CHAPTER SIX:
DIRECTING/LEADING
Definition:
v Leading,
as defined by Kooth and Weihrich, is the process of guiding people to
contribute to organizational and group goals.
v It
entails influencing individuals willingly and enthusiastically works towards
achieving organizational goals and ultimate objectives.
v In
this context, influencing emphasizes motivation rather than coercion, force,
imposition, or pushing people to act, aiming for individuals to contribute
their maximum effort for organizational success.
Role in
Management Function:
v Leading/Directing stands as a crucial aspect of the
management function, activating organizational members to work efficiently and
effectively towards organizational objectives.
v Planning,
organizing, and staffing are viewed as preparations, and the actual work
commences when managers start performing the directing function.
Interpersonal
Aspect:
Directing represents the interpersonal facet of
management, involving direct influence, guidance, supervision, and motivation
of subordinates. It is a challenging function because it deals with the human
element of the organization, a complex set of forces. Understanding
individuals' beliefs, hopes, ambitions, behavior, satisfaction, and interactions
with others is critical in the directing process.
Elements
of Directing - Motivation:
1. Motivation:
v Motivation refers to the forces
that arouse enthusiasm and persistence in a person to pursue a specific course
of action.
v It
involves stimulating people to take action through incentives or inducements.
Understanding Motivation:
v Motivation
helps managers comprehend the factors that drive people to initiate action, the
influences on their choice of action, and the reasons for persisting in that
action over time.
Basic Human Needs:
v People
have fundamental needs such as food, achievements, or monetary gain, creating
internal tension that motivates specific behaviors to fulfill those needs.
v Successful
behavior results in rewards, satisfying the need and signaling the
appropriateness of the behavior for future use.
Types of Rewards:
1.
Intrinsic Rewards:
v Satisfaction
a person receives in the process of performing a particular action.
v Examples include the pleasant
feeling of accomplishment after completing a complex task or fulfilling a
personal mission by solving a problem.
2.
Extrinsic Rewards:
- Another
person, typically the manager, gives it.
- Examples include
promotions and pay increases, providing external recognition and benefits
for the individual's efforts.
THEORIES
OF MOTIVATION:
1. Hierarchy of Needs Theory (Abrham Maslow):
v Humans
are motivated by multiple needs arranged in a hierarchical order.
v Hierarchy
includes:
1.
Physiological needs (food, water, air,
sex)
2.
Safety needs (security and safety)
3.
Belongingness/Social needs (friendship,
interaction, love)
4.
Esteem needs (respect, recognition)
5.
Self-actualization needs (reaching one's
potentials)
v Priority
order:
1.
An unsatisfied need influences behavior;
a satisfied need is not a motivator.
2.
Needs arranged from basic to complex.
3.
Each level of need is minimally
satisfied before moving to the next.
4.
Unsatisfied needs become a priority
again if not maintained.
2. Two-Factor Theory (Herzberg 1975):
v Different
characteristics influence job dissatisfaction (hygiene factors) and
satisfaction (motivation factors).
v Hygiene
factors include salary, job security, working conditions, and interpersonal
relationships, among others.
v Motivation
factors encompass achievement, recognition, responsibility, advancement, and
more.
2. LEADERSHIP:
Definition:
Leadership
is
the process of influencing individuals and groups to establish and achieve
goals. It encompasses influencing and motivating people to execute tasks
aligned with organizational objectives. Effective leaders possess knowledge of
human behavior, persuasion, motivation, and effective communication.
Theories
of Leadership:
Trait Theory of
Leadership:
v Leaders
possess innate traits.
v Originating
from "the great man theory," which posits leaders are born, not made.
v Focus
on personal traits as distinguishing factors between leaders and followers.
Behavioral Theory of
Leadership:
v It
concentrates on leaders' actions rather than their traits.
v Identifies
two leadership styles: task-oriented and employee-oriented.
v It
emphasizes actions over inherent traits.
Situational/Contingency
Theory of Leadership:
v The
situation, leader, followers, and environment influence leadership.
v It
rejects the idea of a universal set of traits or behaviors.
v Effective
leadership depends on context and adaptability.
Leadership
Styles:
1.
Autocratic Style:
v "I"
approach with centralized decision-making.
v Suitable
in crises or when subordinates are trainees.
v Effective
when quick decisions are required.
2.
Democratic/Participative
Style:
v "We"
approach with shared decision-making.
v It
requires mutual trust, respect, and competent subordinates.
v It
encourages participation at all levels.
3.
Laissez-Faire/Free
Rein Style:
v It
involves a hands-off approach with minimal leader intervention.
This approach is
effective with highly skilled and motivated subordinates.
v It may result in decreased productivity
without clear direction.
Leadership
Style Characteristics:
Autocratic Leadership
Style:
v Leader
does not seek opinions, exercises rigid control, and relies on punishments.
v It
is task-oriented with one-way downward communication.
Participative (Democratic)
Leadership Style:
v It
involves group members in decision-making, encouraging participation.
v It
fosters two-way communication and team spirit.
Laissez-Faire (Free Rein)
Leadership Style:
v Leader
allows subordinates freedom to make decisions.
v It
is Effective with skilled and motivated subordinates.
v It
may lead to decreased productivity without clear direction.
The leader’s personality, experience, values,
followers, and the environment influence leadership styles. Each style has its
suitable contexts and impacts on organizational dynamics.
Free-Rein Style:
v "They"
approach, empowering individuals or groups to function autonomously.
v Relies
on delegation of authority and works best with skilled and motivated parties.
v It
is effective in contexts where participants possess expert power and the
necessary tools.
v This
is suited for professionals in engineering, design, research, and sales who
resist close supervision.
Behavioral Patterns of Laissez-Faire Leader:
v Makes
few attempts to increase productivity or meet psychological needs of
subordinates.
v Uses
power minimally, giving high independence to subordinates in their operations.
v It
maintains a hands-off policy with clearly defined subordinate work.
v Depends
on subordinates to set goals and means of achieving them, primarily aiding
operations.
v Lacks
self-confidence, sets minimal goals, minimizes communication, and group
interaction.
3. COMMUNICATION:
Definition:
- Communication is the transfer of
information from a sender to a receiver to achieve goals.
- A
process involves a sender transmitting a message through media to a
receiver who responds.
Importance of Effective Communication:
- It
provides a common thread for management processes.
- It
enables managers to tap into the diverse talents of a multicultural
organization.
- It
occupies a significant portion of managers' time in interactions with
various stakeholders.
Communication Process:
It involves a sender, message, encoding, channel,
receiver, decoding, noise, and feedback.
Ø Sender
initiates communication with information, needs, desires, and a purpose.
Ø Receiver
perceives the sender's message.
Ø Encoding
translates information into symbols, and decoding interprets the message.
Ø Channel
is the formal medium of communication between sender and receiver.
Ø Noise
is any factor that interferes with communication.
Ø Message
is the encoded information sent by the sender.
Ø Feedback
is the response of the receiver to the sender.
Types of Communication:
1. Formal Communication:
v Downward: Messages
from higher to lower levels.
v Upward: Messages
from subordinates to supervisors and higher levels.
v Horizontal: occurs
between persons of equal status.
v Vertical: Can
be downward or upward communication.
2.
Informal Communication:
v Grapevine,
gossip, etc.
Effective communication is essential for
organizational success, influencing others, and maintaining relationships. It
involves a continuous flow of information and understanding between individuals
and groups within an organization.
Chapter 7 controlling
Control refers to the process of regulating and influencing
activities to achieve organizational goals. Control is a crucial function in
the management process as it helps ensure that actual performance aligns with
planned performance. The control function involves monitoring, comparing, and
taking corrective action when necessary.
There are
several key elements of control in management:
- Setting Standards:
- Measuring
Performance:
- Comparing
Performance and Standards:
- Analyzing
Deviations:
- Taking Corrective
Action:
- Feedback Loop:
There are different types of control
mechanisms, including:
- Feed forward Control: This involves monitoring and
adjusting processes before they produce the final output. It aims to
prevent problems before they occur.
- Concurrent Control: This type of control takes place
during the actual performance of activities. It involves real-time
monitoring and adjustments as needed.
- Feedback Control: Feedback control occurs after the
completion of an activity. It involves analyzing past performance and
making adjustments for future activities.
Effective control
systems contribute to organizational success by ensuring that resources are
used efficiently, goals are achieved, and deviations from the plan are
minimized or addressed promptly.