Critically Evaluate the Role of Leaders free essay sample

Critically evaluate the role of leaders and managers contributes to employee motivation and engagement within organisations Introduction As Anderson says (2010), organizational success not only requires project managers not only handle projects, but also lead employees. Managers and leaders must possess knowledge, skills, tools, and experiences therefore employees will to follow them. For organization, to gain and sustain employees can not only create value and high levels of performance, but also as the only vehicle through which an organizational goals are accomplished. More importantly, the best style of leaderships is more than one style; it depends on followers’ needs. As we know that management engages in the process of integrating work activities therefore people can complete work more efficient. According to Mullins (2005), management is a process with enables organizations to set and achieve objectives by planning organization amp; controlling their resources, including their resources, including gaining the commitment of their employee. The process of management involves sets of ongoing decisions and action in which managers engage as they plan, organize, lead and control. As Laurie (2005) says, management strives for high efficiency and high effectiveness. Management exists in different kinds of organization. Organization is more likely a tool used by people by coordinate their different actions to obtain something they desire to. In terms of Otara (2001), a good organization structure does not by itself produce good performance without leaders and mangers. Leaders and managers in organization need to know the main influences on behaviour in work organizations and the nature of the people. According to Otara (2011), managers and leaders in organization are entrusted with employees whom they must work with and through to realize organizational objectives. In organizations, perceptions of leaders, managers and employees shape the climate and effectiveness of the working environment. This paper firstly focus on the critical review the role of leadership and management in supporting employees’ motivation with relevant motivation theory, and then critical review how leaders and managers in achieving employee engagement today. The reason of leaders and mangers in motivating individuals In terms of the study of Robert (2001), a leader or a manager must first be motivated within in order to inspire others to action. A good leader and manager can motivate others can turn a difficult situation into a learning experience. In terms of motivating, Mullins (2005) has identified four common characteristics of motivation. First, motivation is typified as an individual phenomenon. This means that everyone is unique and all the major theories of motivation allow for this uniqueness to be demonstrated in one way or another. Second, motivation is usually as intentional, which means that motivation is assumed to be under the workers’ control and behaviours are influenced by motivation. Third, motivation is multifaceted and the fourth is that motivational theory is to predict behaviour. Motivation concerns action, and the internal and external forces which influence a person’s choice of action. Leadership in supporting individual motivation Leader is the people telling people do the right things and manager is the people who telling people do the things right. Mathis (2007) emphasizes that effective leaders build bridges, which means that a good leader not only connect past but also present future to employees. A good leader is always keeping employee performing at high levels in their work. Moreover, there are two important styles of leadership: transactional and transformational. Transformational is about leaders raise individual’s motivation, while transaction focuses on exchange between leaders and individuals.. Both of Caldwell, Truong, and Tuan (2011) have suggested that transformational leadership require leaders keep a commitment to motivate individuals to achieve excellence. In terms of Mathisen, Einarsen, and Mykletun (2010), leaders are treated as role models, who always requiring followers inspired by them. In this sense, leaders directly influence individual motivation through their behaviour, personality, encourage and discourage. Leaders can also indirectly influence individual motivation through building a favourable work climate. Management in motivating individuals According to Hindle (2008) emphasizes Fayol’s management theory includes planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating, and controlling. This approach differs from others since from the bottom up. Fayol starts with the most elemental units of activity, worker’s actions, and then to study the effects of their actions on productivity, discover new methods to make employees more efficient, and applied what he learns at lower levels to the hierarchy. Fayol also looked for management principles which could be applied to wider organizations. In terms of motivation, this paper focuses on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs model and Herzberg’s two-factor theory with relevance examples. In terms of Maslow’s theory, employee always wants more. This hierarchy of needs include five in total, which are physiological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization. Physiological comes from human nature. Safety likes working safety and security. Love refers to receive and give love. Esteem includes self-respect and esteem of others. Self-actualization needs are about development of person’s full potential. All these five needs display in a pyramid structure. After lower needs been achieved, leaders and managers need to transfer to focus on higher ones. Moreover, Maslow indicates that the hierarchy is not necessarily a fixed order and it relatively universal among different cultures. So there still exist some difficulties to relate this theory to real word. In terms of manager and leaders, they not only need to understand employees’ life during work, but also need an overview understanding of employees’ family and social life. Even so, different individual means that people may place different values on the same need, for example, motivation factors may not the same for people at the same level of needs. In terms of Herzberg’s two-factor theory, the hygiene factors are factors which causing working dissatisfaction. Hygiene factors connect to job environment. Dealing with hygiene factors is aiming to avoid dissatisfaction in work. Motivating factors relate to works. Hygiene factors associated with low needs of Maslow’s theory and motivators factors associated with high level of Maslow’s theory. For leaders and managers, they need give attention to the motivators or hygiene factors. Moreover, this theory suggests that if leaders and managers are ready to provide positive motivation, they need to pay attention to both of these two factors instead of one only. The requirements in leaders and managers in engaging employees In general, there are four phases in process of engagement. First, satisfaction with the job, employee who overall enjoys the job, satisfied with the terms and conditions. Second, employees energetic with jobs and strive to achieve personal goals more than team ones. Third, employees usually work well in teams. Final, employees contribute defending the organization. According to Yukl (2008), leadership is about setting a new direction for a group, while management is about directing and controlling according to established principles. In terms leaders and mangers, Otara (2011) has emphases that in general, leaders and managers are possessing three major skills within organizations, these four skills include vision, interpersonal skills, perception skills and technical skills. Moreover, Simanskene and Trarasevicius (2010) emphasize that without these four skills from employers, employees are likely to be low productivity in the whole engagement. Therefore if leaders and managers access to achieve engagement, it is necessary for them to possess all of these four skills. Non-core role engagement as a new solution Study of Trahant (2007) has argued employee engagement tends to be a leading indicator in working performance, especially in public sectors. The more engaged employee, the more effective the organization will be. However, the study of Welbourne (2007) has shown only 14 per cent to 30 per cent of employees are engaged at work today. In terms of leaders and manages in achieving employee engagement, many people may think that engagement means long-term commitment, marriage, and family. In 1980s, Japanese employers expected loyalty therefore offered lifetime employment to employees. But now, globalization has changed workforce and skilled employees are not willing overtime and extra effort. This leads to productivity decrease. In terms of Woodruffe (2006), many leaders and managers are outdated and simply thinking that employees would give good work performances just since company hires them. Actually, there are some non-financial factors which determine employees’ working place besides money factor. As Welbourne (2007) states, role-based performance model is a new option to provide employee engagement in the respect of behaviours. This model helps leaders and managers to identify types of behaviours needed from employees and the result of employee’s engagement in non-core job role would be new ideas today. The process of leaders and mangers in achieving engagement According to Welbourne (2007), in today’s employment market, employers concern on where they work since they may go somewhere else if they do not feel being developed. Therefore leaders and managers need to understand training and development to their employees, especially to talented employees. As mention before, in order to promote good environment in core and non-core roles, these following things are necessary for leaders and managers to do. First, leaders and managers need to be engaged first, this requires they need familiar with core and non-core roles. Second, leaders and managers need to how role of core and non-core roles help to support the organization’s strategy and plan, therefore can give correct and effective orders. Moreover, leaders and managers need to remove barriers to employee’s working between core and non-core roles. According to the role-based model, leadership education is necessary for employers to create an environment that core and non-core roles are treated as the same. Moreover, to engage employees in the right roles at the right time, leaders and managers can conduct assessments to understand the determinants of engagement. Oppositely, disengaged employees can costs as much as billions. Conclusion Towards to the leadership and management in motivating individuals within organization, transactional and transformational leadership styles are essential for leaders. In terms of managers, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs model, leaders and managers need to motivate their employees from physiological needs, safety needs, love needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization needs. In terms of Herzberg’s two-factor theories, leaders and managers need to motivate their employees from hygiene and motivating factors. General speaking, the hygiene factors equal to lower Maslow’s theory and motion factors equal to higher Maslow’s theory. Towards to the leaders and managers in contributing employee engagement, it has been argued that leaders and managers themselves are required to posse’s vision skills, interpersonal skills, and technical skills, and perception skills. After that, the role-based performance model provides useful ideas that employee’s engagement in non-core job role would be new ideas today. Leaders and managers not only need to close the gap between core and non-core job roles, but also need to conduct from a transformative leadership angle to achieve employee engagement and act as model roles. Engaging talented people needs to be a top organizational priority because they likely to find another organization if not feel satisfaction and sense of self-worth. More importantly, it is worth for leaders and mangers to distinguish the differences between engaging employees through helping them and simply want to give their best for the jobs.