Effective Leadership and Management - Coursework Example

Management By: Institution: Course: Instructor: Date of submission: I disagree with the notion that ‘there is only one best way to manage’. Most managers adapt their leadership style based on the level of development of the individuals that they are managing. Over the past decades, studies have revealed that successful leaders do adapt their style of leadership based on the situation’s need. Majority of them have made recognition that there exists no best style (Blake, Mouton, Robert, & Srygley 2014, p. 1). Some individuals still think that there exist a single way that can be utilize for ensuring the management of the people. It is essential for managers aiming at making an improvement in their capacity to lead individuals to a higher performance level to ensure the adaptation of their leadership style to match the level of development of the individuals that they are managing. This approach has been proved to be essential in assisting managers to assist the individuals they are leading to perform at their best each time (Burnes 2016, p. 1). The ‘situational leadership II model by The Ken Blanchard Company teaches the managers to ensure the modification of support as well as the direction to provide the direction of the report and this is mainly based on their level of commitment skills for the task they are presently performing. Blanchard identifies four development stages namely the enthusiastic beginner, capable but cautious learner, disillusioned learner, and self-reliant achiever (Ken Blanchard Company 2007, p. 1). One of the ways to ensure that the business is achieving success is through proper management of the people. It is also important for one to be consistent and fair when it comes to enforcing the requirements of performance as well as work rules. The manager is required to know his/her people as a way of finding the right way by which one can approach them. It is also essential to spend some times with these people to assist in the solidification of the teamwork as well as assist in ‘issues’ clarification. This will also assist in ensuring that the accountability of the individuals (Smith 2014, p. 11). Instead of continuous reliance on memos and emails, it is important for the managers to have a personal conversation with individuals that he/she is managing. It is also important for one to ensure that honesty is prevailing in the group. One gains the capacity to know the means of dealing with the people. Sometimes, it is important for the manager to allow people to do their job without interference. The company stands to gain a lot if the manager agrees that no single style of management is in existence. It is important for one to work on practices which are best, ensure that he/she knows the staff members, as well as communicate with them at a personal level (Fineman, Sims, & Gabriel 2015, p. 14). Organizations have their operations in various environments and it is essential to evaluate the influence they have on their structures. Effective as well as efficient organizing is currently becoming significant in the present day world pigeonholed by rapid changes. Contingence approaches give the emphasis that for organizations to attain success, it is important for them to ensure the adaptation of structure which is appropriate for the environment of their operation. Contingence theory occurs in various forms. Generally, contingence theories are mainly categorized as behavior theory that affirm the claim that there exist no best way by which a corporation can be organized or the company’s organization structure (Burnes 2016, p. 1). Therefore, the organization can be organized through contingence upon the company’s external and internal environment. Crucial external factors such as the size of the company, cost and the availability of the capital, government laws and policies, technologies, strategies, labor markets, as well as competition form part of the external environment. The contingency theory’s main idea incorporates the following: There exist no single or best way of managing the organization Effective organizations as well as its subsystems are required to ‘fit’ in the environment (Fineman, Sims, & Gabriel 2015, p. 17). The needs of the organization can be satisfied through proper design as well as through an appropriate management style both in the work group nature as well as to the undertaken task In the late 1960s, there was the development of numerous contingence approaches and the theory originated following the classical theory criticism for instance Taylor scientific management and Weber’s bureaucracy theory which had witnessed failure because they did not recognize the notion that the organizational structure and management style was influenced by numerous environment aspects. Joan Woodward’s work formed the genesis of contingence approach following her declaration that various structures of organization characterized successful organization (Blake, Mouton, Robert, & Srygley 2014, p. 1). According to Burnes (2016), organizations that have their operation in an environment which is stable are dissimilar from those which have their operations in a dynamic and changing environment. According to him, companies can be categorized into two mainly based on management practices and structures and these are organic and mechanistic. The mechanistic organizations (also referred to as bureaucracies), are located in environmental conditions that are relatively stable (Fineman, Sims, & Gabriel 2015, p. 21). Such organizations have a clear program, are hierarchically structured, and are strictly controlled. These organizations mainly depend on the established guidance rules, and success is mainly measured by the degree by which the members of the staff conform to the procedures and practices. On the other hand, the organic organization has a likelihood of being present in environments that are stable. The orientation of these organizations is towards results and at the same time, they their structure is usually flat instead of being flat. They also have a little structure when it comes to rules and process. According to other studies, successful firms in every industry have a diverse differentiation degree. The firms whose operation is in uncertainty, rapidly changing, as well as complex have high sales, differentiated internal structures, R and D departments, and production (Fineman, Sims, & Gabriel 2015, p. 19). The organizational activities have been influenced by managerial leadership in numerous ways and they include scarce budgetary resources, motivating subordinates, and at the same time act as a communication source (Fineman, Sims, & Gabriel 2015, p. 25). The most extensively researched as well as earliest theory is that by Fred Fiedler and is also commonly called contingence leadership effectiveness mode (Smith 2014, p. 17; Fiedler 1964, p. 147). The origin of Fiedler’s ideas was behavioral and trait models by indicating that the group’ performance depends on the psychological orientation of the leader as well as on the three circumstantial variables namely task structure, group atmosphere, and the power position of the leader. The model of contingence emasculates the significance of situation of operation of the leader as well as his/her personality. Leadership style is the first main factor in the theory by Fiedler. This is a consistent interaction system which occurs between the work group and the leader. As a way of classifying the styles of leadership, LPC (Least-Preferred Coworker) scale was developed by Fiedler (Fiedler 1964, p. 149). The score of LPC is gotten by rating the workers as either hostile/supportive, or friendly/unfriendly. A high score of LPC indicates that the manager has the quality of ‘human relations orientation’. Another factor in the theory by Fiedler is called the environmental variable or situational favorableness, referring to the degree by which a situation allows a leader to ensure that he has an influence over a certain group. According to Fiedler, there exist three essential situational factors namely task structure, position power, as well as leader-member. Fiedler indicates that, in terms of leader-member relationship, leaders have a greater influence in the relationship with members of the group good. According to him, task structure greatly determines the favorableness of the structure. He is to the contention that the tasks that are highly structured ensures that the leader has a greater influence over the action of the group than tasks that are unstructured. In short, the contingence theory entails the best practice and this is dependent on the situation’s contingencies (Fiedler 1964, p. 150). In conclusion, Effective leaders are aware that there exist no single best way that can be used to manage. Most managers keep on adjusting their style of management to ensure that the needs of the people are met. It is important for managers to create best practices and best performance by which the employers will learn to aspire to and to copy. The manager can also create goals, performance thresholds and requirements to utilize as a tool of measurement. Contingence leadership theories indicate that no single style of leadership has the efficacy in all situations, but the styles of leadership are contingent on the situational and organizational context. Bibliographies Blake, Mouton, Robert, & Srygley. 2014. Should you teach there is only one best way to manage? Burnes, B. 2016. No such thing as … a “one best way” to manage organizational change. Management decision, Vol. 34, Issue 10, pp. 10-18 Fiedler, F. E. 1964. A Contingency Model of Leadership Effectiveness. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, (Vol.1). 149-190. New York: Academic Press. Fineman, S., Sims, D. & Gabriel, Y. 2015. Organizing and organizations , London, Sage. Ken Blanchard Company. 2007. A situational approach to managing people. Retrieved from: http://www.ukessays.co.uk/essays/sciences/contingencyories-of-organizations.php#ixzz4L5eXKXla Smith, M. J. 2014. Contingency rules theory, context, and compliance behaviors. Human Communication Research, 10, 489-512. Read More