An Assessment of Leadership and Management Strategies at Ford Company

This report provides an in-depth analysis of leadership and management practices within Ford Motor Company. It begins by exploring key leadership and management theories, such as situational leadership and action-centered leadership, and their application in a diverse organizational environment. The report then delves into motivational and team-working principles, including Maslow's hierarchy of needs and Tuckman's teamwork theory, assessing their impact on management styles. Furthermore, it evaluates how effective management and leadership contribute to organizational effectiveness through ethical frameworks and values. The report demonstrates the influence of leadership and management behaviors on Ford's vision and mission. Finally, it examines how managers and leaders can facilitate change using models like Kurt Lewin's change model, covering stages of unfreezing, change, and refreezing. The conclusion summarizes the key findings, emphasizing the integral role of leadership and management in Ford's success.

MANAGEMENT AND
LEADERSHIP IN ACTION

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
1. Key theories and perspectives of leadership and management within a range of diverse
environment.................................................................................................................................1
3. Analysing and applying motivational and team working principles and theories to
management and leadership styles..............................................................................................3
4. Evaluating the extent which effective management and leadership can contribute with its
ethics and value framework to organisational effectiveness.......................................................4
5. Demonstrating effectiveness of leadership and management behaviours on the impact of the
vision and mission of Ford..........................................................................................................4
6. Evaluating how manager and leader can facilitate change using appropriate tools and
models.........................................................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Leadership and management are very essential for the success of an organisation. They
should not define by their position in Ford, they must be define by their actions that lead the
company towards its goals and objectives.
The study aims to evaluate the leadership and management in Ford. Ford Motor company
is an American multinational auto-mobile industry that is headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan.
The company was founded in June 1903 by Henry Ford. The organisation mainly deals with
commercial vehicles and auto-mobile under the brand name as 'Ford' and the luxurious car sell
under the brand name 'Lincoln'.
The study will analyse key theories of leadership and management and along with it,
motivational and team working theory will also analyse and implement to the management and
leadership style. Furthermore, effectiveness of the behaviour of leader and manager on the vision
and mission of ford will also demonstrate. Lastly, the study will evaluate that how manager and
leader can assist the change by using various models and tools.
MAIN BODY
1. Key theories and perspectives of leadership and management within a range of diverse
environment
Ford Motor company is a global auto-maker industry that faces a lot of changes and have
impact from the organisational structure and diverse environment (McCaffery, 2018). The role of
leader and manager of the company to develop and implement various theories and perspectives
to according to the range of diverse environment. Ford is facing various situations where
company is required to bring change in operation and function as with the advancing world or
they become outdated and it also affects performance of the company negatively.
There are a range of theories of leadership and management that work in diverse
environment;
Leadership Theory
Leaders of Ford understands that they have to built accountability into their system with
regards to the manager of the company taking responsibility for creating an inclusive and diverse
work environment (Thorpe, 2016).
Situational Leadership Theory
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This theory refers to the environment where the style of leadership is depends on the skill
and capabilities of the employees. It fluctuates with the need and demand of the environment. At
present, Ford is facing a cultural diversity in the company that creates conflict, situational
leadership can play a major role in the following situation. The perspective of leader is that there
is no one single style that fits in all the situations a leader should develop and change their style
according to the situation.
According to the situation, Leader adopt various style as per the employee's skill and
capability and communicate the setted vision with all the stakeholder. Leader need to change his
style as per the impact of change in the company such as; technological, new skills,
Action centred leadership theory
This theory focuses on that a good leader should have appropriate control on the three
main areas; team, individuals and tasks and they should also able to use the elements in various
diverse environment available in Ford. According to this theory, leader is successful if they are
able to improve quality of work, build morale and achieve results. This perspective of leader in
Ford company is suitable in those situations or context in Ford Motor Company, where the
productivity and co-ordination between the team is less and weak due to weak culture of the
environment and lack of morale and team spirit within the team members (Diamond and
Spillane, 2016). Here the leader develops co-ordination between all the groups in the company to
foster the productivity.
Organisation facing a range of diverse environment that have impact on the productivity
of employees working pattern as well as overall productivity of the company because of many
changes for improving the production of the company. For example; The CEO of Ford
mentioned that the productivity of employees from past three years is decreasing, although
company fulfilling their personal need and taking care of their behaviour and sentiments.
Management Theory
Chaos Theory of management
This theory of management states that Ford can face some chaos or disturbance activity
during operating its business from diverse environment. As the company is thinking of bringing
change in the company, it appears the best theory as in the diverse situation management of the
company needs to keep their employees always ready to face any kind of critical situations in the
company by change without getting de-motivated.
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For example; the change require employees to be good with their technological skills and
if they are not fulfilled with the skill can get de motivated (Anusic and Schimmack, 2016). So
the manager perspective is to apply this theory in the workplace to manage that chaos and
disturbance.
3. Analysing and applying motivational and team working principles and theories to
management and leadership styles
There are a range of motivation and team work theory that leaders and manager apply it
to their style;
There are a range of motivation and team work theory that leaders and manager apply it
to their style;
Employee motivation is very essential activity and part of the organisation. For
increasing motivation, manager adopt following motivation theory;
Maslow's need hierarchy theory of motivation
It includes different needs of people such as physiological, social, security, self-esteem
and self actualization. If the manager fulfil all needs of their employees, so that they are
effectively working or performing within the Ford. Highly motivated employees easily adopt the
changes which are happened in the organization (Marshall, Coleman and Reason, 2017).
Changes in process and policies, technological and so on. Therefore, it is the necessary to
increase employee motivation within the firm.
Tuckman teamwork theory
It is help to maintain teamwork in the Ford. By applying this theory in organisation
employees are work done within the team. This theory is best and effective for team work in the
organisation and its growth. Like: when organisation is follows the team work within the
organisation then they have lots of ideas and thinks for done work in positive manner. This
theory has the four stage such as norming, forming, storming and performing.
 Forming is the initial stage of develop individual's work and performance.
 Storming is see themselves as the part of team. In that leaders are sets effective changes
in organisation.
 Norming is the phase team members are come together and develop process of work.
 Performing is increased focused on the task and team relations. Team relations are
effective and best for gaining the trust and effective ideas.
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4. Evaluating the extent which effective management and leadership can contribute with its
ethics and value framework to organisational effectiveness
Organisational effectiveness refers to the efficiency in which an association is able to
meet the goal and objective of the company. The five key areas; people, leadership, culture, work
process and system, and decision making structure. Ford need to adopt its dynamic environment
to achieve and sustain success. Leader and manager of Ford Company can contribute to the
organisational effectiveness as follows;
 Providing training- Leader can provide training to the employees so that they can reach
the goal and to the vision of company. An effective management and leadership can
contribute to the effectiveness of the company by making their employee able to take step
ahead with the change (Solomon, Costea and Nita, 2016). It is also essential to maintain
the value and ethics for the same.
 Creating supporting working environment- It is essential for contribute to the
effectiveness of the organisation in the current scenario facing by the company to
developing supportive and suitable working environment that motivates employees. The
leader and manager of the company are also responsible for managing the ethics and
values.
5. Demonstrating effectiveness of leadership and management behaviours on the impact of the
vision and mission of Ford
Vision statement of Ford Company
“To become the leading consumer company for automotive products and services across
the world.”
Mission statement of Ford Company
“We are a global family with a proud heritage passionately committed to providing
personal mobility for people around the world.” The current mission of the company focusing
on; One team, One plan, One goal.
Leader of the company is responsible for motivating and leading employees to be
productive and maintain their pattern whereas, manager of the company is responsible for
developing strategies and structure that is required to follow by the employees. Effectiveness of
leadership and management behaviour on the impact of the vision and mission is to make a way
and develop appropriate style for leading employees.
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On the other hand, leader is responsible to setting the new vision that bring change in the
company and can have impact on employees, organisation structure, function of management
and so on (Yahaya and Ebrahim, 2016). Leader and manager have opportunity to utilise the
cultural diverse workforce effectively and provide them training according to the skill required
for implementing the change in the organisation. Leader and manager have power to take
decision on their own and communicate it to the employees.
6. Evaluating how manager and leader can facilitate change using appropriate tools and models
Manager and leader facilitate change through utilizing appropriate model and tool such
as; Kurt Lewin's change model that focused on the behaviour modification of people and
workers within the Ford (Kurt Lewin's Change Model, 2019). This model is divided into three
parts like unfreeze, change and refreeze.
Unfreeze Stage:
It is the important stage in whole procedure of change management. It included
developing readiness and willingness of people to change by fostering realization for moving
from the existing comfort zone to transformed condition. It is important to entirely disclose the
state of affairs and explain reason of change procedure is push into force within the Ford.
Effective communication plays wider role in getting the desired support and engagement of the
employees in the change procedure within the selected company (Yang, Zheng and Chen, 2014).
It is advisable to include workers, so that manager and leader can take creative concept during
this stage.
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Change Stage:
It is essential which change is applied within the short time. It includes the acceptance of
fresh and unique ways of doing things. During this stage, careful planning, impressive
communication and promoting the engagement of single persons for endorsing the change is
needed by manager and leader within the Ford. During this stage, employees start to learn
behaviour, procedures and ways of thinking (Kurt Lewin's Change Model, 2019). Due to
uncertainties and fear of people, this stage is not easy. By which, employees can not adopt the
change in the Ford. The employee will become aware of the importance of this change more
quickly through acting smartly and applying the modification within short time.
Refreeze Stage:
During refreeze stage, the people move from the stage of transition to more stable state
that leaders and manager can regard as the state of equilibrium. This stage is the eventual stage in
which people accept or internalize the fresh modes of working or change. Acceptance of this part
of their life and set up the new relationship (Anusic and Schimmack, 2016). Manager can be
provided the rewards, positive reinforcement to their employees for strengthening and
reinforcing the new behaviour and changes in the working manner within the Ford.
CONCLUSION
From the above study it has been analysed that leaders and managers are an integral part
of Ford Motor Company, where leader setted vision and manager developed systematic
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Illustration 1: Kurt Lewin's Change Model
Source: (Kurt Lewin's Change Model, 2019)

strategies and team to achieve the company's goal effectively. It also has been concluded that the
in diverse environment in Ford, theories and perspectives of leader and manager work
effectively. In the mission and vision of the company, their priority is to provide quality services
and products to the consumers as well as on team work and in that various theories, perspectives,
style of leadership and management are very effectively developed and implemented.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Alonso‐Almeida, M. D. M., Perramon, J. and Bagur‐Femenias, L., 2017. Leadership styles and
corporate social responsibility management: Analysis from a gender
perspective. Business Ethics: A European Review. 26(2). pp.147-161.
Anusic, I. and Schimmack, U., 2016. Stability and change of personality traits, self-esteem, and
well-being: Introducing the meta-analytic stability and change model of retest
correlations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 110(5). p.766.
Diamond, J. B. and Spillane, J. P., 2016. School leadership and management from a distributed
perspective: A 2016 retrospective and prospective. Management in Education. 30(4).
pp.147-154.
Marshall, J., Coleman, G. and Reason, P., 2017. Leadership for sustainability: An action
research approach. Routledge.
McCaffery, P., 2018. The higher education manager's handbook: effective leadership and
management in universities and colleges. Routledge.
Renz, D. O., 2016. The Jossey-Bass handbook of nonprofit leadership and management. John
Wiley & Sons.
Solomon, I. G., Costea, C. and Nita, A. M., 2016. Leadership versus management in public
organizations. Economics, Management and Financial Markets. 11(1). p.143.
Thorpe, R., 2016. Gower handbook of leadership and management development. CRC Press.
Yahaya, R. and Ebrahim, F., 2016. Leadership styles and organizational commitment: literature
review. Journal of Management Development. 35(2). pp.190-216.
Online
Kurt Lewin's Change Model. 2019. [Online]. Available
through:<https://www.lucidchart.com/blog/lewins-change-theory>.
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