Developing Manager: Comparing Management Styles at Ryanair Air

This report examines various management styles, with a primary focus on Ryanair Air's leadership approaches. It begins by comparing different management styles, including democratic, bureaucratic, autocratic, and laissez-faire approaches, and analyzes how Ryanair primarily employs an autocratic style. The report explores the scientific and Henry Fayol's approaches to management, highlighting their impact on efficiency and organizational structure. It discusses leadership characteristics like communication, conviction, flexibility, and organization, and evaluates Ryanair's leadership style, noting its autocratic tendencies and the resulting impact on employee relations. The report also contrasts Ryanair's approach with Emirates, evaluating their communication processes and the role of leadership in organizational success, including conflict resolution and motivation strategies. Finally, the report emphasizes the importance of flexible and open-minded leadership in achieving organizational goals and fostering employee engagement.

THE DEVELOPING MANAGER
1.1Compare different management styles
Management of the business is a major responsibility over the leader of the
organization. Ryanair Air is using different management practices. A major
management strategy used by Ryanair Air is democratic management. In this type of
management, the leader of the company asks the employees of the organizations,
before he takes any decisions (Cardinal, 2014). The leader of the organization takes
decisions according to his management styles. There are professionals and
confidences in this type of management. An important benefit of discussing the
project with employees of the organization is that the issues will be indicated earlier,
when the discussion is going on about the projects (Allen and Kussy, 2011).
Communicating with staff before taking decisions helps in boosting the morale of the
employees of the organization. Cons of this type of management are that decision
making becomes very time consuming because of discussion, and it can impact
many other projects due to giving short time.
This type of management, if compared to other management styles, is quite different.
The point where both are different from each other is that in Bureaucratic
management, the management of the organization implements rules and regulations
on the employees and the employees must have to follow those rules and
regulations. Autocratic management is considered as dictatorial management
(Farkas, Arthur and Lois, 1989). In this type of management, the person who is
leading the organization completely rules the organization. The leader of the
organization is responsible for taking all the decisions regarding the operation of the
organization. Moreover, they completely keep a check over the performance of the
employees of the organization. Laissez-faire management is different from all the
management styles. In this management style, the leader of the organization gives a
free hand choice to the employees of the organization to use the strategies and
policies of their choice to solve the problems related to operations (Van Emden and

Becker, 2010). This thing is seen in case of democratic and bureaucratic leadership
style.
Ryanair is a world low cost airline that is headquartered in Swords and Dublin. In
2013 it was the largest European airline in terms of passenger numbers as well as
scheduled passenger carry capacity. Management style that is adopted by the top
managers plays a very important role in growth of the organization. The main reason
behind the success of Ryanair is its low cost business model. But an organization
can no longer grow by dissatisfying its important stakeholders
Taylor scientific approach
As per Taylor scientific management managers must lay down stress on
improving efficiency and boosting productivity in an organization. According to Taylor
managers must develop a methods that helps them in determining accurate time that
need to be taken for performing a task. Moreover, they must also devise a method
that must be used for performing a specific task. Hence, by doing this managers can
develop their managerial skills in an organization
Henry Fayol approach
He state that a manager must clear a chain of authority and responsibility
among employee’s. So that every one know that from whom he will receive an order.
Along with this he also state that managers must treat their subordinates equally and
must give them authority in balance with responsibility. So that no one can misuse its
powers. He also state that managers must direct efforts of the employees in the
specific direction. So that objectives get achieved on time. Briefly, we can say that he
suggest the ways to the mangers by using which they can make best use of the
available human resources in an organization.
Organizations also follow a various approaches like contingency approach that
states that leader must change their leadership style as per change in situation. They
must not stick to single leadership style. In this way they can give good leadership to
their followers. Managers must also understand hierarchy of needs of their
subordinates and must use their unsatisfying needs for motivating them. In order to
maximize productivity from employees informal group must be promoted in an
organization because in such group people share their knowledge with each other

and learn lots of things. In this way, good leadership can be given to the employee’s
at the workplace.
Management style of Ryanair- Management of the Ryanair is following an
autocratic style. Therefore, employees are not given an opportunity to participate in
taking decisions related to the company business. Ryanair force its staff members to
sign an agreement under which its employees cannot join a union in order to
influence its business decisions. Moreover, many times it fires its employees from
their job in order to protect its own interests.
Different types of management styles
1. Autocratic style- In this style management takes all the decisions alone it
does not give its employees to participate in decision making process. As a
result, a gap comes in existence between management and employee’s
relations.
2. Democratic style- This style is inverse of autocratic management style. In
this style management takes advice from the employees but final decisions
are taken by the management. Firms that follow this style grow at fast pace
because employees work at ground level so they are I position to give
valuable suggestions to the management.
3. Paternalistic style- Like autocratic style they also believe in retaining control
but they have caring attitude towards their employees.
Ryanair must follow democratic leadership style because its relations with the
employees are very poor and this to large extent tarnish its image in media and
among public. By following this style, it will receive cooperation of its employees in its
operations and relation between both will become strong.

1.1 Discuss leadership characteristics
Leadership is an important aspect of any business. It acts as a facilitator who makes
all the other elements to be united and work together. Where there is no leadership,
there is no success of a business. Organization without leader is like an army force
without generals. A leader is filled with several characteristics and attributes. At
Ryanair Air, it is necessary for the leadership of the airline to be skilled and
experience, so that it is capable of dealing with any issues in emergency situation.
Effective communication is a major characteristic of any leadership. Ryanair Air
believes that effective communication keeps the employees motivated and
dedicated. It keeps the employees on the right track with right attitude. If the leader
communicates with his employees regarding the expectation, they will work more
hard to meet your expectations (Hackman and Lawler, 1971). Conviction is another
characteristic of a leader which makes him different from the others. He has a clear
vision about achieving the objectives of the organization. Ryanair Air is lucky enough
that it has such a strong leadership which keeps the employees motivated to achieve
the objectives and goals.
Leaders are flexible. All the problems cannot be solved by using the strategies and
same ideas. Being flexible makes a leader to think about new ideas and strategies
with open mind. A flexible leader always thinks three steps ahead to its employees.
Ryanair Airlines solves the problems with unique attitude and keeping a strong focus
toward the problem. Being organized is another important characteristic of the
leadership. When you are leading a business, you can always receive call for
meetings or presentations at any time. A good leader is always ready and confident
about such sudden calls. He is always prepared and always ready to face such
situations (Van Emden and Beck er, 2010).
Leadership plays a very important role in success of any organization. Due to
leadership many small companies today becomes giant organization in their
respective industry. As mentioned above Ryanair is following an autocratic style and
its characteristics are as follows.

1. Follow fire approach in order to control employees- Ryanair in order to
control its employees action fire them if they take any action that is against the
agreement that is signed between employees and company. Consequently,
relationship between management and employees are very poor. This fire
approach to large extent affects morale and motivation level of the
employees.
2. Dictatorship- Management of Ryanair act as dictator with its employees by
imposing wrong provision in an agreement. As mentioned above if any
employee breach these provision they are fire from the job. So Ryanair
completely act as dictator for its employees.
3. Creating fear among employees- Ryanair is creating a fear among the
employees by taking strong as well as unfair actions against them. As a result
employees are feeling demotivated in an organization.
4. Motivation- Good leaders always motivate their subordinates and in this
regard they use financial and non financial incentives. Hence, in Ryanair
financial incentives are used at large scale to motivate employees at the
workplace. Use of these techniques gives only fruitful results when
requirements of the employees get satisfied. If person needed money and any
gift is given to him then he will not value it and will not be motivated by same.
5. Performance- Good leaders utilize their followers in effective manner by
motivating them to give maximum output. Motivation can be given by
appreciating a work or giving more responsibilities. At the Ryanair managers
time to time conduct a appreciation programs under which employees are
given certification or trophies for their best performance in an organization . In
this way, managers motivate their subordinates in an organization.
6. Conflict resolution – Leaders at the Ryanair maintain beliefs in maintaining a
solidarity in a group. Thus, they takes a steps that promote unity in a team

and if any conflict arises among team members they interfere immediately
and resolve a conflict. In this way, they maintain solidarity in a group.
Characteristics of good leadership
1. Flexible in nature- Leadership must be flexible in nature it must take actions
according to demand of the situation. There are many firms that are not
involving there employees in decision making process. But when they takes
decision related to employee’s interest they give employees an opportunity to
participate in decision making process. This helps them in maintaining good
relations with the employees as well as improving their motivation level.
2. Confident- A good leadership is always confident about soundness of its
decisions related to the business.
3. Open minded- Good leaders are open minded in nature and they play a key
role in success of any organization.
4. Initiative- A leader works as motivator for its employees and he take many
initiatives in order to motivate employees in an organization.
1.2 Evaluate communication processes in Ryanair Air and Emirates
Communication refers to the interaction between two participants. The
communication process in two parties keeps changing and it is hard to explain. The
purpose of this task is to evaluate the communication process between Ryanair Air
and Emirates. The process of communication starts with understanding the
perceptive of communication. When both of these companies would want to
communicate with each other, they would need some source to start communication.
After the source of communication is found, they will start interacting with each other

about different issues and matter. Now they would need a channel through which
their message will be conveyed to each other (Van Emden and Becker, 2010). For
example, when we read or write, we need a channel to make it reach to the other
people. Next, let’s suppose the company Emirates is the receiver of the message
and it will receive the message through that particular channel used by both the
companies. The company, Emirates will receive the message through the channel
and it will interpret the message in two ways, intended and non-intended. It means
that the company responded to the channel, whether intentionally or un-intentionally.
This response is known as feedback. The environment and the contexts are also
important in a communication process because environment matters a lot when you
are sending a message. Context of the interaction or communication is also sufficient
because it is about the expectations and background of the message (Manheim,
1983).
Both companies follow formal communication structure in which there is a chain of
hierarchy and employees by following this hierarchy communicates with each other.
This structure positively affects both companies because in this method of
communication authority and responsibility of every employee is predetermined by
the management. It also decides who will communicate with whom. As a result if any
mistake occurs then management can easily make an employee responsible for the
act he commits on his job. So this helps firms in performing controlling function of the
management. In this structure both verbal and non-verbal mode of communication
can be used by the employees for the communication between them. In a situation
when fast decisions are needed, this structure act as barrier. So in order to remove
this barrier this structure can be made flexible in which employees can directly
contact with the top managers in such a scenario Management communication with
employees is good at the Ryanair. But this mode of communication has some
advantages and disadvantages. The main advantage of this is that in this sort of
communication relationship of managers with employee’s become strong.
employee’s are in position to communicate their grievance to the top management
easily. This helps managers in improving their management skills. The main
disadvantage of this mode of communication is that employees fell that management
is relent by nature and they can force managers to fulfill their demands. Hence, this
is major drawback of this mode of communication.

3.2 - justify managerial decisions made to support achievement of agreed goal
or objective and recommendations for improvements
Decision making is an important factor that influences the growth of a business. As a
manager, I need to analyze the factors and challenges that are stopping me to take
decisions. It is necessary to analyze the problem which calls me for taking decision
about the problem (Van Emden and Becker, 2010). It is necessary to start analyzing
from the roots instead of the problem statement. Problems can never be solved
unless they are analyzed from their roots (Taylor and Vest, 1992). As a manager of
the Ryanair Air, I would like to take decisions about the services of the customer’s
services center of the organization. Customers are very important and very precious
for any organization. It is the responsibility of the management to take appropriate
decisions to make changes in customer services center, for providing better
experience to the customers. I will take decisions about developing the relationships
of the employees within the organization. If the working environment of the
organization is full of stress, the employees will never be able to show good
performance. I wanted to take decision about changing the working environment,
because i understand the importance of good working environment for employees.
Group division will help the employees to interact with each other on personal level
too instead of just communicating for project discussion purpose (Van Emden and
Becker, 2010).
Customer service- In order to increase customer base for Ryanair I will make
important changes in its customer service.
1. Product and service knowledge- Customers are life blood of every
company. Therefore, main objective of every company is to create new
customers and to retain old customers. For this purpose I will adopt such
measures that helps in increasing product and service knowledge among
customers. For this purpose advertisement can be given on internet,
newspapers etc. through these measures we will be able to cover large

number of customers. This will certainly help in increasing customer base for
the company.
2. Product development- Advertising existing product is not sufficient to
increase number of customers. In order to create new customers at rapid rate
it is imperative to create new schemes that attracts large number of
customers towards the company. This will help in increasing company growth
rate quickly
There is a customer service theory which state that firms must identify needs of the
customers and must satisfy same. By using certain schemes or lucrative offers firm
must exceed the expectations of the customers. By doing this company can enhance
its customer base at a rapid pace Hence, every firm,operating in service industry
must follow this model in order to grow its business rapidly.

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