Task 2 – Discussion Paper

Each inductee is required to produce a Discussion Paper for use in one of the induction
sessions. The title of your Discussion Paper is ‘Explain how leadership and
management styles change to meet the needs of business situations’.

Your Discussion Paper must include:

 an explanation of how leadership and management styles should change to

meet the needs of different situations found in organisations.
LO1 AC 1.3
AC 2.1
As part of the employee orientation for our managers, it is important that one understands the
skill set required by the leaders and managers of the organization to boost performance.
What are the Skills required?
 Proactive: We require all leaders and managers to possess this skill and always act swiftly to
situations and take charge.
 Non-Neophyte: To excel as a strategic leader in this organization it is essential, we employ the
services of one who is not new to being a leader. One who has been a leader in well vested and
knowledgeable
 Team Builder: “Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team
of people” Steve Jobs. Having this skill is crucial to building a successful business, as much can
be achieved when things are done by a group of people with a focus on working together to
achieve a collective target. Synergy says 1+1=3 and not 2. This means you can achieve more
together than as an individual.
 Thinker: To be a strategic leader, one must be that extra ordinary leader who thinks outside the
box in his leadership styles. Bringing on new and ground-breaking ideas will surely improve the
performance of the organization.
 Strategist: Be that person with responsibility for the formulation and implementation of a
strategy. Strategy generally involves setting goals, determining actions to achieve the goals, and
mobilizing resources to execute the actions. “Objectives can be compared to a compass bearing
by which a ship navigates. A compass bearing is firm, but in actual navigation, a ship may veer
off its course for many miles. Without a compass bearing, a ship would neither find its port nor
be able to estimate the time required to get there.” Peter Drucker.
 Visionary: A strategic leader and manager needs to be a person who is ahead of his time and
who has a powerful plan for change in the future. Someone or something that thinks about the
future or advancements in a creative and imaginative way.
 Trustworthy: It is important to possess this skill to be a strategic leader because all relationships
are built on it. As a leader, your followers need to have trust in you then you can do more
together.
 Resolute: The Strategic leader should be described as a purposeful and determined person,
someone who wants to do something very much, and will not let anything get in the way.
 Communication: According to John C. Maxwell Interaction fuels action. In his book the 17
Indisputable Laws of Teamwork, Dr. Maxwell mentions an airline business that was at the verge
 of collapsing. Being a Strategic leader and manager requires good communication skills. This is
talking to and listening to your followers though you are the leader. And it increases commitment
and connection which in turn fuels action.

Continental Airline Case Study: The then Continental Airlines now United Airlines in 1994 was
a complete mess when Gordon Bethune took over as CEO. What was going? It had suffered
through ten changes in leadership in ten years. It was the worst among the nation’s biggest
airlines. Continental was lapping in the field with its employees angry, customers always
dissatisfied with their services and emerging insolvency.

Gordon Bethune, CEO identified the gaps which contributed to the history of ineffective
management and leadership style. He applied the Law of Communication in trying to turn the
team around and it worked though it was a gradual process of winning the hearts and minds of
the angry employees. He adopted an open houses for employees to reduce the intimidation
between leaders and the rest of the team. (Maxwell, 2001)

Bethune’s communication policy was and is simple:” Unless it’s dangerous or illegal for us to
share it, we share it” It took a while but eventually the company began to turn. He won the trust
of the employees. They began to work with and trust one another. And for the first time in 10
years, the employees of Continental behaved as a team.

AC 2.2
Motivation is an internal process that makes a person move toward a goal. Motivation, like
intelligence, cannot be directly observed. Instead, motivation can only be inferred by noting a
person’s behavior.

Study has shown that it is important to ensure that every team member in an organization is
motivated. Researchers have studied human behaviour and formalized their findings in the
various motivation theories which provide great understanding on how people behave and what
motivates them.

A look at some famous motivation theories include the following.

 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Abraham Maslow suggested that a person will be motivated when his needs are satisfied. The
need starts from the lowest level basic needs and keeps moving up as a lower level need is
fulfilled. Below is the pyramid of hierarchy of needs:
 Hertzberg’s two factor theory
Hertzberg classified the needs into two broad categories namely hygiene factors and motivating
factors. To make sure that an employee is not dissatisfied, hygiene factors are needed. Ensuring
employee's satisfaction and employee’s motivation for higher performance, motivation factors
are needed. The presence of only hygiene factors does not guarantee motivation, and presence of
motivation factors in the absence of hygiene factors also does not work.
 McClelland’s theory of needs
Suggested these three motivators. Need for affiliation, achievement and power.

Affiliation: a need for love, belonging and social acceptance People with a high need for
affiliation are motivated by being liked and accepted by others. They tend to participate in social
gatherings and may be uncomfortable with conflict.

Achievement: a need to accomplish and demonstrate own competence. People with a high need
for achievement prefer tasks that provide for personal responsibility and results based on their
own efforts. They also prefer quick acknowledgement of their progress.

Power: a need for control own work or the work of others. People with a high need for power
desire situations in which they exercise power and influence over others. They aspire for
positions with status and authority and tend to be more concerned about their level of influence
than about effective work performance.

 Vroom’s theory of expectancy

Victor Vroom stated that people will be highly productive and motivated if two conditions are
met: 1) people believe it is likely that their efforts will lead to successful results and 2) those
people also believe they will be rewarded for their success.

People will be motivated to exert a high level of effort when they believe there are relationships
between the efforts they put forth, the performance they achieve, and the outcomes/ rewards they
receive.

 McGregor’s Participation Theory

Douglas McGregor formulated two distinct views of human being based on participation of
workers. The first is basically negative, labelled as Theory X, and the other is basically positive,
labelled as Theory Y. Both kinds of people exist. Based on their nature they need to be managed
accordingly.

Theory X: The traditional view of the work force holds that workers are inherently lazy, self-
centered, and lacking ambition. Therefore, an appropriate management style is strong, top-down
control.
Theory Y: This view postulates that workers are inherently motivated and eager to accept
responsibility. An appropriate management style is to focus on creating a productive work
environment coupled with positive rewards and reinforcement.

Conclusion

Motivation is the state of mind which pushes all human being to perform things with the highest
spirit and with positivity. The leader will have to ensure that every individual in the team and the
organization is motivated. The various motivation theories help in understanding what will
motivate people.

2.D.1

Case Study of Business Organizations

 To evaluate how these organisations use motivation to improve their organisational performance.
They have the reward systems, personal development plans, women’s empowerment
programmes, Disaster response reliefs.

1. DHL is the global leader in the logistics industry. Specializing in international shipping, courier
services and transportation. DHL uses several reward systems to motivate its employees. It has

Rewards
 Employee of the Year: Best employee receives monetary award of 500 Euros and an all-expense
paid trip with stay in a 5-star hotel.
 Employee of the quarter: This recognition award is usually organized regionally to celebrate the
best employee of the period by publishing on its various platforms.
 Sales Champions Club- This is a global award organized for best sales employee. Awardee is
given money and a trip.

Personal Development trainings

 DHL also organises regular on the job trainings, management trainings certified by accredited
institutions, sponsored MBA programmes, online learning to improve staff knowledge and skills.

Empowerment Programmes
 DHL4her is a women’s empowerment programme designed for female employees of the
organisation
 Employee charity support which gives aid to employees who run charities as their way of
believing in what they are doing for their communities.
 Assist employees in areas of startups as a way of recognising their talents and appreciating their
efforts.

Disaster Response
 DHL has a disaster response aid for its employees in disaster affected areas as show of their care.
A vivid example is during this pandemic of Covid-19, it has provided Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE’s) such as nose masks, sanitizers, gloves) to all its employees.

2. MTN a mobile telecommunications operator at the forefront of technologies and digital changes.
The MTN Ghana employs more of the reward system to motivate its employees.
 MTN Shine Points: Employees gain points monthly per their performance appraisal and its
rounded up at the end of the year. These points are translated into cash say, if one acquires
1000points at year end, that is 1000ghs but given in the form of shopping vouchers for groceries,
household items or appliances worth the voucher amount.
 Yellow Delight: A fixed amount of 500 points is given to all permanent staff for shopping at the
end of the year as a source of motivation
 Incentive Awards: Organized quarterly within every department depending on the motivation
committee that give vouchers and plaque

3. Ecobank Ghana is a commercial bank in Ghana. It is one of the commercial banks licensed by
the Bank of Ghana, the national banking regulator. Ecobank as seen in their banking halls
celebrate the best employee of the month by displaying a nicely framed decent portrait picture of
the awardee. This is a way the bank lifts the morale of its employees as customers also appreciate
celebrates with smiles, nodes and pleasant wishes.