Role of leadership and sustainability in managing organization

Dissertation proposal on Role of Leadership and Sustainability in Managing Organisations.

Running head: ROLE OF LEADERSHIP AND SUSTAINABILITY IN MANAGING
ORGANIZATION – A CASE STUDY ON NORWEGIAN MANUFACTURERS’
PERFORMANCE
ROLE OF LEADERSHIP AND SUSTAINABILITY IN MANAGING
ORGANIZATION
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

1Role of leadership and sustainability in managing organization
Table of Contents
Chapter 1:.........................................................................................................................................3
1.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................3
1.2 Background of the study........................................................................................................3
1.3 Research aim and objective...................................................................................................3
1.4 Research question..................................................................................................................4
1.5 Research issue........................................................................................................................4
1.6 Rationale of the study............................................................................................................4
1.7 Research hypothesis...............................................................................................................4
Chapter 2:.........................................................................................................................................5
2.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................5
2.2 Theories on role of leadership and sustainability..................................................................5
2.3 Models on role of leadership and sustainability....................................................................6
2.4 Theories on Organizational performance..............................................................................7
2.5 Models on Organizational performance................................................................................8
2.6 Summary................................................................................................................................9
Chapter 3:.......................................................................................................................................10
3.1 Introduction..........................................................................................................................10
3.2 Research Philosophy............................................................................................................10
3.3 Research approach...............................................................................................................10

2Role of leadership and sustainability in managing organization
3.4 Research design...................................................................................................................11
3.5 Data collection process........................................................................................................11
3.6 Research method..................................................................................................................12
3.7 Conduction process..............................................................................................................12
3.8 Ethical consideration...........................................................................................................13
3.9 Summary..............................................................................................................................13
Chapter 4:.......................................................................................................................................14
4.1 Expected Outcome...............................................................................................................14
Chapter 5:.......................................................................................................................................15
References:....................................................................................................................................16
Appendix:......................................................................................................................................20

3Role of leadership and sustainability in managing organization
Chapter 1:
1.1 Introduction
Role of leadership and sustainability, leaders’ motivational power and other factors
impact the organizational performance. This research will concentrate into the performance of
the manufacturers in Norwegian and how do they manage their leadership and sustainability
performance.
1.2 Background of the study
This research deals with role of leadership and sustainability in managing the
organizational performance of the Norwegian manufacturers’, as improvement of the
organizational performance is important for the improvement of employees, maintaining
consumer needs and relationship (Cavagnaro and George 2017). This study will reflect the
current situation of different organizations and help the managers of different organizations to
improve their leadership and sustainability style accordingly.
1.3 Research aim and objective
This research paper will concentrate at analyzing main role of leadership and
sustainability in managing organizations performance in Norwegian.
The objective of study are following:
 To critically evaluate the main role of leadership and sustainability development.
 To analyze each factor important to increase the organizational performance.
 To identify the current organizational performance of few organizations.

4Role of leadership and sustainability in managing organization
 To identify the relation between managers’ sustainability and motivation for leadership to
improve firms’ situation.
1.4 Research question
 What is the main role of leadership and sustainability development?
 What are the factors which can influence the increment of organizational performance?
 What is the current organizational performance of few organizations?
 How is the relation between managers’ sustainability and motivation for leadership to
improve firms’ situation?
1.5 Research issue
This research will focus into the issues related to the organizations performance
developed due to lack of some leadership skills. Lack of sustainability skills of the organizations
which can reduce the productivity of the organization (Global Citizen 2020). All these issues are
reflected in the Norwegian manufacturing firms.
1.6 Rationale of this research study
This research paper has focused into main skills of leaders’ motivation and leadership
style applied to the employees to motivate them. The sustainability skills of firm have to manage
sustainability strategies (Strand 2014). Sustainability strategies of the firms indicate their
financial performance properly and improve the organizational performance.
1.7 Research hypothesis
H0: There is a negative impact of leadership and sustainability in organizational performance.
H1: There is a positive impact of leadership and sustainability in organizational performance.

5Role of leadership and sustainability in managing organization
Chapter 2:
2.1 Introduction
In this section of research paper, estimated dependent variables are actually the controls
to leadership, strategy, value creation of the manufacturing firms’, impact of the initiatives takes
by leaders, income growth of the employees and organization and the return on their assets.
Independent variable is the performance of the organization (iEduNote.com 2020). During the
research of this study, many literature reviews based on the role of leadership and sustainability
for the organizational performance will be analyzed properly for a better understanding and
apply the theories into a model to come up with a conclusion (Smallbusiness.chron.com 2020).
2.2 Theories on role of leadership and sustainability
Ryan and Deci’s motivational factors
According to Ryan and Deci, motivation of the employees depends upon the guidance
which is provided by their leaders. Implementing different leadership skills is very important for
the organizational performance as it helps to improve the productivity of the employees. The
main activity and aim of the leaders must be focused into one fact that the activities must be
customized according to the need of the employees and their improvement (Ryan and Deci
2008). This will help the leaders to better understand their employees and fulfill their
expectations from the organization.
Refer to appendix figure 1:

6Role of leadership and sustainability in managing organization
Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory
This organizational theory has suggested that many factors of the organization have
helped to improve the motivation of employees and their job satisfaction. Thus it can be said that
the leadership of the employers has positively affected the employees motivation which in return
have increased the productivity if the organizational performance. According to the managers,
the employees needs to increase their focus more towards the employees needs and to increase
the responsibility, self-realization and status of their employees. Managers act the main role here
and make sure that the key responsibilities and development of the organization is working on a
good condition (Ariani 2013). Some relatable policies, supervisions, procedures and great
working conditions are the main factors which makes the organizational performance better. This
theory have suggested that the managers should try to keep a balance between all the factors and
develop their leadership and sustainability skill to increase the organizational performance.
Refer to appendix figure 2:
2.3 Models on role of leadership and sustainability
Four Framework Approach
According to Bolman and Deal during 1991, they have stated that leaders of every
organization should display four leadership behaviors for the betterment of organizational
performance. Those frameworks are related to Political framework, Human resource framework,
Symbolic Framework and Structural framework (GreenBiz 2020). The model suggests that
leaders of the organization generally operates in only one of the four categories and sometimes it
is noted that one of the framework can be more or less important in specific situations. Anyone
of the style can be effective for the given situation (Skills-universe.com 2020). It is suggested by

7Role of leadership and sustainability in managing organization
Bolman and Deal that leaders must not only rely on just one framework, rather they must involve
two or more frameworks into their skills and work so that a specific situation can be handled
with a mixture of frameworks.
Refer to appendix figure 3:
Three-legged Stool
This is the most common model of sustainability which holds the triad of environment,
economic and social responsibility of an organization to balance their performance and the
productivity (Oxfordreference.com 2020). It is suggested that the organization must maintain the
intersection of the overlapping circles of economic, society and environmental needs of the
organization. This will help the organization to sustain into the market for longer period and also
to increase their organization’s performance.
Refer to appendix figure 4 and 5:
2.4 Theories on Organizational performance
A lot of theories are available regarding the organizational performance which will help
the managers of every organization to manage and balance the performance level of the
organization. One of the common theory is discussed below:
Goal-setting theory
In this theory which is proposed by Edwin Locke during 1968, it is stated that if every
employee of the organization is individually motivated then it is possible that the organizational
goal can be achieved easily without any hassle. The employees’ motivation is interlinked with
the organizational performance. If the employee is not motivated then he will not work harder

8Role of leadership and sustainability in managing organization
and productively which will affect the organizational performance. Hence, it is very important
for the managers to motivate their employees so that they work productively. The higher quality
of performance of their employees would affect the organizational performance as well.
2.5 Models on Organizational performance
The Bruke & Litwin model
The casual model or the Bruke & Litwin model for organizational performance links a
connection between the organizational performances with the internal as well as external factors
of the organization. Hence, it is very useful to measure the labor effectiveness with the
organizational performance. Labor effectiveness is interlinked with the proper leadership and the
sustainability of the organization. If the leadership skill of the supervisors or leaders and the
sustainability of the organization are better, then it will result into better productivity of the
labors and the organizational performance will automatically increase. This model will assist the
managers of the organization to analyze and evaluate the organizational plans so that they can
manage the changes going in the organization and evaluate the cause-and-effect relationship
between the both outcomes (Borman and Motowidlo 2014).
This model supports 12 kinds of organizational dimensions like External environment,
mission and strategy, organizational culture, leadership, structure, systems, management
practices, work unit climate, individual values and needs, task and individual skills,
organizational & individual performance and motivation. This model is also useful to further
distinguish the transactional and transformational dynamics of that specific organization. Hence,
this model states that if the employees of that organization are productive and highly motivated
then the organizational performance will automatically increase. It is one of the commonly used

9Role of leadership and sustainability in managing organization
models for measuring the organizational performance of any firm in an easy and effective way
possible.
Refer to appendix figure 6:
2.6 Summary
From the above discussion of the literature review, many theories and models are
obtained on role of leadership and sustainability of organizational performance. The models and
theories on role of leadership and sustainability such as four framework approach and three
legged stool will help the managers to understand the concept in an elaborative manner. Ryan
and Deci’s motivational factors help the leaders to understand their employee’s expectations and
Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory helps the leaders to increase their employee’s motivation and
productivity (Smallbusiness.chron.com 2020). The theories and model of organizational
performance like the Bruke & Litwin model will help the managers to measure the link between
the employee’s performance and the organizational performance (Market Business News
2020). Goal-setting theory of the organizational performance has stated that it is very important
to keep in mind that the performances of the employees are indirectly linked with the
organizational performance. In all the theories and models, the leaders of the organizations are
provided with a lot of theories and models which will help them to increase the organizational
performance and maintain the employee’s expectation from the organization which will motivate
them to work there.

10Role of leadership and sustainability in managing organization
Chapter 3:
3.1 Introduction
This section of research paper will focus into some methods and techniques which will be
used for the purpose of coming into some outcome. This chapter will mainly concentrate into the
research philosophy, research design, method of data collection, sampling method, and sample
size and then the ethical consideration for carrying out a successful research regarding the topic
and come up with a better conclusion to help the managers of the organization.
3.2 Research Philosophy
The researchers have used positivism research philosophy from the beginning till the end
of this research paper. Positivism research philosophy helps the researchers to carry out the
research activities in a planned way and highly effective & structured way (Wang, Van Wart and
Lebredo 2014). This is very useful because the researchers can easily analyze and evaluate the
raw data gathered from the large sample size and then extract the required information from the
authentic source. A researcher does not feel clumsy in between the activity while handling such
huge amount of information for concluding a very effective outcome from the research activity at
last (Metcalf and Benn 2013).
3.3 Research approach
For this research study, deductive research approach will be used by the researchers
because it is popularly used by many famous researchers and it will help the researchers to get a
authentic reason from generic to the specific. This research approach also helps the researchers
to get a theoretical framework and also test them by concluding an authentic outcome. Deduction

11Role of leadership and sustainability in managing organization
from the general perspective is very useful for reasoning and analyzing some theories. The
conclusion drawn from the research will be logically and analytically correct. The observation
through the statistical testing of all hypotheses will be correct and authentic as well.
3.4 Research design
For the purpose of research study the researchers have chosen to use the descriptive
research design. This design seeks to describe properly the present status if the identified
variable. This research project will provide systematic and well structured information regarding
that phenomenon. Here, the researchers will at first collect the required amount of data and then
develop a hypotheses for testing (Kurucz et al. 2017). The synthesis and the analysis of the data
will provide proper testing of the hypotheses. Systematic and structured collection of the
information will help this research paper to analyze the hypotheses properly and conclude an
authentic outcome also.
3.5 Process of data collection
For the purpose of this paper the researchers will use secondary research. The annual
reports of different manufacturing firms of Norwegian will be used to get an estimate of their
leadership and sustainability role into their organization and ho their organization is performing
after implementation of that concept. This allow the researchers to get an idea about the
techniques of leadership and sustainability that are being used in that specific manufacturing firm
and how these are benefitting the organization by improving their performance (Gunasekaran et
al. 2017). This will help the researchers to collect data easily and then analyze them properly to
conclude an effect.

12Role of leadership and sustainability in managing organization
3.6 Research method
Basically secondary research includes a lot different types of data collection methods like
internet, non-government and government agencies, public libraries, educational institutions and
many commercial informative sources. Researchers for this study can utilize different data
collection methods for finding out the leadership and sustainability roles in different
manufacturing firms of Norwegian (Bendell and Little 2015). The firms tends to disclose their
leadership and sustainability information into their annual report, any news regarding the
operations and productivity, their official webpage to attract shareholders and etc. all the
resources needs to be authentic and trusted so that any information extracted from them can be
used properly for the purpose of the analysis. This method is useful because researchers can
extract and gather only those which will be useful for their study (Choudhary, Akhtar and Zaheer
2013). This method is also quick and hence due to time constraint secondary method can be very
useful for the researchers to come up with an authentic conclusion.
3.7 Conduction process
Here the researchers at first will identify the exact topic and the need of it. This will help
the researchers to identify the sources of research form where authentic data will be found like
the annual report and different news regarding the organizational performance of the
manufacturing sector in Norwegian. Researchers will gather the exact information from their and
how the firms’ performance have improved or not. The analysis will take place after the
collection of data and then a proper conclusion will be drawn which will be helpful for the
managers of the firms to increase their organizational performance (Noruzy et al. 2013).

13Role of leadership and sustainability in managing organization
3.8 Ethical consideration
There are some ethical considerations which the researchers must keep in mind while
doing this research study. Every ethical consideration are maintained during conduction of this
study like taking permission from different required manufacturing firms of Norwegian and
keeping in mind to not disclose any private information of the firms (Market Business News
2020). Data and information are collected without hurting any employees or violating any rules.
The privacy of every manufacturing company is fully maintained by the researchers during
collection of data and posting the analyzed result into the conclusion part. The researches have to
maintain the ethical consideration (Carter and Greer 2013).
3.9 Summary
The methodology section of the research study have described different methods which
will be helpful to conduct this research successfully. In order to complete this research, the
positivism research philosophy has been used by the researchers. Deductive approach will be
helpful for this research work as it will be helpful for the researchers. For the research design
section, descriptive research design is used by the researchers for this study. The qualitative and
quantitative research analysis will be carried out by the researchers and secondary method will
be used by them. Different techniques under secondary research method is used by the
researchers like the information available from annual reports of manufacturing firms and the
newspaper articles regarding the operations and productions. The data and information gathered
from the authentic and trusted sources will be further analyzed by the researchers and the role of
leadership and sustainability will be concluded over organizational performance.

14Role of leadership and sustainability in managing organization
Chapter 4:
4.1 Expected Outcome
After all the analysis section, the next step is to state an expected outcome of the research
paper regarding the research topic. As this research involves the quantitative as well as
qualitative analysis the information from the secondary source is analyzed properly to get an idea
regarding the impact of leadership and sustainability into the organizational performance. Proper
technique is used under secondary method to get authentic data and information from the trusted
sources. All the gathered information from the manufacturing firms of Norwegian is considered
while evaluating the result. A descriptive analysis will be performed by the researchers to
properly analyze the collected data from the secondary source and the help of literature reviews
theories.
The expected outcome of this research paper states that the research paper shows a
positive relation between the main role of leadership and sustainability in managing
organization. Hence, it supports the alternative hypotheses and rejects the Null hypotheses
(Dobre 2013). Therefore, it can be clearly stated that different and innovative styles of
leadership, leaders’ motivation, employees’ motivation, relationship between the leader and the
employees, productivity of the employees have a direct relation with the organizational
performance. If the employees are not motivated enough or they do not have a good relation with
their supervisor or leader then it will negatively affect the organizational productivity. If the
employees’ needs are properly fulfilled by the leaders and the organization then employees will
be motivated and it will reflect in the organizational performance also.

15Role of leadership and sustainability in managing organization

16Role of leadership and sustainability in managing organization
Chapter 5:
Form the above analysis of the research paper, it can be inferred that alternative
hypotheses is accepted by the researchers and the null hypotheses is rejected accordingly. This
statement proves that there is a positive or direct relation between the role of leadership and
sustainability of the organization with the organizational performance. The managers of the
manufacturing firms of Norwegian are suggested to properly motivate and strategically fulfill the
needs of the employees so that it positively reflects into the organizational performance. The
higher the satisfaction of the employees, higher will be the organizational performance into the
market. Therefore, the organizational performance increase with the increase in the techniques of
leadership and sustainability because it will increase the employees trust over the firm and their
loyalty towards the firm. To keep the organizational performance high, it is suggested to keep the
employees satisfied first with some strategic sustainability measures into the system.

17Role of leadership and sustainability in managing organization
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19Role of leadership and sustainability in managing organization
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21Role of leadership and sustainability in managing organization
Appendix:
1. Ryan and Deci’s motivational factors
Figure 1: Ryan and Deci’s motivational factors
(Source: Ryan and Deci 2008)
2. Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory
Figure 2: Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory
(Source: Ariani 2013)

22Role of leadership and sustainability in managing organization

23Role of leadership and sustainability in managing organization
3. Four Framework Approach
Figure: Four Framework Approach
(Source: Skills-universe.com)
4. Three-legged Stool
Figure: Three-legged Stool
Source: (Oxfordreference.com)

24Role of leadership and sustainability in managing organization
5. Three-legged Stool
Figure: Three-legged Stool
Source: (Oxfordreference.com)
6. The Bruke & Litwin model
Figure: The Bruke & Litwin model
Source: (Borma and Motowidlo 2014)