Investigating Different Leadership Styles Preferred in Different Industries - Essay Example

? To Investigate Different Leadership Styles are Preferred in Different Industries Table of Contents Introduction 4 Literature review 5 Research Design 9 Literature review 9 Archival Research 10 Focus Group 11 Large Scale Questionnaire 11 Sampling 12 Methodology 13 Presentation of findings 14 Practical and Ethical Issues 14 Limitation 15 Plan and Timetable Activities 16 Reference 17 Bibliography 20 Appendix 1 21 Questionnaire: Investigating the Preference of Leadership Styles 21 Appendix 2 25 Focus Group Session 25 Appendix 3 26 27 Introduction The purpose of this research is to identify the effects of autocratic and democratic leadership styles in both manufacturing and educational organisations such as Oxford Mini Plant and Oxford Brookes University. The main objective of this research paper is to investigate the importance of leadership styles in different industries such as autocratic in Oxford Mini Plant and democratic in Oxford Brooke University. Apart from this the effect of these leadership styles on the organisations will also be examined. The research focuses on the issue of employee retention and motivation. The impacts of different leadership styles on the organisation have been detected in the research. This research will help the organisations to implement better leadership styles to attain better results. Though this research has been conducted based on specific industry but it has a broader application and can be put into effect in context to other industries as well. The research has conducted literature review to highlight the issue in context to autocratic and democratic leadership styles. Literature review is followed by the research design which includes sampling and the methodology process. The research then evaluates the practical and ethical issues related to the autocratic and democratic leadership styles. Finally plan and the time table activities were covered in the research. Literature review The leadership style varies as per the organisation. An optimistic leadership style results in recognition, rewards, security and job satisfaction for the employees. The negative leadership on the other hand results in suspension and job loss for the employees (Saxena & Awasthi, 2010, p. 18). According to hypothetical assumptions it has been noted that certain leadership styles works best in an organisation. Further leadership styles are required to adapt to the changing organisational environment (Joshi, 2009, p. 68). It is difficult to vote for or against a particular leadership style. Every leadership style is unique in itself. It all depends on the leaders, who apply these different styles of leadership in an organisation (Cooper, 2009, p. 4). Depending on the way different leaders employs their ability, many researchers have found two main leadership styles, the autocratic and the democratic (Kocher, Pogrebna & Sutter, 2009, p. 1). The study on leadership reveals that leadership is an important aspect in fostering passion, imagination, purpose amongst the people. The leadership holds the key to success for an organisation. It is the leadership quality of a leader which makes a big difference in creating right opportunities for the organisation. Leadership also helps to enhance the productivity amongst the employees which otherwise benefits an organisation. Few studies reveal that leaders are in control of rewards and punishments and the interpersonal relationship which has a direct impact on the employee’s behaviour and thereby influences the motivational factor of the employee to a large extent. The effect of leadership style has a greater magnitude as the influence on a single employee gradually impacts the whole group (Warrick, n. d, p. 155). Leadership is based on certain characteristics which have evolved over the time. These characteristics which define the importance of leadership in an organisation can be discussed below: Leadership is based upon mutual understanding between the leader and the follower. The value of leadership holds no place without the followers. The leadership style varies according to the situation. The leader and follower are directly influenced by each which determines their behaviour (Goyal, 2010, p. 76). The study in determining the leadership styles was performed by Kurt Lewin. Through well directed experiment by Kurt Lewin and his associates identified three types of leadership styles, autocratic, democratic and Laissez Faire. A further study that provided the antecedent towards the behavioural approach has acknowledged mostly two types of leadership style in organisations, namely autocratic and democratic leadership styles (Draft & Lane, 2007, p. 44). In an autocratic leadership style the leader makes all the decisions while followers are required to follow the instructions without questioning the authority of the leader. This type of leadership is not common in most of the professional organisations but is commonly used in the military and manufacturing organisation such as Oxford Mini Plant (Sadler, 2003, p. 63). It is found that under autocratic leadership there is more resentment, dissatisfaction and aggression amongst the followers. Autocratic leadership also leads to more dependency of the followers on the leader. In an organisation if autocratic leadership is adopted and applied, it results into less productivity and more absenteeism (Pierce & Newstrom, 2011, p. 281-282). The autocratic leadership cannot often be neglected or termed wrong. It has its own implications and usage according to the requirement. In Oxford Mini Plant it plays an important role to maintain discipline amongst the employees and involve them into operations requiring autocratic leadership (Hall, Jones & Raffo, 2007, p.445). The prime objective for Oxford Mini Plant is to manufacture certain amount of cars in a day. This requires no decision making process but rather needs strict scheduling in order to meet the targets. For this reason Oxford Mini Plant can be said to be focusing on autocratic leadership. This leadership style is also common in organisation such as fire department. The reason is that during fire emergency it is important for a single person to have the authority then to have a discussion about how to tackle the fire (Engstrom, 2007, p. 15). The study suggests that the leaders who follow the democratic leadership style are open to take views of their followers and give them respect. The democratic leaders emphasises on making their subordinates part of decision making process to build trust and loyalty (Strike, 2007, p. 94). Democratic leadership style encourages and supports the people. It believes in creating an environment in the organisation where the employees are motivated to indulge themselves in building relationship (Woods, 2005, p. 16). Democratic leadership style is vastly used in most of the industries around the world and educational industry is one of them. Oxford Brooke University which is a renowned university can be cited as an example of democratic leadership style. Education is one industry where not only the knowledge is imparted but the different views from both the teachers and students are taken into account. The approach towards the leadership style at Oxford Brooke University can be related to its way of functioning. The university which is home to many students is required to implement a leadership style which provides an opportunity to both the faculty members and the students to take part in the decision making process. For better understanding the characteristics of a leader in a democratic leadership style in context to the Oxford Brooke University can be discussed below: The University should welcome the participation of students in decision making process. The leaders or the teachers are needed to encourage their students to put their views related to certain issues in the university. The teacher should motivate and encourage the students to perform well. The teachers should emphasise on building healthy relationship with the students (Gitman & McDaniel, 2008, p. 162). Research Design The research emphasises on the practicality of the topic. Different approaches have been used to conduct the study rather than using a specific approach. The research has used a combination of approaches such as inductive and deductive along with the exploratory and explanatory approaches. The study uses mixed-method technique which involves qualitative and quantitative research methods. Literature review This research study will be preceded with adequate review of the literature related to the topic of different leadership styles in different industries. The research method will include primary research, secondary research and tertiary research from different sources such as books, journal, articles, magazines, newspaper, encyclopaedia, etc. Academic journals based on leadership styles will be referred for the desired objective of the paper. Different sources related to leadership style will be analysed and their implication in terms of employee satisfaction will be evaluated. This will result in higher validity and reliability of the research. The research method may have few disadvantages due to its old procedure of conducting the research. Archival Research The first stage of the research will involve the internal data of Oxford Mini Plant and Oxford Brookes University regarding their use of leadership styles. These data will be collected on the approval of both the organisations and then will be preceded by analysis. Performance of the employees and the students will give an idea about satisfaction level and loyalty of the employees towards the organisation. Analysis of the effect of leadership style in the organisations before and after implementing it over the years will be performed. Archival research will ensure easy and inexpensive proposition of the research topic. This part of research is mainly exploratory and inductive in nature. Focus Group The research design is largely based on the secondary data but primary data will also be used as part of the research. There are several means of collecting primary data and one amongst them is “focus group interview”. The focus group interview technique largely involves gathering data through group interviews of respondents that are selected for focused and decisive means (Stopher, 2011, p.128). The literature review has given the idea to be opted for the research in context to focus groups, i.e. deductive approach. The research design will be based on exploratory research to try gaining the insight of the issue which is somehow complex and requires special attention. This research design will however be carried out in a specifically defined method. The first step of the research design involves the understanding of research objective. This step is followed by data gathering process. This will ensure the basis for the quantitative data. Large Scale Questionnaire Focus group interview will be followed by the survey involving large scale questionnaire. This survey will be deductive approach as the theory related to the employee satisfaction, productivity and performance will be part of the analysis. The questionnaire involves both descriptive, i.e. employees and explanatory, i.e. satisfaction level as part of the research. The data collection through questionnaire will take place only after the questionnaire has been piloted. Non-random sampling will be used at the organisations. The disadvantage with the questionnaire is that the answers may be influenced by others which may affect the analysis and give undesired results. Sampling A sample size comprising of around 30-35 individuals will be used to collect the desired data. The sampling will be performed using probabilistic sampling technique of simple random sampling. This will allow every individual from the selected population to be a part of the research (Babbie, 2010, p.128). The samples will be selected in a way such that the groups are homogenous within the groups and heterogeneous with other groups. This will ensure the generalisation of the research and the results of the research conducted through sampling of population can be inferred as results from the entire population (Kalton, 1983, p.35-38). The data collection technique in the research will comprise of questionnaire survey. The questionnaire will have open ended question to facilitate qualitative research. The questionnaire will also help to gather more information about the research problem from the respondents as it does limits the respondents from pertaining information to a research question (Brace, 2008, p.3-56). The questionnaires will be used to directly approach the respondents regarding the research topic. Mailing will also be extensively used to gather data from the selected individuals. Methodology The data collected through the questionnaire will be analysed using a mixed research methodology. The mixed research methodology involves qualitative and quantitative techniques of research. Quantitative research method will be used to quantify the data collected through survey. The data will be displayed as pie charts and bar graph for better understanding. The use of images and graphs will further make the findings easy to understand for the larger audience. Qualitative research method will be used to analyse data which does not need to be quantified. Qualitative method will also be helpful in generating a cause and effect analysis of the research topic (McLeod, 2011, p.1-3). The qualitative data based on observation will be collected and summarised to ease the understanding of the finding related to the research question. The mixed research methodology will ensure higher value, reliability, consistency and validity in the research. The mixed research methodology involves the process of analysing the underlying concepts and other secondary research aspects and then applying empirical research methods to test the elements and aspects of the research. This will enable better understanding of the theoretical dimensions. Further testing these dimensions in the real market conditions will help to create more effective learning (Creswell & Clark, 2010, p.4). The research design based on these methods will provide a in- depth insight of the research problem and the associated solution. Presentation of findings The findings of this research report will be presented through the presentation of the research topic along with a written report. This research study will be arranged in a structured manner following a sequential manner i.e. introduction, literature review, research design, results, references, appendix. Practical and Ethical Issues Practical issue related to the focus group is the choice of location. The practical issues related to the questionnaire would be that though sampling is done taking large number of people but only few would turn up. Employees can be encouraged to take by offering incentives and other rewards. The research will be carried in an ethical manner. The confidentiality of the research in context to the participants will be ensured. The members selected for the focus group will have every right to opt out of the research whenever they want to. The participation of the members is conducted through questionnaire (Appendix 1) and the data gathered through the survey will be protected as per the norms and regulations. The interested participants at the end of the questionnaire survey will be contacted and included in the focus group session. The focus group session will further emphasise on the questions related to the research topic (Appendix 2). The research has no specific pattern and determination of high value is also not guaranteed due to its inductive approach. The study is based on limited sampling of population. Large sampling will incur high cost and is also time consuming. Limitation The research will be carried out with utmost care and try to ensure that the errors do not occur. However, there may be possibility of errors occurring which at times are beyond researchers control. The survey may face limitations because of respondents who may make errors while providing information. The information provided can be incorrect or influenced from others in case the respondents are approached through mail. Apart from this, budget for the research can be another limitation. Also the biasness related to interviewer and interviewee may lead to errors in the research. The biasness may occur due to lack of information sharing between the interviewer and interviewee. The location of the survey conducted can be limitation in the research. People always prefer being compatible and comfortable with the location or else it may affect their response to the survey questions. Finally, errors in sampling may occur unintentionally which can affect the generalisation aspects of research findings (Zikmund & Babin, 2006, p.479). Plan and Timetable Activities The study will be spread over a time period of one year or twelve months. These twelve months will be segmented equally for the specified tasks related to the research. The entire research will be divided into activities and specific timeframe along with deadlines will be allocated to each of these activities (Appendix 3). The research methodology will start only after having doing basic research on the topic. The setting of research methodology occurs in the fifth month. The data collection will take time because of the unavailability of all the respondents at a given time. The collected data will be analysed to have a key insight about the research topic. This step will be followed by summarising the findings. The findings of the research will ensure better understanding of the research topic. Apart from some specific activities other activities are also performed in parallel. This is done to increase the efficiency of the research methodology. The research will enter into the final four months where the research will be concluded based on the findings, data collected and analysed. The conclusion will be followed by presenting the recommendations for the research topic. The recommendations will be provided along with the conclusion to increase the effectiveness of the recommendations. This will help to resolve the issues related to the research topic and providing an alternative to deal with the current situation. It provides an insight of the solution but may differ depending on the situation and different organisations will opt for different recommendation plan. Reference Babbie, E. R. (2010). The Practice of Social Research. USA: Cengage Learning. Brace, I. (2008). Questionnaire Design: How to Plan, Structure and Write Survey Material for Effective Market Research. USA: Kogan Page Publishers. Cooper, S. (2009). Brilliant Leader: What the Best Leaders Know, Do and Say. New Delhi: Pearson Education India. Creswell, J.W. & Clark, V.L.P. (2010). Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research. USA: SAGE. Draft, R. L & Lane, P. G. (2007). The leadership experience. USA: Cengage Learning. Engstrom, T. W. (2007). The Essential Engstrom: Proven Principles of Leadership. USA: Biblica. Gitman, L. J & McDaniel, C. (2008). The Future of Business: The Essentials. USA: Cengage Learning. Goyal, N. (2010). Industrial Psychology. Meerut: Krishna Prakashan. Hall, D, Jones, R & Raffo, C. (2007). 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USA: Corwin Press. Warrick, D. D. (No Date). Leadership Styles and their Consequences. [Pdf]. Available at: http://sbaweb.wayne.edu/~absel/bkl/.%5Cjels%5C3-3d.pdf. [Accessed on 12 April 2012]. Woods, P. A. (2005). Democratic Leadership in Education. USA: SAGE. Zikmund, W.G. & Babin, B.J. (2006). Exploring marketing research. USA: Cengage Learning. Bibliography Briggs, D. G. (2008). The Relationship between Leadership Practices and Organizational Effectiveness Outcomes: A Public Transit Agency Study. USA: ProQuest. Day, D. V. & Antonakis, J. (2011). The Nature of Leadership. USA: SAGE. Karmakar, A. & Datta, B. (2012). Principles and Practices of Management and Business Communication. New Delhi: Pearson Education India. Koontz, H. & Weihrich, H. (2006). Essentials of Management. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill Education. Pride, W. M, Hughes, R. J & Kapoor, J. R. (2011). Business. USA: Cengage Learning. Appendix 1 Questionnaire: Investigating the Preference of Leadership Styles General Information 1. Age 18-25 ( ) 26-35 ( ) 36- 45 ( ) 46-55 ( ) 56+ ( ) 2. Gender Male ( ) Female ( ) 3. Occupation Student ( ) Service ( ) Business ( ) Unemployed ( ) Others ( ) Personal views on different leadership styles in different industries 4. Leadership style defines the true culture of an organisation Agree ( ) Strongly Agree ( ) No Idea ( ) Disagree ( ) Strongly Disagree ( ) 5. Have you been part of any leadership style Yes ( ) No ( ) If the answer to this question is yes, follow the next question or else go to question no. 7 6. Which leadership style have you been part of? Democratic ( ) Autocratic ( ) 7. Will a specific leadership style affect your opinion about the leader Yes ( ) No ( ) Preferences of the leadership styles 8. Organisations with democratic leadership style are more successful Agree ( ) Strongly Agree ( ) No Idea ( ) Disagree ( ) Strongly Disagree ( ) 9. Gender plays an important role in implementing a specific leadership style Agree ( ) Strongly Agree ( ) No Idea ( ) Disagree ( ) Strongly Disagree ( ) 10. The leader makes a difference to the leadership style and the organisation Agree ( ) Strongly Agree ( ) No Idea ( ) Disagree ( ) Strongly Disagree ( ) Issues affecting leadership style 11. Does a particular leadership style have equal impact in every industry Yes ( ) No ( ) 12. Do you feel that leadership styles can enhance productivity in an organisation Yes ( ) No ( ) 13. All leadership styles should focus on creating opportunity and motivating the staff members Agree ( ) Strongly Agree ( ) No Idea ( ) Disagree ( ) Strongly Disagree ( ) 14. Leadership style should not be stagnant and change as per situation demands Agree ( ) Strongly Agree ( ) No Idea ( ) Disagree ( ) Strongly Disagree ( ) 15. Will you prefer a different leadership style in different industry Yes ( ) No ( ) Personal Information Name: ................................... Middle Name: .............................. Last Name: ............................. Address: ....................................................................................................................................... City: .............................. Country: ................................ Zip Code: .................. Telephone No.: ......................... The personal information will be used to contact you only if you agree to participate in the focus group. Will you like to part of the focus group? Yes ( ) No ( ) Thank you for giving your valuable time. Your feedback will make us improve our services. We greatly appreciate your input in our survey. Appendix 2 Focus Group Session The following questions are to be used to facilitate the discussion on the research topic. It is to make sure that all the questions of the research topic are discussed. 1. Why does leadership style varies in different industry? Do you think that it is important to implement different leadership styles in different organisation? Will this have any impact on you? 2. What is the difference between democratic and autocratic leadership styles? Why do you think the difference occurs? How can it affect you? 3. What difference does leadership style make to an organisation? Does it help to prosper an organisation in the business market? Does it have any negative effect on the organisation? 4. What will make you opt for a particular leadership style? Why would you do so? 5. Do you vote for different leadership style in changing situations? If so, why? Appendix 3 Figure: Gantt chart for Project Scheduling (Source: Author’s Creation) Read More