EXAM 4

Team Leadership.

As work teams become more prevalent in the workplace, the role of team leader becomes increasingly important. The existence of work teams necessitates that managers learn how to become effective team leaders. Skillful team leaders master the difficult balancing act of knowing when to leave their teams alone and when to become involved. A team leader has two priorities: Managing the team's external boundaries Facilitating the team process These two priorities can be broken down into four specific leadership roles: Liaisons with external constituencies Troubleshooters Conflict managers Coaches

Authentic Leadership.

Authentic leadership focuses on the moral aspects of being a leader. Authentic leaders know who they are, know what they believe in, and act on those values and beliefs openly and candidly.

CHapter 17

Being an effective Leader

Types of Work Teams.

Certain characteristics distinguish different types of teams: A problem-solving team is a type of work team that is composed of a manager and his or her subordinates from a particular functional area. A self-managed team is a type of work team that operates without a manager and is responsible for a complete work process or segment. A cross-functional team is a work team composed of individuals from various specialties. A virtual team is a type of work team that uses technology to link physically dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal. Pg 466

WHO ARE LEADERS AND WHAT IS LEADERSHIP?

Certain distinctions can be made between managers and leaders. While managers are appointed and have legitimate power within the organization, a leader is someone who can influence others and who has managerial authority. Leadership is the process of influencing a group to achieve goals

Emotions.

Emotions influence how a receiver interprets a message when it is received. It is best for receivers to avoid reacting to a message when they are upset because they are not likely to be thinking clearly.

Stages of Group Development.

Evidence suggests that groups pass through five stages as they develop. Forming is the first stage in group development during which people join the group and then define the group's purpose, structure, and leadership. Forming is a stage characterized by much uncertainty. This stage is complete when members begin to think of themselves as part of a group. Storming is the second stage of group development characterized by intragroup conflict. When this stage is complete, members will agree upon the leadership hierarchy and group direction. Norming is the third stage of group development, characterized by close relationships and cohesiveness. Performing is the fourth stage in group development when the group is fully functional. Adjourning is the final stage in group development for temporary groups. It's characterized by concern with wrapping up activities rather than with task performance. PG 456

METHODS AND CHALLENGES OF INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

Exhibit 14-1 illustrates the seven elements of the communication process: the communication source (the sender), the message, encoding, the channel, decoding, the receiver, and feedback. Note that the entire process is susceptible to noise—any disturbances that interfere with the transmission, receipt, or feedback of a message. PG 490

Using Disciplinary Actions.

Exhibit 18-8 lists some common types of work discipline problems and examples of each. To ensure that the minimum penalty appropriate to the offense is imposed, managers can use progressive disciplinary action. PG 640

Formal Versus Informal.

Formal communication is communication that follows the official chain of command or is required to do one's job. Informal communication is communication that is not defined by the organization's structural hierarchy. Informal communication systems permit employees to satisfy their need for social interaction. Informal communication systems can improve an organization's performance by creating alternative—and frequently faster and more efficient—channels of communication. pg 498

Group Structure.

Group Structure. There are seven aspects of the internal structure. Six are covered here and leadership is covered in Chapter 17.PG 457

Group Processes.

Group processes include the communication patterns used by members to exchange information, group decision processes, leader behavior, power dynamics, conflict interactions, and other actions.

Group Size.

Group size can also affect the group's overall behavior. The effect depends on which outcomes are focused on. An important finding related to group size is social loafing—the tendency for individuals to expend less effort when working collectively than when working individually. Pg 460

Workplace Design and Communication.

How office workspace is designed and configured can affect the communication that occurs as well as influence an organization's overall performance. Research shows that a workplace design should successfully support four types of employee work: focused work, collaboration, learning, and socialization. As managers design the physical work environment, two common design elements have the greatest impact on communication.First, the enclosures and barriers used in the workspace. Many organizational workplaces today—some 70 percent—are open workplaces. Another workplace design element is the availability of adjustable work arrangements, equipment, and furnishings. pg 401

Industry and Company Rankings.

Industry and company rankings are often used as a measure to describe organizational effectiveness. Exhibit 18-7 lists some of the more popular industry rankings used to measure organizational performance.

Controlling Information.

Information controls need to be monitored regularly to ensure that all possible precautions are being taken to protect important information.

University Studies.

Kurt Lewin and his associates (at the University of Iowa) explored three leadership styles: autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire. The Ohio State Studies identified two important dimensions of leader behavior: initiating structure and consideration. University of Michigan Studies identified two dimensions of leader behavior: leaders who were employee-oriented and leaders who were production-oriented. The Managerial Grid is a two-dimensional grid used to appraise leadership styles using "concern for people" and "concern for production" as dimensions. Predicting leadership success involved more than isolating a few leader traits or behavior. The lack of success in attaining consistent results led to a focus on situational influences.

Information Controls.

Managers deal with information controls in two ways: As a tool to help them control other organizational activities. As an organizational area they need to control. Managers need the right amount of information at the right time. A management information system (MIS) is a system used to provide managers with needed information on a regular basis. In theory, this system can be manual or computer based, although most organizations have moved to computer-supported applications.

Workplace Privacy.

Many employers monitor employees at work. Employers monitor workers for a number of reasons: Web surfing while at work is thought to cost billions of dollars in lost work productivity each year. Employers do not want to risk being sued for creating a hostile workplace environment because of offensive messages or material displayed on an employee's computer screen. Managers want to ensure that the company's secrets are not being leaked by employees.

Conformity.

Norms focus on effort and performance, dress, and loyalty. Also, because individuals desire acceptance by the groups to which they belong, they are susceptible to conformity pressure. When an individual's opinion of objective data differs significantly from that of others in the group, he or she feels extensive pressure to align his or her opinion to conform to others' opinions. This is known as groupthink Pg 459

Organizational Effectiveness.

Organizational effectiveness is a measure of how appropriate organizational goals are and how well an organization is achieving those goals.

Organizational Productivity.

Productivity is the overall output of goods or services produced divided by the inputs needed to generate that output. The management of an organization seeks to increase this ratio.

Leadership Behaviors.

Researchers began to hope that a behavioral theories' approach would provide more definitive information about the nature of leadership than did trait theories. Four main leader behavior studies are summarized in Exhibit 17-2. PG594

Status Systems.

Status systems are an important factor in understanding group behavior. Status is a prestige grading, position, or rank within a group.

CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES IN MANAGING TEAMS

The introduction of work teams into the world of business has had a major influence on how work gets done in organizations. The management of teams presents challenges as well as advantages to managers in today's workplace.

Working from Anywhere.

There are more than 50 million "mobile workers" in the United States using smartphones, notebook computers, iPads, and other technology to stay in touch.

External Conditions Imposed on the Group.

These factors include an organization's strategy, authority relationships, formal rules and regulations, the availability of resources, employee selection criteria, the performance management system and culture, and the general physical layout of the group's workspace

Group Member Resources.

These factors include member abilities and personality characteristics. Interpersonal skills have been shown to be especially important for high performance by work groups.

Overcoming the Barriers

Use Feedback. The feedback might be verbal or nonverbal, or both. Simplify Language. The manager should consider characteristics of the intended audience, tailoring the message to the receiver. The sender should remember that understanding is improved when he or she uses language that is familiar to the receiver. Listen Actively. In listening, two people are engaged in thinking: the receiver as well as the sender. Listening is an active search for meaning. Active listening is listening for full meaning without making premature judgments or interpretations. Active listening is enhanced by developing empathy with the sender—placing oneself in the sender's position. Exhibit 14-3 lists additional behaviors demonstrated by active listeners. Constrain Emotions. A manager should strive to refrain from communicating until he or she has regained composure. Watch Nonverbal Cues. Actions speak louder than words, so the sender should ensure that his or her actions are in alignment with and reinforce the verbal message. PG 495

The Difference Between Groups and Teams.

Work teams are groups whose members work intensely on a specific, common goal using their positive synergy, individual and mutual accountability, and complementary skills. Although most students are familiar with the concept of a "team," many may be less familiar with the concept of a "work team." All work teams are groups, but only formal groups can be work teams. Exhibit 13-8 highlights the differences between groups and teams. pg 465

Communication

is the transfer and understanding of meaning. If no information or ideas have been conveyed or transferred, communication has not taken place. For communication to be successful, the meaning must be imparted and understood. Good communication does not require agreement with the message—only a clear understanding of the message. Communication encompasses both interpersonal communication (between two or more people) and organizational communication (all the patterns, networks, and system of communication within an organization). Functions of Communication. Effective communication serves four major functions: control, motivation, emotional expression, and information. pg 489

Networks.

pg 499-500

Charismatic-Visionary Leadership.

A charismatic leader is an enthusiastic, self-confident leader whose personality and actions influence people to behave in certain ways. Five personal characteristics of charismatic leaders have been identified. Charismatic leaders have a vision, are able to articulate that vision, are willing to take risks to achieve that vision, are sensitive to both environmental constraints and follower needs, and exhibit behaviors that are out of the ordinary. An increasing amount of research shows impressive correlations between charismatic leadership and high performance and satisfaction among followers. Most experts think that individuals can be trained to exhibit charismatic behaviors. Charismatic leadership may not always be needed to achieve high levels of employee performance. This type of leadership may be most appropriate when an employee's job has a significant amount of ideological content.

Roles.

A role is a set of behavior patterns expected of someone occupying a given position in a social unit. Role conflict can occur when an individual is confronted with different role expectations. Pg 458

Workplace Violence.

Anger, rage, and violence in the workplace adversely affect productivity. Exhibit 18-13 provides actions managers can take in dealing with workplace violence. A number of primary contributors to dangerously dysfunctional work environments have been identified: Work driven by TNC (time, numbers, and crises) Rapid and unpredictable change Destructive communication styles of managers Authoritarian leadership Little or no feedback Double standards in terms of policies Unresolved grievances Emotionally unstable employees Repetitive, boring work Faulty equipment or deficient training Hazardous work environments Culture of violence Controlling Customer Interactions. The service profit chain is the service sequence from employees to customers to profit.

Empowering Employees.

Another method of leadership increasingly used by contemporary managers is the empowerment of employees. The increased use of empowerment is being driven by two considerations: Quick decisions often need to be made by the individuals who are most knowledgeable about particular issues. Organizational downsizing has given managers larger spans of control, and in order to cope, managers are turning to employee empowerment.

Benchmarking of Best Practices.

Benchmarking is the search for the best practices among competitors or noncompetitors that lead to their superior performance. The benchmark is the standard of excellence against which to measure and compare. Benchmarking can be used to monitor and measure organizational performance. This practice can be used to identify specific performance gaps and potential areas of improvement. Exhibit 18-11 provides a summary to guide managers in implementing benchmarking programs.

Substitutes for Leadership.

Certain individual, job, and organizational variables can act as "substitutes for leadership," negating the importance of having an individual leader. Possible variables of this type include characteristics of followers (e.g., experience, training, professional orientation, or the need to be independent). Routine, unambiguous, or intrinsically satisfying jobs may require little leadership. Cohesive work groups, explicit formal goals, and/or rigid rules and procedures may serve as substitutes for leadership. pg 612

Conflict Management.

Conflict management is another group concept that must be understood. Conflict is perceived when incompatible differences result in interference or opposition. The traditional view of conflict is the view that all conflict is bad and must be avoided. The human relations view of conflict is the view that conflict is a natural and inevitable outcome in any group. The interactionist view of conflict is the view that some conflict is necessary for a group to perform effectively. Functional conflicts are conflicts that support a group's goals and improve its performance. Dysfunctional conflicts are conflicts that prevent a group from achieving its goals. See Exhibit 13-7 for Conflict and Performance relationship. Three types of conflict have been identified: Task conflict is conflict over the content and goals of the work. Relationship conflict is conflict based on interpersonal relationships. Process conflict is conflict over how work gets done. PG 462-463

Corporate Governance.

Corporate governance is the system used to govern a corporation so that the interests of corporate owners are protected. The Role of the Board of Directors. The role of boards of directors is to have a group, independent of management, looking out for the interest of stockholders. Financial Reporting and the Audit Committee. Senior managers are now required by law (Sarbanes Oxley Act) to certify their companies' financial results.

CHAPTER 13

Creating and Managing Teams

Developing Trust.

Credibility is the degree to which followers perceive someone as honest, competent, and able to inspire. Trust is the belief in the integrity, character, and ability of a leader. Research has identified five dimensions that make up the concept of trust: Integrity (honesty and truthfulness) Competence (technical and interpersonal knowledge and skills) Consistency (reliability, predictability, and good judgment in handling situations) Loyalty (willingness to protect a person, physically and emotionally) Openness (willingness to share ideas and information freely) Given the fact that many organizations have moved to self-managed work teams, establishing trust in the leadership is critical. Some suggestions for leaders to use in building trust are found in Exhibit 17-6. PG608

Direction of Flow.

Downward communication is communication that flows downward from a manager to employees. It is used to inform, direct, coordinate, and evaluate employees. Town hall meetings are informal public meetings where top executives relay information, discuss issues, or bring employees together to celebrate accomplishments. Upward communication is communication that flows upward from employees to managers. Upward communication can be used to keep managers aware of how employees feel about their jobs, their coworkers, and the organization in general. The organizational culture influences the extent of upward communication. A climate of trust, respect, and participative decision-making encourages a significant amount of upward communication. A highly mechanistic and authoritarian environment severely limits upward communication in terms of both style and content. Lateral communication is communication that takes place among any employees on the same organizational level. Diagonal communication is communication that cuts across work areas and organizational levels. The increased use of e-mail facilitates diagonal communication in an organization. Diagonal communication has the potential to create problems if employees do not keep their managers informed about decisions they have made or action they have taken. PG 499

COMMUNICATION ISSUES IN TODAY'S ORGANIZATIONS

Effectively communicating means being connected to employees and customers and having the ability to be connected to any of the organization's stakeholders. Managing Communication in Digitally Connected World. The two main challenges created by new technology in the business world are legal and security issues and lack of personal interaction. Legal and Security Issues. Managers must be knowledgeable about potential legal problems that can arise from the misuse of technology, including inappropriate usage of e-mails and blogs. Personal Interaction. Software that enables real-time collaboration can be chosen to ameliorate the lack of personal interaction posed by the Internet age. Managing the Organization's Knowledge Resources. Managers need to facilitate communication among employees in order to encourage the sharing of their knowledge with one another. Managers can achieve this goal in several ways, including creating online information databases. The Role of Communication in Customer Service. The content of an organization's communication and how this communication takes place can have a significant impact on customer satisfaction. The quality of the company's personal interaction between employee and customer has a significant impact on customer satisfaction. Getting Employee Input. Organizations need to get input from employees, even if all they do is provide a suggestion box for their employees. Employee suggestions can help with such things reducing costs, improving delivery time, etc. Exhibit 14-5 lists some suggestions for letting employees know that their opinions matter

Employee Theft.

Employee theft is any unauthorized taking of company property by employees for their personal use. Exhibit 18-12 presents actions taken by managers to deal with employee theft.

Measures of Organizational Performance.

Employees need to recognize the connection between what they do and the outcomes. The most frequently used organizational performance measures include organizational productivity, organizational effectiveness, and industry rankings.

Communicating Ethically.

Ethical communication includes all relevant information, is true in every sense, and is not deceptive in any way. Unethical communication can take several forms including: omitting information, selectively misquoting someone, misrepresenting numbers, distorting visuals, and failing to respect privacy or information security needs. In a global survey by the International Association of Business Communicators, 70 percent of communication professionals said their companies clearly define what is considered ethical and unethical behavior. If companies have no clear guidelines, then they should answer the following questions: Has the situation been defined fairly and accurately? Why is the message being communicated? How will the people who may be affected by the message or who receive the message be impacted? Does the message help achieve the greatest possible good while minimizing possible harm? Will this decision that appears to be ethical now seem so in the future? How comfortable are you with your communication effort? What would a person you admire think of it?

Methods.

Feedback—How quickly can the receiver respond to the message? Complexity capacity—Can the method effectively process complex messages? Breadth potential—How many different messages can be transmitted using this method? Confidentiality—Can communicators be reasonably sure their messages are received only by the intended audience? Encoding ease—Can senders easily and quickly use this channel? Decoding ease—Can receivers easily and quickly decode messages? Time-space constraint—Do senders and receivers need to communicate at the same time and in the same space? Cost—How much does it cost to use this method? Interpersonal warmth—How well does this method convey interpersonal warmth? Formality—Does this method have the needed amount of formality? Scanability—Does this method allow the message to be easily browsed or scanned for relevant information? Time of consumption—Does the sender or receiver exercise the most control over when the message is dealt with? PG 491

TOOLS FOR CONTROLLING ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE

Feedforward, Concurrent, and Feedback Controls. Feedforward Control. Feedforward control is a type of control that takes place before a work activity is done. Concurrent Control. Concurrent control is a type of control that takes place while a work activity is in progress. The best-known form of concurrent control is direct supervision. Another term for it is management by walking around, which is when a manager is in the work area interacting directly with employees. Feedback Control. Feedback control is a type of control that takes place after a work activity is done.

Financial Controls

Financial ratios are calculated by taking numbers from the organization's primary financial statements—the income statement and the balance sheet. Financial ratios can be organized into four categories: Liquidity ratios measure an organization's ability to meet its current debt obligations. Leverage ratios examine the organization's use of debt to finance its assets and whether the organization is able to meet the interest payments on the debt. Activity ratios assess how efficiently the firm is using its assets. Profitability ratios measure how efficiently and effectively the firm is using its assets to generate profits. Budgets are discussed in the Planning and Control Techniques module. Budgets also function as control tools; budgets provide managers with quantitative standards against which to measure and compare actual performance and resource consumption.

Group Cohesiveness.

Group cohesiveness is the degree to which members are attracted to a group and share the group's goals. Research has shown that highly cohesive groups are more effective than those that are less cohesive. However, it's important to look at the degree to which the group's attitude aligns with the goals.

GROUPS AND GROUP DEVELOPMENT

Groups exhibit different behavior—more than just the sum total of each group member's individual behavior. In this section, we're going to look at various aspects of group behavior. A group is defined as two or more interacting and interdependent individuals who come together to achieve particular objectives. Formal groups are work groups established by the organization and who have designated work assignments and specific tasks. Informal groups are natural social formations that appear in the work environment.

Group decision-making.

Groups make many organizational decisions. Advantages of group decision-making include the following benefits: Generate more complete information and knowledge Generate more diverse alternatives Increase acceptance of a solution Increase legitimacy Disadvantages of group decision-making include: Time consuming Minority domination Pressures to conform Ambiguous responsibility

Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) Theory.

Leader-member exchange (LMX) theory states that leaders create in-groups and out-groups and those in the in-group will have higher performance, less turnover, and greater job satisfaction. The leader will categorize a follower as an "in" or an "out." Both leader and follower must "invest" in the relationship. The leader does the choosing, but the follower's characteristics drive the decision. Research is supportive of the LMX theory. PG 601

Becoming an Effective Leader.

Leadership training takes many different forms, however, not everyone has what it takes to be a great leader. Depending on the type of training, leaders may learn skills such as vision creation, trust building, and mentoring.

Controlling for Employee Performance.

Managers are responsible for making sure employees' work efforts are of the quantity and quality needed to accomplish organizational goals. Managers can use disciplinary actions to enforce the organization's work standards and regulations.

Balancing the Pluses and Minuses.

Managers must remember to address the possibility of psychological drawbacks. For example: What is the psychological cost of an employee being continuously accessible? Would employees feel pressured to "check in" even during off hours? What is the importance of maintaining a separation between work lives and personal lives?

Delivering Effective Performance Feedback.

Managers need to provide their employees with feedback so that the employees know where they stand in terms of their work. When giving performance feedback, both parties need to feel heard, understood, and respected.

Choosing the Right Media.

Managers need to understand the situations in which one or more media facilitates effective communication. Electronic media—social media, e-mail, and instant messaging—are all effective and efficient methods for communicating relatively straightforward information to one or more individuals. Face-to-ace meetings or telephone conversations should be used to exchange confidential information about an employee's performance or company secrets.

Chapter 14

Managing Communication

CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGE in managing teams

Managing Global Teams. Both benefits and drawbacks are associated with the use of global teams. Group Member Resources in Global Teams. Regarding group member resources in global teams, managers need to know and understand differences in the cultures of global team members and avoid stereotyping. Group Structure. Differences in group structure may be significant. Managing global teams requires skill and sensitivity to different attitudes concerning conformity, status, social loafing, and cohesiveness. Group Processes. Managing conflict as part of group processes can be difficult, especially in virtual global teams. Manager's Role. Managers must focus on developing excellent communication skills and sensitivity to different cultures in order to lead global teams successfully. Building Team Skills. People don't automatically know how to be part of a team or how to be an effective team member. The skills for this are learned and need to be reinforced. Managers should view their role in team situations as that of a coach who is there to create a more committed, collaborative, and inclusive team. Understanding Social Networks. Recent studies show that teams with high levels of interpersonal interconnectedness attain their goals better and are more committed to sustaining the team. Organizations are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of "mapping," and understanding the social network structure within teams.

CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN CONTROL

Methods of controlling people vary in different countries. Technology has an impact on control, depending on the level of sophistication of technology in a particular country. Managers must consider the legal constraints in different countries. Managers face challenges in making comparisons of goods and services among countries, even when comparing similar products and services. Organizations need to have controls in place for protecting their workers and other assets during times of global turmoil and disasters.

Chapter 18

Monitoring and Controlling

Leading Across Cultures.

National culture is an important situational variable in selecting the most appropriate style. Findings from research are provided in Exhibit 17-7. The GLOBE research program identifies universal aspects, including vision, foresight, trustworthiness, dynamism, positiveness, ability to provide encouragement, and proactiveness.

Norm.

Norms are acceptable standards or expectations shared by a group's members. Although each group has its own unique set of norms, there are common classes of norms that appear in organizations. pg 458

Path-Goal Model.

Path-goal theory, developed by Robert House, is a leadership theory that purports that it is the leader's job to assist his or her followers in attaining their goals and to provide the direction or support needed to ensure that their goals are compatible with the overall objectives of the organization. Four leadership behaviors were identified by House: The directive leader lets subordinates know what is expected of them, schedules work to be done, and gives specific guidance on how to accomplish tasks. The supportive leader is friendly and shows concern for subordinates' needs. The participative leader consults with subordinates and uses their suggestions before making a decision. The achievement-oriented leader sets challenging goals and expects subordinates to perform at their highest level. The path-goal theory proposes two classes of situational or contingency variables that moderate the leadership behavior-outcome relationship: Variables in the environment that are outside of the control of the follower. Variables that are part of the personal characteristics of the follower. The following hypotheses have evolved from path-goal theory: Directive leadership leads to greater satisfaction when tasks are ambiguous or stressful, than when they are highly structured and well laid out. Supportive leadership results in high employee performance and satisfaction when subordinates are performing structured tasks. Directive leadership leads to higher employee satisfaction when there is substantive conflict within a work group. Achievement-oriented leadership increases subordinates' expectancies that effort will lead to high performance when tasks are ambiguously structured. Subordinates with an external locus of control will be more satisfied with a directive style. Achievement-oriented leadership will increase subordinates' expectations that effort will lead to high performance when tasks are ambiguously structured. Although not every research finding has been positive, the majority of the evidence supports the following logic underlying path-goal theory: Employee performance and satisfaction are likely to be positively influenced when the leader compensates for shortcomings in either the employee or the work setting. However, if the leader spends time explaining tasks when those tasks are already clear or when the employee has the ability and experience to handle them, the employee is likely to see such behavior as redundant or even insulting.

CONTROLLING FOR ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE

Performance is the end result of an activity. Managers are concerned with organizational performance—the accumulated end results of all the organization's work activities.

Managing Power.

Power is the capacity of a leader to influence work actions or decisions. Because leaders must influence others, we need to look at how leaders acquire power. French and Raven identified five sources or bases of power: Legitimate power is the power a leader has as a result of his or her position in the organization. Coercive power is the power a leader has because of his or her ability to punish or control. Reward power is the power a leader has because of his or her ability to give positive benefits or rewards. Expert power is influence that is based on expertise, special skills, or knowledge. Referent power is power that arises because of a person's desirable resources or personal traits. Most effective leaders rely on several different bases of power. PG 606

Leadership Traits.

Research in the 1920s and 1930s focused on the traits of the leader, with the intent to isolate characteristics that might by used to differentiate leaders from nonleaders. Identifying a set of traits consistently associated with the process of leadership proved to be more successful than one set of traits that would always differentiate leaders from nonleaders. Six traits associated with effective leadership are described in Exhibit 17-1. Drive. Leaders exhibit a high effort level. They have a relatively high desire for achievement, they are ambitious, they have a lot of energy, they are tirelessly persistent in their activities, and they show initiative. 2. Desire to lead. Leaders have a strong desire to influence and lead others. They demonstrate the willingness to take responsibility. 3. Honesty and integrity. Leaders build trusting relationships with followers by being truthful or nondeceitful and by showing high consistency between word and deed. 4. Self-confidence. Followers look to leaders for an absence of self-doubt. Leaders, therefore, need to show self-confidence in order to convince followers of the rightness of their goals and decisions. 5. Intelligence. Leaders need to be intelligent enough to gather, synthesize, and interpret large amounts of information, and they need to be able to create visions, solve problems, and make correct decisions. 6. Job-relevant knowledge. Effective leaders have a high degree of knowledge about the company, industry, and technical matters. In-depth knowledge allows leaders to make well-informed decisions and to understand the implications of those decisions. 7. Extraversion. Leaders are energetic, lively people. They are sociable, assertive, and rarely silent or withdrawn. 8. Proneness to guilt. Guilt proneness is positively related to leadership effectiveness because it produces a strong sense of responsibility for others. PG593

Hersey and Blanchard's Situational Leadership Theory.

Situational leadership theory (SLT) is a leadership contingency theory developed by Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard that focuses on followers' readiness. Hersey and Blanchard propose that successful leadership is achieved by selecting the right leadership style that matches the level of the followers' readiness. Readiness is the extent to which people have the ability and willingness to accomplish a specific task. SLT uses the same leadership dimensions identified by Fiedler: task and relationship behaviors. Each of the two leadership dimensions is considered either high or low and then combined into four specific leadership styles. Research efforts to test and support this theory generally have been disappointing, possibly because of internal ambiguities or inconsistencies in the model itself.

turning groups into effective teams

Teamwork is a core feature of today's organizations. Studies show that teams usually outperform individuals when the tasks be completed require multiple skills, judgment, and experience.

COMMUNICATION IN THE INTERNET AND SOCIAL MEDIA AGE

Technology is changing the way be work and communicate. Information technology (IT) now touches every aspect of almost every company's business. The implications for how, where, and when managers

The 24/7 Work Environment.

Thanks to advances in IT employees are now connected 24/7 regardless of where they are located.

The Fielder Model.

The Fiedler contingency model, developed by Fred Fiedler, is a contingency theory proposing that effective group performance depended upon the proper match between a leader's style of interacting with his/her followers and the degree to which the situation allowed the leader to control and influence. Fiedler developed the least-preferred coworker (LPC) questionnaire, which measures whether a person is task or relationship oriented.This questionnaire contained 18 pairs of contrasting adjectives.Respondents were asked to think of all the coworkers they had ever had and to describe the person they least preferred to work with, using the 18 sets of adjectives. Fiedler believed that a person's basic leadership style could be determined on the basis of their answers. Fiedler also isolated three situational criteria that he believed could be manipulated to create the proper match with the behavioral orientation of the leader: Leader-member relations described the degree of confidence, trust, and respect subordinates have in their leader. Task structure described the degree to which job assignments were formalized and procedurized. Position power described the degree of influence a leader had overpower-based activities such as hiring, firing, discipline, promotions, and salary increases. Next, Fiedler used the above variables to evaluate the situation. He defined eight different situations in which a leader could find himself/herself. The Fiedler model proposes matching an individual's LPC and an assessment of the three contingency variables to achieve maximum leadership effectiveness. Fiedler concluded that task oriented leaders tend to perform better in situations that are either very favorable or very unfavorable to them. He concluded that relationship oriented leaders perform better in moderately favorable situations. Fiedler believed that an individual's leadership style was fixed; he concluded that leader effectiveness could be improved in only two ways: Bring in a new leader whose style fits better to the situation. Change the situation to fit the leader. Research has generally supported the validity of Fiedler's model. However, some drawbacks are associated with the model. PG 596

The Balanced Scorecard.

The balanced scorecard is a performance measurement tool that looks at four areas—financial, customer, internal processes, and people/innovation/growth assets—that contribute to a company's performance.

Types of Communication Networks.

The chain network represents communication flowing according to the formal chain of command, both downward and upward. The wheel network represents communication flowing between a clearly identifiable and strong leader and others in a work group or team. The leader serves as the hub through which all communication passes. The all-channel network represents communication flowing freely among all members of a work team. The grapevine is the informal organizational communication network. The grapevine is active in almost every organization. One survey reported that 63 percent of employees hear about matters first through rumors on the grapevine. The grapevine can act as both a filter and a feedback mechanism.

THE CONTROL PROCESS

The control process is a three-step process including measuring actual performance, comparing actual performance against a standard, and taking managerial action. Step 1: Measuring Actual Performance. Measuring is the first step in the control process. How We Measure. Measurement is frequently achieved through four common sources of information: Personal observation Statistical reports Oral reports Written reports What We Measure. What we measure is probably more critical than how we measure. What is measured often determines the area(s) in which employees will attempt to excel. Step 2: Comparing Actual Performance Against the Standard. Comparing is the next step in the control process. Comparing determines the degree of variation between actual performance and the standard. Of critical importance to the control process is determining the range of variation. The range of variation is the acceptable parameters of variance between actual performance and the standard. An example of comparing actual performance to standards is presented in Exhibit 18-5. Taking Managerial Action. Although the manager might decide to "do nothing," two additional alternatives may be taken. Correct Actual Performance.Once the manager has decided to correct actual performance, he/she must make another decision:To take immediate corrective action, which is corrective action that corrects problems at once to get performance back on track, orTo take basic corrective action, which is corrective action that looks at how and why performance deviated and then proceeds to correct the source of deviation.After analyzing deviations, effective managers identify and correct causes of variance when the benefits of doing so justify the cost involved. Revise the Standard.If the standard was set too high or too low, a manager may decide to revise the standard. PG 634

Creating Effective Work Teams.

The establishment of teams in the workplace will not automatically enhance productivity. Managers must look closely at how they can successfully develop and manage effective teams. Research has been conducted on the characteristics associated with effective teams. The research on this subject indicates that effective teams have a number of characteristics. Nine characteristics are associated with effective teams: Clear goals Relevant skills Unified commitment Good communication Negotiating skills Appropriate leadership Internal support External support Mutual trust

Transformational-Transactional Leadership.

Transactional leaders are leaders who lead primarily by using social exchanges (or transactions). Transformational leaders are leaders who stimulate and inspire (transform) followers to achieve extraordinary outcomes. Evidence supporting the superiority of transformational leadership over transactional leadership is overwhelmingly impressive.

Social Media.

Various social media platforms like YouTube and Twitter have become popular means for communication between employees and between top level managers and their employees. Technology is significantly affecting the way organizations communication and share work.

Work Group Performance & Satisfaction

We need to look at how groups work. The answer to why some groups are more successful than others is quite complex. There are five factors that can affect this relationship.

Sociocultural.

With a diverse workforce, different words mean different things to different people, even when they speak the same language. Age, education, and cultural background can influence language use and the definitions given to words. Jargon is specialized terminology or technical language that members of a group use to communicate among themselves.

Nonverbal Communication

is communication transmitted without words. The best-known types of nonverbal communication are body language and verbal intonation. Body language refers to gestures, facial expressions, and other movements of the body that convey meaning. Verbal intonation is an emphasis given to words or phrases that conveys meaning. Pg 491

Visionary leadership

is the ability to create and articulate a realistic, credible, and attractive vision of the future that improves upon the present situation. If the vision is properly selected and implemented, it can energize individuals to use their skills, talents, and resources to fulfill the vision. An organization's vision should tap into people's emotions and inspire enthusiasm. Visions that are clearly communicated are generally more accepted.

Barriers.

ognitive. Information overload occurs when the information we have to work with exceeds our processing capacity.Receivers tend to select out, ignore, pass over, or forget information when they have information overload. Alternatively, receivers may put off further processing until the overload situation is over, which also results in lost information and less effective communication. Filtering is the deliberate manipulation of information to make it appear more favorable to the receiver. As information is communicated upward through the organizational levels, senders condense and synthesize it so that top managers will not experience information overload.These senders filter communication through their personal interests and perceptions of what is important. The more vertical layers present in the structure of an organization, the more opportunities there are for filtering. The more that organizational rewards emphasize style and appearance, the more managers will be motivated to filter communications in their favor. pg 493

BECOMING A BETTER COMMUNICATOR

ou should always take the opportunity to improve your communication skills. In addition to listening skills, successful managers also need skills in persuasion, speaking, writing, and reading. Sharpening Your Persuasion Skills. Persuasion skills enable a person to influence others to change their minds or behavior. Sharpening Your Speaking Skills. Speaking skills refer to the ability to communicate information and ideas by talking s others will understand. One survey revealed that 70 percent of employees who make presentations say that good presentation skills are important to career success. Effective speakers speak with authenticity, humility, brevity, and a clear understanding of the audience. Sharpening Your Writing Skills. Writing skills entail communicating effectively in text that is most appropriate for its audience. The abbreviations and jargon that are standard in texting among friends and family are not always appreciated in a business setting. Some tips: Don't be in a rush to press the send button or drop the memo in the mail. Express information and ideas logically and don't switch back and forth between topics. Check the accuracy of the content. Read the message carefully to ensure that an inaccurate word for the context doesn't slip in. Sharpening Your Reading Skills. Reading skills entail an understanding of written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents. If your reading skills aren't up to par—either in comprehension or speed—don't be afraid to sign up for a reading-improvement class. Pg 409