Download leader communication in organizations

COMMUNICATION IN ORGANIZATION
LEADER COMMUNICATION IN
ORGANIZATIONS
Lecture 8a
What Do We Know About Good Leadership?
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One Best Way
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Good leaders have certain characteristics in common
Contingency Theories
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Good leadership depends on the situation
APPROPRIATE LEADER STYLE?
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LEADER STUDIES: 1940-50’S
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OHIO STATE
U. OF MICHIGAN
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BEGAN W ITH 1000 DIMENSIONS - FOUND TW O THAT MATTERED
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EFFECTIVE LEADERS
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INITIATE STRUCTURE (PRODUCTION ORIENTED)
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CONSIDERATION (EMPLOYEE ORIENTED)
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ASSIGNS W ORK, SETS STANDARDS)
MUTUAL TRUST, RESPECTS EMPLOYEES
MANY STUDIES: “HIGH-HIGH” IS ‘ONE BEST W AY’
CONTINUUM OF LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOUR
Graphic
Blake & Mouton: The Managerial Grid
Graphic
LEADER BEHAVIOR-STYLE IGNORES SITUATION
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NEITHER DEMOCRATIC NOR AUTHORITARIAN BEHAVIOR IS
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EFFECTIVE IN EVERY SITUATION
LEADER’S NEED TO BE FLEXIBLE AND KNOW WHEN TO DO
WHAT
SITUATIONAL CONTINGENCIES (CHANGES OF CONTEXT)
FISHER
SITUATION DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE:
EXAMPLE
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Study of high performance US Army Commando Team
During planning the group functioned democratically - an adhocracy.
During execution of mission it was a tightly controlled bureaucracy; each
individual had a specific task, changes in plan were only made by
commanding officer - autocratic leader
Post execution back to adhocracy to share info on the mission and learn for
future - democratic leadership
PATH-GOAL LEADERSHIP:
RESPONDING TO SITUATIONS
LEADERS
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CLARIFY PATH TO GOAL
REDUCE OBSTACLES TO GOAL
INCREASE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERSONAL SATISFACTION
ALONG THE WAY
GIVE REWARDS LINKED TO INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE AND
WANTS
PATH-GOAL LEADERSHIP:
RESPONDING TO SITUATIONS
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CONTINGENCY LEADERSHIP
LEADER SUCCESS DEPENDS IN PART ON FOLLOWERS
SO LEADERS CAN BE:
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DIRECTIVE
SUPPORTIVE
PARTICIPATIVE
RESULTING MOTIVATION DEPENDS ON
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EMPLOYEES ABILITIES
TASK STRUCTURE
DEGREE OF COOPERATION IN W ORK GROUP
EMPLOYEES’ LOCUS OF CONTROL
COMMUNICATION IN ORGANIZATION
LEADER COMMUNICATION IN
ORGANIZATIONS
L e c t u re 8 b
TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERS
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PROMPTS FOLLOWERS TO EXPAND THEIR NEEDS AND
WANTS
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TO SEE VALUE IN THEIR W ORK
W ORK TRANSCENDS SELF-INTEREST
DEVELOP COMMITMENT
RAISE CONSCIOUSNESS
THIS IS ACTIVE, PARTICIPATIVE, THEORY Y LEADERSHIP
FAR LESS DEPENDENT ON EXTERNAL REWARDS AND
MOTIVATION
THE FOUR ‘I’s” OF TRANSFORMATIONAL
LEADERSHIP
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Individualized consideration
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Intellectual stimulation
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Gives reasons/ways for people to change the way they think about
work problems and their own personal attitudes; encourages
employee to help leaders re-think “old” problems
Inspirational motivation
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Leader as mentor; assumes each employee has different needs;
removes “road blocks” inhibiting followers performance.
Strengthened when a vision/mission shared by co-workers.
Leader stays optimistic in times of crisis; searches for creative
methods to reduce employees’ duties and workloads.
Idealized influence
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Based on respecting others; building confidence and trust in overall
mission; followers likely to imitate leaders when they see them
achieving desired results.
TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP
‘ONE BEST WAY’ IS BACK
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Check out the Saturn Example in reading and as a linked video on lecture
schedule from last week.
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Saturn built to have self-managed teams at every level
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With co-management by the union