Leadership and Followership Theoretical Applications, Essay Example

Introduction

The purpose of this research is to explore strategies whereby organizational performance in practicing effective leadership and followership can be maximized. Three mechanisms will be embraced. They include first, designing employee motivation programs. Second is applying the democratic process of management by encouraging employees’ participation in the decision making process and thirdly instituting measures’ to facilitate dynamism within the organization function. In clarifying this third strategy it must be reiterated that equal opportunities for upward mobility within organizations indicate growth of resources human as well as capital.

Literature review

Designing employee motivation programs.

Ali and McWilliams (2011) speaking about the leader-member exchange theory explained that its major purpose is to produce a motivated workforce. The knowledge that someone is being perceived as a potential leader brings excitement in the work environment. Employees have something else to anticipate besides a paycheck at the end of the week, bi-weekly or month. Leader-member exchange is an important validation process, which enhances both individual as well as the organization’s efficiency. Managers who act as leaders have to demonstrate skills at very high level for members/staff to follow. It must be understood that a precedent is created since members are watching them as models (Ali & McWilliams, 2011).

In support of the motivation strategic model implementation, leader- members exchange is just one intervention that can be applied by the organization to influence employees towards realizing their exceptional gifts and talents, ultimately immensely benefiting the organization.  Incentives, posting a list of employees who have performed beyond the call of duty and attractive retirement plans are other ways staff could be motivated towards improving personal performance creating eventually over all improvements in the organization service delivery framework. When retirement plans are practicable research shows that employees remain longer on the job. Besides, they work all their lives conscientiously with one organization awaiting that lucrative packet. Money is a very strong motivator (Allio, 2013).

To fully understand how motivation could be applied as a strategy where organizational performance in practicing effective leadership and followership can be maximized, inevitably, references must be made to its mother theory self-determination. This theory relates human motivation in detail and its application to the various motivational strategies organizations can use to enhance performance are profound. The psychology of work is clarified as it relates to how people perceive work as an economic venture as well as a social status symbol (Chua & Koestner, 2008).

Importantly, the focus of motivation is geared towards realizing the extent to which an individual behavior is self- motivated and self- determined. The assumptions offer alternative applying motivation at an organizational level. This theory differentiates among distinct types of motivation showing how each one has a different outcome when applied within organization (Jordan & Troth, 2011).

Precisely, according to Shondrick and Lord (2010) motivation produces energy organizations need to conduct their businesses. It is a value that also propels persons to behave in a certain way creating positive or negative vibrations. Motivation responds to stimuli and can also be as stimulus when managers activate it for organizational growth. These theorists have also advanced that motivation provided the force that brings into manifestation many goals. Staff si staff are energized into performing at their best with leaders’ validation reinforcing their accomplishments as followers (Shondrick & Lord, 2010)

Shalit, Popper, & Zaka (2010) discovered that there were intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing motivation. When managers can articulate these elements successfully organizational performance must be raised to a high level. Employees /followers could be influenced towards  achieving higher ideals. Similarly, in the motivation factors are unfavorable they could be detrimental to the organization. Some of these include poor salaries and working conditions. For example, no sick leave, health insurance are just a few negative workplace ills employees endure on a daily basis (Shalit, Popper, & Zaka, 2010).

Motivation within the self-determination theoretical context encompasses the ability to express competence, autonomy and maintain psychological well-being on the job. These factors are perceived as universal needs and essential to fulfilling the job satisfaction void experienced in many organizations currently. Further, repeaters have found that in many important organizations and establishments, extrinsic motivation was the main driving feature for human’s action. However, more in-depth studies show where intrinsic motivation has greater effects on work performance and creativity.

Understanding Self-determination theory is very important for leaders/managers’ achievement of maximum long-term benefits within their organization. Establishing vivid goals and distinct missions as a first step can be initiated. This can increase the intrinsic motivation of the employees and help them to be fully engaged and committed to the organization.

In addition, having a flexible interaction with the employees and less bureaucratic management structure providing the three basic needs for the staff that eventually will ultimately produce improved performance. Managers should have a balanced track when interacting with their followers. It should include less strict orders and more positive feedback. For example, managers ought to allow employees to explain the reasons behind his/her decrease in performance and offer needed help infinding possible solutions for  their peculiar problems (Lord, 2008). Below is a diagrammatic representation of a suggested communication channel between leaders and followers.

In integrating self-determination with democratic theoretical approaches to leadership followership interventions. Self-motivated followers will ultimately seek democracy because they become part of the management process. Democracy gives flowers the right to participate in the process. Leaders then have an obligation to allow the democratic procedures to be conducted within the organization. They include voting for changes; opportunities to voice opinions without penalty of prejudicial dis missal or promoting cancellations.

Democratic leadership style is also known as participatory leadership/follower when explored from the paradigm of this research. Specifically, the democratic leader follower relationship is one in which the leader keeps his or her employees/ follower of all the events occurring within the organization. Transparency is expected during the relationship. Decisions made are shared and a top down system does not function. In the top down style staff below management simply has to guess the occurrences within their work environment. Instead with the democratic theoretical perspective they are consulted even before the decision is made for their contribution (Iles & Feng, 2011).

Research has shown where democratic leadership has produced exemplary organizational performances and sustainable improvements in outcomes. Most thinking employees prefer this leadership/follower. It builds trust in the relationship, especially when they know that their voice is being heard and contributions are valuable. Bureaucratic processes have also proven to establish, team spirit, and high morale in sharing responsibilities.  Leaders are required to function beyond directing their followers into coaching gathering important data from team players before arriving at a decision.

The strategy of instituting measures to facilities dynamism within the organizations encompasses reflection of transformational leadership theories. The assumptions connect follower’s identity and self to project being executed with the organization. For example, if the follower has a personality type that is amicable, it would be attached to a goal and that skill used to generate improved performance (Medcof, 2012).

This concept of collective identity is foremost in transformative leadership theory application. Leaders transform their organizations by becoming excusive role models for followers.  The role model aspect of this strategy offers inspiration to flowers, especially, if the leader has exceptional qualities. Followers are motivated into accepting responsibilities confidently. This action facilitates alignment with tasks. Leaders become aware of followers’expertise and skills to accomplish assignments efficiently. The organization flourishes through retaining of skills and expertise bytransferring resources (Medcof, 2012).

Conclusion

The foregoing discussion embraced an exploration into some strategies where organizational performance in practicing effective leadership and followership can be maximized. Three mechanisms were identified; designing employee motivation programs; application of the democratic process of management encouraging employees/ followers’ participation in the decision making process and instituting measures’ to facilitate dynamism within the organization function. Theoretical approaches towards achieving this strategic intervention encompassed motivational self-determination. This seemed to be a dominant technique. Democratic and transformational theories blend into these assumptions as advanced by self-determination.   Leader-member exchange theory served as a preamble to the aforementioned theories.

References

Ali, K., & McWilliams, J. (2011). Implementation leader-member exchange theory and factor of employee wellbeing to predict employee intention to quit. International Journal of Arts & Sciences, 4(12), 197-214.

Allio, R. J. (2013). Leaders and leadership – many theories, but what advice is reliable? Strategy & Leadership, 41(1), 4-14

Chua, N.,& Koestner, R. (2008). A Self-Determination Theory perspective on the role of autonomy in solitary behavior. The Journal of Social Psychology, 148(5), 645–7. Iles, P., & Feng, Y. (2011). Distributed leadership, knowledge and information management and team performance in Chinese and western groups. Journal of Technology Management in China, 6(1), 26-42

Jordan, P., & Troth, A. (2011). Emotional intelligence and leader member exchange. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 32(3), 260-280.

Medcof, T. (2012). Followers and followership: An exploration of follower prototypes, national culture, and personality. York University (Canada)). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, 256

Morton, L., DiDona, T., & Endo, T. (2011). Follow the leader: How followership styles influence organizational commitment. International Journal of Arts & Sciences, 4(22), 31-40.

Lord, R. (2008).  Followers’ cognitive and affective structures and leadership process. In R. Riggio, I. Chaleff, & J. Lipman-Blumen (Eds.) Art of followership: How great followers create great leaders and organizations (pp. 255-266). Hoboken, NJ:Wiley

Shondrick, S. & Lord, R. (2010). Implicit leadership and followership theories: Dynamic structures for leadership perceptions, memory, and leader-follower processes. International Review of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 25, 1-33.

Shalit, A., Popper, M., & Zakay, D. (2010). Followers attachment styles and their preference for social or for personal charismatic leaders. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 31(5), 458-472