Ch 6. Management Skills of Leadership & Motivation Flashcards
Leadership (2)
- The ability to influence other people to go in a particular direction and achieve a particular goal.
- It involves - Directing staff
- Setting a clear example of what is expected
- Delegating work
Corporate culture
The general atmosphere and patterns of behaviour within a workplace
Delegation
Giving authority for carrying out tasks to others
Benefits of delegation (5)
- Gives managers more time
- Less stress
- Staff gain experience
- Staff become more skilled and flexible
- Work that gets shared gets done quicker
Why do some managers not delegate (2)
- Staff may not be able to do their work
- Fear of their position being undermined
Different types of leaders (3)
- Autocratic
- Democratic
- Laissez-faire
Autocratic leaders
Don’t like sharing their authority with subordinates but prefer to make most of the decisions themselves
Characteristics of autocratic leaders (5)
- Have little trust
- Unwilling to delegate
- Ignore opinions
- Use authority to get their own way
- Use intimidation to persuade others
Advantages of an autocratic style (4)
- Quick decisions
- Work done the way the manager wants it
- Discipline
- Useful in a crisis or emergency situatuion
Disadvantages of an autocratic style (3)
- Stressful
- Staff de-motivated
- Conflicts
Democratic leaders
Willing to discuss issues with staff and to delegate power and responsibility where necessary
Characteristics of democratic leaders (4)
- Have trust
- Delegate authority
- Discuss with staff
- Use reasonable argument to persuade others
Advantages of a democratic style (4)
- Better quality decisions
- More time and less stress for managers
- Staff more motivated,, good industrial relations
- Promotes staff initiative and intrapreneurship
Disadvantages of a democratic style (2)
- Slower decision making
- Quality of decision making decline from too many opinions
Laissez-faire leadership
Involves giving staff general goals and targets to aim for and then giving them the authority to achieve these in whatever way they think best
Characteristics of laissez-faire leaders (5)
- Have trust
- Delegate authority
- Discuss with staff
- Use reasonable argument to persuade others
- Let staff make decisions
Advantages of a laissez-faire style (3)
- Speedy decisions
- Challenges and motivates staff
- Encourages intrapreneurship
Disadvantages of a laissez-faire style (2)
- Unable to handle responsibility
- Poor decisions from lack of supervision
Motivation
Willingness of people to work hard and to contribute their best effort
Motivation leads to (5)
- Increased productivity
- Greater intrapreneurship
- Improved industrial relations
- Easier staff recruitment and retention
- Repeat business
2 theories of motivation
- Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
- McGregor’s Theory X and Y
Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs
Says that all human needs can be arranged in a hierarchy in order of their importance
Different needs in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
- Physical
- Safety
- Social
- Esteem
- Self-actualisation
Physical needs description and how its satisfied
- Sleep, rest, shelter, clothing, food
- Fair salary, working conditions, holidays
Safety needs description and how its satisfied
- Security, predictability
- Secure employment, contract, union
Social needs description and how its satisfied
- Friendship, relationships
- Friendly workplace, team work
Esteem needs description and how its satisfied
- Status, respect and appreciation of others
- Attractive job title, praise for work well done
Self-actualisation needs description and how its satisfied
- Realising your potential
- Meaningful work, challenging
McGregor’s theory
Focuses on managers’ attitudes to staff
Theory X (controller) managers believe employees… (4)
- Are lazy, dislike work
- Have no ambition
- Dislike change
- Motivated by money
Theory X managers believe they should.. (4)
- Only offer financial incentives
- Closely supervise
- Avoid consulting with staff
- Threaten staff
Theory Y (facilitator) managers believe employees… (4)
- Can enjoy work
- Have ambition
- Are open to change
- Motivated by more than money
Theory Y managers believe they should… (4)
- Provide interesting and challenging work
- Provide staff with freedom
- Consult regularly
- Provide plenty of encouragement
Disadvantages of Theory X (5)
- Reduced motivation
- Less creativity
- Poor reputation
- Higher staff turnover
- Reduced profitability
Advantages of Theory Y (6)
- High motivation
- More creativity
- Better business reputation
- Lower staff turnover
- More positive industrial relations
- Increased profitability
