leadership Flashcards
advantages trait theory (2)
Its only concerned with qualities or personal characteristics of the leader
Leaders are born not made therefore leadership cannot be learned
define trait theory
suggests that ones ability to lead a group comes by nature e.g. people are born with leadership skills
Criticism of trait theory (5)
There are many classes and courses to teach how to be a leader so it must be something that can be learned
Bad leader then learns from mistakes and become a good leader
Measuring traits is impossible as it leads to inequality in the workplace
Too many physical and personality traits that are needed to have the ability to lead. How can someone have all?
Focuses too much on personality traits and ignores social skills e.g. problem-solving skills
benefits of contingency theory (2)
leadership style should depend on a wide range of variables
One leadership style won’t work in every situation
criticism of contingency theory (4)
Difficulty to know which leadership approach will be most effective in a given situation
Resource intensive in terms of training, assessment tools and ongoing monitoring and adjustment. Organisations may need to invest in developing leaders’ ability to assess and respond to situational contingencies effectively = time consuming and costly
Risk of inconsistency as frequent changes in leadership approach may undermine trust and confidence among followers leading to confusion
Potential bias as leaders may unintentionally favour certain situational factors over others leading to bias decision making and ineffective leadership outcomes
factors influencing the type of leadership adopted (7)
- organisation culture e.g. a risk taking company may adopt a entrepreneurial leadership
- organisations size and structure e.g. small business may need a hands on leader
- goals and objectives e.g.if goal is growth then leader must be inspirational
- employee skills and experience e.g. leaders must adapt to the skills of employees
- external stakeholders expectations e.g. leaders will need to balance expectations of stakeholders
- nature of the task
- qualities of the leader
advantages of an autocratic leadership (5)
- decision making is quick as centre management
- tasks and relationship are clearly defined avoiding confusion
- employees receive direct assistance towards achieving goals
- may reduce stress as workers are clear on their role
- inexperienced staff may be more motivated by an experienced leader
disadvantages of an autocratic leadership style (6)
- lack of employee input means their experience and skill is not utilised as creativity and initiative is discouraged
- encourages a blame culture and resistance to management change
- employees can’t develop to their full potential
- dependancy on the leader e.g. if absent productivity can fall
- high level of supervision is required as there is lack of trust
- motivation lacks
democratic leadership style advantages (6)
- employees feel engaged in the process = motivation
- utilises employee knowledge to achieve gaol =competitive edge
- ensure reasonable targets are set as employees are involved improving productivity and less resistance to change
- increase job satisfaction due to more empowerment
- prepares employees for promotion by expanding their role
- less supervision required
Disadvantages of democratic leadership (6)
- problematic when there is a wide range of opinions
- employees may not work without close supervision
- employee involvement minor decision making could lead to dissatisfaction
- some employees may not wan to help and may feel pressurised
- requires an effective leader to communicate and coordinate team and avoid conflict
Advantages to laissez-faire leadership (4)
- employees feel trusted and respected increasing commitments so high quality performance
- reduces the need for supervision reducing costs in managerial wages
- managers can focus on quality assurance and feel less stressed
- employees can be more creative and rapidly develop their skills
disadvantages to laissez-faire approach (4)
- can lead to poorly defined roles which results in confusion and time wasting
- employees feel pressure from power leading to stress and demotivation
- poor quality work can occur without supervision
- good employees may want a higher wage for being effective with their decision
qualities of a leader (8)
- risk taker
- honest
- patient
- communicative
- strict
- confident
- tough
- fair
advantages of effective leadership
- employees = motivated
- improved communication = better decision making
- good leadership encourages team members to support each other = reduces stress
- good relationship within the firm making it more productive
- keep the worker on track so that they meet their targets
- better career prospects
- good leadership = successful organisation = competitive
- clear and defined roles
Disadvantages of poor leadership (6)
- employees will feel confused and unclear on what they have to do
- less motivation
- no proper supervision
- conflict may exist between team members if job is not done properly
- high staff turnover and absence
- workers are less likely to work under pressure
