Assignment In Leadership, Management, And Leadership Consult
Assignm E Ntleadership Management Leadership Consultant Analysis1
Assignm E Ntleadership Management Leadership Consultant Analysis1
ASSIGNM E NT Leadership & Management – Leadership Consultant Analysis 1 DU E DATE Week 9 S T R AY E R U N I V E RS I T Y | CO PY R I G H T © . A L L R I G H TS R E S E RV E D. WEEKS 8 & 9 MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP people ORGANIZATIONAL CHART In-Store Sales Associate Catering Sales Associate Maintenance Associate Purchase Associate Cashier Food Quality Control Executive Chef Cashier Head of Food Service Assistant Manager Food & Beverage Director Sales Manager Logistics Manager Financial Director Kitchen Manager Restaurant Manager General Manager Junior Accountant Accountant Assistant Chef Food Service Staff Ingredients Buyer Operations Manager S T R AY E R U N I V E RS I T Y | CO PY R I G H T © . A L L R I G H TS R E S E RV E D. 2 HUMAN RESOURCES: Hello, Head of HR here, providing you a bit more insight into our process. I’ve included a flow chart on the high level process (see below) but also wanted to provide a more detailed explanation. Our HR cycle begins with our recruiting department. We have campus recruiters who attend career fairs and develop relationships from select universities around the country. We also do a substantial amount of recruiting through LinkedIn, targeting professionals further along in their career with the backgrounds we look for. We then conduct phone screens with qualified candidates, followed by rigorous in-person interviews. We hire approximately 10% of the candidates we interview in-person. Once an employee comes on-board, our performance management system begins. Employees are required to write out goals and objectives after their first 30 days on the job. They have regular ongoing conversations with their direct managers, as well as with assigned mentors, regarding their performance. On or near their anniversary date, we conduct a formal performance review. In the review, we evaluate how the employee performed relative to the goals they mapped out for themselves, and relative to our expectations. Based on the result of the performance review, we make compensation adjustments and promotion decisions. Finally, when an employee does exit their role, by transitioning to another role within the company or by terminating their employment, we conduct formal exit interviews. Hope this helps. Look forward to your feedback on how we can improve. R E C RU I T H I R E M A N AG E E E X I T E VA L UAT EC O M P E N SAT I O N A D J U S T M E N T S T R AY E R U N I V E RS I T Y | CO PY R I G H T © . A L L R I G H TS R E S E RV E D. 3 LEADERSHIP STYLE: Hi, I’m writing this email in response to your request for an overview of my leadership style. First, I think it’s important to tell you how I got to my role as the General Manager. I started at the bottom and I’ve worked my way up through the ranks by being the top performer in every role I’ve had. I’ve worked hard to get to where I am today, nothing has been given to me, and I believe everyone reporting to me should have a similar mindset and work ethic. I’m looking for people who can keep up with my level of performance; that’s what we need to achieve our organizational goals. I demand a lot from people. Some might say I’m difficult to please, but I believe in continually pushing people to achieve results they previously didn’t think possible. To do that, my employees must move fast and execute on the directives I give them. If they can’t, then I need to find others who can keep up. That may sound harsh, but I view maintaining a strong performance-based culture as my responsibility as a leader. Please feel free to contact me with any questions. Note: All scenarios in this assignment are fictional. Real Business It can be difficult for a business to improve how it operates from inside the organization. Sometimes, an outside perspective is needed. The large discount retail store you work for wants to improve its in-store restaurant management team. Your Role Companies like Target and Walmart often work with outside consultants—people who are not employees of the company but who are hired on a contract basis to help with a specific project. As a Leadership Consultant, you’ve been hired by a large discount retail company to help the company improve its leadership structure and approach to management. What Is a LEADERSHIP CONSULTANT? A leadership consultant is a person called in to a company, be it a large corporation or a small business, to evaluate how it operates and make recommendations for improvement. Leadership consultants are typically hired when a business is struggling and needs to make changes in order to remain profitable. Such consultants are often highly educated in the field of business and have experience in managerial roles. Instructions Step 1: ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE Take a look at the Organization Chart provided by the company. · Based on your knowledge of hierarchies, would you say that this team has tall structure or flat structure? Underline your selection: Tall Structure Flat Structure Explain your answer. Step 2: HUMAN RESOURCES The company would like to improve the culture of its team and the quality of its work. Its leadership has provided you with a Process Chart detailing how it currently applies Human Resources best practices. · What step of the Human Resources Cycle is missing? Explain why it is important to include this part of the process. Note: You should complete Steps 3 & 4 after reading the material in Week 9. Step 3: LEADERSHIP STYLE You have been asked to help improve the leadership style of the team leader in order to meet the team’s performance goals. The team leader has given you a description of what is most comfortable in terms of leading others. Identify this leader’s style of leadership. Underline your selection: Pacesetting Visionary Affiliative Coaching Coercive Democratic Explain your reasoning and list two benefits and two drawbacks to the style of leadership you identified as it relates to the performance of the team. Provide advice to the team leader on how to overcome the drawbacks of this leadership style. Step 4: REAL-WORLD APPLICATION Apply the thinking in Steps 1-3 as if you were a Leadership Consultant hired by the company where you work or for a previous employer. · Review the organization chart for your company. Based on your knowledge of hierarchies, would you say that your company’s team has a tall structure or flat structure? How does this affect the way your team works? Explain your answer. · Consider the work conducted by the Human Resources team at your company. What steps of the Human Resources Cycle do they implement well? What steps of the Human Resources Cycle might be missing from your company or are not implemented as well as they could be? What is the effect of this on you and your team? Explain your answer. · Lastly, reflect on the leadership style of either yourself or your supervisor. What leadership style do you have, or what leadership style does your supervisor have? What are the benefits and drawbacks of this style for your team? What might you or your supervisor do to improve leadership? Explain your answer.
Paper For Above instruction
The company’s organizational structure plays a crucial role in shaping its operational effectiveness and communication flow. Based on the provided organization chart, the team appears to have a tall structure, characterized by many hierarchical levels from entry-level associates to top management. A tall structure typically results in clear lines of authority, well-defined responsibilities, and centralized decision-making, which can foster consistency and clarity. However, it may also lead to slower decision-making processes and reduced flexibility, as information needs to pass through multiple layers before reaching senior management (Robbins & Coulter, 2018).
The Human Resources (HR) cycle outlined by the company emphasizes recruitment, performance management, and exit procedures. Nonetheless, a notable omission from this cycle is the employee engagement or development phase, which encompasses ongoing training, career development, and fostering a positive organizational culture. Including a formal employee development step is vital because it directly influences employee satisfaction, retention, and overall productivity (Govaerts et al., 2011). When employees receive continual growth opportunities and feel valued, they are more committed and motivated, which benefits organizational performance.
Regarding leadership style, the team leader’s description indicates a pacesetting leadership approach. This style involves setting high standards and leading by example, demanding rapid performance and high achievement from team members (Northouse, 2018). The pacesetting style offers two primary benefits: it can drive high performance and cultivate a culture of excellence. Conversely, drawbacks include potential burnout among team members and a lack of consideration for individual needs, which can negatively impact motivation and morale (Bass & Bass, 2008). To mitigate these drawbacks, the leader should adopt a more participative style, encouraging team input and offering support to balance workload and reduce stress.
Applying these observations to my organization, I recognize that our team structure tends to be relatively flat, promoting open communication and collaboration. This structure facilitates quicker decision-making and fosters innovation but may also lead to ambiguity in roles and responsibilities (Daft, 2015). Our HR team effectively conducts recruitment, onboarding, and performance reviews, but there may be gaps in ongoing employee development programs, which could hinder long-term engagement and skill growth. This gap affects team cohesion and individual career progress.
In terms of leadership style, I or my supervisor exhibit transformational leadership qualities, emphasizing motivation, individualized consideration, and inspiring others to achieve common goals (Avolio & Bass, 2004). While transformational leadership promotes high morale and commitment, over-reliance on charismatic influence may lead to inconsistent application if not balanced with transactional practices. To enhance leadership effectiveness, incorporating more structured feedback and accountability mechanisms could improve performance consistency and team development.
References
- Avolio, B. J., & Bass, B. M. (2004). Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. Mind Garden.
- Bass, B. M., & Bass, R. (2008). The Bass Handbook of Leadership: Theory, Research, and Managerial Applications. Free Press.
- Daft, R. L. (2015). Organization Theory and Design (12th ed.). Cengage Learning.
- Govaerts, N., Kyndt, E., Dochy, F., & Baert, H. (2011). Influence of learning and working climate on teachers’ professional development. European Journal of Teacher Education, 34(4), 467-485.
- Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice (8th ed.). Sage Publications.
- Robbins, S. P., & Coulter, M. (2018). Management (14th ed.). Pearson.