ASSIGNMENT 1 FRONT SHEET Qualification BTEC Level 4 HND Diploma in Business Unit number and title Unit 4: Leadership and Management Submission date 01/03/2024 Date received (1st submission) Re-submission date Date received (2nd submission) Student name Truong Quang Dung Student ID BH01390 Class Assessor name Mrs.Cong Bao Ngoc Student declaration I certify that the assignment submission is entirely my own work and I fully understand the consequences of plagiarism. I understand that making a false declaration is a form of malpractice. Student’s signature: DungTQ Grading grid P1 P2 P3 P4 M1 M2 M3 D1 Summative Feedbacks: Resubmission Feedbacks: Grade: Assessor Signature: Date: Internal Verifier’s Comments: Signature & Date: I. Leadership theories Management is commonly defined as the execution of fundamental functions such as planning, organizing, coordinating, and controlling activities to accomplish organizational goals.
Consequently, managers primarily focus on short-term objectives and the efficiency of achieving them. In contrast, leaders adopt a broader perspective, encompassing tasks such as defining a vision for the organization, setting long-term goals, emphasizing communication, motivation, promotion, and attracting employees to achieve those goals. Essentially, managers enforce compliance through their positional authority, while leaders inspire others through sharing, communication, motivation, and attraction. Additionally, leaders can emerge not only within formal groups adhering to a management hierarchy but also within informal groups.
Leaders and managers employ distinct approaches to attain their objectives. For instance, managers emphasize adherence to rules and procedures, while leaders thrive on challenging the status quo and breaking norms. This highlights the inherent differences between leadership and management. The study of leadership and management has evolved since the early 20th century, yielding numerous theories that have found application in various sectors, including corporate, business, government, and social spheres.
Leaders draw upon these ideas and theories to build and develop their staff, particularly senior officials, recognizing the importance of integrating leadership theory into contemporary strategies. Among the many emerging theories, six popular ones can be identified: Trait approach, Functional approach, Contingency theories of leadership, Transformational and Transactional leadership, Inspirational leadership, and Servant leadership. The following section will provide a more specific analysis of Contingency Theories of Leadership. Favourability of leadership situation – Fiedler 1.
Contents Fiedler’s Contingency Theory, also known as Fiedler’s Contingency Model or Fiedler’s Theory of Leadership, states that there is not one best style of leadership. Rather, the most effective leadership style for any given situation is one that aligns with the situation at hand. The theory was developed in the 1960s by Austrian psychologist, Professor Fred Fiedler. He studied leaders’ personalities and characteristics and came to the conclusion that leadership style, since it is formed through one’s life experiences, is incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to change.
For this reason, Fiedler believed the right leader must be chosen for each job based on their skill set and the requirements of the situation. In order to best match leaders with situations, each leader must first understand their natural leadership style. Then, they need to evaluate whether their leadership style is right for the situation. To put it simply, Fiedler determined that a leaders’ ability to succeed rests on two factors: Natural leadership style and Situational favorableness.
(Asana, 2022) What are the elements of Fiedler’s Contingency Model? Fiedler's Contingency Model is a relatively simple theory that focuses on the comparison between an individual's leadership style and the requirements of the situation. To understand one's leadership style, Fiedler introduced the concept of the Least Preferred Coworker (LPC) scale. This scale prompts individuals to describe the coworker they least prefer to work with. By evaluating how positively or negatively one rates their least preferred coworker across various criteria, their leadership style can be determined.
If someone rates their least preferred coworker more positively, they are considered to be relationship-oriented. On the other hand, if they rate them less favorably, they are considered to be task-oriented. Relationship-oriented leaders excel in building strong relationships, fostering team synergy, and effectively managing interpersonal conflicts. They prioritize creating a positive and supportive work environment, valuing the satisfaction and well-being of team members.
Task-oriented leaders, on the other hand, are skilled at organizing projects and teams in order to achieve tasks efficiently and effectively. They prioritize goal attainment, productivity, and the successful completion of objectives. Fiedler's Contingency Model emphasizes the importance of matching a leader's style with the demands of the situation. It suggests that different situations may require different leadership approaches.
By understanding one's leadership style and assessing the situational factors, leaders can adapt their approach to maximize effectiveness.com Figure 1: Least preferred coworker (LPC) scale The rationale behind the relationship-oriented and task-oriented leadership styles in Fiedler's Contingency Model is quite straightforward. When someone rates their least preferred coworker favorably, it indicates that they have a tendency to see the best in people, even those whom they may not naturally choose to work with. This suggests that they possess a relationship-oriented leadership style, where building positive relationships and valuing interpersonal dynamics are important to them. On the other hand, rating the least preferred coworker unfavorably indicates a focus on efficiency and effectiveness over other attributes.
This suggests a task-oriented leadership style, where the leader prioritizes organizing projects and teams to accomplish tasks most efficiently and effectively possible, often placing less emphasis on personal relationships. It is important to note that there is no one "right" way to lead. While a task-oriented approach may be preferred by the organization as a whole for its focus on productivity, it is often found that teammates themselves tend to prefer a relationship-oriented approach. This is supported by the fact that a significant number of individuals who decide to leave their jobs cite a lack of appreciation as a primary reason for their departure.
Understanding the preferences and needs of both the organization and the team members is crucial for effective leadership. A balance between task orientation and relationship orientation can lead to a positive work environment, where productivity and interpersonal dynamics are harmoniously integrated. (Asana, 2022) Situational favorableness In Fiedler's Contingency Model, assessing the situation is a crucial step. Situational contingency theory, also known as situational leadership, recognizes that every leadership situation is unique and requires a specific type of leader.
The favorability of a situation is determined by three key variables: leader-member relations, task structure, and position power. Leader-member relations revolve around the level of trust and rapport between the leader and their team members. A high degree of trust indicates strong leader-member relations, making the situation more favorable. When team members have confidence in their leader, it fosters collaboration, open communication, and a positive working environment.
Task structure refers to the clarity and structure of the tasks required to complete a project. A higher level of task structure indicates a more favorable situation. When tasks are well-defined, specific, and clear-cut, it enables team members to understand their roles and responsibilities more easily. This promotes efficiency, reduces ambiguity, and enhances productivity.
Position power relates to the authority and influence that a leader possesses over their team. Leaders with high position power have the ability to reward or punish team members and have clear decision-making authority. When a leader has higher position power, it creates a more favorable situation as they can effectively guide and direct their team, ensuring tasks are accomplished and objectives are met. By considering these situational factors - leader-member relations, task structure, and position power - leaders can better understand the context in which they are operating.
This understanding allows them to adapt their leadership style to the specific demands of the situation, maximizing their effectiveness and the overall success of the team. Pros and cons Fiedler's leadership style based on the "Favourability of leadership situation" has notable advantages and disadvantages. This model emphasizes the fit between the leadership style and the nature of the situation, helping the leader realize the importance of adapting and adjusting the style to suit the specific environment and requirements. This facilitates leadership to create maximum performance at work and achieve goals.
However, leadership styles based on the Favourability of leadership situation also have drawbacks. Determining the degree of "favourability" of a situation can be difficult and prone to subjective judgment. This can cause inaccuracies in evaluating and applying appropriate leadership styles. In addition, changing leadership styles is also not always easy and may require time and effort.
The model is also limited in considering other factors such as individual competencies, personal characteristics, and cultural factors, which reduces the holism and application of the model in practical leadership situations. In summary, Fiedler's leadership style based on the Favourability of leadership situation has advantages such as a focus on fit and performance, however, it also has disadvantages such as difficulty in evaluating and changing leadership style. To apply this model effectively, leaders need to carefully consider and evaluate the nature of the situation and be ready to adapt and change leadership styles when necessary. Path-Goal Theory – House and Dessler 2.
Contents The path−goal theory of leadership says that a leader's style, traits and behaviors influence team productivity, motivation and satisfaction. This theory comes from expectancy theory, which is the assertion that individuals act in a certain way based on the expectation of a desirable outcome. Path−goal theory assumes that a leader complements their employees and can compensate for their shortcomings. Effective leaders, according to this theory, give their employees a clear path to follow to achieve goals, removing challenges and obstacles.
The theory provides guidance for ways leaders can encourage and support employees in reaching their goals (IET, 2023). Path−goal theory identifies four main types of leadership behaviors: Directive leadership, supportive leadership, participative leadership, and achievement-oriented leadership. First of all is leadership behavior Leadership directs. In directing leadership, the leader provides employees with clear instructions about the process and expectations for them, as well as how they should best perform the task.
This leadership style aims to reduce ambiguity in job functions and clarify work processes. With this leadership style, the leader supervises employees closely, which is best suited for inexperienced employees who need to be guided and checked regularly. The second leadership behavior mentioned is supportive leadership. With supportive leadership, the leader is attentive to the needs and well−being of his employees and makes work pleasant for them by being friendly and empathetic.
Leaders who operate in this style treat employees with respect and support when needed. This management style is useful when employees have personal problems or need a boost of motivation or confidence. Next is participative leadership. This type of leadership behavior involves advising employees on important work−related decisions, mission goals, and pathways to achieving goals, allowing employees to be directly involved in the process.
This often results in employees putting in more effort to achieve the goals they have chosen. Leaders often use this leadership style when employees are actively involved or have specialized knowledge. In these situations, their insight can be invaluable to the leader. And ultimately, achivement−oriented leadership.
With this leadership style, the leader focuses on encouraging excellence by setting challenging goals. Leaders encourage employees to pursue their highest performance and the leader believes in their ability to handle this. Leaders encourage employees to demonstrate excellence at work and continuously improve. Employees who are comfortable working completely independently and have good problem−solving skills will suit this type of management.
The Path−Goal Theory identifies two distinct situational factors – the individual characteristics of the subordinate and the nature of the task. These factors directly affect the best leadership style to use with team members. The first situational factor mentioned is the subordinate's personal characteristics. Depends on personality of each person, how subordinates react to the manager's activities, and to what extent they are perceived as sources of immediate or potential need.
The next situational factor is the nature of the task. It concerns how often it is regular and structured or how irregular and unstructured it is. In addition, this situational element refers to whether the work is streamlined, streamlined, and easy to understand.