Leadership and Management: Theories and Application for Shell

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of leadership and management perspectives, focusing on their application within the context of the Shell company. It begins by identifying key leadership and management theories, including behavioral, contingency, and transactional leadership, as well as classical, bureaucratic, and behavioral management theories. The report then delves into motivational and team-working principles, analyzing how these principles contribute to effective management and leadership styles, particularly within Shell. Furthermore, it examines the contribution of management and leadership to organizational effectiveness, considering ethics and value frameworks. The report also describes the impact of leadership and management behavior on an organization's vision and mission. Finally, it explores how managers and leaders facilitate change, including the application of the Kurt Lewin change model to address organizational transitions. The report concludes by summarizing the key findings and implications of the analysis.

Management and Leadership
Perspectives

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
1. Identifying the key theories and perspective of leadership and management.........................1
3. Analysing the motivational and team working principles and theory to effective style of
management and leadership........................................................................................................2
4. Contribution of management and leadership to organizational effectiveness within its ethics
and value framework...................................................................................................................3
5. Describing an effectiveness of leadership and management behaviour on impact of
organization's vision and mission................................................................................................4
6. How managers and leaders facilitate change..........................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
References........................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Management is the direction which includes activities of setting up a strategy of a firm
and also coordinates the efforts of an employee in order to attain objectives, while leadership
include a skill of an individual to lead or guide team or entire organization. The chosen firm for
this report is Shell is world sixth oil and gas company and operates more than 70 countries. The
report describes the theory related to leadership and management and by applying motivational
and team working principles, it identifies effective styles of management. Further, it describes
effectiveness of leadership and management behaviour on impact of organization's vision and
mission. Further, it evaluates how managers and leaders facilitate change.
1. Identifying the key theories and perspective of leadership and management.
Leadership theory:
Behavioural Leadership theory: The theory mainly focus on behaviours of a leader
which opposes to their mental, physical and social characteristics. This theory also states that
leaders are made not born (Leadership theory, 2019). Therefore, by using Trait theory, leader of
Shell will easily become democratic and participative which includes the group decision-making
and also encourages their employees for participation.
Contingency Leadership Theory: This theory states that there is no single style is best
such that no single way of leading and this is all based upon the situation. Therefore, by using
this style, the leaders of Shell will adopt the best suitable style according to situation and then
handle the situation as well.
Transactional Leadership Theory: The theory more focus on the management process
of controlling, organizing and short term planning, such that it mainly involves motivating and
directing the followers by appealing to their own self-interest (Thorpe, 2016). Further, in this
leadership style, leaders are mainly believed in motivating through a system of rewards and
punishment. The theory states that employees are motivated by reward and punishment and the
subordinates also have to obey the orders of superior and should also be closely monitored and
controlled according to their work.
Management Theory:
Classical Management Theory: One of the oldest management theory whose focus on
operation and helps to increase output as well. Even the compensation is also considered a
1

primary motivation for employees such that t provides reward to high performing employees in a
form of monetary or non- monetary form.
Bureaucratic Management Theory: The theory focus on designated roles for the
employees and management which is based on different hierarchies which make it clear what
needs to be change and what not to (Armstrong, 2016). Further, the theory also promotes reason
o guide management decision and authority of organizational hierarchies is considered central
for Bureaucratic Management theory.
Behavioural management Theory: It is also called human relation movement because it
addresses the human dimension of work and also believes that through a better understanding of
human behaviour at work such as motivation, conflict and expectation and then improve the
productivity as well. Apart from this, the manager of Shell may use this theory in order to
understand the human aspect of workers and treat employees such that they are an important
asset who help to attain the goals of a business.
3. Analysing the motivational and team working principles and theory to effective style of
management and leadership.
Motivational principles are generally includes the environment, in which employees are
living such that incentives also motivates learning and motivate the employees to do better work
in the same way, Hertzberg motivational theory also states that there are some factors which that
leads to satisfaction, these are motivational factor and hygiene factors (Hallinger and Hammad,
2019). Further, by using democratic leadership style, the leader can easily use the principles in
their workplace and also leads to affect the personal growth as well. It has been analysed that
using motivating factors, the leaders can easily motivate their employees and cause job
satisfaction.
In addition to this, it is also analysed that by using democratic leadership style, leaders of
the company will easily involve other members of a company for taking better decision, in this
way, the employees of Shell also feels that they are an important part of a company. Further, by
using different incentive scheme, internal promotion leaders of the company make their
employees motivated, as per Hertzberg motivational theory.
Teamwork principles help Shell to attain the company's objectives in well manner, such
that if the team has a collaborative mindset, then it will maximizes their opportunity for success.
Its principles include, conflict management in which, the leader of Shell can use participative
2

leadership style and involve team members to take better decision and solve internal conflict at
their own hand. This helps to manage correctly, and solving conflict will also encourage growth
and innovation (Podsakoff and Podsakoff, 2019). Apart from this, an effective communication
also helps to make the team effective in Shell. Such that in a team environment, different
communication, styles and technologies is a part of distributed team and by encouraging personal
meeting using web conference and get the team together for events outside a work is also helpful
to reduce many challenges between the team members.
4. Contribution of management and leadership to organizational effectiveness within its ethics
and value framework.
The managers and leaders of Shell should follow value driven leadership framework that
support, leading high performance organization also require leaders in order to create vision.
Through this, the leaders of Shell also focus on possibilities and then find different solution of
global challenges. Apart from this, an ethics in a business also plays an important role. Such that
the leadership in only effective if managers are regularly discussed integrity with their
employees. Therefore, the leaders needs to pro- actively support the formal integrity policy and
also make sure that they adhere all the laws and policy in effective manner. In this way, they
contribute within its ethics and value framework.
In addition to this, the management of Shell should also present professional yet friendly
attitude in workplace. Even the changes are also expected by employees when management
implement it first. Such that the trait theory of leadership states that a person must be well-
equipped with some personal qualities and characteristics. It is also analysed that in order to
develop good ethical leadership, the leaders of the firm needs to determine core values, in the
context of Shell, leaders coaching and development should also provide the framework for the
employees who contribute to the firm strategy and achievement of a goals by maintaining the
values of a company (Western, 2019). Therefore, by following values driven leadership, the
leaders at all levels to leads with their values and also creates the corporate culture that improve
the financial performance, ethical practice, social contribution.
Beside this, it has been analysed that through effective communication, the leaders of
Shell will easily communicate with all team members, further, each conversation needs to take
place in a positive environment so that it will provide benefit to the team and also creates mutual
trust. Thus, the managers and leaders of the company will easily deliver the values to the
3

employees and by using code of conduct, the quoted firm's manager and leaders also contribute
their best for the welfare of a business.
5. Describing an effectiveness of leadership and management behaviour on impact of
organization's vision and mission.
To meet the vision and mission of Shell, leadership and management creates positive
impact such that company's vision is to make the different though company's people, a team of
dedicated professionals so that they can deliver promises and also contribute to sustainable
development (Thorpe, 2016). In the same way, leaders and managers of the firm try to find out
ways that can help to meet the vision and that is why, they use advance technology into the
practice so that it will help to save time and facilitate the best services to their customers.
On the other side, company's mission is to run safe market and distribute the best energy
products by offering the best innovative value added services to their customers. In order to meet
the mission, company has to develop innovative products and provide high quality products, for
that it also provide training sessions to their employees so that they gain knowledge and having a
clear sense regarding mission is quite crucial for guiding leadership decision. In this way, Shell
will easily provide the best quality of products to their customers and even by opting democratic
leadership style, the leader of company can involve their employees for making best results for
the company's welfare.
In addition to this, it is also analysed that in order to attain the mission and vision of the
firm, company should use advance technology and uses benchmarking as a key performance
indicators so that it will help to measure their employee performance (Armstrong, 2016).
Moreover, it is also analysed that Shell follows the best effective strategy in order to achieve the
vision so that company get effective outcomes by analysing the needs of their customers as well.
Apart from this, it is also evaluated that by effective management and leadership skills, company
can attain vision and mission, even through effective communication and opting organizational
structure, it will create positive output to the company and also sustain its brand image at
international level as well.
6. How managers and leaders facilitate change.
In order to facilitate the change, the company should use Kurt Lewin model, as per the
case scenario, the company's change become outdated and performance is also decreases, that s
why, company wants to adopt new organizational structure. Therefore, it is recommended to the
4

firm to use Kurt Lewin change model which helps to understand the change process. These
stages are as mention below:
Unfreezing: this is the first stage in which employees of the company should realize that
something is going to be change and that is why they have to deal with strong emotion (Hussain
and et.al., 2018). Even through effective communication, employees are more willing to accept a
new change, and they have to let go old customs. Moreover, the stage means let the people learn
about new habits and open up new ways to reach the objectives. Therefore, it is suggested to
Shell to involve all the employees so that they take a constructive approach in the change
process.
Changing: It is the next stage in which changes are implemented for a short time because
it is analysed that longer, the change process takes, more employees are inclined towards old
habits. It is also known as move stage and through effective communication, the managers and
leaders of Shell will easily deliver the changes to their employees in effective manner (Burnes
and Bargal, 2017).
Refreezing: The stage states solidifying the change and when the new structure is
implemented in Shell, then employees are inclined to revert to their old habits. That is why, it is
advisable to quoted firm to make proper arrangement and also monitor, make proper
arrangement wherever it is required. If proper arrangement are done, then the employees,
managers and leaders will act in accordance with new situation and also realize that the new
change is quite beneficial for the firm (Cummings, Bridgman and Brown, 2016).
Therefore, by using Kurt Lewin change model, the company will frequently manage the
change and then also creates the awareness of the advantages of change as well. Therefore, it will
help Shell to facilitate with a change.
CONCLUSION
By summing up above report, it has been concluded that leadership and management
contributing their best in order to achieve the target and aims of Shell. Further, the company's
leader should opt contingency leadership theory and managers should follow bureaucratic
management theory in their workplace to run the system in effective way. Study also concluded
that by using Hertzberg motivational theory, leaders of Shell should opt democratic and
participative leadership style. In addition to this, by using value driven leadership framework, the
5

leaders will also follow ethics and through Kurt Lewin change model, leaders and managers of
Shell will facilitate the change as well.
6

References
Books and Journals
Amanchukwu, R. N., Stanley, G. J. and Ololube, N. P., 2015. A review of leadership theories,
principles and styles and their relevance to educational management. Management. 5(1).
pp.6-14.
Armstrong, M., 2016. Armstrong's handbook of management and leadership for HR: Developing
effective people skills for better leadership and management. Kogan Page Publishers.
Burnes, B. and Bargal, D., 2017. Kurt Lewin: 70 years on. Journal of Change
Management.17(2). pp.91-100.
Cummings, S., Bridgman, T. and Brown, K. G., 2016. Unfreezing change as three steps:
Rethinking Kurt Lewin’s legacy for change management. Human relations.69(1). pp.33-
60.
Hallinger, P. and Hammad, W., 2019. Knowledge production on educational leadership and
management in Arab societies: A systematic review of research. Educational
Management Administration & Leadership.47(1). pp.20-36.
Hussain, S.T. and et.al., 2018. Kurt Lewin's change model: A critical review of the role of
leadership and employee involvement in organizational change. Journal of Innovation &
Knowledge.3(3). pp.123-127.
Podsakoff, P. M. and Podsakoff, N. P., 2019. Experimental designs in management and
leadership research: Strengths, limitations, and recommendations for improving
publishability. The Leadership Quarterly. 30(1). pp.11-33.
Thorpe, R., 2016. Gower handbook of leadership and management development. CRC Press.
Western, S., 2019. Leadership: A critical text. SAGE Publications Limited.
Online
Leadership theory. 2019. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.leadership-central.com/leadership-theories.html>.
7