MGMT Ch. 14

According to the Vroom-Yetton-Jago model, or normative decision-making model, there are five styles of decision making:

AI- Using information available at the time, the leader solves the problem or makes the decision. AII- The leader obtains necessary information from employees and then selects a solution to the problem. When asked to share information, employees may or may not be told what the problem is. CI- The leader shares the problem and gets ideas and suggestions from relevant employees on an individual basis. Individuals are not brought together as a group. Then the leader makes the decision, which may or may not reflect their input. CII- The leader shares the problem with employees as a group, obtains their ideas and suggestions, and then makes the decision, which may or may not reflect their input.' GII- The leader shares the problem with employees as a group. Together, the leader and employees generate and evaluate alternatives to try to reach an agreement on a solution. The leader acts as a facilitator and does not try to influence the group. The leader is willing to accept and implement any solution that has the support of the entire group.

Focuses on the vision and mission

leaders

Inspires and motivates others to find solutions

leaders Leaders expand people's choices and options, while managers limit people's choices.

Focuses on productivity and efficiency

managers

You have just taken over a management position at the Green Schools Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to helping students and their teachers protect the environment by taking green actions whenever possible. The employees in your group have been working with the agency for a very long time. They create new sustainability campaigns, a difficult and challenging task for which they get few rewards.

According to path-goal theory, you should use the participative style of management in this example. ********** According to the path-goal theory, the best leadership style for this situation is the participative style. The group you are supervising is working on complex tasks. They are experienced and have high ability but receive few rewards for their efforts.

Vroom used the term _________ to refer to a decision style in which the leader shares the problem with employees as a group, obtains their ideas and suggestions, and then makes the decision, which may or may not reflect their input.

CII

Which of the following are employee-centered leadership behaviors?

Encouraging an employee who is having trouble completing a task Talking with an employee about her career plans Helping an employee choose classes to improve his presentation skills *********** Employee-centered leadership behaviors are focused on people: helping them get ahead, making sure that they enjoy what they are doing, developing their skills, and recognizing the contributions they make.

A CEO is considering whether to invest in developing leadership capabilities in its managers. To make this determination, which of the following should he take into account?

How leaders behave has a major impact on employee performance. ****** Leaders shape the organizational context in which other employees work. Leadership can be defined as the process of influencing others to achieve group or organizational goals. Therefore, leaders' attitudes and behaviors have a significant impact on the performance of everyone else in the organization. Managerial work, such as solving problems, is distinct from leadership, which is about accomplishing work through others.

Job-Centered Behaviors

Job-centered leadership behaviors are focused on getting the job done and getting it done right. Any time a manager does short-term planning, sets or communicates goals and objectives, or monitors processes or performance, he or she is engaged in job-centered leadership behaviors. Examples: Developing work performance standards for mechanics Sitting down with an employee at the end of a project to review what went well and what needed improvement Creating a work schedule to be sure that products are available to customers by the promised date

Google CEO Larry Page likes to "make big things happen," and he encourages his employees to always think bigger.

This is an example of the leadership styles element of the path-goal theory. ******* This is an example of a leadership style, more specifically, an achievement-oriented leadership style. According to path-goal theory, different leadership styles should be used in different situations. Additional leadership styles include directive, supportive, and participative leadership.

When Sascha hires a new employee, she explains that there is a probationary period of six weeks and after that, if the employee's performance is satisfactory, a $1 an hour raise will be given.

Transactional leadership This is an example of transactional leadership, in which a leader provides subordinates with something they want in exchange for their work. The flip side of this is that if employees do not meet expectations, they receive negative reinforcement ranging from criticism to termination. Sascha offers a raise in exchange for satisfactory performance to motivate employees to do their work.

When a manager clearly communicates important goals to her employees and indicates that she will hold them accountable for meeting those goals, she is engaged in ___________

initiating structure

James is an agreeable and emotionally stable person. A _________, he inspires his employees to believe in the changes he wants to make to the organization.

transformational leader Transformational leaders can bring about innovation by communicating an inspiring vision, shaping values, building relationships, and providing meaning for followers. The traits of agreeableness and emotional stability are often associated with transformational leaders, and they often have high emotional intelligence.

When employees raise problems at staff meetings, Jonna doesn't solve them. Instead, she asks the employees what approaches they would like to try. Her employees know they can suggest any solutions, even those that imply criticism of Jonna's management.

transformative leadership This is an example of transformational leadership. Transformational leaders are charismatic and offer a vision, motivate employees by being trustworthy, give employees intellectual stimulation by respecting them enough to challenge them to solve problems, and give employees individual consideration. Jonna encourages employees to solve problems in an atmosphere of trust to inspire them to do more than they thought possible and put the organization above their self-interest.

Hunter is the founder and CEO of a Web site development firm. Clients are typically small to midsized companies that are seeking an offbeat, innovative approach to their online design, as well as functionality that offers customers surprising ways to interact with the site. What is the more appropriate style of leadership, given the type of work Hunter wants his Web site designers to do?

transformational Hunter wants his employees to push boundaries and be highly innovative in their work. Because their clients want site designs that other companies don't already have, and because of the continuous change that is part and parcel of the Internet, employees will need to be highly invested in constantly seeking improvement. Hunter will best achieve this through transformational leadership methods of offering a vision and earning employees' respect by respecting their capability and even challenging it. He should also understand each employee's individual needs. On the other hand, when it comes time to take a Web site from design to rollout, a methodical process that involves a lot of precise testing and meeting deadlines, Hunter may want to adopt a more transactional style.