Leading and Motivating

Question 1

Define leading

Answer 1

The ability to influence staff to follow strategies that meet the company’s aims by directing and delegating

Question 2

Define directing

Answer 2

Directing is guiding employees by issuing instructions so they know how to carry out tasks and what to do

Question 3

What is delegation?

Answer 3

Is it when a person in authority gives someone in a lower position in the business a task or project to complete but the superior is still accountable and responsible for the task

Question 4

What is needed for delegation?

Answer 4

An open manager- a manager needs to be willing to pass some of their work and not feel they have to control and complete all work alone.

A good control system- if an employee is responsible for certain tasks, the manager should have a process in place to check their work to ensure it is being done correctly early on.

Trustworthy staff- a manager will greatly benefit if they hand over a task to their staff and do not have to check or supervise their work

Competent staff- employees need to be good enough to take on more skilled work and feel confident in their ability to take on more tasks.

Responsible staff- employees need to want extra power and be interested in making decisions.

Question 5

What are the advantages of delegation for a manager or business?

Answer 5

Frees up a managers time
Motivates employees
Improves employees skills

Question 6

What are implications of a manager refusing to delegate work?

Answer 6

Less efficient work- it takes longer for mangers to do all the work alone

The manger will be overworked- may become overloaded with their work leading to stress and potential errors

Employees won’t gain experience completing harder tasks- employees will not be exposed to more challenging tasks so no one will be able to step up in positions and make decisions effectively

Lower employee morale- may feel there is no faith in their ability and can damage self esteem and morale amongst staff

Question 7

What are the leadership styles?

Answer 7

-Autocratic leadership
-Democratic leadership
- Laissez- Faire Leadership

Question 8

What are features of an autocratic leadership?

Answer 8

Autocratic leaders have complete power and control in the organisation.
Autocratic leaders do not consult with employees when making decisions.
They do not trust employees and may believe that they are lazy and try to avoid work.
Autocratic leaders use threats and punishment to motivate their employees to work harder.

Question 8

What is autocratic leadership?

Answer 8

Autocratic leadership is a management style where the manager makes all business decisions without input from employees.

Question 9

What are the advantages of an autocratic leadership?

Answer 9

1. Quick Decision-making
   Decisions can be made quickly as the autocratic leader does not consult with others. Therefore, the business does not miss out on opportunities in the market.
2. Quick Task Completion
   The autocratic leader gives orders to staff to ensure that tasks are completed quickly and deadlines are not missed.
3. Improved Productivity
   Employees work hard as they know that they are being supervised by management. This can improve productivity in the workplace.

Question 10

What is democratic leadership?

Answer 10

Democratic leadership encourages employees to participate in decision-making in the business.

Question 11

What are the features of a democratic relationship?

Answer 11

Democratic managers delegate tasks to employees. However, ultimate responsibility for all tasks lies with the manager.
Democratic leaders include employees when they make business decisions.
Democratic leaders trust their employees and empower them to make decisions on behalf of the business.
Employees are motivated as they feel valued when they are delegated tasks and are involved in decision-making in the business.

Question 12

What are the advantages of an democratic leadership?

Answer 12

1. Increased Intrapreneurship
   Employees are willing to come up with ideas that can help the business to increase sales or decrease business costs, e.g. a new product.
2. Future Promotion
   Delegation and empowerment help employees to develop new skills and knowledge. When promotions arise in the business they can apply for these roles.
3. Employee Motivation
   Employees have high levels of motivation, as they feel valued. This can lead to higher productivity levels among staff.

Question 13

What are the disadvantages of a democratic relationship?

Answer 13

1. Slow Decision-making
   Decision-making is slow as managers consult with their employees before making major business decisions.
2. Frustrated Employees
   Employees may feel frustrated if their ideas are not incorporated into business decisions. They may decide not to contribute their ideas in the future.
3. Management Resentment
   Some managers may resent empowering employees, as it reduces their control in the business.

Question 14

What are the disadvantages of a autocratic relationship?

Answer 14

1. Management Stress
   The autocratic leader makes all business decisions and does not delegate tasks. This can lead to management stress and burnout.
2. Staff Motivation
   Motivation levels are low as staff follow orders and jobs are not delegated to them. This can lead to higher absenteeism and staff turnover.
3. Industrial Action
   Employees may feel undervalued, which damages the relationship between management and employees. This may lead to increased industrial action, e.g. work to rule and official strikes.

Question 15

What is Laissez-faire leadership?

Answer 15

Laissez-faire leaders take a hands-off approach to employees and allow them to make decisions that they believe are in the best interests of the business.

Question 16

What are the features of a Features of Laissez-faire Leadership?

Answer 16

Laissez-faire managers set goals for employees and allow staff to decide how best to achieve those goals.
Laissez-faire managers empower employees to make decisions on behalf of the business.
Management outlines the business objectives and trusts employees to work independently without close management supervision.
Employees are highly motivated under this style of leadership, as they feel empowered to achieve the firm’s goals.

Question 17

What are disadvantages of Laissez-faire Leadership?

Answer 17

1. Reduced Productivity
   Some employees may take advantage of the lack of regular management supervision. This can create tension among team members and reduce business productivity.
2. Poor Decisions
   Some employees can make poor decisions that damage the firm’s reputation or result in a business missing an opportunity in the market.
3. Poor Industrial Relations
   Management may blame employees for mistakes made or for not achieving targets. This can lead to poor industrial relations between management and staff.

Question 18

What are advantages of Laissez-faire Leadership?

Answer 18

Employee Motivation
Employee motivation is high among empowered employees, as they feel trusted by management. They work hard for the benefit of the business and to achieve the firm’s goals.

Improved Skills and Knowledge
Delegated work helps employees to improve their skills and knowledge. This prepares them for future promotions in the business.

Intrapreneurship
Employees use their intrapreneurial skills to develop new products or identify new processes. This can help to reduce business costs and improve sales.

Question 19

What Factors influence the leadership style adopted by business managers?

Answer 19

Personality-
A manager’s personality influences the leadership style with which they are most comfortable.

How quickly decisions need to be made-
if a manager believes that there is no time to consult others’ opinions they may take it upon themselves to make all decisions.

The culture of the organisation-
If an organisation has a strong culture of motivated and well-trained employees, the manager can adopt a laissez-faire style. In this case, the manager believes that staff are capable of handling their work without a lot of guidance.

The nature of the work in the organisation-
An autocratic leadership style may suit where there is little scope for individual worker initiative, e.g. where workers carry out routine tasks. However, a laissez-faire style of leadership suits work of an unpredictable nature where workers need the freedom to follow their own ideas

Question 20

What is delegation?

Answer 20

Delegation involves the assignment of authority/ power from a manager to someone in a lower position in the business to complete a specific task but the superior is still accountable and responsible for the task.

Question 21

What are the advantages of delegation?

Answer 21

1. Management Workload
   Delegation reduces managerial workload and allows managers to focus their time on more important managerial tasks and decisions.
2. Increased Employee Motivation
   Delegating tasks to employees shows that management trusts them. Increased motivation can help to boost productivity in the workplace.
3. Management Training
   Delegation gives employees the opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge and helps them to train as managers.

Question 22

What are the disadvantages of delegation?

Answer 22

Employee Stress
Some employees may not want the additional responsibility of delegated tasks and may become stressed and want to leave the firm.

Poor Decision-Making
Employees lacking experience and suitable guidance may make poor decisions when they receive delegated tasks. This could damage the firm’s reputation.

Employee Resentment
Employees may resent management if they feel that the delegated tasks are simply tasks that the manager does not like to do.

Question 23

What are the benefits of leadership?

Answer 23

1 Achieving organisational goals
2 Management time
3 Increased employee motivation
4 Supporting change
5 Staff recruitment and retention

Question 24

What are the 2 main motivational theories?

Answer 24

Douglas McGregor’s – Theory X and Theory Y
Abraham Maslow’s – Hierarchy of Needs.

Question 25

Define motivating

Answer 25

Motivating is a manger energising and inspiring their employees towards goals

Question 26

What is the Douglas McGregor’s – Theory X and Theory Y ?

Answer 26

Theory X and Theory Y are two contrasting theories that try to explain how mangers’ beliefs about what motivates their employees can affect their management style

Question 27

What is theory X ?

Answer 27

IT IS ASSOCIATED WITH AN AUTOCRATIC LEADERSHIP STYLE
THESE MAMGERS ACT AS CONTROLLERS AND believe that employees:
Dislike work
Avoid taking responsibility
Lack ambition
Are motivated by money

Question 28

HOW DO THEORY X MANAGERS MOTIVATE EMPLOYEES?

Answer 28

The hard approach – keeps a close eye on staff and may also use threats and punishments.

McGregor did not recommend managers to use Theory X in their business. Workers resent being treated this way.

Question 29

What is theory Y?

Answer 29

It is the opposite to theory X

Theory Y managers act as facilitators and believe that employees:
Like work and are willing to work hard
Want to take on additional duties and responsibility
Are ambitious
Are motivated by financial and non-financial rewards

Question 30

How do theory Y Managers motivate employees?

Answer 30

The Theory Y manager motivates by:
Offering promotions to employees who do well.
Praises employees and delegates to employees who are good workers.

McGregor recommended a Theory Y approach as it results in happy, co-operative employees who will work hard.

Question 31

What are the implications of the Y theory?

Answer 31

Employee Motivation
Theory Y recognises that employees work better when trusted with responsibility. This increases motivation levels among staff.

High levels of trust-
Industrial Relations are improved when the manager places trust and authority in their staff. Morale is improved. Less time is spent in resolving conflict.

Innovation -
The improved communication may result in employees being more likely to innovate or come up with an idea for a new product, way of reducing costs etc.

Improved communications -
The atmosphere in the workplace is improved as the manager uses a two way system of communication

Lower staff turnover
Theory Y helps to create a positive work environment. This can help the business to attract high-quality employees and reduce labour turnover.

Question 32

What are the implications of the X theory?

Answer 32

High Staff Turnover
Employees tend to be unhappy when managers use a Theory X style of motivation. This can increase staff turnover, leading to higher recruitment costs for the business.

Less Intrapreneurship
Employees are less likely to share ideas with managers that use a Theory X style of motivation e.g. suggesting product improvements. This can lead to lower-quality products for consumers.

No delegation
A manger will become overworked and be unable to prioritise work

Lack of motivation and trust

Question 33

What is Abraham Maslow’s – Hierarchy of Needs.

Answer 33

A motivating theory that that people have 5 different types of need, which can be arranged in a hierarchy ranging from the most basic human needs to the most sophisticated. As one need is satisfied the need immediately above it becomes the dominant motivator.

Question 34

How can a manager satisfy workers social needs?

Answer 34

A business can satisfy these needs by offering a team structure exists in the business where employees from all over the world work together on innovative projects.

Question 35

How can managers satisfy workers psychological needs?

Answer 35

A business manager can satisfy these needs by offering competitive payments/salaries to all employees and financial incentives

Question 36

How can managers satisfy workers esteem needs?

Answer 36

A business manager could provide challenging work, listen to staff ideas, reward innovation and achievement.

Question 37

How can managers satisfy workers Self-actualisation Needs?

Answer 37

Business managers who support employees to seek new challenges and both facilitate and encourage a growth mindset can help employees strive to self-actualise through development programmes

Question 38

How can managers satisfy workers safety needs?

Answer 38

A business manager can satisfy these needs by offering long- term contracts of employment to employees and ensure the working environment is safe.

Question 39

What are the limitations of the Marslow theory?

Answer 39

All workers might not value each need in the exact same order as in the hierarchy so will be driven by different needs at different times.

1. Individual Needs
   It assumes that all people are motivated by the same things at the same stage of their careers. It does not consider that people have different motivations at different life stages.

2 Self-actualisation
The concept of self-actualisation varies from person to person. A business may find it difficult to find ways to motivate employees at this level of the hierarchy.

3 Value of Needs
Not all needs may be of equal value for employees, e.g. one employee may value esteem needs above safety needs.

Question 40

What are the benefits of motivation?

Answer 40

Motivation provides the following benefits:
Improved Productivity
Greater Intrapreneurship
Lower absenteeism and staff turnover
Improved Industrial Relations
Improved Business reputation

Question 41

Give an example of good companies to work for

Answer 41

Microsoft- motivates employees by offering them bonuses based on performance at work. Those who show extra initiative receive shares in the company.

Radisson Blu Hotels- focuses on staff morale and health and welfare.

Question 42

What are the good things about the Maslow theory?

Answer 42

If a manger is able to identify which level an employee is currently on, they can try to satisfy it so that the employee comes motivated by a higher need.

Identifying what level each employee is on will allow a manger to use different techniques to motivate each of their staff to get the most out of each individual allowing the business to perform to the best of its ability.