Exploring Leadership and Management Styles: A Case Study of Argos

Desklib provides past papers and solved assignments for students. This report analyzes leadership and management theories in Argos.

Management and Leadership Perspectives
1

Table of Contents
Executive Summery.........................................................................................................................3
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Managers..........................................................................................................................................5
Leaders.............................................................................................................................................5
Management theories.......................................................................................................................6
Leadership theories..........................................................................................................................6
Motivational theory.........................................................................................................................7
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................9
References:....................................................................................................................................10
2

Executive Summery
The study has clarified the difference between a leader and a manager. Their roles and
characteristics and their significance in the organization are discussed. There are many
leadership style, like situational leadership style and contingency leadership style. Taylor’s
scientific management theory, Hawthorne studies and Henry Fayol theory are presented to
describe their influence on any person or on any organization. This study shows the importance
of Maslow, Herzberg and McGregor’s motivational theory, which motivate any individual or
the workers of any organization, like Argos, to overcome any circumstances or issues and
developed their intelligence or their strength by practising these theories.
3

Introduction
The purpose of the study is to focus on the perspectives of the management and leadership. The
basic difference between a leader and manager is that a manger has no followers, while a leader
has many followers. Many leadership styles like, autocratic, and management theories are
discussed in this study.
4

Managers Definitions
The person, who is responsible for administering and controlling a group of employees or an
organization, is known as a manager. Characteristics and roles
There are many roles of a manager in an organization. They manage all the daily functions of
an organization and take the last decision according to the present situation. The primary
characteristics of a good manager are that they have the ability to motivate and control the
team as well (Johnson, 2015).
Leaders Definitions
The person, who takes a lead of a team or a group, is known as a leader. The leaders always
have many followers. Moreover, the person who has a superior position than others and can
control others and inspire others to follow them. Characteristics and roles
Leaders are important to direct the functions of a management. A good leader has a good
communications with the other members of the team. They are innovative and try to inspire
their followers by holding many examples. They must have positive attitude, confidence, sense
of humour and honesty as well (Antonakis et al., 2017). Autocratic / democratic / Laissez fair / transformational leadership style
Autocratic leadership refers to the authoritarian leadership. It means that they rarely take any
choice or decision from others and decide to do anything from their ideas or interest (De
Hoogh et al., 2015). Democratic leadership refers to the process by which the members of a
group take part in the process of decision-making. In the Laissez Fair leadership style, the
leaders allow the other members to take any decisions. In the transformational leadership
style, the leaders take part in the decision making process with the other members and identify
if there is needed any type of change or not.
5

Management theories Taylor’s scientific approach :apply and explain
Taylor’s scientific management refers to a theory, which analyzes the workflows of an
organization. Many organizations apply this scientific management theory to improve or
increase the economic and labour efficiency. This theory is also known as Taylorism because
of its founder, Taylor. The Argos retail company follows the theory to find an efficient way to
complete the tasks simply with less use of time (Su, 2017). Hanry fayol – administrative theories explain and apply
Henry Fayol gives an administrative theory, which emphasizes the whole organization and
this theory is based on the behavioural situations and factors of the organizations. This theory
has become the most important part of the modern management. The both employees and
managers of Argos Company follow the principles of the Henry Fayol’s administrative
theory. The tasks are divided among the employees and the managers individually because it
has close supervision. The main principles of this theory include Authority, discipline,
remuneration, equity and centralization while decision making. Hawthorne Studies – explain and apply
The workers of the Western Electric Company are directed or conducted by the Hawthorne
studies. The studies focus on the industrial productivity. It is a strategy of managing the aspects
of socio- psychological behaviour in the organization. The Argos Company apply this theory
on the weak and unstable or morally inclined workers of the company to improve their skills
and behaviour (Muldoon, 2017).
Leadership theories Situational- explain and apply
Blanchard and Hersey developed the Situational leadership style, which focuses on the
situation, when the manager of the organization changes their strategy and style to match the
present situation or to solve any issues or problem. It has four stages, by which the situation
can be balanced. According to the situational leadership style, the manager or the leader first
direct their workers or the employees, then train them to improve their mistakes. The other two
stages are delegating and supporting their employees or their workers.
6

The Argos Company, which is situated in United Kingdom, follows blindly the situational
leadership style, so that in any situation their productivity do not decrease or stop. The
situational leaders of the Argos Company trained their workers how to overcome the situation
and motivate them for a better job. Contingency theory – explain and apply
Contingency theory, which was developed by Fiedler, refers to the fact that the result of any
work is contingent or dependent on any circumstances or situation. In that situation, the
workers have to be united and have to be patient to solve the issue. This theory focuses on the
fact that there is no single way or option to solve any problem or to manage the whole
management.
The Argos Company apply the theory to manage the all workers in any circumstances.
According to the contingency, the role of the manager of the company is divided into two part.
The first part focuses on the personal style of the leader and the second style focuses on the
manager’s activities or decision or style, when any situation badly affect them.
Motivational theory Maslow
Abraham Maslow proposed the motivational theory, which includes observation of the person
and their inner curiosity. In the Maslow’s theory, there are five parts and these parts focus on
the main or basic needs, like, food, self- esteem, safety and others. However, though, the
theory is popular in the field of business, it also faces some criticism, like; it has no need to
follow hierarchy necessarily. Herzberg
The theory is consists of two factors, like satisfaction and dissatisfaction in any workplace. The
psychologist Herzberg developed this motivational theory, which can motivates the workers of
any organization by identifying their dissatisfaction and then try to satisfy them by serving
their needs. The Argos Company also try to satisfy their workers identifying their needs
because they are the most valuable source of their company (Alshmemri et al., 2017). Two factor theory (McGregor)
7

The social psychologist McGregor developed a theory, which has two contrasting factors that
are labelled as Theory X, Theory Y. These two theorise focuses on the motivation of any
human work and on any management. The Y theory refers to the participative theory, in which
people has self-control and direction in their work.
8

Conclusion
The Study has presented the characteristics of a leader and a manager, who are the main factors
of any organization. The leadership and the management style of the Argos Company have been
discussed. However, if any organization, like Argos follows all the leadership and management
style and focuses on the behavioural management among the workers, they can fulfil their
dreams and goals largely.
9

References:
Alshmemri, M., Shahwan-Akl, L. and Maude, P., 2017. Herzberg’s two-factor theory. Life
Science Journal, 14(5), pp.12-16.
Antonakis, J. and Day, D.V. eds., 2017. The nature of leadership. Sage publications.
De Hoogh, A.H., Greer, L.L. and Den Hartog, D.N., 2015. Diabolical dictators or capable
commanders? An investigation of the differential effects of autocratic leadership on team
performance. The Leadership Quarterly, 26(5), pp.687-701.
Johnson, M.P., 2015. Sustainability management and small and medium‐sized enterprises:
Managers' awareness and implementation of innovative tools. Corporate Social Responsibility
and Environmental Management, 22(5), pp.271-285.
Muldoon, J., 2017. The Hawthorne studies: an analysis of critical perspectives, 1936-
1958. Journal of Management History, 23(1), pp.74-94.
Su, Y., 2017. Taylor Scientific Management Theory Carding and Significance of Organization
Management. Social Sciences, 6(4), pp.102-107.
10