Leadership and Management Report: Leadership Theories and GE Practices

This report delves into the core concepts of leadership and management, differentiating between the two and highlighting their crucial roles within organizations. It examines various leadership theories, including trait, contingency, and behavioral theories, and analyzes their practical application. The report uses General Electric (GE) as a case study, evaluating the effectiveness of its leadership selection and training programs. It explores the differences between leadership and management, the importance of selecting and training leaders effectively, and the application of different leadership theories within a corporate environment. The report also contextualizes GE's programs and offers a critical analysis of leadership theories and their impact on organizational success. The report provides a detailed examination of the effectiveness of leadership selection and training programs within General Electric, offering insights into how these programs drive innovation and mentor employees.

Leadership and
Management

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Q.1) Difference in concepts of leadership and management......................................................3
Q.2) Analysis of leadership theories which are required to be applied inside the organisation. 5
Q.3) Effectiveness of leadership selection and training programmes at General Electric..........7
Q.4) Contextualise the selection and training programmes......................................................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................13
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INTRODUCTION
Leadership and management are the two terms which are assumed as same but it is not
the case. Both leadership and management are completely different from each other and are
playing a very crucial role inside the organisation as without management an organisation will
not be able to perform their activities in an effective manner and if leadership will not be there
then the employees will not get motivated to do their work efficiently. Because of the these two
elements, working environment becomes so innovative and creative that all the staff members
feels the change and wants to be a part of company (Renz and Herman, 2016). So, the people
who are assigned to perform these roles are known as leaders and managers. They are appointed
by higher authorities of company on the basis of their skills and capabilities. This report will
discuss about Roles and functions performed by managers and leaders, their skills of managing
and leading people in the workplace and along with this the future changes that can come in
policies of leadership and management. The company which will be referred in this project is
General Electric.
MAIN BODY
Q.1) Difference in concepts of leadership and management
Leadership and management both are connected with each other but are having different
objectives inside the organisation. Leadership can be defined as a process through which the
leader influences their staff to perform their work effectively and completes the goal of the
organisation. They also directs the organisation to go on a correct way to achieve their goals.
This is a very important process which needs to be implemented by the company and moreover it
is for their employee's benefit so they will apply it anyway. The person who performs the
function of leadership are known as leaders and any person who is having desire and correct
attitude can become a good leader.
According to Bargau, 2015,Roles performed by leader inside the company are :-
 They are being required at all the levels inside the organisation so as to perform the work
in an effective manner.
 These people are also regarded as the representatives of the company who represent the
company at various seminars, conferences etc.
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 They play the role of a friend, philosopher and a guide to the employees so that they can
share everything with them.
Leadership is said an activity which can be learned with period of time by increasing the
skills and capabilities of the leader. Whereas According to As Mullins,2018 said Management is
‘’Getting work done through the efforts of other people.’’ management can be considered as an
activity which is conducted by managers by making use of various types of resources in an
effective manner so as to achieve their goals and objectives.
The people who are performing the work of the organisation is called as managers and
they are the only ones who provides guidance to the employees who have newly joined for
managing all their activities in an effective manner. The main functions performed by the
managers of general electric are:-
 They are required to set objectives and goals which the employees are required to
perform inside the company.
 They are responsible for making sure that all the activities are being conducted inside the
organisation in a proper manner and allot right roles to the right people.
 They also perform the role of motivating and communicating the employees so that they
follow all the rules and policies of the organisation.
In General electric company also both management and leadership activities are required
to be performed. This will help them in achieving much higher position in the market and their
work will also be managed in an effective manner.
Difference between management and leadership are:-
MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP
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 They are having their focus on the
resources of the company.
 They make use of data, information,
tools and materials so as to
communicate the decisions taken by
management.
 The activities which are performed here
are planning, organising, controlling
etc.
 They are having their focus on people
who are working in the company
 Here feeling are used by leader to
motivate the employees of the
company.
 Here the leaders are more interested in
giving directions, aligning people and
inspiring them to work in a more
effective manner.
Q.2) Analysis of leadership theories which are required to be applied inside the organisation
It is considered as the responsibility of managers and leaders of company to apply various
theories of leadership and management so as to conduct the work in an effective manner. But
these kinds of theories are having a strong focus on the qualities between a leader and a follower
of the company. According to Goetsch and Davis, 2014, It is very important that the leaders and
the managers apply correct theory inside the company because then only it will be able to
provide benefits to the company. If wrong theory will be applied then it may provide heavy loss
to the company. The management theory is implemented to increase the productivity of the
organisation and its service quality as well.
There are different kinds of leadership and management theories which can be chosen by
the organisation but only one can be applied by them at a time. If the result is effective then it
can be continued further but if the results are not good then it may be changed by the
management in between the financial year as well. In case of application of management
theories, the managers normally makes use of more than one theory in their workplace . They
normally makes use of combinations of theories which is to be applied at the workplace.
According to Nkomo, 2011,The various types of management theories are as follows:-
SYSTEN THEORY – It is that theory which helps the managers in understanding
various patterns and events which are going on at the workplace. It is very crucial for a manager
to understand that how systems are having an affect on the workers of the company. Once this
theiry is implemented then it will help the managers to coordinate the programs so as to work
together and achieve the goals of the organisation.
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CHAOS THEORY – This theory is based on changes that are going on in the
organisation. It is believed that change is a constant activity. Only few activities of the company
can be controlled but not all. So this theory showcases that change is essential inside the
company and no one can stop it from happening inside the company.
THEORY X & THEORY Y – It is said that managers chooses only those theory which
is strongly influenced by the beliefs and attitude of the employees. If managers think that any
employee is not having creativity or ambition then for them they can make use of theory X but
on the other hand for those employees who are highly focussed for their work and is performing
all their work in an effective manner and take responsibilities as well then for them Theory Y
will be implemented by them.
According to Stacey, 2012,It is also said that the long term success of any company can
be achieved only if there is good leadership and employee motivation present inside the
organisation. So, it is very essential for the leaders to choose correct theory of leadership for their
company so that results can be achieved in a quick manner.
There are so many theories of leadership but few of them are here below:-
 TRAIT THEORY – In this theory it is assumed that there are some qualities which are
required to be present inside the person in order to make them an effective leader. Trait
theory mainly focuses on personality and behavioural characteristics present in the
person to make them an effective leader. These can be like courage, self confidence,
honesty etc. According to..., it has been studied that these qualities are not enough for a
person to become leader in an organisation rather these are required to be implemented
along with other diverse groups as well and If the person is good in convincing others
then they can become a good leader.
 CONTINGENCY THEORY – It is that theory which is having their main focus on
factors which are present inside the company ad according to which the style of
leadership will be used. As per this theory, it is said that no leadership style is best in all
situations and it depends on the leader that which style of leadership should be applied in
the given situation. According to White and Hodgson, effective leadership is not just
about the qualities of a leader but they should also see their behaviour, needs etc.
 BEHAVIOURAL THEORY – This theory of leadership is having a belief that great
leaders are not born but made. Here the main focus is on the performance of leaders in
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the company and not their mental strength or awareness. So, basically if this theory will
be applied inside the organisation then the leaders will get enough chances to increase
their skills by taking part in various types of training programmes.
As per the views of Hallinger, 2013,It is very important for the company to analyse all the
theories of leadership in detail so that they can take decision about choosing the best leadership
theory for their company. One of the theory will be analysed in detail here itself.
Analysis of TRAIT THEORY :
A Trait can be referred as the quality of an individual. Through this theory , it is
determined that “what makes a successful leader” and for this their own characteristics are being
assessed. It is a very essential theory because normally people are having a belief that if a leader
is successful in the company then it will only be because of their qualities and attributes.
According to a researcher named Stodgily,2018 the various traits which is required to be present
inside the leader are:-
 Physical and constitutional factors
 Intelligence factors
 Self confidence
 Ambition and bill
 Dominance
Critical analysis of Trait theory:- It is has been observed that trait theory is very simple
to be applied but it is not successful in giving clear results to the company. Along with this, no
idea can be generated about various traits of leadership as these were the only variations
considered by researchers. According to Jennings,2018 it has been seen that even after fifty years
of study also it is very difficult to discriminate between leaders and non-leaders on the basis of
their qualities. So, the summary that came out of this theory can be categorised as under :-
 The management is not allowed to do any kind of generalisation for becoming a
successful leader.
 A person cannot become a good leader only on the basis of their qualities and attributes
but they require various other elements as well.
 Though there are various tests through which traits can be measured but there is a
problem to measure the same.
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Q.3) Effectiveness of leadership selection and training programmes at General Electric
It is very much essential for the management to take care that their leaders are effective
and will be able to give good results to the company. So, the process of hiring the leaders is also
required to be effective since then only the organisation will be able to choose good leaders for
their company. This process is significant for various reasons like company will be investing on
leaders and their skill development so they will also demand good results from them, driving
innovation and mentoring the youth of their workforce.
According to Shattock, 2013, it is reflected that having a strong leadership team is often
started from introducing an internal leadership training programmes. It is said that there are very
few companies that are having strong leaders but if any company understands the importance of
leaders then they will invest in them so as to see a positive impact on recruitment and retention
of best talent in the company.
If General electric will have a good leadership training and development programmes
then its benefits can be assessed as under:-
 Increase in productivity after understanding that how to bring out the best out of the tea
members.
 It helps in developing the employee engagement process in the company since here the
leaders know how to lead the people all together inside the company.
 Since leaders will give their learnings ton each and every employee equally so the
corporate environment will be positive and effective.
 The existing leaders will be able to set an example for the emerging leaders.
The elements which are required to be present in a successful leadership training and
development programmes are as follows:-
1. Small, focussed and supportive leadership groups – In this it is discussed that
whenever an organisation decides to start a leadership program, it is better to start small.
So, in this a core group of leaders is formed who is already having experience of
leadership. It is recommended that the group should be small so that each leader will be
able to focus on skill improvement process and a good connection can also be made in
between them.
2. Instructors with years of experience leading – In order ton make a leadership training
programme effective, it is required that it must have a strong central leader and a
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secondary leader who are having years of experience and good skills as well. As per peter
Drucker, it was once said that “Management is about doing things right but leadership is
about doing the right things ”. It must be made sure that the leaders must train other to
lead and not just managing their things.
3. Multiple methods of learning leadership concepts – Here, it is said that every person is
different and their method of learning is also different from one another so leaders should
remember this and then design their training and development programmes. So, the
leaders are required to create new ways of learning concepts and sharing information
with them as well. It is their responsibility to make their leadership programmes fun so
that the participants can enjoy it.
4. Clear goals and milestones for all leader participants – In this, it is considered that each
and every person who is participating in these kinds of programmes are required to sit
down with their mentor and decide on their long term and short term goals. According to
Chi, Lan and Dorjgotov, 2012 it was ascertained that adult learners will only prefer to
gain learning through practical knowledge as through that they will be able to gain
learning as fast as possible.
5. Methods for identifying future leaders – If the leadership development programmes will
be sustainable then they will get the opportunity to develop the future leaders of the
company as well. This will be a very good step which will be taken by company to make
the leaders more efficient.
Types of leadership development programmes are presented as follows:-
 Leadership development through self-awareness – It is considered as an important
mechanism where self development is regarded as self awareness. Insightfully processing
feedback about ourself so as to improve personal effectiveness. According to Hechanova
and Cementina-Olpoc, 2013, It can be occurred at two level :
◦ Single loop learning - It a process where the learners get less feedback that may
importantly meet their actions. It means that the learners will be given learning about
the subjects within their comfort zone.
◦ Double learning – It is a type of learning where the one's own view is confronted with
the views of another. So, there is much more openness in between the workers and
the information is shared with one another.
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 Leadership development through self-discipline – In this, it is considered that leadership
development program requires self-discipline where an individual is focussed to attain an
important goal of their life.
Special techniques which are chosen for leadership training are:-
 Behaviour Role Modeling – It is based on social learning theory and is being considered
as one of the most effective training methods for managers.
 Business games and stimulation – Here the trainees are required to solve various
complex problems and then make decisions accordingly. It is a very useful technique as it
helps in developing the mental capacity of trainees.
 Case Discussions – Through this, the management will try to clarify expectations for
trainees. Here the trainees are told to solve the case by relating it with their work
experiences so that they can solve it in an effective manner.
According to Walumbwa, Avolio and Aryee, 2011 it can be said that out of all the
discussion held about the training and development program of leadership, it is concluded that in
general electric company, the management should adopt only those type of leadership
programmes which suits their work culture and their activities performed as well. Through this
they will be able to solve all their issues within a short span of time and achieve their goals aims
in an easy manner.
Q.4) Contextualise the selection and training programmes
It is the responsibility of training managers of the country to select their method of
training very precisely. If wrong method of training will be chosen then it will have a very bad
impact on all the trainees and their existing skills might also be lost during this process.
According to Sharma and Jain, 2013, It is also said that the leadership development
programmes are giving the participants a good understanding about importance of leadership in
business environment. It is said that all the leadership training which is being given to the
employees are inspiring and captivating but it does not make them learn about the micro-
behavioural skills which is very much essential in leadership. So, unluckily it has been noticed
that in a training program, more focus is given on inspiring people to become a popular and a
better leader and not on the inner strength and spark of the employee. Therefore, it is always said
that general electric or any other company is required to make sure that their trainers should
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focus on specific micro-behavioural skills of the people so that the people can become a potential
leader in future. The tips for choosing a right leadership training program is as follows :-
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 Leadership is taught- Leadership is not inbuilt. It has to be taught by to level
management. There are some specific skills of every personnel, so there must choice of
method which is beneficial for all.
 Correct vocabulary- There are some practical as well as verbal leadership classes which
is planned to train employees. While training through theoretical aspect it is important
that trainer must use correct and appropriate vocabulary.
 Involvement of top level personnel- In training program there is requirement of
involvement of employer as well as employee. Sometimes due to lack of interest of top
level management, training program may be failed.
 Follow up- This is the most effective technique to know relevance of training. There
must be check done in working style of employees before and after training. Manager can
take feedback from employees regarding trainer, training program. This will improve
efficiency of workers as they will be evaluated.
 Train of workers in group- In organisation, training must be provide to workers in group.
This will help company to reduce cost and increases effectiveness of employees.
Learning in group will create competition in organisation hence they try to give their.
Therefore the decision taken by General electric about selecting a particular leadership program
is good. Since they understand that developing their leaders is very important so they are making
use of business games and stimulation training program as a leadership development technique
as they believe that through this the leaders will be developed from mind which is very
necessary.
CONCLUSION
From the above file, it can be concluded that both leadership and management is a very
effective process which is taken place inside the organisation in an effective manner and helps
them in gaining success in the marketplace as well. Both these process are taken place differently
but is very much connected with each other . It is also considered that every organisation wants
that their senior managers should be good leaders so that they can provide guidance to them for
performing their work in an effective manner. There are so many leadership and management
theories which are applied by companies to make the work effective and make sure that it gets
completed on time. In this project also one leadership theory is being discussed in detail in
context with general electric.
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