understanding management leadership and decision making

Question 1

what do managers do?

Answer 1

set objectives
-targets to be achieved within a given period of time
-for individuals and teams
analysing
-factors contributing towards the achievement of objectives
-business performance
leading
-communicating objectives and directing subordinates to achieving these goals
-motivating subordinates
making decisions
-allocating resources
-day to day running of the business
reviewing
-monitoring performance against objectives
-taking action as necessary

Question 2

name the 5 leadership styles

Answer 2

1 autocratic
2 democratic
3 laissez faire
4 paternalistic
5 style versatility

Question 3

describe an autocratic leadership style

Answer 3

• leader makes a quick decision without consultation
• close supervision of staff
• minimum delegation
• suitable for unskilled or demotivated workers
• it is suitable in times of crisis or when quick decisions need to be made

Question 4

describe a democratic leadership style

Answer 4

• leader consults the team but makes the final decision
• leader delegates responsibility and encourages participants
• subordinates have got more power over their own working lives
• suitable in businesses where workers are skilled and self motivated

Question 5

describe a laissez faire leadership style

Answer 5

• leader allows the team to make decisions
• suitable for businesses with highly skilled, creative and self motivated workers
• workforce understands and agrees with the organisations objectives

Question 6

describe a paternalistic leadership style

Answer 6

• leader acts in a fatherly way towards the workforce, making decisions based on the needs of the workforce as well as the business

Question 7

describe style versatility leadership style

Answer 7

• leaders can adopt any of the above styles depending on the context

Question 8

name 2 theories of management and leadership styles

Answer 8

• trait theory
• behavioural theory

Question 9

describe the trait theory

Answer 9

• some people have argued that leaders or managers should have certain traits or characteristics that differentiate them from other people

Question 10

describe the behavioural theory

Answer 10

• this theory focuses on how the individual leader behaves and looks at the extent to which they have concern for people compared to the concern for production

Question 11

describe what the tannenbaum schmidt continuum is

Answer 11

• leadership model based on a spectrum between two extremes of manager centred and subordinate centred approaches
• recognises that in reality leaders are unlikely to be at either extreme but somewhere along the spectrum
• according to this model , as the continuum moves from left to right , managers become less authoritarian and give more freedom to their subordinates

Question 12

what are influences on management and leadership styles?

Answer 12

-tradition of the business
-type of labour force (unskilled = autocratic, skilled = democratic)
-nature of the task and time scale
-personality of the manager