Gary Yukl's Leadership in Organizations
Gary Yukl is Professor of Management and Leadership at the State University of New York in
Albany, and a board member of the Leadership Quarterly journal. He is a well-known scholar
and author on leadership. Leadership in Organizations was first published in 1981. This fifth
edition was published in 2002, and the formerly 19 chapters have been consolidated into 15
(which includes a new chapter on ethical leadership and diversity). This has been done in order
to accommodate a 15-week course.
Each chapter covers a particular aspect of leadership research study, with a concluding
summary and questions for further discussion. Key terms are highlighted, and there is at least
one case study at the end of each chapter. The book is accompanied by an instructor’s manual
which is used in conjunction with the case studies and also contains exercises and role-playing
activities. The 508 pages of Leadership in Organizations include an extensive references
section.
Leadership in Organizations has a specific focus on managerial leadership in large
organisations and is an attempt at bridging the gulf between academics and management
practitioners. However, as each chapter begins with a list of learning objectives, the bias
appears to tend towards a more academic audience (particularly students of the subject), rather
than towards practising managers.
The author covers a broad survey of theory and research of leadership in formal organisations of
the last 50 years, and though Yukl states that the book “focuses on the 20 per cent of literature
that appeared to be the most relevant and informative”, he has provided an in-depth and
comprehensive analysis and apprais...
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...important leadership functions for enhancing collective
work in teams and organisations.
Discussion
Leadership in Organizations concerns itself with looking at the complex field of research in the
field of leadership in large organisations. This is a well researched and well thought-out text, and
anyone with a serious interest in the subject would benefit from having read the book. The
format provides a clear understanding of the learning requirements, with the case studies and
questions at the end of every chapter stimulating the reader into asking yet more questions, thus
creating a greater awareness of leadership in a management context.
Gary Yukl provides a comprehensive review of techniques, citing examples and guidelines
throughout. Though some might find the style over-directive, others will benefit from the clear
path that Yukl points up.
This case study is a situation from Case Studies on Educational Administration (Kowalski, 2011). The background information is listed below.
...e preceding reasons, all college students should read the book. The book will captivate the educated mind, and most importantly, will cause that mind to think and to question why things happen as they do.
Pierce, Jon L. and John W. Newstrom (2011) 6th edition. Leaders and the Leadership Process.
Leadership at times can be a complex topic to delve into and may appear to be a simple and graspable concept for a certain few. Leadership skills are not simply acquired through position, seniority, pay scale, or the amount of titles an individual holds but is a characteristic acquired or is an innate trait for the fortunate few who possess it. Leadership can be misconstrued with management; a manager “manages” the daily operations of a company’s work while a leader envisions, influences, and empowers the individuals around them.
The first of the three examples that the student saw portrayed in the case study chosen is Charo’s (the client)
Leadership has been defined in different ways, a definitaion of leadership that would be most commonly accepted would be “the ability of an individual to influence, motivate, and enable others to contribute toward the effectiveness and success of the organization…”(House et al., 1999, p. 184 as cited in Yukl, 2013, p. 19). After a comprehensive review of different leadership literature, Stogdill (1974, p. 259, as cited in Yukl, 2013, p. 18) concluded that “There are almost as many definitions of leadership as there are persons who have attempted to define the concept." Leadership can be viewed from two different angles one is shared influence process and other as a specialized role. Researcher who view leadership as a specialized role consider attributes as a factor in selecting a designated leader. On the contrast, theorist who emphasises on influence process considers “Leadership” as a social process or a pattern of relationship.
Organ, D.W. (1996) "Leadership: The great man theory revisited", Business horizons, vol. 39, no. 3, pp. 1-4.
“On leadership” was written by John W. Gardner (The Free Press, New York, 1990). He used seventeen chapters to explain and describe essential components for the leadership should be in a successful organization. This book not only has significant influence now, but also for the future. Below are my understanding about this book, which was divided into two parts. For the first part, I will pick up some perspectives which influence me most from this book. For the second part, which is my comments and critique about this book.
Gardner, J. (1990). The Nature and Tasks of Leadership. In J. T. McMahon (Ed.), Leadership Classics (pp. 171-175). Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press.
David T. Conley, Ph.D. a. The. Education - Leadership -. Vol. 66 No.
...problems in case they occur which also carries a comparison to the case method teaching approach that NAU uses.
Whitener, J. K. (2007). Year of wonders: The wonder of leadership. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 9(2), 214-222,226-230,234-235. from ABI/INFORM Global.
"Leadership in Organizational Settings." The Dynamics of Leading Organizations and People. N.p.: McGraw-Hill, 2013. 288-301. Print.
2.An Introduction to Case Work – Grace Mathew, Published: Tata Institute of Social Sciences,1992, 3.Web references and class room teaching have been also used.
The following sections discuss several important aspects of leadership including a description of what leadership is and a description of several popular theories and styles of leadership. This page also dives