John Highfield Company and Puck Stop.

Essay by lilylilyUniversity, Bachelor'sA+, June 2003

download word file, 13 pages 3.6

Downloaded 111 times

Leadership

Leadership has a strong influence on the effectiveness of organizations. Improper leadership is the key factor for the Furniture and Appliances department of the Highfield's failure.

Developmental leadership involves working with organizational members as partners and using persuasion and negotiation rather than formal power and authority to achieve high levels of commitment rather than compliance. Power can be used pro-socially and it can be used capriciously. In Highfield, Broadbent abuses his power to control his staffs. He wants his subordinates to comply. He treats leadership as a form of control in which he use his formal authority and power to command and control the behaviour of his followers. He is compared to a "prison guard" by the staffs. He tries to control staffs and impose certain restrictions upon them, such as prohibition of personal phone calls. Furthermore, if any work is done for any of the other supervisors without Broadbent's prior approval, then the staffs concerned will be penalized.

As a result, there are many complaints within the department. The staffs find their jobs very disorganized and frustrating, and the department does not run as efficiently as it should. Actually, the fact that power can be used should not blind leader to the fact that it is necessary for organizations to function. Excellent leaders use their power to build up their organizations, develop their people, and make them successful.

An important component of developmental leadership is Leader member exchange theory. Leader member exchange theory is focuses on the quality of the relationship that develops between a leader and an employee. Unfortunately, in the Highfield, Broadbent yells at a female staff in front of customers and other staffs causing her to end up in tears in the stock room and never tries to comfort or apologize to her. In...