Few Important Keywords in Management Functions and Behaviours Part VII

Leadership Styles and Influence Process

Authoritarian Style: The assumption that the power of leaders is derived from the
position they occupy and that people are innately lazy and unreliable.

Consideration: A leader's acts which imply supportive concern for the followers in a
group.
Contingency Theory: A theory that considers an organisation's objectives,
environment and leadership skills, as interacting and affecting the effectiveness of a
leader.

Democratic Style: The assumption that the power of leaders is granted by the group
they are to lead and that people can be basically self-directed and creative at work, if
properly motivated.

Employee Orientation: Stresses the relationship aspect of the job.
Group and Exchange Theories of Leadership: These theories state that the leader
provides more benefits and rewards than burdens or costs for followers who help him
achieve the goal of the organisation.

Hawthorne Effect: When worker's behaviour changes and productivity increases
because the workers become aware of their importance.

Human Relation Style: Follows from the work of Elton Mayo and his associates to
find the best technological methods to improve output by studying human relations at
interpersonal level.

Initiating Structure: Reflects the extent to which individuals are likely to define and
structure their roles and those of their subordinates towards goal attainment.

Laissez-faire Style: This style of a leader permits the members of the group to do
whatever they want to do. No policies or procedures are established.

Leadership: The ability to influence the behaviour of others. The task is to help the
group reach both organisational and personal goals.

Managerial Grid Theory: The theory suggests that each manager must be
concerned about both production (structure) and people (consideration).

Path-goal Theory: This theory defines the relationship between leader behaviour,
subordinate's work attitudes and performance as situational. The essential ingredient
of this theory is that the leader smoothes out the path to work goals and provides
rewards for achieving them.

Production Orientation: Stresses the production and the technical aspects of the
job. Employees are seen as tools to accomplish the goals of the organisation.

Style Scientific Manager: This style of the leader focuses on the needs of the
organisation and not on the needs of the individual.

Social Learning Theory: The theory deals with continuous, reciprocal interaction
among the leader (including his cognition) the environment (including
subordinates/followers and other variables) and the behaviour itself.
Theory X, Theory Y: McGregor's theory that behind every management decision,
there is a set of assumptions that a manager makes about human behaviour. The
theory X manager assumes that people are lazy, dislike work, want no responsibility
and prefer to be closely directed. The theory Y manager assumes that
people seek responsibility, like to work and are committed to doing good work if
rewards are received for achievement.

Trait Theory; This theory attempts to specify which personal characteristics
(physical, personality) are associated with leadership success. Trait-theory relies on
research that relates various traits to success criteria of a leader.

Authority: The legitimate right to use assigned resources to accomplish a delegated
task or objective, the right to give orders and to extract obedience.

Charismatic Power: This power is based on followers' identification with a leader.
The leader is admired because of one or more personal traits. Followers can be
influenced because of this admiration.

Coercive Power: The power of a leader that is derived from fear. The follower
perceives the leader as a person who can punish deviant behaviour and action.

Expert Power: An individual with this type of power has some technical expertise,
skill or knowledge which is important in getting the job done.

Formal Leadership: A manager is a formal leader by virtue of authority coming
from the organisation that a formal leader is usually selected by the organisation.

Informal Leadership: An informal leader is chosen by an individual or a group.
Legitimate Power: The power comes when the organisation's authority is accepted.
It is power that stems from implicit or explicit rules.

Power: Ability to exercise influence or control over others.

Reward Power: The present or potential ability to give some reward for worthy
behaviour.

Situational Management: Skill in changing the style demands of one or more
situational elements so that managerial effectiveness increases.

Situational Manipulation: Changing the style demands of one or more situational
elements so that personal effectiveness increases.

Group Dynamics


Command Groups: Formal groups that consist of managers and their direct
subordinates.

Committee: A formal group that is created to carry out specific organisational
assignments or activities.

Content: The subject of the meeting or of the task being performed.
Emergent Activities: Informal actions beyond those required that result from
changed sentiments.

Formal Group: A unit established by the organisation to accomplish specific tasks.
individuals are usually assigned to formal tasks.

Group: Any number of people who
i. have a common purpose or objective
ii. interact with each other to accomplish their objective
iii. are aware of one another, and
iv. perceive themselves to be a part of the group.

Group Building Activities: Those activities that allow the group to maintain itself
by helping to satisfy members' needs and by encouraging cooperation among
members.

Group Cohesiveness: The extent to which group members are motivated to remain
within the group and in consequence to behave in similar ways.

Group Task Activities: Activities performed within the organisational structure by
the individuals rather than by. management.

Leadership: The ability to influence the behaviour of others. The task of the leader is
to help the group reach both organisational and personal goals.

Pivotal Norms: Organisational values which are absolutely necessary for any one
who wants to stay in the organisation.

Process: The way the content is handled or discussed by the members of the group.
Relevant Group Norms: Not as central as pivotal norm, but considered as
worthwhile and desirable.

Required Activities: Assigned tasks performed by the individuals.

Required Interaction: This occurs, when a person's activity follows or is influenced
by the activity of another; interaction can be verbal or non-verbal.

Self-serving Activities: Activities that satisfy individual needs at the expense of the
group.

Sentiments: The feelings or attitudes a person has about others, such as likes or
dislikes and approval or disapproval.

Task Force: A group established to solve a particular problem.

Source: IGNOU Booklet