management and leadership Flashcards
what is management
getting things done by organising controlling and ordering employees
functions and roles of management
- controlling
- organising
- directing
- planning
- staffing
what is MBO
involves using corportate objectives to set targets and objectives for individual depeartments and workers so all have a clear understanding of goals and responsibilities
break down overally aims into specific targets for divisions, departments managers and workers
this means that when everyone works towards their individual targets they are contributing to the whole businesses aims and objectives
must involve employees in decision making to increase monitvation, so they feel responsible and engaged
must also monitor performance to ensure that workers are achieveing targets by comparing to expected standards
finally must evaluate progress / performance towards targets and objectives and provide reward if neccisary
advantages and disadvantages of MBO
advantages:
-employees likely to be motivated as they feel responsible and commited to achieving their targers, involved in goal setting, having a say in their objectives makes them feel valued and take ownership over work- high job satisfaction and improved erformance
- everyone is aware of their involvment in achieving objectives and what they need to do providing clarity and direction- clear objectives for every level of organisation, employees understand specific goals and how they contribue to overall success
, reducing condusion increasing efficiency ensuring all efforts are aligned - ensures progress is regually tracked, performance can be measured against predefined standards, allows for ajustments helping organisation stay on track to achieve goals
disadvanatges:
- likely to be time consuming, more time spent planning and monitoring then managing, managers and employees must frequently meet and dicscuss objectices and evaluaye, slowinf doen decision making diverting attention from other important tasks
- business world changes rapidly, may become too focused on meeting long term objectives leading to missing opportunities and not able to respond to unexpected challenges, reduced innivation and adaptability in a fast changing rnviro
- may sett ambitious tagrets, leading to exessive pressure, may feel stressed if objectives are unrelaistic or dont have resources to complete, could lead to reduced morale and burnout
mc gregors theory X and Y
theory X
- suggests that if employees arent monitored then quality and quantiity of output will fall
- employees will only respect manahets that tell them what to do with complete authoirity
- only motivated by money
- do not want to be invilved in decision making
- dont want to be involved with higher management / known by higher managment
- not ambitious
theory Y
- employees want to be involoved in decision making and take on responsibility, snd contribute to increased efficiency
- want to be noticed rewarded and appreciated
- ambitious and want to contribute, train and improve chances of promotion
- money cant be the only motivator , seek more thna financial satisfaction from job
- employees work best when left to theiru own devices , trust leads to responsibility
-
importance of management
MBO
what is leadership
leaders inspiring, motivating employees to follow them to achieve the business objecyives - more innovative
intellectual skills;
* interpersonal skills;
* realistic aspirations;
* vision;
* communicative skills;
* creativity;
* innovation;
* commitment;
* identify and respond to changes.
types of leadership styles- autocratic
autocrartic- this is the idea that leaders have no time to conside e.g maslows heirarchy or herzbergs hygine factors
they give orders which should be obeyed without question
can be beneficial when rapid reconstructing is required
unskilled
strict control
dont trust workers
must involve strict heirarchial strucutre, no employee involvement in decision makin, centralised decision making, taylor style, strcit control
democratic
consults subordinates in decision making, involved in designing their jobs and task involved
communicate with employees , recieve feedback
highly motivated and committed, creativirt and quality decisions
delgation is common
theory Y and herzburg
joint voting- agreement
lassiez faire
little communication from leaders to management, leaders not involved with decision making, lots of delegation and decisons are centralised, could lead to lack of motivation or committed to work lowering productivity
left to get on with job minimal guidence
lack of focus and coordination
paternalistic
this is similar to autocratic but decisons are made based on whats supposedly best for workers, consider welfare of employees and sometimes consult employees before decisions, mayos work HR and middle and bottom of maslow
buerocratic
strict structure and responisbilys and job descriptions and role, clear responsibility everyone knows what their job is- more efficient
- lack flexbility restrcited by rules and procedure, hard to handel unusal situations must stick to set processes
little dreedom to innvoate and come uo with improvmenents
- centralised decision making and heirarchail structure
leadership theory- fieldler
the effectivness/ quality of leadership/ of a group/ organisation dpeends on two contingent factors
personality of leaders- workers were either task motivated or relationship motivated
and situational control, the control/ influence the situation provides the leader over group
if had a high LPC- relationship, low LPC= task motivared
low LPC= see workers in - terms determined to get the job done
most effective in exteme circimstances such as emergencies/ crisis- allowing for high control - extremely faviourbale or unfavourable
relationship oreintated most effective in less extreme circumstances- moderate situations, leadership flexibility neccisary- less control
suggests that leaders struggle to change style, organisations should match leaders to suitable situations
- helps identidy bes tleaders for specific roles
- although…. leaders can be flexible, adapt style
leadership theory- wright and taylor
🔍 1. Leadership theory was too vague
They argued that most leadership theories were “theoretically correct”, but they didn’t actually help leaders improve in real situations.
✅ Their goal was to make leadership practical and trainable.
🧠 2. Focus on skills — especially interpersonal ones
They said leadership is not just about traits or styles — it’s about skills, especially:
- Verbal and non-verbal communication
- The ability to evaluate situations and people accurately
- Diagnosing performance issues and responding in the right way
🔁 This links to their belief that “one size doesn’t fit all” — leaders need to respond differently in each situation.
🛠️ 3. They created a checklist to improve performance
Leaders should use their checklist to:
- Identify why someone isn’t performing well
- Understand if the problem is motivation or ability
- Use encouragement (not punishment) to influence behaviour
📈 Their checklist helps leaders think through problems logically and find the best solution with a cost-benefit approach.
- They also believed regardless of leadership style, staff would perform better with leaders who had excellent interpersonal skills, ability and motivation.
importance and impact of leadership
Provides Direction & Vision
Leaders set goals and define a clear path for the organization or team.
Example: Steve Jobs’ leadership at Apple revolutionized the tech industry by focusing on innovation.
✅ Motivates & Engages Employees
Good leadership increases job satisfaction and commitment.
Example: Richard Branson’s leadership at Virgin emphasizes employee happiness, leading to high performance.
✅ Encourages Adaptability & Innovation
Effective leaders guide organizations through change and encourage creative problem-solving.
Example: Elon Musk’s leadership at Tesla has driven innovation in the electric vehicle industry.
✅ Builds Strong Organizational Culture
Leadership influences values, ethics, and behavior within an organization.
Example: Google’s leadership fosters a culture of collaboration and innovation, making it one of the world’s most desirable workplaces.
✅ Improves Productivity & Efficiency
Strong leaders ensure that resources are used effectively and team members work towards common goals.
Example: Jeff Bezos’ leadership at Amazon optimized supply chains, increasing efficiency and profitability.
- Impact of Leadership
🔵 Positive Leadership Impact
Higher Employee Morale → Motivated workers lead to better performance.
Stronger Team Collaboration → A good leader fosters trust and cooperation.
Higher Business Growth → Visionary leadership drives success.
Better Crisis Management → Strong leaders help navigate uncertainty (e.g., COVID-19 pandemic).
🔴 Negative Leadership Impact (Poor Leadership)
Low Employee Engagement → Employees feel uninspired, leading to poor performance.
High Staff Turnover → Bad leadership results in people leaving.
Lack of Innovation → Without motivation, creativity suffers.
Organizational Failure → Weak leadership can lead to business collapse (e.g., Kodak’s failure to adapt to digital cameras).
Conclusion
evaluation of leadership styles to diff busienss situations
Autocratic Leadership
🔹 Definition: The leader makes decisions independently with little or no input from subordinates.
✅ Advantages:
Fast decision-making, useful in crises.
Clear direction and expectations.
Effective in structured, hierarchical environments.
❌ Disadvantages:
Can lead to low morale and job dissatisfaction.
Employees feel undervalued, reducing creativity.
High staff turnover due to lack of autonomy.
Best for: Military, emergency situations, and highly structured organizations.
- Democratic (Participative) Leadership
🔹 Definition: The leader involves team members in decision-making.
🔹 Example: Sundar Pichai (Google) – Encourages employee input and collaboration.
✅ Advantages:
Encourages innovation and creativity.
Increases employee motivation and job satisfaction.
Builds strong team relationships and trust.
❌ Disadvantages:
Decision-making can be slow.
May not work in high-pressure or time-sensitive situations.
Risk of conflict when opinions differ.
Best for: Creative industries, knowledge-based organizations, and team-oriented environments.
- Laissez-Faire Leadership
🔹 Definition: The leader gives employees full freedom to make decisions and manage their work.
✅ Advantages:
High levels of innovation and creativity.
Employees feel empowered and motivated.
Works well with highly skilled, self-motivated teams.
❌ Disadvantages:
Can lead to lack of direction and accountability.
Employees may feel unsupported.
Poor performance in teams that require guidance.
Best for: Tech startups, research and development, creative industries.
- Transformational Leadership
🔹 Definition: Leaders inspire and motivate employees to achieve exceptional results and embrace change.
🔹 Example: Steve Jobs (Apple) – Inspired innovation and pushed employees to achieve excellence.
✅ Advantages:
Encourages innovation and long-term vision.
High motivation and engagement.
Builds strong company culture and loyalty.
❌ Disadvantages:
High expectations can cause burnout.
May overlook short-term operational needs.
Not effective for routine, structured tasks.
Best for: Fast-growing companies, industries requiring innovation and change.
- Transactional Leadership
🔹 Definition: Leaders focus on structure, rules, and performance-based rewards and punishments.
🔹 Example: Jeff Bezos (Amazon) – Emphasized efficiency, performance, and cost-cutting.
✅ Advantages:
High efficiency and productivity.
Employees have clear goals and expectations.
Works well in structured, results-driven environments.
❌ Disadvantages:
Lacks focus on creativity and innovation.
Can lead to low job satisfaction and morale.
Employees may feel undervalued and replaceable.
Best for: Sales teams, manufacturing, military, and highly structured workplaces.
Conclusion: Which Leadership Style is Best?
There is no one-size-fits-all leadership style. The best approach depends on:
✔ The nature of the organization.
✔ The team’s skill level and motivation.
✔ The goals and challenges faced.
🔹 Balanced Approach: Many successful leaders combine multiple styles depending on the situation. For example, a leader might be autocratic in a crisis, democratic in strategy planning, and transformational in inspiring innovation.
whwther a leader is key for a business sucess depends on skill and experience of the leader, and things outside businesses control
