management and leadership Flashcards
manager
responsible for setting objectives, organising resources and motivating staff so that the organisations’s aims are met
the functions of management- what are they responsible for
- setting objectives and planning
- organising resources to meet the objectives
- directing and motivating staff
- coordinating activities
- controlling and measuring performance against targets
management roles
■ Interpersonal roles– dealing with and motivating staff at all levels of the organisation.
■ Informational roles– acting as a source, receiver and transmitter of information.
■ Decisional roles– taking decisions and allocating resources to meet the organisation’s objectives.
leadership
the art of motivating a group of people towards achieving a common objective
characteristics have been identified as being common among effective leaders:
■ They have the desire to succeed and natural self-confidence that they will succeed.
■ They possess the ability to think beyond the obvious– to be creative– and to encourage others to do the same.
■ They are multitalented, so that they can understand discussions about a wide range of issues affecting their business.
■ They have an incisive mind that enables the heart of an issue to be identified rather than unnecessary details
important leadership positions in a business
directors
manager
supervisors
workers representatives
leadership styles
■ autocratic (or authoritarian) - a style of leadership that keeps all decision-making at the centre of the organisation.
■ democratic- a leadership style that promotes the active participation of workers in taking decisions
■ paternalistic- a leadership style based on the approach that the manager is in a better position than the workers to know what is best for an organisation
■ laissez-faire- a leadership style that leaves much of the business decision-making to the workforce– a ‘hands-off ’ approach and the reverse of the autocratic style
McGregor’s theory x and y
Theory X- managers, according to McGregor, view their workers as lazy, disliking work and unprepared to accept responsibility, needing to be controlled and made to work, managers with this view will be likely to adopt an autocratic style of leadership.
Theory Y- believes that workers do enjoy work and that they found it as natural as rest or play.
Informal leader:
a person who has no formal authority but has the respect of colleagues and some power over them
Emotional intelligence (EI):
the ability of managers to understand their own emotions, and those of the people they work with, to achieve better business performance
4 main EI competencies managers should develop
self awareness
self management
social awareness
social skills
importance of an informal leader
Informal leaders act as spokespersons or mediators for both managers and workers, If they genuinely believe in the organization, their part in the direction in which the company is going and trust the managers. The informal leaders will be the companies most enthusiastic cheerleaders.
advantages and disadvantages of democratic leadership
adv
■ participation encouraged
■ two-way communication used, which allows feedback from staff
challenges
■ consultation with staff can be time-consuming
■ on occasions, quick decision making will be required
advantages and disadvantages of autocratic leadership
adv
■ leader takes all decisions
■ gives little information to staff
■ supervises workers closely
challenges
■ demotivates staff who want to contribute and accept responsibility
■ decisions do not benefit from staff input
advantages and disadvantages of laissez-faire
adv
■ managers delegate virtually all authority and decision-making powers
■ very broad criteria or limits might be established for the staff to work within
challenges
lack of clear direction
underperformance
could lead to conflict
