3. How organisational theory supports the practice of management and different approaches to management
After extensive research on different management approaches I was able to create a table with only four of them and its main characteristics in order to support management students to compare them.
Each approach has its value as they reflect the business needs of the time they were developed. One complements the other, they represent the progression of ideas over time.
These and other theories serve as guide to managers on how they can practice managerial functions during their daily activities. They provide organisations with basic principles and frameworks on how to conduct their daily activities and approach employees. By knowing these theories managers can critically compare advantages and disadvantages amongst them and apply the principles they believe are most suitable for the organisation they work for.
The following two examples illustrate how these theories are applicable in current business scenarios.
1- Accenture. An extremely successful global company that still makes use of scientific management principles which can be identified below.
Source: Accenture
2- Semco SA, Brazil. Riccardo Semler, the company’s CEO, and his revolutionary application of participative management approach, following Mayo’s and McGregor’s theories. His type of management has made the company the market leader in its segment in Brazil with 0% of absenteeism rate and total flexibility on employees’ working hours.
4. Individual behaviour at work
Many are the factors that influence one’s behaviour at work. It is very important for managers to know them in order to find ways to motivate the behaviours they believe are in accordance to the organisational culture, mission and objectives.
The main factors are listed and explained below:
- Personality: each individual is different and will respond to common situations in a different manner. By studying personality types such as: extrovert, introvert, conservative, methodical, theoretical, thinker, sensitive, experience-driven, amongst others managers can understand the reason why individuals act in such a diverse manner to the same situation or task to perform.
- Demographic factors: individuals’ age, nationality, religion, and others will influence the way they dress, think, their future aspirations, their motivation, interests, how they relate with others of the same and different age as theirs, and how they will approach a new project/task given to them.
- Skills and capabilities: person’s level of education and work experiences also influence the way they behave at work and will, usually, determine their position in the organisation.
- Organisational structure: the company’s structure certainly plays a big weigh on how an individual will behave at work. Whether he is being given freedom to decide what to do (empowerment); possibility of working alone or in a team; whether he reports to a supervisor who is always in control; whether he can perform specific tasks or flexible tasks and others, all of these interfere on how he will behave.
- Organisation culture: another big player on employee’s behaviour. An individual that works in a organisations that shares trust, responsibilities, accountability, teamwork, accepts employees ideas and inputs will act in a different way than one that works under a culture of individualism, centralised decision-making and fierce competition.
- Responsibility/Accountability: the amount of responsibility and accountability a job title confers to a person will determine how he will perform.
- Own interests, values: individual’s own values, background, and interests will also affect how he behaves. He will show higher capabilities for something he is interested in and relate better with people with the same interests as him.
- Available resources: the resources the company provides its employees also affects their behaviour and performance.
- Team work: whether the individual works by himself or as part of a team interferes on how he behaves. Usually a person will act differently when they face other people’s approval. It also depends on their personality type, whether they are willing to work in a team or not.
- Work environment: a friendly work environment based on trust and a pressured work environment based on competition or distrust will influence how individuals behave.
- Personal needs: individual have different needs while they are at work. Some face their work as the only way to get security and essential food, shelter. Others see their work as status. Others cannot see themselves doing anything else and spend most of their time happily working. Their needs will influence their behaviour at work.
- Leadership perception: The way an individual perceives the leadership style used in the organisation he works for also influences his behaviour. If he perceives it to be a democratic one he may feel encouraged to show his ideas/opinions. Whereas if he perceives it to be autocratic he will not provide any input and may not show any motivation.
- Career development incentives: an employee will usually be more committed and motivated when the organisation shows it is interested in his development by providing training, challenges, new projects, rotation of jobs and possibility of promotion.
- Mood changes: people have variation of mood. Individuals may go to work very confident and with new ideas one day, whereas in another he will not perform well due to a personal problem.
5. Leadership styles and their impact on motivation in periods of change
In simple words leadership is the one’s ability of influencing a group of people towards the achievement of a common goal/objective. A famous saying differentiates leaders from managers: managers do things right and leaders do the right things.
Effective leaders must be flexible and adapt their actions according to individual’s needs. Effective leaders will identify the need to be directive, supportive, coach or delegate when facing different situations and dealing with different members within an organisation. They must be able to diagnose diverse situations and what their Human Resources need from them. Finally, they should to pass the idea that they are partners of their staff that they care for their well-being and professional development. This idea comes from Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Model illustrated below.
Source: 1000ventures
After studying many academics it is possible to identify some common, main types of leadership styles which are: autocratic; bureaucratic; charismatic; democratic; laissez-faire; people-oriented; servant; task-oriented; transactional; and transformational.
Source: nw.link
It is important to stress that each leadership style has its positive and negative points, none is better than other. However, one of them will be the most suitable one for a determined business during a period of time, or for a determined unusual situation and even during periods of change. It is also relevant to say that usually organisations will make use of 2 or 3 different leadership styles for a determined situation, task, project and even for extended periods of time, because some of them complement each other.
In order to illustrate to management students how specific leadership styles can be better applied in a given industry or situation the following table was created.
Periods of change are difficult for individuals and so for organisations. People are usually resistant to change and tend not to believe that something new will be better than the previous one. Nevertheless, organisations should change in order to keep up with the market changes.
It is managers and leaders’ responsibility to ensure this change period runs as smooth as possible, motivating staff and most importantly, sharing organisational vision and new objectives with its members.
Source: acuvue
Not all leadership styles will be effective during periods of change. The most suitable combinations of leadership styles to be adopted during change periods are: people-oriented, participative and transformational. Only by inviting employees to contribute with their ideas for the future of the organisation, encouraging collaboration, enthusiasm and professional development, and sharing with them the positive aspects of the changes to be faced that leaders will ensure employees’ support to the achievement of organisational objectives and commitment towards common goals.
6. Conclusion
After this talk the management students involved should be able to understand the interdependency of organisational culture and structure and the importance of the knowledge of organisational theories.
They should be aware that it is their role to be able to diagnose each situation and individual and by using his flexibility be able to adapt his leadership approaches. They should be able to identify changes in behaviour and recognize people’s needs.
Most importantly, management students should keep in mind that only by applying the most suitable leadership style for specific situations he will be able to maintain staff members motivated and guide them towards the achievement of organisational goals and future vision.
7. References
Accenture, 2011. Available at: Accessed on 09 October 2011].
BBC, 2011. Ricardo Semler. Available at: [Accessed on 12 October 2011].
Blogspot, 2008. Taylorism. Available at: [Accessed on 08 October 2011].
Brooks I., 2005. Organisational behaviour: individuals, groups and organisation. 3rd ed. Essex: Prentice Hall.
Huczynski A. & Buchanan D., 2010. Organisation Behaviour: An Introductory Text. 7th ed. Essex: prentice Hall.
Mullins L., 2010. Management and organisational behaviour. 9th ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited.
Robbins S., 2007. Essentials of Organisational behaviour. 8th Ed. Essex: Prentice Hall.
Mind Tools, 2009. Leadership Styles. Available at [Accessed on 22 October 2011].
