Leadership Theories and Practices in Business

This assignment provides an analysis of leadership theories and practices in a business context. It highlights strengths and weaknesses of trait and situational approaches adopted by grocery and check-out departments. The assignment also references various books, journals, and online resources that discuss leadership theories and practices.

Understanding People in
Organisation

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
In an organisation people come together in order to achieve personal and collective goals
(Avolio and Walumbwa, 2014). For achieving these goals, they use various resources and work
processes. Thus, management is termed as responsible for coordinating resources and activities
of production across organisation. There is a need of proper understanding between employees in
an enterprise. In the following report, Super brands are been taken into consideration. It
publishes surveys that is related to brands. It also includes brand-focused books and publications.
MAIN BODY
Week 2
The approaches that were applied by stockington branch in checkout department did not
work (Chemers, 2014). So these principles has to be applied that leads in building relationship
between workers and management-
Principles of scientific management
 Development of science for each part of men job- The suggestion of this principle is
that the company must observe the work that has been assigned to every member. This
also means that odd rule of thumb is replaced by use of method of enquiry, investigation,
data collection, analysis and framing of rules. Thus, rule of thumb is defined as the
decision that has been taken by manager in terms of their own judgement. This will help
the organisation in order to save time as well as human energy. In addition to this,
decisions should be made as per the enquiry that is scientific along with cause and effect
relationship.
 Harmony, not discord- It was emphasized by author that there must be a presence of
harmony between workers and management. Thus, if there occurs any type of conflict
then, there would be lack of benefits for management and workers of Stoking-ton store.
The superior and subordinates of the store must realise the importance of each other.
Management of the store must be ready in order to share gains of company with the
workers so that they can put their full effort that leads in achieving long term goals. The
understanding between the people in stoking-ton store is very important as this leads
them in feeling that they are a part of the organisation. Thus, it later leads in achieving
high efforts from employees and would lead to high volume of profits.
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 Mental Revolution- this principle involves change in attitude of workers and manager
towards each other. They must have common aim of achieving high profits. There must
be a good communication and perfect share of profits between workers and management
of Stockington store. This will help workers to put maximum efforts in store and earn
high profit.
 Cooperation, Not Individualism- is principle is further extension of principle of
Harmony and also lays stress on mutual corporation. The main intention of this principle
is to replace the competition in checkout department internally must be replaced with
cooperation. Thus, proper division of work is also important and management of
checkout department in Stokington store must guide the employees in such way that it
leads in encouraging workers to work with enthusiasm and achieve long term
profitability.
 Development of each and every person- developing skills and capabilities of every
member involved in checkout department plays significant role as efficiency mainly
depends on it. Thus, the company must provide proper and effective training to workers
that would lead in learning the best method that has been developed through scientific
approach. This means that work that is assigned to each members should suit physical,
mental and intellectual capabilities. This helps ultimately in order to attain efficiency for
the organisation. The manager of HR observed that training session that was undertaken
for new staffs worked. This helps them in performing the task allocated to them in
accurate manner.
Advantage of principles of scientific management in terms of employer
 This principle provides trained minds that helps in achieving high degree of excellence.
In various branches.
 Selection of employees and training is in scientific way that leads in better workforce
which later ensures increase in efficiency.
 The old system of management rule of thumb is being replaced with new scientific
method.
Advantage of principles of scientific management in terms of employee
 It aims in standardizing materials, tools, equipments and methods.
 Reduction of production cost
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 Harmonious relationship is maintained between workers and management.
Disadvantages of scientific management in employer point of view
 It is a costly affair and structure is expensive to a great extent.
 It is unsuitable for small firms as it is very much expensive so they can't afford it.
 If the workers failed to respond in favourable manner, then this system may fail in order
to bring desired results.
Disadvantages of scientific management in employee point of view
 It tends to be unfair for workers.
 The issues that is dominant of wages and working conditions are determined
scientifically. There is absence of non-financial incentives. Thus, it has been analysed that non-financial
incentives do many more things as compared to financial incentives.
WEEK 4
Personality testing is a procedure that helps in measuring characteristics of applicants that relates
to job performance in the future (Chen and Wang, 2018). Super-brands adopted big five
personality tests that includes the following-
 Openness- in this test people those who like learning new things and enjoy the upcoming
experiences score maximum in this test.
 Conscientiousness- people those who have conscientiousness of high degree are reliable
and prompt. This involves the quality of being organised, methodic and thorough.
 Extraversion- Extroverts are those people who get their energy with help of interaction
that is done with others. This includes qualities of energetic, talkative and assertive.
 Agreeableness- these type of individual have friendly nature. They are also cooperative
and compassionate. In these qualities involved are being kind, affectionate and also
sympathetic.
 Neuroticism- it is also known as Emotional stability. The person who experience
emotional instability and negative emotions score high in this test.
Thus, it leads to disappointment as super-brands has to spend lots of resources including fund
and time for developing the process of recruitment in order to ensure that staffs are happy with
their as they are given the task that suits their personality in effective manner.
Wrong with the test
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There occurs the confusion in scoring the test. The main reason is semantics. The scores
and skills of personality test has the same name that includes analysis, teamwork, drive and so
forth (Child, 2015). This creates confusion between self descriptions and skills. In addition to
this, the other reason is that confusion is caused mainly due to examining the wrong population.
Furthermore, some candidates contains the lie scales that leads in identifying fake
responses. All applicants are not totally honest. Some users claim that the scores that have been
earned by individual in personality test uses it for information only rather than decision making.
This leads to wastage of idea regarding test along with money and time.
In this personality test that was undertaken in stores of super-brands, there involves
maximum disadvantages as compared to advantages. This is discussed as per below.
Advantages
 This type of test may result in lower turnover of employees because the applicants are
selected for test are correlated highly with employees having high longevity in the stores.
 It can reveal maximum information regarding skills and interests of applicants.
 It can identify interpersonal traits that is needed in terms of certain jobs.
Disadvantages
 It becomes difficult in order to measure the traits of an individual that is not defined well.
 The training and experience may have huge impact on the job performance rather than
personality of applicants.
 There is also lack of diversity if applicants that have been selected have some personality
traits.
 The major disadvantage is that there is lack of evidence in order to support validity of
using personality traits.
Thus, from above result it can be argued that this big five personality test that has been adopted
by store of superbrands have majority of disadvantages rather than advantages. They must have
not wasted money and time on this test. Instead of this they should have adopted any other test
like questionnaire that would have helped them in hiring staffs with high skills and talents in
terms of work. The test must be based as per the efficiency of a particular worker that would help
the brand to achieve high volume of profit and long term success.
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Personality test plays significant role in order to manage people that are existed in the
store or hiring new staffs. The skills that has been categorised due to this test will help in
learning about others reactions towards something in a particular environment.
WEEK 5
The comparison of characteristics of grocery department and night shift team has been discussed
as per below table.
Bases of comparison Grocery store team Night shift team
1. Number of employees There are small number of
employees involved in this
team.
This also involves limited
number of workers.
2. Problems faced This teams don't have to face
maximum problems (Wellin,
2016). As it is the work done
in day time.
The members that are involved
in this team of night shift has
to face large number of
problems as compared to
grocery store.
3. Area of problem This team had a problem of
stock that is out of date that
has to be thrown away by the
stocking-ton store. It was then
termed as wastage.
This team has to complete
their delivery of product
before opening of a store at 7
am.
4. Employee turnover There is less amount of
employee turnover as
compared to night shift team.
The employee turnover is in
great extent. Thus, it creates
difficulty to work in a team of
night shift staffs.
5. Wastage They have to suffer the
wastage that mainly occurs
because of the people working
in a night shift team.
These people forget the frozen
food trolley outside the store
that lead to wastage and it has
to be further maintained by the
staff working in grocery teams.
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6. Members involved The members that are involved
in grocery team of stocking-
ton store are full-time
members.
In this team there is
involvement of both full-time
and part-time members.
Thus, from this comparison it has been analysed that all these problems that has been
faced by both the departments has to face number of challenges in terms of job satisfaction (Dinh
and et.al., 2014). The wastage that has been introduced by nightshift department has to settled
out by grocery department that brings them dissatisfaction in terms of their position in jobs.
Furthermore, this dissatisfaction leads to employee turnover and lack of profitability.
The workers that are working in night shits are associated with high risk of cancers, heart
disease, ulcers and obesity (Thompson and Glasø, 2018). Thus, they must provide with various
facilities that helps in decreasing employee turnover. The recommendations for this has been
discussed as per below context
Recommendations
 Show appreciation to the workers of the store under super-brands as they often feel cut
off from the day to day activities that has been undertaken by the company.
 They must also provide hand weights and many other options for others who prefer light
workouts.
 They must provide with work environment that promotes them with good health.
 They must consistent remind the workers of night-shift department that their performance
is being valued by management.
 They must try to talk to the specialised consultant in regards to solve a problem that
comes in unique manner to the environments in night shift.
 The management must also avoid rotation of shift in frequent manner.
 They must also provide the workers with particular area where they can decompress their
stress and loads during breaks. They must also provide with suitable lighting and comfortable seating and also provide
with area that may help them who want to take a quick nap.
WEEK 6
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Learning theories is termed as conceptual frameworks that decides the absorption,
process and retaining of knowledge during the process of learning (Liaw and Huang, 2016).
Thus, these theories has been discussed as per below context-
 Behaviourism- This theory of learning mainly focuses on behaviour that are objectively
observable and also discounts any independent activities of mind (Stone and et.al., 2018).
It is the approach the understands the behaviour of human beings and other animals in
systematic way. It is termed as a world view that assumes that a learner is an essentially
passive that response to environmental stimuli. This theory is learning as nothing more
than acquisition of new behaviour that is mainly based on the conditions of the
environment.
 Cognitivism- The use of this theory is to explain mental processes as the individual that is
involved is influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. This brings learning out of
an individual. There is no requirement of an outward exhibition of learning but its focus
is more on internal process and connections that takes place while learning. The
contemporary research links it in order to view that people are processing information as
similar as computers do as per the rules that has been specified.
 Constructivism- This theory is basically based on observation and scientific study about
learning of people. It has been also said that people are constructing understanding and
knowledge of the whole world on their own. This is done with help of experience that has
derived from things and also due to reflection on the experiences. This theory influences
number of disciplines that includes psychology, sociology, education and history of
science.
 Experimentalism- In this theory of learning, it has been believed that there is constant
change in terms of things. This theory is based on the view that reality is that which
works in present and this goodness of reality comes basically from decisions that has
been made by the group. Experimentalism theory is also termed as experiments and
empiricism makes the way towards the truth.
 Social learning- This theory is based on learning and social behaviour that proposes new
behaviour which can be further acquired by observing and imitating others (Siemens,
2014). Thus, it has been stated that learning is a cognitive process that is taking place in
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social context and which can purely occur through observation and direct instruction even
if there is an absence reproduction of motor or direct reinforcement.
Recommendations on TWO approaches
Cognitivism
 They must maintain coordination of procedural planning- this includes plans of details for
practically implementing as blueprint, participant grouping, instructor competencies,
supervision, etc.
 They must also activate prior knowledge by developing the activity of small group that is
designed in order to activate the prior knowledge of cognitivism learning.
 They must also foster reflection in extensive manner by the participants on the
performance.
 To enhance the cognitivism learning theory, superbrands will have to create list of
examples and also classify types of processes or events.
 The brand must also construct graph in order to illustrate certain information. Thus, this
will lead to workers in understanding the process easily and grab information in
appropriate manner.
Social learning
 They must also collect feedback on regular basis that will leads them in understanding
about the enhancement of knowledge between the workers that are involved.
 They must also try to know that the employees involved are either engaged towards the
approach or its just a waste of resources. As social learning is done mainly by observing and imitating others, so the stores under
super-brand must understand effectiveness of employee engagement towards the
workplace. This will help them in growing knowledge and skills easily with help of
social learning theory.
WEEK 8
Leadership is termed as someone who has number of followers. Thus, to gain the
followers the leaders requires influence (McCleskey, 2014). That main aim of leadership is to
focus on individuality capability. It is also termed as an art in order to motivate group of peoples
to achieve common goal.
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It has been analysed that checkout manager of stockington store of super-brands adopts
trait approach and grocery manager adopts situational approach (Northouse, 2018). Thus, the
comparison between adoption of two approaches by checkout manager and grocery manager has
been discussed as per below table-
Bases of comparison Trait leadership (checkout
manager)
Situational leadership
(grocery manager)
Meaning The base of this approach is to
study personality of a human
in deep.
The base of this approach is
that different demand arises in
different situation.
Views leadership This views leadership with the
helps of lens of nature
perspective.
This views leadership with
nurture perspective.
Assumption Trait theory thinks that the
skills in individual cannot be
acquired. It is in born.
Situational leadership
approach feels that something
opposite to trait approach. It
assumes that different styles is
better in different situation.
Trait approach of leadership
Strengths Weakness
 It supports image that is general in
society.
 It has tradition of long research and
significant body of research data that
supports this research.
 This approach focuses on leader and it
also analyses the components in
thorough manner.
 People those who want to be a leader or
who are playing role of leader in
 It concentrates only on qualities of a
person rather than the environment in
which they have to be applied.
 It assumes that leadership is inborn
quality which cannot be acquired in the
future.
 There is lack of objective criteria in this
theory.
 People might mislead in thinking that
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present can access and learn from
advantages and disadvantages of
certain traits in a setting of leadership.
leaders have core traits of theory.
Situational approach of leadership
Strengths Weakness
 It is very much practical and easy to
understand. It can also easily applied in
different situations.
 It helps in reminding leaders about
treating each subordinate and also seek
opportunities that help subordinates in
order to learn new skills and become
confident in terms of their work.
 It has value of perspective about what
has to be done or not done in different
situations.
 There are lack of study that is related to
research and which is conducted in
order to justify assumptions.
 This shifts the attention away from long
term goals and objectives because it
can create too much emphasis on
immediate needs.
 There is lack of guidelines for group
settings as compared to one to one
situations.
WEEK 9
The manager of early morning work complained about their finding of incomplete
delivery in frequent manner (Rahim, 2017). They also find that the trolleys full with frozen foods
are been left outside full night. This creates huge wastage of foods that has to be managed by the
workers in morning shift. Thus, this creates the major conflicts between both the teams. The
team that is working in morning shift complained about this to the HR manager. Later the
manager tried to solve this problem by managing their team and give them proper training with
help of friendly and laid back approach. This has been explained as per below context-
Laid back approach
Laid back is that approach that helps the manager to take things back in stride without
getting stressed (Ross and Blachman, 2015). It also means to behave in calm or relaxed way.
Thus, the approach has been discussed in following description-
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 Watch for warning signs- warning signs are that which indicates that conflict is going to
take place in workplace (How to Defuse a Workplace Conflict, 2018). This warning signs
can be in the form of co workers conversational jabs, sarcasm, subtle rudeness and
passive or aggressive behaviour in terms of forgetting that task which has been allocated
to them. When the manager sees this kind of behaviour, they must quickly take some
action to defuse this explosion.
 Starting friendly conversation- The manager tried to behave friendly with his co workers
in night shift department even if they feel irritated and angry at their behaviour. They
must talk with that employee in effective manner this results in reducing conflict and
work with unity. This further leads in high term productivity and less wastage of raw
materials or foods.
 Listening to person- The manager of night shift department must listen carefully with full
attention and concentration to the person or staff who is trying to explain their problem or
situation. The manager must try to keep themselves calm, as it will help them in listening
to problems and find possible solutions easily.
 Echo what have been heard- The manager must understand what other wants to say and
then say what they want to. This will make them feel free in order to share their vies. This
later leads in achieving good solutions for problems that cause conflicts.
 Admit, when wrong- If manager feels that they are wrong then they must not backward
their step in admitting about it in front of their workers. This will help them to reduce
conflicts by making the employees to analyse clear picture of the misunderstandings.
 Expressing own ideas in resolving conflict- After listening to everyone's view in accurate
manner, they have to express own ideas which is entirely appropriate (Salehzadeh,
Shahin, Kazemi and Shaemi Barzoki, 2015). The managers also make advice addictive to
employees working in night shift team rather than opposing them.
 Come to agreement on next steps- manager of night shifts has to work with other person
in order to come up with a plan of action that leads them in helping with resolving the
issues that creates huge conflict at workplace. This step plays critical role in process of
resolving conflicts because this helps them in fixing problem instead of making them
more worse.
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CONCLUSION
From the above assignment, it has been concluded that whole repost is based on a case
study and scientific management plays critical role in order to manage the work in the
Stockington store in superbrands. Thus, comparison is also been done in order to analyse impact
of their characteristics on job satisfaction of workers in Grocery team and nigh shift team. In
addition to this, it has also been analysed that learning is very much important in a business with
help of learning theories. This assignment also highlights on strengths and weakness of trait and
situational approach that has been adopted by grocery and check out departments.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journal
Avolio, B.J. and Walumbwa, F.O., 2014. Authentic leadership theory, research and practice.
In The Oxford Handbook of Leadership and Organizations.
Chemers, M., 2014. An integrative theory of leadership. Psychology Press.
Chen, Y.C. and Wang, Y.J., 2018. Application and development of the people capability
maturity model level of an organisation. Total Quality Management & Business
Excellence. 29(3-4). pp.329-345.
Child, J., 2015. Organization: contemporary principles and practice. John Wiley & Sons.
Dinh, J.E. and et.al., 2014. Leadership theory and research in the new millennium: Current
theoretical trends and changing perspectives. The Leadership Quarterly. 25(1). pp.36-62.
Liaw, S.S. and Huang, H.M., 2016. Investigating learner attitudes toward e-books as learning
tools: based on the activity theory approach. Interactive Learning Environments. 24(3).
pp.625-643.
McCleskey, J.A., 2014. Situational, transformational, and transactional leadership and leadership
development. Journal of Business Studies Quarterly. 5(4). p.117.
Northouse, P.G., 2018. Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications.
Rahim, M.A., 2017. Managing conflict in organizations. Routledge.
Ross, A.C. and Blachman, M.J., 2015. An authoritative review of the major frameworks
assessing leadership theory and practice.
Salehzadeh, R., Shahin, A., Kazemi, A. and Shaemi Barzoki, A., 2015. Proposing a new
approach for evaluating the situational leadership theory based on the Kano model: The
case of university students. International Journal of Public Leadership. 11(1). pp.4-20.
Siemens, G., 2014. Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age.
Stone, R.T. and et.al., 2018, September. The Impact of Scientific Management Principles on
Food Hub. In Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual
Meeting (Vol. 62, No. 1, pp. 1454-1458). Sage CA: Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications.
Thompson, G. and Glasø, L., 2018. Situational leadership theory: a test from a leader-follower
congruence approach. Leadership & Organization Development Journal.
Wellin, M., 2016. Managing the psychological contract: Using the personal deal to increase
business performance. Routledge.
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Online
How to Defuse a Workplace Conflict. 2018. [Online] Available through:
<https://www.inc.com/kimberly-weisul/why-women-entrepreneurs-think-mba-even-when-
they-dont.html>
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