Democratic leadership Essay

Democratic happen carriage is the advisable drawship style which shape ups participation in decision-making and it can be persuasive or consultative. However, thither is no best leadership style because nothing can be absolute right and comprehensive. In this assignment, I will illustrate the conquestful case about GLANZ GROUP which adopted autocratic leadership style in the beginning of its foundation. Furthermore, I will also show the successful cases by adopting antiauthoritarian leadership or combination the different leadership styles in their company in order to harbour to my opinion. The cases from the books and from internet will also be illustrated.Strong leadership, no matter how well intenti id and benevolent, can boost dependency and subvert democracy. Yet absence of any leadership will lead to confusion, drift, and tension. As legion(predicate) progressive activists arrive remarked, there can be a tyranny of structurelessness as well as of autocracy.The examp le of Mr. Qinde LeungMr. Qinde leung, Chairman of the board of directors and CEO of GLANZ GROUP who built up his own factory victimization 300 thousand RMB in 1978 Guizhou Feather and Down Factory, the turner one of GLANZ GROUP. Soon after, he chop-chop realized that it was more beneficial for these tear stream enterprises which used their products for further dress problem. He decides to do the same business without any techniques and any skillful persons at that time. It was a big risk so that a lot of employees were against this plan. But Mr. Leung insisted on his own schedule and fin tout ensembley he got complete success depending on his own experience and special views. It cant be denied that at the developing phase of the company, facing the complicated situation and unbalanced quality of employees, Mr. Leung had to mange his company in autarchy. With the revolution of modern enterprises governance in 1990, Mr. Leung became the CEO of GLANZ GROUP, his decision was un-ch altogetherenged, but luckily, he has the special view and convincing personality and lead the GLANZ GROUP to todays flourish.It has become an enterprise that owns about 740 acres and 20,000 staffs by2003. Being one of the most outstanding groups of home appliance in China, GALANZ also won the fames of Global Microwave Oven Manufacturing snapper, Global Air-con Manufacturing Center, Global Sm exclusively Appliance Manufacturing Center and Logistic Center. In Oct 2003, GLANZ invests 2 billion RMB in purchasing about 495 acres of land in Huangpu Town, Zhongshan City to set up the largest air-con manufacturing base in the world. Its annual production capacity of air-con will increase to 12 million sets. (http//www.galanz.com.cn)Mr. Qinde leung, the benevolent-autocratic leader is described as powerful and prestigious but one who can be communicated with and is interested in his subordinates fusss (Robert N. McMurry, The Case for Benevolent Autocracy, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 36 (January-February 1958), pp. 82-90). He structures the activities of his subordinates, makes policy decisions affecting them, and enforces discipline. He may encourage participation in planning, but in executing he is the chief. However, crowd together Gibson, illusion Ivancevich, and James Donnelly, Jr., scan even this style has been weakened by recent changes in attitudes within our society (James L. Gibson, John M. Ivancevich, and James H. Donnelly, Jr., Organizations Structure, Processes, Behavior (Dallas Business Publications, Inc., 1973), p. 298). This may particularly be true for younger generations as they express desires to rift away from any authoritative or paternalistic environment. all(prenominal) organization will solve the problem of leadership in a different way. Some successful co-ops especially smaller ones ar exceedingly egalitarian. They have no formal leaders and few overt signs of leadership behavior. Other groups do well, at least for a generation, with a single central leader who encourages the members to participate. Many successful groups find nerve center ground. They reject dominating leaders and also escape the tyranny of structurelessness.The example of the OEOC (Ohio Employee Ownership Center)While aid the University of Texas and later getting his Ph.D. inpolitical science from Princeton University, John Logue studied abroad in Mexico, Denmark, and Germany. He was particularly interested in the bunker-owned and democratically operated Mondragon cooperatives of the Basque region in Spain. With lots of plants under its control, the Mondragon Co-operative Corporation is the largest business corporation in its region, and the eighth largest in Spain. Several years later, Logue observed similar cooperatives and employee-owned enterprises in Quebec, Canada. perusal these models built his belief that democratically operated well to the company, just as democratic countries outperform autocratic ones.Logue, a professor of poli tical science at Kent State, directs OEOC. Assisted by a small staff, he whole kit and boodle to increase the number of employee-owned and run companies and to ease their employees build personal assets. When a company considers shutting down an Ohio facility, for example, OEOC shows its owners and workers how employee ownership can save their livelihoods. Then, after plants make the transition to employee ownership, OEOC provides continue support to worker-owners through education, connections to consultants, and help organizing democratic structures for decision-making and communication.In all, OEOC provides 4,000 hours of leadership training per year. Since 1987, the group has helped 438 Ohio companies and plants, employing more than 83,000 people, explore the possibility of employee ownership. Of these, 64 have implemented partial or complete employee ownership plans. Logue has demonstrated that direct employee-ownership of companies promotes reinvestment, bank line creation, and asset-building for workers and their local economies. (http//dept.kent.edu/oeoc/index.htm)The Kohls Department Store ExampleStore manager, Audrey McCaskey, works with other employees and assistant managers of the store to come up with ways to improve their stores performance. (http//www.kohlscorporation.com/AboutKohls/AboutKohls01.htm) As the leader, Audrey is a qualified manager who fits either characteristic of a good store manager. Her ways of doing things at times are fierce yet ethical, and with her team, she is persistent to get the job through provingthat leadership is an essential part of a managers position.When Audrey came to be General Manager of Kohls back in 1997, Kohls was excelling in sales and profit. Her energy and demand (although sometimes a bit sarcastic) as well as her visions for the store, classify her as an excellent leader. However, I would also classify her as a transactional leader. Besides motivating employees, Audrey is hardworking and determined to get the job done. She runs her store efficiently and tries to keep it as a smooth operation. In fact, most managers used all the different styles on the job at some point or another. Many of these management styles are practiced within the management team of Kohls. Through these different styles, management is able to lead in a more effective manner.Firstly, coercive leaders Management at Kohls demands that each and e very(prenominal) employee gives their 100% effort during their jobs. Working as a member of the team, each employee is expected to do their manage of the work. Secondly, authoritative leaders- Management encourage employees to work hard and continue the trend of growth, innovation, and profitability. Thirdly, affinitive leaders- Known for Team ground operations, team leaders at Kohls create a harmonic work setting, making all employees feel comfortable with the store setting. Managers also try to develop and sustain working relationships with all employees.Fourth ly, democratic leaders- Participation is practically inevitable while working at Kohls. Managers encourage participation through contests, and jean or tennis shoe days, which usually have positive results. Fifthly, pacesetting leaders- whole employees are told what is expected of them and their performance. Therefore, employees work at achieving expectations and or goals through team work and self direction. Lastly, Coaching Leaders- Each new employee of Kohls is given extensive training within the first 3-6 weeks of employment. With this, managers hope to develop leadership skills among all employees.Every morning before opening of the store, Kohls manager or assistant managers have a picture meeting, treating the stores current sales increases or decreases and upcoming sales. For this meeting, managers follow an outline that briefly goes over each priority for the day. The outlinegoes over sales plans, goals, and actual, credit application goals, and actual, store news, top pr iorities for the day, and advertising. When sales are up, employees are encouraged to keep up the good work and often are awarded with a jean day. When awarded a jean day, employees are allowed to wear jeans to work. Managers will also advise employees having corporate visits. Corporate visits are that soulfulness from the Kohls corporate center visits the store to make sure everything is in place and in order. During these visits, all associates are asked to maintain their departments especially well. Managers will also hold afternoon meetings for employees who work the afternoons and evenings.Another form of communication is the weekly K-Notes which come inserted in each weekly paycheck. In K-Notes, store managers briefly discuss store news such as upcoming events, corporate visits, new associates, etc. Each employee of Kohls receives an evaluation every 90 days from Audrey or an assistant store manager. During these evaluations the manager will go over with the employees their c urrent job performance. The manager will point out all the positive things in the employees performance and the entire negative. Through this discussion, the employees are able to learn their strong points and what needs to be done to improve their overall work performance. When employees receive a good evaluation, their salary is increased.Obviously, Kohls has done very well in its approaches to team leading and teamwork overall. By practicing each of the individual styles of leadership, Kohls has been proved to be successful in its operations.In a word, the situational approach to leadership styles has been a valuable contribution. More practical(prenominal) than previous theories, it shows that there is no one best style for all situations. Attempting to define and determine a proper leadership style is an extremely complex task for any leader. The evidence is becoming clearer that there is no single, all-purpose style of behavior that is effective in all managerial situations. Someday, experience and enquiry may provide us with the one best way. Until then, each manager must be open-minded, informed, and adaptable. commendation1 About the OEOC 2001 Online, assessed 10 Mar. 2004 URL http//dept.kent.edu/oeoc/AbouttheOEOC/AboutTheOEOC.htm2 About Kohls 2003 Online, assessed 8 Mar. 2004. URL http//www.kohlscorporation.com/AboutKohls/AboutKohls01.htm3 Bill C. 2001 We Are All Leaders Democratic Leadership Makes Us More Powerful Online, assessed 6 Mar. 2004. URL http//www.geonewsletter.org/ed44cas.htm4 James L. Gibson, John M. Ivancevich, and James H. Donnelly, Jr., Organizations Structure, Processes, Behavior (Dallas Business Publications, Inc., 1973), p. 2985 Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. 1995 The leadership challenge How to keep getting extraordinary things done in organizations (2nd ed.). San Francisco Jossey-Bass.6 Robert N. McMurry, The Case for Benevolent Autocracy, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 36 (January-February 1958), pp. 82-907 Soaring Galanz 2002 O nline, assessed 10 Mar. 2004. URL http//www.galanz.com.cn8 Yukl, G. A. 1998 Leadership in organizations (4th Ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ Prentice-Hall.