Case Study 1: Leadership that Gets Results
Introduction
Leadership can refer both to the process of leading, and to those entities that do the leading. Leadership has been a central, and sometimes controversial, topic in the study of organizations. In spite of claims to the contrary, there is substantial evidence that leadership is positively related to a variety of individual and organizational outcomes. Leaders, by their very roles, are responsible for making decisions that help their organizations adapt and succeed in competitive environments. Leaders do not merely impose goals on followers, but work with others to create a shared sense of purpose and direction. The discussions that follow present the impact of leadership in providing competitiveness among organizations analyzing from the leadership style of Meg Whitman of eBay.
Discussion
Leaders primarily work through and with other people. They also help to establish the conditions that enable others to be effective. Leadership is a function more than a role. Although leadership is often invested in – or expected of – persons in positions of formal authority, leadership encompasses a set of functions that may be performed by any different persons in different roles throughout a community.
Leadership comprises the aptitude and ability to inspire and influence the thinking, attitudes, and behavior of other people (1991; 1985; 1989; 1985; 1988). Leadership is a process of social influence in which one person is able to enlist the aid and support of other individuals in the achievement of a common task (1997). Although this specification seems relatively simple, the reality of leadership is very complex. Intrapersonal factors such as ideas and emotions, interact with interpersonal processes (i.e., attraction, communication, influence) to have effects on a dynamic external environment. Each of these aspects brings complexity to the leadership process.
Whether a crisis is instantaneous and unanticipated, or gradual and long-term, effective leadership is what sets one organization apart from its competitors and often even determines it fate. According to (2000), during the challenging times, individuals engage in mutual communication processes that avoid the structure to achieve the performance levels. The difficulty is that most of the people are dealing with the very same fears, anxieties, and uncertainties. All these were considered by Whitman in her strategic management of the employees and staff of eBay along as guided by key corporate values that the company upholds to be able to deal efficiently with their clients and customers. As such, the company was able to gain competitive position in the market as it generated and accumulated sales through management techniques.
Conclusion
Leaders manage and managers lead, but the two activities are not synonymous. Management functions can potentially provide leadership; leadership activities can contribute to managing. As such, managers should be creative as well as discerning when it comes to analyzing and assessing the resources of the company. Developing and evaluating the efficiency of a particular operation strategy will be helpful in maintaining the overall competitiveness of the business organization. In effect, being able to contemplate the factors that will greatly influence the success of the business should be highly considered through objective investigation of the current conditions of the business environment particularly the industry to which the company belongs.
Case Study 2: Fosters Starts the Change Process
Introduction
Change management is basically defined as the formulation and assimilation of change in a methodical process. The major objective of change management is the introduction of innovative means and systems in the work organization. Businesses must normally undergo change in order to evolve to a higher level of for instance, stability, management or production. Appointing a new head officer, for example, can greatly enhance his subordinates based on his management principles and personality. This paper aims to delve into the concept of managing change providing imperative discussion in relation to a case study of Fosters.
Discussion
Organisational change is part of and a result of struggles between contradictory forces, also change management practice is related with endeavouring to manage their competing demands. According to (1994), major change is occurring in most of today’s organisations. The presence of this continuous and overlapping change has become a way of life in the corporate environment. Change continues to shrink today’s global boundaries and push businesses to their competitive limit. (1996) believe that modern organisations passed by the guild structures and as organisations grew larger, skills become increasingly fragmented and specialised and positions become more functionally differentiated. It can be said that organisational change is one of the critical determinants in organisational success and failure (1998).
(2000) provides a very useful framework for thinking about the change process, one which is anchored on problem solving. Managing change is seen as a matter of moving from one state to another, specifically, from the problem state to the solved state. Diagnosis or problem analysis is generally acknowledged as essential. Goals are set and achieved at various levels and in various areas or functions. Ends and means are discussed and related to one another. Careful planning is accompanied by efforts to obtain buy-in, support, and commitment. In the case of Fosters ( 2004), the company has been able to distinguish the constraints that highly affect the competitive position of the organization. The management was able to point out the problem with operational expenses and the declining prices of wine in the market. As such, they were able to conceptualize means of cutting the expenses through critical evaluation of the manufacturing processes and the supply chain management system being employed as well as strategic measures to compete in the pricing strategies of the competitors. Business expansion and alternative business ventures in the form of non-alcoholic products will highly contribute in the impending changes that the organization will undergo. Furthermore, the significant role and initiatives of as new chief executive and leading decision-maker of the company will greatly direct and dictate the fate of the company.
Conclusion
Perhaps the space between the new organization design and implementing it into actuality is the whole coverage of organization change and development. People are adaptive to change. However, certain skills must be present from the initiators of change so as to successfully implement their project. Thus, managers need to have the necessary abilities not only in detecting what needs to be changed but also how to introduce the change effectively.
In this light, effective planning and management of change require careful consideration of the impact of structure change on middle managerial work roles and work satisfaction levels – to maintain their resistance, and maximise their commitment to the containing and accelerating pace of change within the organisation. Business leaders who want to get ahead in today’s marketplace must learn to respond to a growing number of changes in how they structure companies, conduct business, implement technology, and relate to customers and employees.
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