April 27, 2006
Impact of perceived leadership styles on work outcomes
First of all, this will be my last blog entry on this topic as the semester is winding down. I found an interesting article written about a study to "empirically evaluate the transformational and transactional leadership styles among building professionals in the construction industry." The main objectives of this study were 1.) to examine the extent of leaders who are perceived to use transformational and transactional leadership styles and 2.)to identify which of the two leadership styles is best able to predict outcomes of "leader effectiveness," "extra effort by employees," and "employees" satisfaction with the leaders and also 3.) offer insight into the management theory for building professionals in business organizations
The article said that "Results of the study suggest that all five of the transformational factors and three of the transactional factors are significantly correlated with leadership outcomes of leader effectiveness, extra effort by employees, and employees satisfaction. The results further supported that transformational leadership could augment transactional leadership in producing greater amounts of performance and satisfaction."
To clarify the meaning of transformational leadership, it is based on the assumptions that 1.) people will follow a person who inspires them. 2.) A person with vision and passion can achieve great things and 3.) The way to get things done is by injecting enthusiasm and energy
Transactional leadership is based on the assumptions that 1.)people are motivated by reward and punishment 2.) Social systems work best with a clear chain of command 3.) When people have agreed to do a job, a part of the deal is that they cede all authority to their manager and 4.) The prime purpose of a subordinate is to do what their manager tells them to do
Here is a link to the article Impact of Perceived Leadership Styles on Work Outcomes
Ron Szuch of Union Capital Mortgage
I want to go back to two previous blog entries I made. Theres the one about Union Capital Mortgage and then the one about managerial style in small family owned companies. From what I was told about Ron, which was his openness and willingness to go the extra mile for his employees, it seems to me he validates what the man wrote about the impact of managerial styles in small companies.
Management Styles in Small Family Owned Business
I found an article titled "Impacts of leadership style on the development of small business: lessons from a Chinese family-controlled firm". The summary of the book basically says that managerial style along with dynamic business strategies is essential for the success of small businesses. It also goes on to say that the mangerial styles implemented in family owned businesses is different than that of professionally managed public and private sector organizations. I was not able to read the article, however from the summary I read I believe the author is trying to argue that managerial styles in successful small family owned businesses is superior to that of most larger businesses because managerial style plays a larger role in determining how successful a small business will become.
The influence of company culture on managerial style
Although I am an advocate of a more people-oriented managerial style, I do acknowledge that this may not be the most effective method for different types of jobs. Companies that have a taller structure rely more upon a strict enforcement of company rules and policies in order to remain vertically coordinated. With this type of company structure, managers will have less direct interaction with their subordinates, and I believe this would mean they would have to be more task oriented in order to be effective.
Sprott School of Business "Using Managerial Styles for Decision Making" seminar
I found an advertisement for a seminar given by a professor at Sprott School of Business in 2003 and 2004 that analyzed one's behavioral preferences, leadership style, and management insights to help managers better understand themselves. This was supposed to in turn was to help managers better interact with others.
7S Mckenzie Model
During our group meeting with Professor Piderit for Management 251, Professor Piderit mentioned a framework model called the 7S Mckenzie Model. I looked up information on this framework. It is based around seven elements that are interconnected in the internal environment of an organization. These elements are: skills, staff, shared values, strategy, style, structure, and systems. This model is a useful tool for managers to "take a strategic overview of their business."
March 31, 2006
The Toxic Boss Syndrome
I found an interesting article on about.com that answers a question I posed last month about task vs. people oriented bosses. This article is called The Toxic Boss Syndrome. Toxic Bosses are described as people who "sap the energy of the individuals in their groups. They are belittling, petty and loud. They consider themselves better than everyone else and they don't care who knows it. All they care about is "getting the job done". Or maybe it's "straightening this place out". In their drive to achieve their goal they ignore or overlook the other people in the organization." The article went on to say "They can significantly decrease production and increase cost. They can make a large company an unpleasant place to work, and they can kill a small company." I think this article basically answers the question I previously asked about managerial style.
This information was taken from management.about.com