Leadership and Productivity in Perspective
Tannenbaum and Schmidt (1973) in their concept of leadership continuum have featured the situational (contingency model) focusing on tasks and relationships and functional (group) focusing on leader’s role in leadership styles. They perceive leadership as involving a variety of styles, ranging from one that is highly boss-centered to one that is highly subordinate-centered. These vary with the degree of authority a leader or manager grants to subordinates. Thus, instead of suggesting a choice between the three styles of leadership –authoritarian or democratic- this approach offers style, with no suggestion that one is right or wrong depending on the situation and function at hand. This paper, assumes that the best way to lead is by helping subordinates to enterprise and achieve goals.
1. AUTOCRATIC or AUTHORITARIAN LEADERSHIP STYLE
Employ Coercive methods include reprimand, pay deduction withholding promotion or privileges. Autocratic leaders are usually rigid in their thinking and perceptions. They believe that employees have minimal abilities and capabilities and need close supervision and direction, and that controls are needed to assure their compliant behavior. The autocratic leaders believe their style is highly efficient. Unfortunately, this style of leadership results in minimal or no innovation, and virtually no personal or organizational change, growth and development. Cooperation, commitment and achievement are stifled. Most individuals are familiar with the autocratic leader because such leaders are prevalent even today. It is generally not considered one of the best methods of leadership; however, the autocratic leader definitely is the preferred style in the military, police, and other organizations where individuals may be in dangerous situations.
Consider the first situation in which employees in your organization appear to be having serious problems getting the job done. Their performance has been going downhill rapidly. They have not responded to your efforts to be friendly or to your expressions of concern for their welfare. Performance and interpersonal relations among your staff have been good. You have normally left them alone. However, in the new situation that has developed, and it appears that staff members are unable to solve the problem themselves. Under such a circumstance it is advisable that the management responds swiftly and act with speed before the situation pours out of hand. Unless stern action is taken the organization will face imminent collapse. This calls in for exercise of total exercise of coercive power, after all power is exercised by coercion of all kinds.
According to structural (group) approach, some employees are essentially incompetent, and lack job knowledge and skills. Others could just be lazy or doesn't seem to be able to grasp the big picture and tends to ramble on about insignificant details in nearly incomprehensible prose," but everyone has something that they're good at. It might even be the formatting, or digging up research, or something like that, but I have yet to run into someone that doesn't have some fantastic ability, effective team is that your skills compliment the skills of others, not duplicate them. Here, the leader must be the key person in charge.
2. DEMOCRATIC or PARTICIPATORY LEADERSHIP STYLE
Ultimately, the democratic, enlightened leader strives to empower all employees to their maximum capability and desire. At the same time, the democratic leader places a strong emphasis on teamwork, while function as a facilitator to develop a natural synergy among the group. The democratic or enlightened leader practices employee involvement in considering important issues and exercises influence in reaching consensual decisions.
The ultimate goal is to democratically attain commitment to and ownership of decisions. He/she has high performance and quality expectations and recognizes that the only way to attain them is through a committed workforce. Employees participate in establishing goals—both common goals for the good of the organization and goals for their own personal self-growth, learning and development. The role of the leader/manager is to guarantee each employee’s success in accomplishing these goals.
A feedback system is instituted whereby each employee has the responsibility of informing the leader/manager of any obstacle that prevents successful achievement of the goals, and the leader/manager subsequently removes the hindrances. The democratic leader places a high emphasis upon rewards rather than punishment. When discipline or correction is needed, it is administered justly. This leader recognizes that mistakes will happen and Leadership considers them learning opportunities. In this way, everyone benefits and the mistakes may not reoccur.
In a second situation, suppose in the past few months, the quality of work done by staff members has been increasing. Record keeping is accurate and up to date. You have been careful to make sure that the staff members are aware of your performance expectations. You are considering a major change in your program. Your staff has a fine record of accomplishment and a strong commitment to excellence. They are supportive of the need for change and have been involved in the planning. In this light, the case calls for democratic leadership style. There is express evidence of positive work ethic and hard-work necessary for realization of organizational goals.
Function perceives a democratic manager’s role would encourage participation by employees. Shared information would allow the team to influence decision making. They assume that there is a highly skilled workforce or new developments which favor democratic leadership for employees to exploit their creativity and reach their maximum potential. As such participation is viewed as empowering to employees and enables each member to ‘own’ the successful project. It also builds their individual capacities as a social learning process. However, this style can be time-consuming and so would not be the best option when decisions are needed quickly.
3. LAISSEZ-FAIRE or GIVE FREEDOM LEADERSHIPSTYLE
The laissez-faire leader is one who believes in freedom of choice for the employees, leaving them alone so they can do as they want. The basis for this style of leadership is twofold. First, there is a strong belief that the employees know their jobs best so leave them alone to do their jobs. Second, the leader may be in a political, election-based position and may not want to exert power and control for fear of not being reelected. Such a leader provides basic but minimal information and resources. There is virtually no participation, involvement, or communication within the workforce. Understanding of job requirements, policies, and procedures are generally exchanged from employee to employee.
Because of this, many processes are out of control. No direction is given and the laissez-faire leader functions in a crisis or reaction mode. If there are goals and objectives, employee agreement or commitment is just assumed. Even if goals and objectives are shared, rarely is there a defined plan to accomplish them.
Laissez-faire management or leadership can only lead to anarchy, chaos, and inefficiency and can be dismissed out of hand as useless. Basically, the overall effect of laissez-faire leadership seems to be negative. But there may be an aspect of such a style of leadership that is very positive. Hersey, Blanchard, and Johnson (2000) propose that leaders do not have just one style of leadership, but rather have many varying styles depending upon the situation. Being an autocratic leader seems appropriate since the followers do not know enough to make any of their own decisions. Safety may also be a key factor. It is the leader’s objective to train the employees as rapidly as possible to get them to a predetermined level of competence so they can begin contributing to the department and organization. Once they have successfully reached the prescribed level, the employees pass onto the next level.
Through mutual discussion and decision making, the leader conducts a transaction with each employee. The leader offers an opportunity for each employee to move on to a third stage in which he or she takes on additional responsibilities. Employees are expected to continue working at their given jobs, but they begin functioning as pseudo-managers in a participatory manner.
The leader will guide, counsel, direct, instruct, and share pertinent departmental and organizational job information to train and develop each employee to the maximum capability. Each employee will be expected to investigate and make process improvement and quality recommendations to the democratic leader. The recommendations must be fully documented and justified to prove to the leader that the employee has sound decision-making judgment. The goal in this situation is to allow each employee to learn and to prove he/she can make good, sound decisions. Finally, those employees who have proven their decision-making acumen are fully empowered to make independent decisions within agreed boundaries. Once each employee is comfortable in this last mode, the leader becomes a leader by exception or a laissez-faire leader. He/she knows minimal leadership or management is needed for these individuals.
CONCLUSION:
To manage teams, organizations require effective managers. Highly skilled and trained managers can make more primary informed decisions. The use of best practice models, from democratic and autocratic, enables managers to ensure their teams operate efficiently.. This will improve quality for customers as staff will be better trained to deliver. It will also improve team effectiveness and help organizations to perform better. Laissez faire is de emphasized because it works against production at every tier of the organization. Therefore, a continuum between autocratic and democratic styles will improve quality for customers as staff will be better trained to deal with customers’ needs. It will also improve team effectiveness and help organizations to perform better.
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