Management Styles Flashcards
What is management style?
Management styles refer to the behaviour and attitude of the manager, and the way in which he or she acts and converses with staff.
What is an autocratic management style?
An autocratic management style is one where the manager tells staff what decisions have been made. A manager using this style makes all decisions alone meanwhile employees have no input and limited knowledge, therefore meaning this style uses top down communication. Management provides clear directions about roles and responsibilities to employees, frequently checks up on employee performance, motivates through threats and disciplinary action, and expect compliance and obedience from employees.
What are the advantages of an autocratic manager?
- directions and procedures are clearly defined, thus there is little uncertainty
- employees’ roles and expectations are set out plainly so management can easily monitor their performance.
- control is centralised at top management level, so time is used efficiently and problems are dealt with quickly, due to little discussion and consultation.
What are the disadvantages of autocratic management?
- no employee input is allowed, thus employees get little chance to develop their skills and do not feel valued.
- when no responsibility is given to lower level staff, job satisfaction decreases. This leads to more absenteeism and staff turnover.
- conflict or the potential for conflict increases, as workers are competing for the approval of managers, which May lead to disagreements or tension.
- an ‘us or them’ mentality may develop due to lack of employee input.
What is a persuasive management style?
A Persuasive management style is one where the manager attempts to persuade and explain the decisions made to staff. Although this is the case, authority and control is centralised, the manager uses top down communication and employees are not given the opportunity to share ideas or provide feedback.
What are the advantages of persuasive management?
- managers can gain some trust or support through persuasion.
- workers who believe their feelings are being considered may approach tasks positively
- instructions and explanations remain clear and constant
- there is some acceptance of negative work situations.
What are the disadvantages of persuasive management?
- Attitudes and trust remains negative as employees fail to give full support to management.
- communication is still poor and limited to top down, one way system
- employees remain frustrated, because they are denied full participation in the decision making process.
What is a consultative management style?
A consultative management style is one where the manager consults with staff through two way communication, on certain issues before making a decision. A consultative manager acknowledges good performance, believes motivating employees will help to achieve performance objectives and recognises the importance of enhancing personal relationships by offering job security, social activities and fringe benefits. The manager however, still has the overall decision making power and can overrule any employee suggestions.
What are the advantages of consultative management?
- asking for suggestions from employees allows for greater variety of ideas,and should improve quality of management decisions
- employees have some ownership over the organisation so they are motivated and committed
- tasks are completed more efficiently and effectively as decisions are discussed and fine tuned before hand.
What are the disadvantages of consultative management?
- time taken to consult all employees can slow the entire process
- when a number of ideas are shared, some are bound to be ignored or overlooked in the final decision. This may cause conflict or resentment.
- widespread consultation process may lead to inconsistencies with each decision made, thus staff may become uncertain and confused about their role.
What is a participative management style?
A participative management style is one where the manager unites with staff to make decisions collectively. In this style, the manager shares the decision making power with employees,
recognises the strengths and abilities of employees, and places trust in them by delegating managerial responsibilities.
What are the advantages of participative management?
- communication is a two way process, thus employees have greater opportunity to acquire more skills and are more willing to commit to their work.
- employer, employee relations are more likely to be positive and there is a reduced likelihood of industrial dispute.
- motivation and job satisfaction are more likely to be optimal, due to employees have an increased active role in Decision making.
- high level of trust, resulting in improved performance.
What are the disadvantages of participative management?
- decision making and introducing tasks are time consuming, when differing views must be considered.
- employees may be given too much power, thus management role may be weakened or undermined.
- more involvement may bring about disagreements (more opinions)
- importance of organisational structure may be minimised, leading to an informal system that could result in a collapse in management.
What is Lassiez-Faire management style?
Lassiez-Faire management is one where employees assume total responsibility for, and control of, workplace operations. The management of the organisation set the objectives, while the employees implement them, with minimal supervision and direction.
What are the advantages of Lassiez-Faire management?
- employees feel a sense of ownership which can promote outstanding results.
- continual encouragement for creativity, which is conducive to a dynamic working environment
- communication is completely open and ideas are both discussed and shared
