The Manner in Which Leadership Has an Influence on the Style of Working - Essay Example

In this essay, I am going to argue the manner in which leadership has an influence on the style of working and determines whether the organization conducts its business in an ethical or unethical manner. Indeed as I demonstrate in section one by drawing from Bolden & Gosling, (2006) the manner in which modern business gets influenced by the leadership style practiced in the organization which determines the stance taken by organization to carry out their business. This is indeed true that the leadership style influences employees and others and help to develop the required process through which decisions are taken as stated by Browning, (2007) in section two. This has been followed by an argument which discusses the manner in which organizations have to develop the leadership style so that they remain ethical and are able to create a positive image. To conclude I provide complete description in the manner the leadership style influences decision making and will thereby provide the required directives which will help to remain ethical. Leadership style plays an important role in the ethical behavior of its members in an organisation. The term leadership can be defined as managing a group of persons or members to achieve a common goal (Fulmer, 2004). It is to be noted that the leaders in an organisation may or may not have any formal authority. Ethics on the other hand has great importance in the organizational success. Organizations have its own ethics and different individuals are equipped with their own ethical behavior which depends on many social, physiological, educational level and many other factors. It is important to synchronize the individual ethical behavior with the organisational ethical behavior to achieve organisational growth and success in the long and short run. Every organisation is a part of the society and it is equally important to induce ethical behavior in the organisations running to ensure that the organisation is able to fulfill both societal objective and business objective in a smooth manner with equal preference given to individual ethics and standards in contrast with the organisational ethical norms, standards and code of conduct. Here in this assignment it had been highlighted that how leadership style practiced in an organisation significantly influences the ethical behavior of its members. The same has been discussed in an elaborate manner in the following manner. Before understanding the impact of leadership style on the ethical behavior of its member in an organisation, it is important to understand the real meaning of Ethical behavior. Ethical Behavior is the standard that an individual sets for himself which includes attributes such as honesty, responsibility and how an individual behave and respond to day to day activities. It is basically the ways which the society thinks as good values. It is important from a business prospective and involves demonstrating the key principles of an organisations goals and objectives that includes honesty, equality, dignity, respect, fairness and individual rights in an organisation (Brown & Mitchell, 2010). Different individuals forming group work collectively to form an organisation to achieve a common goal. It is important to transform or hire employees with ethical behavior which are in consistent with the organisational ethical norms and standards, a deviation from the same is always a threat to the organisations success. Leadership styles practiced in an organisation encourages its members to equip themselves with the organisational moral values and ethical norms, rather than individuals following their own self interest to accomplish their own self goals and objectives. It is important that the leader is equipped with organisational ethical norms. Leaders should be able to set an example for its members in an organisation and identify the threats that might have a negative influence on the societal values (Darcy, 2010). It is important for the leaders to raise moral self- actualization and raise moral awareness among its members. Since leaders are the ones who lead the path it is firstly important that the leaders follow the ethical norms and standards of an organisation and then guide its members to follow the same. An unethical leader may influence the members of an organisation which might prove to be detrimental to an organisations success. It is usually the ethical leaders that treat their members in a fair and unbiased way and influence them to understand the ethical objectives of the organisation and help the members to synchronize their self ethics and objectives in contrast with the organisational ethical standards and objectives. Member’s perception of treated in a fair and unbiased manner affects their attitude towards the job assigned to them and help in building job satisfaction and commitment levels of the members with an increase in the outcome of the organisations productivity. Thus we see that ethical leadership styles in an organisation effects the performance of an employee or its members to a great extent. Leaders and its members are part of an organisation and an organisation itself is a party of the society which has its own societal values and ethics, which an organisation in order to operate in a society has to follow. Thus, organisational goals and objectives are always developed keeping in mind the ethics and it is the leaders and their different ways of leadership styles employed in the organisation that influences its members to follow the same (Resick, Hanges, Dickson & Mitchelson, 2006). Efficiency in utilization, mobilization, allocation and enhancement of the organisations performance and success among other factors also depends equally on the leadership style deployed by the leaders or managers in the organisation. For example, leader uses different methods to deal with employees like reward and punishment and can be termed as a transactional leader however they ignore the moral values and ethics of its members and members who are lower in authority is compelled to follow the same and might increase the productivity of the organisation in the shorter run but it will definitely affect the job satisfaction level of the employees in the longer run and employees may decide to discontinue with their task as the transactional style of leadership will not be able to take into consideration the ethical norms and standards of its members rather the transactional leader may be more pruned to achieve its own ethical standards and objectives in the group rather than achieving the group objectives. Thus, we see that the leadership style greatly influences the ethical behavior of its members in the organisation. An ethical leader on one hand may prove to be a blessing for the organisation whereas an unethical leader and its leadership style may completely destroy the organisation and may even lead to a complete shutdown of the organisation. A common code of conduct is always beneficial for the leaders to influence the ethical behavior of its members as members when follow the same code of ethics without inequality of their respective positions in an organisation feels unbiased and are treated fairly and equally in terms of ethical behavior. Members believe and develop a trust on their leaders and follow the common code of conduct laid down by the leaders which further help in integrating the individual vales and ethics in line with the organisational values and ethical standards. Leaders in an organisation can be broadly classified into three categories i.e. Principled, Conventional and Pre-conventional. It is to be noted that leaders of the principled category are likely to instill less ethical behavior in the organisation and members of this category are likely to follow and achieve their own values and objectives and work as per their own ethical values and standards. However, leaders belonging to the conventional and pre-conventional category consider both internal and external influences into their leadership styles and lead the organisation in a more ethical manner and highly influence the ethical behavior of its members in the organisation (Brown, Trevino & Harrison, 2005). Leaders that transmit ethical values through modeling has a higher success rate in winning the trust and confidence of its members and are more likely to influence the individual ethical standards of its members in contrast with the common organisational values, goals, objectives and ethical standards. Different leaders in different organisations follow different leadership styles however, all ethical leaders in any organisation aims to achieve a common code of conduct and influence the ethical behavior of its members to build a good working environment and try to synchronize the ethical values of organisation and individual ethical values in line to one another. Ethical leaders usually set high standards of moral and ethical conduct and lay down a formal emulation. They have strong moral values and good standard for themselves which lead the behaviors and decisions of its members to promote ethical standards, policies, procedures and processes within the organisation. They appear as ethical role models or exemplars to influence and encourage their followers or members to set their individual internal set of moral and ethical values and standards which further helps in establishing a basis for its member identities and ultimately lead to an ethical working environment in the organisation. Ethical leaders many times in an organisation use rewards and punishments to influence its members or followers ethical behavior (O‟Connell & Bligh, 2009). Vicarious learning plays an important role in learning ethical and unethical behavior in an organisation, it helps the members to understand ethical and unethical issues and further what is acceptable and unacceptable in context of an organisation by paying attention to how other organization in the external environment rewards or punishes their members which helps in regulating their own behavior as a result of the same. It is to be noted that under the influence of ethical leader and their leadership styles operated in an organisation its members or followers are more likely to transcend their own self interests, ego, moral values, and needs as they are guided and supported by self- determined moral values and ethical standards. Leaders usually consider the long term assumptions and needs of its followers while laying down the common code of conduct which develops a felling among the members to believe in themselves as individuals of high moral and ethical standards and help in establishing and maintaining a set of common ethical behavior in the organisation (Berrone, Surroca & Tribó, 2007). Leaders in an organisation coach and monitor its members to assume greater moral and ethical standards and thus influence the ethical behavior its members to a greater extent in the correct and constructive direction which indeed helps both the members of the organisation and the organisation achieve success in both shorter and longer period of time span. Thus, we see that ethical leadership styles practiced in an organisation influences its members to be committed towards moral and ethical ideals and standards both in the work place and society at large. It helps to behave consistently with their ethical values and standards. Members or followers are willing to take higher risks to follow their ethical leaders and being loyal to the organisation and society at large. Not only the leaders but the members or followers inspire other to stick to good ethical practices and standards. It develops an environment in the work place where members place the collective interests of the group or the organisation above individual personal egos and self interests. Thus, we had seen that how leadership style in an organisation influences the ethical behavior of its members or followers to a great extent. It depends on the leaders and their ethical values and standards which helps its followers to set a benchmark for themselves and act accordingly (Fulmer, 2004). It is of much importance that the leaders themselves follow a set of ethical standards and values without which the followers are very unlikely to be influenced or may be influenced to unethical standards and values which might greatly affect the organisation and its reputation along with huge financial losses to the organisation. Organisations in today’s economic scenario requires ethical leaders to influence their members and followers who transcend their self interest and focus on what is good and ethical for the group as a whole rather than what is good for self interest. Leadership style should be so implemented that its values and give consideration to the ethics of each employee and respect their rights so that they are treated with dignity and build confidence and trust in their leaders. Thus in a nutshell, leadership styles practiced in an organisation influences the ethical behavior of its followers or members but it is of prime importance that the leaders themselves practice ethical values and standards without which the members are unlikely to be influenced or may be influenced in a wrong path which might prove to be detrimental for the organisation and society at large. A common code of conduct makes the members fell unbiased and equal and further helps to make the workplace a better palce. 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