IRBM 2: An Assessment of Leadership Challenges at Telstra, Australia

This project, an assessment of leadership challenges in leading organizational performance at Telstra, Australia, explores the critical role of leadership in achieving company goals. It addresses the importance of leadership styles, particularly transformational leadership, in enhancing organizational performance. The research formulates key research questions concerning leadership challenges and organizational performance, identifies challenges faced by leaders, and proposes strategies to overcome these challenges. The methodology includes a mixed research design with a survey through questionnaires. The project covers the literature review, research methodology, data analysis, and ethical considerations. The project also outlines the research philosophy, design, strategy, data collection methods, sampling, and data analysis methods, ensuring the study's validity and reliability. The findings are presented with recommendations for improvement. The project aims to provide valuable insights into improving organizational performance through effective leadership strategies.

Running head: IRBM
An assessment of Leadership Challenges in Leading Organizational Performance: A case
study of Telstra, Australia

IRBM 2
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Literature review..............................................................................................................................5
Research methodology.....................................................................................................................7
Research philosophy and approach..............................................................................................7
Research design............................................................................................................................8
Research strategy.........................................................................................................................8
Data collection method................................................................................................................8
Sampling......................................................................................................................................9
Data analysis method...................................................................................................................9
Ethical consideration....................................................................................................................9
References......................................................................................................................................10

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Introduction
The aim of the company is to sustain and survive its availability by enhancing performance. As
per the opinion of Shanafelt & Noseworthy (2017), with the intention of completing the
requirements of highly rivalry markets, the company should improve their performance. The role
of leadership is significant to attain the performance of the company. In contrast to this, it is
considered that the success of a company is attributable to company performance, employee
affective commitment, as well as, job satisfaction.
Previous investigations have recommended that a leader motivates and supports their workforces
by practicing significant leadership styles to be competitive. As a result, because of promoting
standards of quality into the professional development of workforces of the company, the leader
should practice significant leadership styles. There are several investigations on leadership styles
that propose transformational leadership has a favorable impact on organizational performance
(Breevaart, et. al., 2016). This research is conducted with the aim of assessing the leadership
challenges in leading organizational performance with reference to Telstra, Australia.
Formulation of a research question(s)
RQ1: What is conceptual and theoretical understanding regarding leadership challenges and
organizational performance?
RQ2: What are the challenges faced by a leader to lead the organizational performance?
RQ3: Which strategies could be used to overcome the leadership challenges for leading the
organizational performance?
Hypotheses
Hypothesis 1:

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H0: There is no significant relationship between leadership challenges and organizational
performance
H1: There is a significant relationship between leadership challenges and organizational
performance
Hypothesis 2:
H0: There is no significant relationship between leadership strategy and organizational
performance
H1: There is a significant relationship between leadership strategy and organizational
performance
Directions of research
This paper is organized in the different chapters such as introduction, literature review, research
methodology, data analysis and findings, discussions and conclusion. Chapter one entails
background of research, statement of issue, the purpose of study, objective of study, limitations,
research questions, significance of investigation as well as, an illustration of key terms. Chapter
two demonstrates the reviews about related literature regarding theoretical outline, empirical
investigations as well as, conceptual framework (Black, 2015).
Next chapter demonstrates the research methodology and design, sources of data, the procedure
of data gathering, instruments practiced for data gathering as well as, system for assessing
information. The fourth chapter considers the outcomes and discussion about the results of the
investigation. Chapter five demonstrates the summary regarding findings as well as, a conclusion
with recommendations (DuBois, et. al., 2015).
Nature of the research

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This research is applied in nature. The purpose of using applied research is closely related to the
solution of particular issues. This nature of research would be selected for arriving at a particular
issue they are facing. This is more concerning with external validity (Herman, 2016).
Literature review
Leadership and Organizational Performance
According to Herman (2016), leadership is illustrated as the procedure to persuade the practices
of an organized group with respect to the attainment of the goal. Furthermore, leadership is all
about encouraging others to consider some kinds of purposeful action as evaluated by the leader.
In addition to this, leadership is a reciprocal association among those who select to lead and
those who select to follow. It is identified that leadership is an influence association among
leaders and followers who are intending to make the real transformation that demonstrates their
mutual purposes.
On the other hand Baruah & Ward (2015) stated that organizational performance is a process to
make sure that resources of company are being adequately used in relation to the corporation
goal. Furthermore, organizational performance focuses on actual output or result of the company
as determined against its intended results.
Transformational Theory of Leadership
As per the opinion of Shanker et al. (2017), under transformational theory, leader deals in every
situation as well as, encouraging their followers for accomplishing goals together with,
implement the vision of a group. This kind of leadership demands that leader should visibly
transparent to followers as well as, they are reachable at all times. As per this theory, leader
constantly focuses on new ideas as well as, ways to realize the goals of groups.
The Transactional Theory of Leadership

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In opposed to this, Marques (2015) evaluated that leader is illustrated as competency to reward
those perform effectively and to punish those who do not perform well. Along with this, a leader
should have a particular goal for followers to perform towards the goal. A leader should have the
competency for providing training to train followers to give them the competency to perform
with respect to that goal. In this theory, leaders should assess the performance of followers as
well as, assesses whether it is acceptable. They should have authority for rewarding those
followers who accomplish their objectives as well as, punishes an individual who does not
perform well.
Leadership Challenges in Leading Organizational Performance: a case study of Telstra,
Australia
Inspiring others and developing team members
As per the view of Cooper (2015), the challenge of encouraging others for making sure they are
satisfied with their tasks and ways for motivating workforces to perform smarter. This challenge
is associated with the relationship element of leadership. In addition to this, leaders should
emphasize production and liaisons for developing the best outcomes.
In contrast to this, Imran Ilyas & Aslam (2016) stated that creating managerial effectiveness is
the challenges of creating the feasible competencies like prioritization, strategic thinking,
decision-making, time-management, as well as, getting up to speed with a task to be more
significant at working place. Encouraging others is a challenge for encouraging others for
making sure they are satisfied with their tasks as well as, working smarter.
Strategies to overcome the Leadership Challenges in Leading Organizational Performance:
a case study of Telstra, Australia

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As per the opinion of Cooper (2015), when a team has trust in their leaders then they can save an
unexpected amount of time. In spite of raising the question about delegation efforts, team
members can spend a long time as well as, emphasize on perform at hand. Along with this,
developing trust comes through aim for visibility. Along with this, lack of transparency is
copious in several organizations, though a leader can eliminate that by being very interactive
with their team about responsibilities as well as, expectations.
In opposed to this, Shanker et al. (2017) evaluated that delegation of the task is an immense task
for leaders. In addition to this, allocating tasks to team members that do not fit their
responsibility can offer poor outcomes and inner stress. In addition to this, the failure of
delegation and mindlessly is the ideal of a leader who does not believe their team. When a leader
is uncertain regarding the experience of team member then they should ask them as well as, use
that response while weighing which tasks to allocate.
As per the onion of Baruah & Ward (2015), although some leaders could be tempted to shift
team members in outside of comfort areas, sticking individuals with the task they are not
competent for significantly performing can weaken motivation as well as, come across unfair in
some conditions. Consequently, quality leaders can delegate tasks with foresight and precision as
well as, acknowledging the sets of skill and preferences.
Research methodology
Research philosophy and approach
In this investigation, positivism research philosophy would be selected due to objective nature of
investigation issues. This research philosophy is based on the theoretical assumption regarding
research issue hence it would be selected with the perspective of this investigation. In addition to
this, a deductive approach would be selected in this research due to developing the hypothesis

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about research issues. This approach would be chosen due to its relevancy with the positivism
research philosophy (Herman, 2016).
Research design
Under this investigation, mixed research design would be chosen because it has features of both
qualitative as well as, quantitative research design. Quantitative research design would be
advantageous for obtaining conceptual data about research concern. Furthermore, the
quantitative research design would be beneficial for capturing statistical data in the context of
assessing the leadership challenges in leading the organizational performance (Black, 2015).
Research strategy
In this research, the survey through questionnaire would be applied for obtaining data about
research concerns. It would be advantageous for collecting the real data regarding research
concern. In survey through questionnaire, close-ended questionnaire structure will be practiced
for obtaining real data in less time. Furthermore, survey monkey tool will be used for conducting
the survey about research issues (Breevaart, et. al., 2016).
Data collection method
In this investigation, both primary as well as, secondary data collection technique would be
applied for collecting data about research concerns. Primary data will be beneficial for collecting
fresh and innovative information and it would resultant reliable and valid data. This data is
collected via a survey through questionnaire. In addition to this, secondary data will be
advantageous to capture secondary information through different sources like journal articles,
academic publications, and online websites. It would be beneficial for gathering authentic data
(Shanafelt & Noseworthy, 2017).

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Sampling
Under this research, simple random probability sampling technique will be used for selecting
participants on random basis. It will aid to decline the biasness from the investigation. For this
research, 100 employees would be chosen as sample size through Telstra from different
geographical areas of Australia.
Data analysis method
Statistical data analysis method would be used for analyzing the collected data. In addition to
this, MS-excel software would be implemented for representing the information through
different pie chart and bar graphs. It would aid to understand the information in a
comprehensible way (Black, 2015).
Ethical consideration
Under this investigation, an investigator would keep privacy regarding data of respondents. The
researcher would also ensure that they would not share the participant’s data during and after the
investigation. Along with this, the researcher will provide in-text citation after each paragraph. A
researcher would also emphasize on general data protection act for ethically conduct the
research. It would also avoid the plagiarism issue to ethically meet the investigation (Breevaart,
et. al., 2016).

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References
Baruah, B., & Ward, A. (2015). Metamorphosis of intrapreneurship as an effective
organizational strategy. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 11(4),
811-822.
Black, S. A. (2015). Qualities of effective leadership in higher education. Open Journal of
Leadership, 4(02), 54.
Breevaart, K., Bakker, A. B., Demerouti, E., & Derks, D. (2016). Who takes the lead? A multi‐
source diary study on leadership, work engagement, and job performance. Journal of
Organizational Behavior, 37(3), 309-325.
Cooper, D. (2015). Effective safety leadership: Understanding types & styles that improve safety
performance. Professional Safety, 60(02), 49-53.
DuBois, M., Koch, J., Hanlon, J., Nyatuga, B., & Kerr, N. (2015). Leadership Styles of Effective
Project Managers: Techniques and Traits to Lead High-Performance Teams. Journal of
Economic Development, Management, IT, Finance & Marketing, 7(1).
Herman, R. D. (2016). Executive leadership. The Jossey-Bass handbook of nonprofit leadership
and management, 167.
Imran, M. K., Ilyas, M., & Aslam, U. (2016). Organizational learning through transformational
leadership. The learning organization, 23(4), 232-248.
Marques, J. (2015). The changed leadership landscape: What matters today. Journal of
Management Development, 34(10), 1310-1322.
Shanafelt, T. D., & Noseworthy, J. H. (2017, January). Executive leadership and physician well-
being: nine organizational strategies to promote engagement and reduce burnout. In Mayo
Clinic Proceedings (Vol. 92, No. 1, pp. 129-146). Elsevier.

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Shanker, R., Bhanugopan, R., Van der Heijden, B. I., & Farrell, M. (2017). Organizational
climate for innovation and organizational performance: The mediating effect of
innovative work behavior. Journal of vocational behavior, 100, 67-77.