Voluntary Organisation
Introduction
This essay is a comparative study of leadership in a non profit organisation and how it differs from profit organisation. The use of theoretical framework will be used to form an analysis of the organisation and how 'leaders' become leaders. Different examples of leadership approaches and actions will be used to compare as to how much the theory supports this application in a non-profit organisation.
For analysis of the structure, process and management I will use the organisation 'Youth on Unity. This organisation was formed on 06th March 2002 the organisation's main objective is to attract youths from the predominant Asian community of Burnley and use their time and energy towards a more positive outlook, rather than see them grow up and hang out in street corners and create nuisance and getting into bother with the law.
Structure, Process and Management
The structure and culture of organisation is critical to Youth on Unity. Both the organisation form adopted the structure and the collective beliefs, values and ethics - the culture must match the overall purpose of the organisation in such ways as to ensure the best possible return on investment made the most effective relationship possible with its markets, customers clients and environment performance, responsiveness and adaptability.
The Youth on Unity is non-structural organisation which does not compromise of any formal implementation of any rules and regulations. However, what makes this unique organisation operate and function just as any other organisations is due to the element of respect and trust that is shown towards its volunteers and the participants.
The Youth on Unity believed that by placing a formal structure will impose too many restrictions and will make the members feel imprisoned by its autonomous style. The whole concept of this establishment is to steer youths getting involved in activities which they were not able to do due to the lack of funds.
Success of this approach was due to its environment that the organisation operated. Majority of its members are from Asian ethnic background, although there is a small percentage of a White and Black participant. Youth on Unity came to the conclusion that working in a relaxed environment with some realistic goals helped the participants direct and shape this organisation with personal and collective achievements. The wisdom behind this non-structural implementation was that youths are often bounded by rules at home and at schools. The organisation believed if they allowed their participants some element of freedom it will help volunteers and participants to feel at ease and express any ideas without any such difficulties, it also gave the volunteers and participants an opportunity to be more expressive and along the way it help develop their own character at different stages.
The need for governing body in a voluntary sector is an essential as it's in a profit organisation. The terminology may vary - management committees, executives, councils, trust, boards etc. There is no form of management committee that co-exist in Youth on Unity. There are three influential individuals technically act as project managers who share equal responsibility of running of the organisation. Majority of the members are aged 10-13 and therefore do require certain degree of looking after as well as the administrative side. The project managers are responsible for the formulation of the policy, determining how the mission, purposes and goals of the Youth on Unity are set and if appropriate, changing them in response to new circumstances.
In some voluntary organisation some functions are specifically carried out by the management committee, such as fund raising, drawing attention to social problems, and maintaining contacts with other working in the field. Some of the above functions mentioned are shared by Youth on Unity's project managers and members. Although the project managers do have some exclusive jobs due to the complexity of the task, it requires someone with a higher level of intellect for these functions to be performed. Youth on Unity believes by sharing some of its functions with it members will give the members an insight of some of the functions which is needed to run an organisation. By doing this gives opportunity to all the individuals to perform different tasks. Some organisation may not take to this direction due to such questions being asked what is the relative weight or strength of each contribution?
Although there different practical framework for managing this interdependent relationship between boards and staff, a framework has been developed by the staff of the Centre for Voluntary Organisation called 'Total Activities Analysis' (Harris 1991:1993). This framework has been tested and appears to have important advantages over other approaches to the role and functions of voluntary governing bodies.
This framework underlines the governing body's role as a whole and brings senior staff and committee members together to look at different functions together or individually. Similarly Youth on Unity have adopted this framework unknowingly with its members and volunteers, allowing members and volunteers to brainstorm answer to questions in activities and ways to achieve its goals. This framework will not be totally applicable to Youth on Unity as it differs from the mainstream organisation although the intention and the concept remains the same i.e. providing a service.
Youth on Unity is a very small organisation which serves it community. All the tasks which are carried out are by non paid staff. Their motivation to participate is seeing their community a safer environment to live in. Youth on Unity allow its members to partake in some of the functions but their contribution is not a maximum due to the complexity of certain functions.
Too much involvement may stress and burden its members due to their age, experience and lack of understanding. Operational functions such as fund raising, managerial and coordinative work, logistical work, finance ...
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Youth on Unity is a very small organisation which serves it community. All the tasks which are carried out are by non paid staff. Their motivation to participate is seeing their community a safer environment to live in. Youth on Unity allow its members to partake in some of the functions but their contribution is not a maximum due to the complexity of certain functions.
Too much involvement may stress and burden its members due to their age, experience and lack of understanding. Operational functions such as fund raising, managerial and coordinative work, logistical work, finance and designing and developing services and structure is the responsibility of the project managers. Youth on Unity avoids as much possible in not getting in the habit of delegating too much information to its members, as the whole purpose of this movement is provide enjoyment for the youths. Looking at hindsight the project managers do technically act as executives although they are much involved with every stage of completion of any tasks.
The relationship between project managers and members are informal and friendly, because of the environment that organisation operates. Members come from very close knit community being majority from the Asian ethnic and their religion being Islam, which also plays a very vital role in their daily lives. Naturally it is expected from young children to show respect to their elders and the elders to show mercy towards the children. Having this kind of relationship makes it more a harmonious environment to get along.
Youth on Unity does not expect too much in return from its members other than the projected managers to be bombarded with different ideas and activities. Certain levels of empowerment are given to certain individuals due to their distinctive character. This is done so that whoever is in charge of any activity feels part of the organisation and is representation something which they believe in, and whomever that leader is in charge of they themselves feel proud as they have shown loyalty to their leader and take pride in completing a task as a team.
The most of difficult function for Youth on Unity is fund raising. Youth on Unity has to have a clear mission and goals. Before any cheques are put into any envelopes, Youth on Unity has to make it clear that their goals relate directly to their mission, which is preventing children getting into trouble with the law and providing facilities where children can develop themselves more constructively.
Youth on Unity presents a case for support which spells out the magnitude of the challenge, what they propose to do, how realistic it is to achieve that challenge, and how their contribution can make a difference. Sometimes Youth on Unity may ask the organisation which is funding their activities to get involve giving them a feel of ownership.
Decision making is a constant and integral part of all managerial activities. All managers must therefore be able to take and make effective decisions and understand the processes involved in their implementation. Decision making in non profit organisation is no different to a profit organisation. Decision are taken at strategic and policy level; operational level; and at lower level concerned with the day to day administration. Pettigner (1994) states whichever level the decision is required; there are certain fundamental considerations that have to be made if the process is to be effective and successful.
There are different stages in the decision making process which if understood and followed provide a model for all circumstances on which decision have to be taken. These are as follows:
* Problem definition
* Process determination
* Timescale
* Information gathering
* The Alternatives & Implementation (Pettigner 1994)
Youth on Unity makes very little decision and mainly concentrates on important decisions. It is important that effective decision is made or they render themselves ineffective. Any decision which is made is not made on favourable or on personal grounds but instead for the interest of the organisation and its members. Drucker (1990) mentions that the most important part of the effective decision is to ask 'what is the decision really about? From this statement it can be assumed that rarely is decision about what it seems to be about.
Decision making is not a simple task to do, routine decisions are decisions that have no consequences but an effective decision takes time and thought. During the decision making processes the project managers in Youth on Unity avoid making hasty decisions, they project managers will sit and go thoroughly over any implications that the decision may bear and weight out all the advantages and disadvantages of making that particular decision.
Any financial decisions which concerns Youth on Unity will always be of an importance. Its apparent to Youth on Unity that lack of funding will always be something of uncertainty. Due to this managers at Youth on Unity may ask the public in where to spend the most? what are the right issues to tackle? Whatever the decision surrounding Youth on Unity it will always be strategic decision and halfway measures won't do. If Youth on Unity is to continue its programmes in the community it has to be constantly be engaged in the work of fund raising to finance its activities, otherwise there will be no future and sometimes in making a decision could carry risks.
The conceptual Framework
The focus of the study was the use of leadership was defined as the guiding or showing of the way, or the showing of the method of attaining an object. Leadership thus had to do with change. In operational terms, without change no leadership had occurred. Thus, only the observed behaviour that consisted of interventions that were aimed at the guiding or showing of the way of achieving an end was recorded as tactical interventions. The effect of such behaviour was also recorded, as the results of leadership actions were essential to the study.
A definition of leadership has proven difficult but there have been various degrees of agreement between different writers. Wynn and Guditus (1984) attempted to sum up the position when they stated that "leadership" involves the initiation of new structures or procedures for accomplishing an organisation's goals and objectives ... [and] involves questioning and challenging" (p.28).
The ability to influence is the objective of a leader, and a wide range of "political, symbolic, participatory and bureaucratic approaches can be used to fit the situation" (Kiernan, 1989, p.2). However, leadership is not something that is attributed to individuals due to their formal position in an organisation. As was pointed out by McPherson, Crowson and Pitner (1986), "People are not considered leaders until leadership is somehow attributed to them.... Individuals perform well not because it is required ... but because they want to....Leadership can not exist in the absence of people who respond to the leader" (pp.221-2).
Implicit in this statement is that all individuals have the potential to lead an organisation. In addition, influence has the potential to be more pervasive than authority.
Leadership Theories
This section will approach types of power such as; to utilize and influence others, to either reward or punish, to confirm by role of an organization, and to identify with a leader such as rock or film personality. The functions of leadership are many and varied, depending upon the basic problem with a group must deal with, and the type of leadership style in action, which is dependent on the leaders basis of power. Power, in the case of leadership, is divided into six categories; however, each can be linked with another, as they are inter-related. Expert and Informational power are concerned with skills, knowledge and information, of which the holders of such abilities, are able to utilize, to influence others i.e. technicians and computer personnel. Reward and Coercive power, differ from the previously mentioned, as they involve the ability to either reward or punish persons being influenced, in order to gain compliance. Legitimate power, is power which has been confirmed by the very role structure of the group or organization itself, and is accepted by all as correct and without dispute, such as in the case of the armed forces or the police force. Referent power, on the other hand, involves those being influenced, identifying with the leader, i.e. rock or film personalities using their image to enter the political arena. Most leaders make use of a combination of these six types of power, depending on the leadership style used.
Authoritarian leaders, for example, use a mixture of legitimate, coercive and reward powers, to dictate the policies, plans and activities of a group. In comparison, a democratic or participative leader would use mainly referent power, involving all members of the group in the decision-making process.
Leadership itself has been accompanied throughout time, by numerous theories, all claiming to answer the question, Are leaders born or made? Those who accept the verdict, that leaders are born and not made, maintain, "... that there are certain inborn qualities such as initiative, courage, intelligence and humour, which altogether pre-destine a man to be a leader ... the essential pattern is given at birth" (Adler, 1991, p. 4) Two leadership theories which concentrate on this point, are the Great man/great woman and the Trait theories. The great man/great woman theory, accordingly to Wrightsman, involves its followers believing that major events, both nationally and internationally, are influenced by those persons in power. "A sudden act by a great man could, according to this theory, change the fate of the nation" (Wrightsman, 1977, p. 638).
The trait theory expands further on this conjecture, by concentrating on the personal characteristics of the leader. The theory, which until the mid-1940s formed the basis of most leadership research, cited traits believed to be characteristic of leaders, the list of which grew in length over the years, to include all manner of physical, personality and cognitive factors, including height, intelligence and communication skills.
However, few traits emerged to conclusively differentiate leaders from non-leaders. The traits an individual has may, increase the probability that a person will become a leader, though whether such leadership is guaranteed, is uncertain. Nevertheless, it can be seen to be true that some people are more likely than others to assume leadership positions. "The research on trait theories of leadership has shown that many other factors are important in determining leader success, and that not everyone who possesses these traits will be a leader" (Adler, 1991, p. 267)
As interest in the trait approach to leadership declined, researchers focused their attention on the leader's actions rather than their attributes, which led to the emergence of the behaviourist theories. The most widely publicized exponent of this approach was Robert Blake and Jane Mouton's Managerial Grid, which attempted to explain that there, was one best style of leadership, by various combinations of two factors regarding a concern for production and people. Due to the disillusionment with the fore-mentioned trait theory, the situational approach suggested that the traits required of a leader differed, according to varying situations.
The situational approach, which predominated in the 1950s, held that whether a given person became a leader of a group, had nothing to do with his/her personality, but had everything to do with such factors as the flow of events and circumstances surrounding a group. To put it simply, the leader was a person who was in the right place at the right time. "Rather than a great man causing a great event to happen, the situational approach claims that great events are the product of historical forces that are gong to happen whether specific leaders are present or not " (Adair, 1984, p. 8) Unfortunately, this theory still didn't answer, why one member of a group emerged as the leader, rather than another, or why one particular leader proved to be a better leader in some situations than another.
The emergence of a related theory, the interactionist approach, attempted to explain the existing anomalies. The interactionist theory proposed that both the characteristics of the individual, and the situation in which the group found itself, accounted for whom would become the leader. Resulting from this theory, was the view that leaders are both born and made, due to the leader requiring certain abilities and skill, but as the situation and the needs of the group changed, so to the person acceptable as leader changed.
Developing such abilities and skills requires no position of authority but does require commitment to self, commitment to the organization and its employees, action, and thoughtful, on-going self-assessment. Such a program of personal development, ideally begun as a part of the formal education process, can assist significantly in learning how to influence others, up, down, and across the organization. Thus, one can learn how to become what Cohen (1990) has called an "uncrowned leader," a person who exerts influence over others but lacks positional authority.
Picking a Leader
In choosing a leader for a non profit organisation this is normally left to the selection committee. Different organisations may look for certain strengths in an individual before appointed anyone as a leader. This approach may vary from organisation to organisation. Youth on Unity only appoints a person as a leader during the course of on any activities and not for someone to oversee the whole operation. The first thing that the project managers do in Youth on Unity before selecting a leader is look at what the individual has done and what is there strengths.
Secondly the project managers will try to match the strength with the needs. They will focus on the one immediate key challenge which will benefit the organisation, for Youth on Unity's case will be to raise money and build on the organisation.
Finally the project managers will look for character or integrity in an individual. A leader sets an example, especially a strong leader. He or She is might be somebody on whom people, especially younger people model themselves on. During this process the project managers expects their appointed leader to take great view of the organisations functions, to take their roles seriously and not themselves.
According to Drucker (1990), he believes that there is no such thing 'leadership traits' or leadership characteristics', then he goes on to say that some leaders are better than others. Perhaps Drucker is right in his statement that there is no such thing as 'leadership traits' or 'leadership characteristics' as leadership skills cannot be taught but can be learned by most people. Leadership skills are not intellectual principles that are memorised or learned in a classroom setting. Leadership skills are part of ones higher character being reinforced within a group that values leadership behaviour.
Similarly those individuals who are appointed as leaders in Youth on Unity are not taught the skills of leadership but somehow they have acquired those skills in different environments. These individuals are very influential amongst their peers and their follower show tremendous amount of loyalty to their leader, one of the main reasons for being is that they are friends with each other and socialise and have same interest as each other.
Like in many peer groups you will always find that there is a dominant person who takes a the central role in everything. Many of the time when leaders are being appointed it is always from a social group within the community where everyone is familiar with each other. Naturally when these individuals are appointed their followers automatically flock towards that leader.
I remember when I was in my early teens when an influential person made any suggestions I find myself doing exactly what the followers of Youth on Unity do, my excuse was that I felt pressured and avoided any types confrontation which might have led to fall-outs amongst my peer groups.
Bennis et al (1996) explains that the vision of the shared image are defined and shaped by the leader and the followers. The above interpretation spells out the leader must be able to communicate that vision and the followers must be motivated to follow. Little of this statement I disagree at this moment is due to the fact the these leaders are in their early teens and it will not be fair to compare their behaviour against any theories is because they have not reached their full potential and given the benefit of doubt their character and development will keep on changing to different situations.
After analysing most of theories its fair to say that the Trait Theory applies to the Youth on Unity in selecting a leader. Sets of traits and characteristics are identified to assist project managers. Physical traits may include being young to middle aged, energetic, tall and handsome. Social background traits include educated at the right schools and being socially prominent or upwardly mobile. Social characteristics include being charismatic, charming, tactful, popular, cooperative and diplomatic. Personality traits include self-confident, adaptable, assertive and emotionally stable (Adair 1984).
This theory proved useful as it is related to leadership effectiveness in many situations. Disadvantage of this theory is that it is not able to identify sets of traits that will consistently distinguish leaders from followers.
Conclusion
The functions of a Leader are many and varied. It's hard to say the one theory is better than the other because as my research shows, it takes more than one approach to accomplish a task with overall proficiency. Each situation, each environment, and each group of people requires a different approach. If a leader is trainable to understand that different approaches are needed for different situations, then a leader can succeed. However if a born leader hasn't had the exposure to an array of situations, then he/she will not be effective. It stands to reason regarding a leader is born is that a leader may be born but if that person isn't exposed to an array to various situations and factors, the born leader will become a failure. However I agree a leader may be born and a follower is a follower but a follower can influence other followers especially if that person has charisma such as wiser experience, cultured education, and mature personality. So a leader may be born but a follower by my own experience I've seen followers who are leaders and assist leaders to perform their best. Therefore sometimes a leader and follower can complement each other thus strengthening the environment. Therefore my own observations show that there are ranks of leaders and ranks of followers. Each side of the line can have leadership.
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