically, success of individual personnel through motivation, responsibility and organizational goals which are achievable highly depends and is part of RAAF leadership style (Jupp & Grint, 2005). Furthermore and contrary to Max Weber notion of leadership that it must have hierarchy and that in organization, leadership is exercised by the choose few (Euwema, Wendt and Van Emmerik, 2007) RAAF form of leadership is exercised by all members governing themselves in all the departments. In this, each individual personnel has his /her role to be accomplished within a certain time-frame. Again, this leadership style gives an individual an equal responsibility which is interchangeable according to competency and skills required. The responsibilities in here are measured at the end of every task according to how an individual feels about that particular responsibility, thinks, and acts (Jupp & Grint, 2005). This ensures that each individual identifies with the work in the aim of achieving a sense of coherent, strong self and social relations with others. This form of leadership is based on ‘scratch my back and I scratch your’ notion. Finally, RAAF leadership has a responsibility of protecting other individuals across other departments. In other words, each department provides security and protection of other departments for the safety of the whole organization. In our organization, the executives are ceremonial officers who see to it that all the works of the organization are accomplished accordingly. Conclusion Leaders in organization must realize that the leadership style they adopt in running their organization impact on the culture of the firm and consequently it long-term performance. In recent research on the role of leadership styles in organizations, it is widely agreed that the most successful organization are those that have spread power throughout the organizational structure. Thus, organization leaders must use an approach that enhances autonomy of individual workers and therefore motivates employees psychologically to look after the interest of the firm as they own it. In conclusion, the transformational/Democratic leadership approach is the most appropriate leadership style that enhances growth of positive cultures in organizations. Transformational leaders identify an organizational vision that brings all workers solidly behind it without requiring any extra persuasion. Secondly, they ensure they every employee has been consulted before embarking on changing the organizational culture. Thirdly, they enable a free environment and give employees autonomy over their everyday tasks. Furthermore, they stay vigilant ensuring positive culture is not eroded over time. At the RAAF transformational leadership ensures workers are highly satisfied with their job and feel secure about their employment. By ignoring structured leadership the RAAF has been able to motivate its staff to heroic action by empowering them to be responsible for the tasks they perform. References Clement, R.W. (2012). Culture, leadership, and power: the keys to organizational change - includes bibliography. Business Horizons Jun-July 2011, available online at: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1038/is_n1_v37/ai_14922916/?tag=content;col1 accessed on 20th June 2012 Euwema, M.C., Wendt, H. and Van Emmerik, H. (2007).Leadership styles and group organizational citizenship behavior across cultures Journal of Organizational Behavior, 28, 1035–1057. Flamholtz, E.G., (1986). How to Make the Transition from an Entrepreneurship to a Professionally Managed Firm. Journal of Management Development, 5 (1), 38 – 51 Getz, I. (2009). Liberating Leadership: How the Initiative-Freeing Radical Organizational Form Has Been Successfully Adopted. California Management Review, 51(4) Goleman, D. & Boyatzis, R. (2008). Social Intelligence and the Biology of Leadership. Harvard Business Review, 76 Howell, J.M. & Hall-Merenda, K.E. (1999). The Ties That Bind: The Impact of Leader-Member Exchange, Transformational and Transactional Leadership, and Distance on Predicting Follower Performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 84(5), 680-694 Jupp, J. & Grint, K. (2005) Air Force Leadership: Beyond Command, the Royal Air Force Leadership Centre: Lincolnshire Kaufman. B 2012 “Overachieving leaders: when an “A” is not good enough”, which originally appeared in Business Strategy Series, 1(2) Kavanagh, M. H. & Ashkanasy, N. M. (2006). The Impact of Leadership and Change Management Strategy on Organizational Culture and Individual Acceptance of Change during a Merger, British Journal of Management, 7. Peterson, M.F., Smith, P.B., & Tayeb, M.H. (1993). Development and use of English Version of Japanese PM Leadership measures in electronic plants. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 14, 251-267. Ross, J.A., Gray, P. (2006). Transformational Leadership and Teacher Commitment to Organizational Values: The mediating effects of collective teacher efficacy. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 17 (2), 179 – 19 Sandbakken, D.G. (2006). Leadership Practices and Organizational performance. EDAMBA Journal Tharp, B.M. (2009). Defining “Culture” and Organizational Culture”: From Anthropology to the Office, available online at: http://www.haworth.com/en-us/Knowledge/Workplace-Library/Documents/Defining-Culture-and-Organizationa-Culture_5.pdf accessed on 20th June 2012 Read More