What is management style?
Management style is one of the important factors that affect organisational effectiveness. According to Khandwalla (1995), management style is the distinctive way in which an organisation makes decisions and discharges various functions, including goal setting, formulation and implementation of strategy, all basic management activities, corporate image building, and dealing with key stakeholders. In simple terms management style includes the way that a manager plans, organises, makes decisions, delegates and manage their subordinates. Management styles differ due to firm characteristics, such as organisation type, business purpose, size, operating environment, corporate culture. Given this diversity, it seems impossible for all organisations to be managed in the same way. Externally management styles are influenced by employment laws, economic factors and competitors. According to Davidmann (1995), the effectiveness of the organisation is greatly determined by the way work is organised and by the way people work with or against each other.
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The success and failure of an organization are directly proportional to the effectiveness of the management. The management styles that leaders adopt will have a major influence on overall activities in the organization, organizational climate and labour productivity. They are different styles of management style that include among others:
- Authoritarian Style
- In such a style of working, the superiors do not take into consideration the ideas and suggestions of the subordinates.
- The managers, leaders and superiors have the sole responsibility of taking decisions without bothering much about the subordinates.
- The employees are totally dependent on their bosses and do not have the liberty to take decisions on their own.
- The subordinates in such a style of working simply adhere to the guidelines and policies formulated by their bosses. They do not have a say in management’s decisions.
- Whatever the superiors feel is right for the organization eventually becomes the company’s policies.
- Employees lack motivation in the autocratic style of working
- Democratic Management Style
Democratic leaders are eager to involve their staff in company decisions. The democratic manager keeps his or her employees informed about everything that affects their work and shares decision making and problem-solving responsibilities
- In such a style of working, superiors welcome the feedback of the subordinates.
- Employees are invited to an open forum to discuss the pros and cons of plans and ideas.
- The democratic style of working ensures effective and healthy communication between the management and the employees.
- The superiors listen to what the employees have to say before finalizing something
- In such a style of working, managers are employed just for the sake of it and do not contribute much to the organization.
- The employees make decisions and manage work on their own.
- Individuals who have the dream of making it big in the organization and desire to do something innovative every time outshine others who attend office for fun.
- Employees are not dependent on the managers and know what is right or wrong for them
- The Laissez-Faire Management Style
The laissez-faire style favours installing a relaxed work-related attitude.
- In such a style of working, managers are employed just for the sake of it and do not contribute much to the organization.
- The employees make decisions and manage work on their own.
- Individuals who have the dream of making it big in the organization and desire to do something innovative every time outshine others who attend office for fun.
- Employees are not dependent on the managers and know what is right or wrong for them
- Transformational Management Style
Transformational leadership is a leadership approach that creates valuable and positive changes of value. A transformational leader focuses on \"transforming\" others in order to help each other, to support each other, to create a group in which relational harmony dominate and support the organization as a whole. Through transformational leadership, the guided ones are treated with respect
- Inspirational Management Style
Inspirational Leadership is about energizing and creating a sense of direction and purpose for employees and excitement and momentum for change. It involves energizing individuals to strive towards a compelling vision of the future by embracing and embodying values in all aspects of their work. It includes offering clarity around goals and objectives and ensuring that those who are led work collaboratively towards a shared purpose. It also includes the provision of the required resources and motivational support employees need to grow and the empowerment and accountability to take responsibility for their success.
- It promotes individual respect, dignity and integrity at work
- It facilitates change and empowers employees to grow
- It fosters group cohesion, shared purpose and engagement
- It entails building enthusiasm for change
- Results-Based Management Style
- Collaborative Management Style
Is a management practice in which members of a leadership teamwork together across sectors to make decisions and keep their organization thriving. Collaboration creates a needed feeling of transparency across teams. This transparency cultivates an environment of openness, trust, and comfort which, in turn, allows professionals to freely share different perspectives, voices, opinions, and ideas across sectors. Forbes reported that a recent joint study found companies that “promoted collaborative working were five times as likely to be high performing.
- Strategic Management Style
The leaders who practise this style of management tend to have several common personality traits: They can challenge the prevailing view without provoking outrage or cynicism; they can act on the big and small pictures at the same time, and change course if their chosen path turns out to be incorrect; and they lead with the inquiry as well as advocacy, and with engagement as well as command, operating all the while from a deeply held humility and respect for others.
- Charismatic Management Style
The charismatic leadership style relies on the charm and persuasiveness of the leader. Charismatic leaders are driven by their convictions and commitment to their cause. Charismatic leaders also are sometimes called transformational leaders because they share multiple similarities.
Conclusion
There are different management styles and the nature of management style determines the overall effectiveness of an organisation and its performance, hence the need to adopt a management style depending on the prevailing circumstance.
References
1] Amagoh, F. (2009). Leadership development and leadership effectiveness. Management Decision, 47(6), 989- 999. doi: 10.1108/00251740910966695.
[2] Caligiuri, P., & Tarique, I. (2012). Dynamic cross-cultural competencies and global leadership effectiveness. Journal of World Business, 47(4), 612-622. doi: 10.1016/j.jwb.2012.01.014.