Order Description
Leadership & Organisations
The brief comprises of 3 parts:
1) Theoretical Framework (Transformational Leadership)
2) The Assignment Question
3) Criteria & Guidance Notes
1. Theoretical Framework
We come across leaders in different areas of our lives ? at business, at school, at university, in sport and even within our own circle of friends. Someone always stands out and takes the lead. They not only influence us such that we look up to them and follow them but also we often wonder what is it they have that we, who follow, haven?t. We ask ourselves: ?Are they born with it?? (Traits theory) or ?Is it what they do and how they do it that defines their leadership and therefore can they learn it?’ (Behaviouaral theories) or is the environment and situation that produces them? (Situational theory) Or ?????.
In organisations too, how a leader influences others to achieve the mission, goal, or objectives is affected not only by the leadership style they choose but also by the situation, the followers and their own skills and abilities.
Transformational Leadership
The concept of Transformational leadership, introduced by Burns (1978) and later developed further by Bass (1985), has become very popular in recent years. Burns defines transformational leadership as a process where ‘leaders and their followers raise one another to higher levels of morality and motivation.’ According to Bass, this kind of leader:
? Is a model of integrity and fairness.
? Sets clear goals.
? Has high expectations.
? Encourages others.
? Provides support and recognition.
? Stirs the emotions of people.
? Gets people to look beyond their self-interest.
? Inspires people to reach for the improbable.
In the view of Hoy & Miskel (2001), transformational leaders are expected to:
? Define the need for change.
? Create new visions and muster commitment to the visions.
? Concentrate on long-term goals.
? Inspire followers to transcend their own interest to pursue higher order goals.
? Change the organization to accommodate their vision rather than work within the existing one.
? Mentor followers to take greater responsibility for their own development and that
of others. The followers become leaders within their organisations and leaders become change agents, thereby ultimately transforming the organisation.
Bass & Avolio?s (1994) model of Transformational leadership involves four critical components or behaviours:
? Idealised influence ? building respect and mutual trust by choosing to do what is right rather than what is expedient.
? Inspirational motivation ? conveying meaning through stories and symbols with which followers can identify; helping followers attain more than they thought was possible by setting high expectations.
? Intellectual stimulation ? challenging employees to think for themselves, to answer their own questions.
? Individualised consideration ? recognizing that people are at their best when their individual needs are considered, and their efforts and accomplishments encouraged and recognized.
Bass (1985) draws a sharp contrast between a leader who is transformational and a merely transactional one. Transactional leadership is a leadership that proves instrumental in bringing about anticipated or expected outcomes in which the leader not only ?recognizes the role the followers must play to attain the outcomes desired by the leader? but also, crucially, recognizes what the followers need and clarifies how those needs will be fulfilled in exchange for the follower?s satisfactory effort and performance?.
However, the transformational leadership is seen when leaders stimulate others to view their work from new perspectives, generate an awareness of the mission or vision of the organisation, develop colleagues and followers to higher levels of ability and potential, and motivate them to look beyond their own interests toward those that will benefit the group more. In this understanding, transformational leaders set more challenging goals and typically achieve, in certain circumstances, higher performances than transactional leadership that goes beyond simple exchanges and agreement.
Transactional leadership, as with some other styles, tends to have an operational or ?here and now? focus whereas Transformational leadership runs deeper and focuses on a strategic and fundamental change for the longer term.
2. The Assignment Question
Many of the leadership styles you have come across in the module tend to be more successful in the short term but the emerging research and literature seems to demonstrate that a transformational style is much more effective for the longer term. By reference to leadership principles (styles) adopted by at least THREE business leaders, one of whom should be transformational, critically evaluate the evidence that transformational leadership deployed by the leader impacts positively on employee motivation and organisational culture and thereby influences the success of the business.
1500 words
3. Criteria and Guidance Notes
3.1 The Focus of the Assignment
? The focus of the essay is NOT the LEADERS but style of leadership used for specific actions. In other words, the focus is on particular actions of leaders and their behaviour or style exhibited to carry out these actions. The style is determined by alignment with the theoretical characteristics of that style. You are not being asked to prove that a leader is transformational or autocratic or whatever other style you have under discussion.
? You are being asked to provide the evidence to demonstrate that a Transformational style of leadership is more effective for business success, than any other style of leadership you have studied on the module. The leaders, therefore, become part of the evidence.
? And then, critically evaluate the evidence for its long term effectiveness against other styles of leadership.
? Also, the essay is NOT about theoretical principles. You will fail if you do this
3.2 The Evidence
? The evidence will comprise of examples of how a transformational style deployed by a business leader has positively influenced employee motivation and organisational culture.
? ???..for the longer term.
? You will need examples from at least 2 or 3 business leaders (not more than 3, however) who have deployed styles of leadership other than transformational leadership with the effect that they have had on employee motivation and organisational culture.
(Note: Only business leaders / managers, not political, military, etc.)
? The evidence will therefore comprise of the following factors: Transformational leadership; 2-3 other leadership styles; impact on employee motivation and organisational culture and, as a consequence, business success; timescale (long term vs short/medium term).
? Remember, you are not being asked to prove that a leader is transformational or any of the other styles you bring into the essay. It is their actions which are important. So it is quite conceivable for one leader to have used transformational principles in some actions of their leadership and management and other styles for other aspects. However, obtaining evidence from different leaders for each style will give your essay greater variety and depth.
? The outcome of the positive impact on employee motivation and organisational culture is business success. But this is a nebulous thing. You will need to define the criteria for success ? what exactly is being measured: Examples are improving market share, transforming loss to profit, driving forward a new vision, brining in about organisational change, etc. You may quote brief or broad figures in support of your points but detailed market statistics and financials such as balance sheets and P&L accounts are not required.
.
3.3 Analysis and Critical Evaluation of the Evidence
? In order to determine the style that a leader has used to carry out an action, you need to align that style with its theoretical characteristics.
? From an evaluation of the evidence, to what extent has the Transformational leadership actually influenced employee motivation and organisational culture?
? To do this, you will need to compare and contrast the actions from the different leadership styles against the effects on employee motivation and organisational culture, both in the longer term and the shorter/medium term.
? Challenge conclusions and assertions made by the authors (sources of your evidence)
3.4 Academic Rigour
? All analysis and discussions should be academically underpinned. You should be able to apply the theoretical principles to your discussions thus demonstrating that you understand their application and how they work in practice.
? However, the assignment is not about the theoretical principles (i.e. defining them, explaining them or discussing them) but about the application of the principles. Do not, therefore, waste your word count on definitions of concepts, theoretical models, etc. where these have been covered in the topics.
? The above relates only to theoretical principles covered in the module. If it?s a theoretical model or principle we haven?t covered in class, then attach it as an appendix to show us the source from which you have taken it and a brief explanation to show that you have read and understood its meaning.
? The literature sources for your evidence should be drawn from academic and prominent business texts, journals and publications.
? Do not take entire paragraphs from other sources as your original thoughts and discussions are important. Short citations are sufficient and duly reference them. Do not pass off other authors? writings as your own.
? Maximum of 3 short appendices.
? The essay should contain the following:
? Leadership styles used by business leaders
? Analysis by way of comparing and contrasting of the Transformational style with other styles learnt on the module
? Evaluation against timescale, i.e the longer term vs short/medium term
? Impact on motivation and organisational culture
? And, hence, the effectiveness of the styles for business success
? Ultimately, demonstrating that transformational leadership is most effective for the longer term.
3.6 Word Count
The word count is 1500 (+/- 10% = 1350 min ~ 1650 max).
The word count excludes the Reference List but includes in-text referencing.
If the word count is outside the minimum and maximum parameters, the assignment will be capped at 40

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