Core Theories Flashcards
Culture, Learning and Personality
Culture is the system of such publicly and collectively accepted meanings operating for a given group at a given time
The collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one organisation
The basic assumptions and beliefs which are shared by members of an organisation that operate unconsciously and that define in a baseic ‘taken for granted’ fashion an organisation’s view of itself and its environment
Cultural Typologies
Clan: like a family organisation, shared value and cohesion, teamwork and employee empowerment
Adhocracy: temporary and specialised, emphasis on creativity
Hierarchy: beurocratic culture, clear lines and decision making, good orgnaisers
Market: The organisation functions as a market with competition which aims to reduce transaction costs
Schein’s Cultural Iceberg
Artifacts: what you see and hear, physical environment, tech, clothing
Espoused beliefs and values: beliefs and key practices spoken by the leader/founder and then validated - mission statement
Basic underlying assumptions
Can you Change Culture?
Managerial: sees culture as something in possession of management
Symbolic: culture is something the organisation is and beyond the control of the management
Yes
Managers are powerful social actors
Shape the symbolic behaviour and practices of the organisation
Management gurus
Managers set the agenda
Managers have organisational power
No
Culture is too complex to be manged
Cannot simply change people’s world view
People are complex social actors
Many competing factors and subgroups
Deeply rooted in the unconscious
Personality
Recruitment and Selection
Desired personality of the ideal candidate to fill a vacancy
Job description and person specification
Personality tests
Nomothetic approach: personality can be measured and categorised
Ideographic: personality is complex and unique
Socio-radical approach: personality is affected by organisations, personality testing is a part of this
Communication and Perception
Formal and informal lines of communication
Social presence theory:
Face-to-face: high social presence
Email: sender is distant
Emoticons:: surrogates for lack of social presence
Media richness theory:
Richness of information conveys in different media
Different communications media appropriate in different circumstances
Uncertainty: absence of information
Equivocality: degree to which information is open to interpretation
Motivation and Groups
Taylorism: pay the sole motivator for otherwise lazy and unmotivated workers
Behaviourism: pay is a stimulus- it can be used as a reward or its withdrawal as a punishment to condition people’s behaviour
Maslow: Pay motivates differently in different parts of the hierarchy. At lower levels, it is needed to survive. At higher levels, intrinsic motivators have more of an effect
Herzberg: pay is an element that must be provided in sufficient amounts, otherwise it will cause dissatisfaction. However, pay itslef does not increase motivation
Adams: Pay is a basis on which workers will compare themselves against others
Vroom: Pay is a reward and the degree to which it motivates depends on how much an individual values pay as a reward
Social: Pay is an indicator of status and working identity and being an economically productive member of society is an obligation by society
Goldthorpe: Role of pay depends on an individual’s orientation to work
Teamwork
Hard to achieve
Personality clashes
Dysfunctional teams
Free-riding
Conflict
Counter-productive
Teamwork Curve
Working group:
No significant performance goals that require members to become a team.
Members interact only to share information to complete personal tasks.
Not considered a real team.
Pseudo-team:
Potentially significant performance but not focused on collective targets.
Members may be interacting for personal gains rather than for team goals.
Not considered a real team.
Potential team:
Making progress but needs more focus on aims and purposes.
Members have a common goal but not fully committed to a common approach.
Not considered a real team.
Real team:
Small number of members with complementary skills.
Committed to a common purpose, goals, and approach.
Mutual accountability among members.
Considered a real team.
High-performance team:
Real team with deeply committed members to each other’s personal growth and professional success.
High enthusiasm and energy levels.
Event-driven histories and personal commitment.
Achieve exceptional results.
Considered the ideal type of team.
Teamwork, Work Design and Structure
Bureaucracy
Efficient means of keeping order and control
Creates clear roles and responsibilities
Information easily stored and retrieved
Rules and policies create impersonal fairness
Technical efficiency may not be ethically desirable
negative human effects- dehumanisation and disenchantment
Inflexibility
Impersonal, iron cage - the invisible enemy
Leadership Theories
Individualistic, great man theory
Leadership seen as something innate or inborn in a select few individuals
Leadership is about the characteristics, traits, and qualities of an individual leader
The focus is on the leader rather than the context in which they operate or the followers they lead
Behavioural leadership
behavioural leadership theories focus on what leaders actually do and how they behave rather than innate traits or characteristics. Behavioural theories consider leaders’ actions and their impact on followers, and emphasize the role of learning and conditioning in shaping behaviour. This approach assumes that leadership behaviour can be learned, and that leaders can be trained to modify their behaviour in order to better meet the needs of their followers and achieve organizational goals. Behavioural leadership theories can be categorized into two main types: task-oriented and people-oriented behaviours.
Contingency theories
Contingency theories propose that different leadership styles are effective in different situations. These theories recognize that the effectiveness of leadership is contingent on various factors, such as the task, people, organization, and timeframe. Some of the key contingency theories are:
Fiedler’s contingency theory: According to Fiedler, the effectiveness of a leader depends on three factors - leader relations with employees, high/low task structure, and position of power. Fiedler’s model suggests that leaders should adopt either a task-oriented or a relationship-oriented style based on the situation.
Situational leadership theory: Developed by Hersey and Blanchard, this theory proposes that the maturity of a group and the nature of the task determine the leadership style that will be most effective. Hersey and Blanchard identified four leadership styles - directing, coaching, supporting, and delegating - which should be applied based on the maturity level of the group.
Contingency theories acknowledge that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to leadership and that different situations require different leadership styles. However, these theories have also been criticized for oversimplifying the complexity of leadership and for placing too much emphasis on situational factors while neglecting the importance of personal qualities of the leader.
Transformational leaders
Bass and Avolio, 1994: transformational leaders possess four key components: idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration.
Idealized influence: Leaders act as role models to their followers, creating a sense of respect, admiration, and trust towards them.
Inspirational motivation: Leaders inspire their followers to perform beyond their expectations and capabilities by setting ambitious goals and instilling a sense of purpose and meaning in their work.
Intellectual stimulation: Leaders encourage creativity and innovation among their followers by challenging the status quo, encouraging new ideas, and fostering a culture of learning and development.
Individualized consideration: Leaders provide personalized support and guidance to their followers, catering to their individual needs, strengths, and weaknesses.
Contemporary
Servant leadership:
Leaders focus on the needs of their followers
Prioritizes the well-being and development of employees
Encourages collaboration and community building
Emphasizes the importance of empathy and emotional intelligence
Environmental leadership:
Emphasizes sustainability and environmental responsibility
Encourages employees to adopt environmentally-friendly practices
Prioritizes the creation of a sustainable, ethical business model
Promotes transparency and accountability in environmental practices
Leadership through partnership working:
Leaders collaborate with stakeholders to achieve common goals
Prioritizes effective communication and relationship-building
Encourages trust and mutual respect
Emphasizes the importance of shared values and vision
Celebrity CEO:
Focus on a single individual as the face of the company
Emphasizes the importance of personal charisma and leadership
Can lead to a lack of focus on the contributions of other employees and stakeholders
Can lead to a focus on short-term gains rather than long-term sustainability
