Communicating effectively with others is a difficult task, when practices of leadership are not considered. This is especially seen when considering how leadership has evolved from bureaucratic to more post-bureaucratic approaches. Previous styles of leadership lacked communication between those managing and those being managed. The advance of post-bureaucratic leadership, which involves a deeper form of communication between the managing and the managed, has shown how each is a key element of each other. It is believed that leaders should direct, motivate and empower their employees so as to reach maximum potential in the workplace. However, bureaucratic leadership has shown a lack of effective communication between managers and employees, …show more content…
The hierarchical structure of bureaucracy meant that tasks were divided based on status and there were strict rules and exact orders to follow. Bureaucracy has acquired the reputation of inefficiency, due to the fact that the strict rules means employees are less enthusiastic, which thus leads to poor customer service. It also means that the organisation is resistant to change and innovation, which is critical in a world that is ever changing (Walker and Brewer, 2009). While, some argue that bureaucracy is necessary in a situation where there is a need for standardised operations, it can also be argued that in modern times, it is rare for these conditions to be found, as there is a strong focus on innovation and teamwork. Bureaucratic leadership is shown to lack communication, seen as unnecessary due to the strict rules laid out for employees and managers to follow. With a lack of a need of communication, the gap between employees and managers widen to the point that it demotivates workers and creates external …show more content…
Managing communication is just as important as the presence of communication itself. The circumstances of those fired due to the words they have written or spoken, show that only certain types of communications are authorised in the workplace. This can be seen as over-management of communication in that employees are unable to speak their mind on ideals that may or may not be averse to the ideals of their managers. Yamada (1988) proposed the idea that the reason why employers feel the need to limit workplace expression is due
Lashinger et al highlights the need for communication within leadership as effective communication is essential to influence change and motivate others. Emphasising the need for communicating effectively towards all staff members, whilst undergoing change to ensure all staff feel supported and understand the process, allowing implementation to be more successful.
Max Weber, German sociologist, social theorist, and economist, explicated the theory of bureaucracy in which he details the monocratic bureaucracy “as an ideal form that maximized rationality” (Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 48). He provided his most complete exposition of theory in his 1922 tome Economy and Society (Casey, 2004). This classic form of bureaucracy is characterized by the following (a) well-defined official functions; (b) specialization of function; (c) clearly defined hierarchy of offices; (d) rules governing performance, which require training to administer; (e) impersonal treatment of clients, in that all are treated equally; (f) merit as the basis of promotion or appointment; (g) compensation based on rank; (h) separation of personal and company assets and interests; (i) discipline and control of daily work; (j) files and record keeping for decisions, acts, and rules (Bolman & Deal, 2008; O’Connor, 2011). There are numerous shorthand versions of Weber’s theory including Harmon and Mayer (1986) in Organization Theory for Public Administration and Heady (2001) in Public Administration: A Comparative Perspective (O’Connor, 2011).
Post-bureaucratic leadership differs from Max Weber’s and Henry Ford’s models of bureaucratic leadership as their form is focused on maximising production, through a formal hierarchical structure, and impersonal relationships with employees (Johnston, 2004). While bureaucratic leadership ultimately causes alienation, Post-bureaucratic leadership aims to remove this alienation and bridge the gulf between the “supreme leaders” and “lowly subordinates” (Gabriel,1997). Post-bureaucratic leadership not only aims for financial betterment, but also the betterment of employees, and society as a whole. This is referred to as Corporate Social Responsibility, which consists of environmental and social dimensions.
Within an organization one of the key tools that they use is that of: communication. Communication is a primary key to any organization and without it there is no cohesion, no leadership, and no functionality. As communication begins to diminish, so does the organization – as one article puts it: “These new economic…. imperatives have significantly contributed to the demise of the old classic command-and-control bureaucracy…” (Tiernan et al, 2002, 47-48). From what this article states, the lack of communication has led to a semi-collapse of the mechanistic structure of an organization. Though communication does seem like a huge factor of an organization, communication does not come without its troubles within the inter-organizations; if there is communication going on in a company, there is going to also be a lack of communication. When a company has employed thousands of people (or maybe just a small amount) they are hiring a whole selection of individuals to work as whole group in unity – though this does seem like an amazing idea, these sets of individuals will have quite ...
You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink is a proverb I have heard since I was young. Leadership is the skill of influencing people to accomplish goals (Huber, 2014). In today’s world with policy and technological changes the leaders must use their leadership skills to not only get the horse to the water, have him drink, but also do it with a smile an invite others to join him. Leaders use a variety of styles to accomplish their goals. I will discuss the leadership style that I utilize most often, how my style relates to leadership theories and the work type environment it is most useful in.
Post-bureaucratic leadership is ‘the process of controlling, motivating and inspiring staff’ (Clegg, Kornberger & Pitsis 2011, p. 126), whereas globalisation refers to ‘the increase in financial integration of economies around the world’ (Clegg, Kornberger & Pitsis 2011, p.612). As such the practice of leadership is an integral component in all aspects of an organization as it can determine the success or failure of a business. According to (Punnet 2004) ‘leadership is a key component of all organizations, but its ability and functions have become more difficult with the rise of globalisation during the post-bureaucratic era.’ This essay will examine how the various leadership approaches have contributed to managing globalisation and the effects
Bureaucracy has been the main form of organisation for over a century and can be characterised by the following: functional specialisation, employees carrying out one function of activity as their primary role; hierarchy of authority, those in superior positions having authority based solely on the virtue of the position itself; a system of rules, the tasks of the organisation following a formal set of procedures and practices; and impersonality, individuals being treated on the basis of the rules rather than emotions and personality (Knights & Willmott, 2012). The mainstream perspective states that a bureaucratic organisation’s central aim is to maximise efficiency, objectivity and fairness and can be thought of as a ‘machine’ with the people making up the components (Knights & Willmott, 2012). This view attributes three problems to this rule-centred organisation: poor motivation, poor customer service and a resistance to innovation and change (Knights & Willmott, 2012). Employees in bureaucratic organisations tend not to be committed to their
Weber believed that bureaucracy created stable, and predictable actions and outcomes because it allowed organizations to work in a rational manner, like a machine, and helped account for the fact that humans had only limited intelligence. Though Weber discussed the perfect model of an organization, bureaucracy allows for even imperfect organizations to function in a more reliable and predictable way because it’s structure controls how individuals behave.
Organizations in today’s world need to adapt and overcome many obstacles that are predictable as well as unpredictable. Max Weber outlines the five basic principles of bureaucracy which are as follows: The Division of Labor, Hierarchy of Authority, Written Rules and Regulations, Impersonality Principal, and Technical Qualifications. These basic principals were designed to maximize productivity and assert authority over subordinates in the workforce. (Weber, 1968) In present day the basic principles of Weber’s bureaucratic design are still visible in just about every organization. The only variable is to what extent they are applied.
There is inadequate and ambiguous communication in the upward flow channels of the organisation. Problems and exceptions, suggestions for improvement, performance reports, disputes and grievances and financial and accounting information are not communicated clearly, and inexperienced managers are struggling to keep their department working efficiently and in sync with other departments because of this communication issue.
The emphasis on leaders being not just executives and managers, and that not all executives and managers are leaders, is extremely vital. Anyone can strive to be a leader in whatever organization in which they are involved. Bennis and Nanus claim that leadership is about character, setting the example for how team members treat one other (and in a corporate setting, their clients as well), being truthful and sustaining organizational trust, and encouraging themselves and others to learn. On one hand, it can be easy to see how many people in leadership positions do no match up to these standards of leadership. On the other, it seems a bit like common sense to be truthful to others and to effectively communicate with people who work together everyday. Leaders is an effective tool for summarizing and inspiring leadership not in that it teaches tough strategies and manipulations, but that when looking at an overview of its content, Bennis and Nanus are essentially teaching human relations and human decency. All in all, this book highlights strategies for us all to be better in our lives and our everyday
The specialized officials in leadership positions in a bureaucratic system often assume a coercive role that is disguised in a sacerdotal role. The hidden coerciveness of bureaucracy comes along with diminished employee autonomy, and the consequence of this is the creation of social distance between and among employees and employers. Theuvsen (2004) attests to this sentiment by stating that coercive bureaucracies are characterized by low employee autonomy, and mistrust and suspicion in the event of deviations from organizational rules and regulations that are designed to avert shirking. Du Gay (2005) presents a similar argument by mentioning that ideally, jurisdiction rules and regulations meant developed and documented for shirking prevention are one characteristic of bureaucracy. Indeed, the rules are designed as an instrument to be utilized by superiors in evaluating whether or not the employees’ actions align with regulation delineated in strictly maintained policy documents. The abrogation of individual employee autonomy in bureaucratic systems, accompanied by the creation of social distance, makes bureaucracy an irrelevant phenomenon with respect to contemporary organizational studies. This is because rules and regulation serve to not only deny employees the opportunity to respond positively and proactively to certain unique situations, but also the opportunity to recognize
Organizations have leaders who are effective and ineffective. Many of us want to be leaders but, do we have what it takes to be effective or are we going to be ineffective. Leaders are people who build their organization and employees up. Ineffective leaders are those who only care about getting a check. This paper will discuss effective and ineffective leaders. The effective and ineffective leaders I have had the pleasure to work with.
Communication is a very important aspect in leadership. It involves the ability of managers and other leaders in an organization to engage employees through effective listening and understanding of any issues that may be making it difficult for them to realize their full potential. The need for good communication capabilities in the workplace is to make sure that leaders give employees enough time to air their opinions before any binding directions are made. It is always necessary for leaders to remain mindful of the manner in wh...
Bureaucracy is an organizational design based on the concept of standardization. “It is characterized by highly routine operating tasks achieved through specialization, very formalized rules and regulations, tasks that are grouped into functional departments, centralized authority, narrow spans of control, and decision making that follows the chain of command” (Judge & Robbins, 2007, p.