¶ … Leadership
Followership, Types and the Workplace
Leaders in organizations in the past used to wield all the powers and employees performed strict and routine functions and obeyed orders like machines (Curphy & Roellig, 2008). But changes and developments in the last 40 years led organizations to expect more from employees. Other factors contributed greatly to a change in the nature of following. These are new and successive waves of workers, increasing levels of education and expertise, globalization, the flattening of organizations and frequent changes in careers and transfers between organizations. There is a new breed of followers today that organizations must contend with. But the fundamental contentions are that everyone is a follower and that followers make things happen in an organization (Curphy & Roellig).
Science assumes from evidence that most people choose to follow because it is more profitable or convenient to do so than to do things alone or easier than to fight to become the leader. Followers stay where they are until it is no longer profitable or when they move to other organizations. In the workplace, followers and leaders have different motivations. A leader aims at maximizing the group's financial performance and shape. The follower, on the other, focuses on job security (Curphy & Roellig).
Types
Robert Kelley (2003 as qtd in Heremuru, 2011) enumerates the different types of followers as conformists, pragmatists, passivists, and exemplary. Each type seems to develop out of an unmet need and mistrust of a leader's style. Conformist followers will not challenge organizational standards and expectations for fear of punishment. They cannot function well in a changing organizational climate. Pragmatic followers are creations of an unstable organization. They choose to obey and remain subservient in order to keep their jobs. Passive followers do...
Leadership Theory in a Changing and Globalizing Marketplace Modern business practice is permeated by the complexities of a changing world. The impact of globalization on the cultural makeup of companies, the effects of the global recession on the conventions of daily business and the evolutionary shifts brought on by emergent technology all call for an orientation toward simultaneous stability and adaptability. Only under the stewardship of a qualified, communicative, flexible and
The benefits of high-quality relationships come from relational resources (Wright, et al. 2005) they create. Such resources include durable obligations (e.g., arising from feelings of gratitude, respect, and friendship), network contacts and connections (including privileged access to information and opportunities, social status, and reputation of influential others), and the ability to have open information exchanges with those around them (Valle & Halling, 1989). Relationships that do not develop so well are
Ethical leadership also entails role modeling through noticeable actions. Trustworthiness is seen as a result of ethical behavior rather than an attribute of ethical leaders themselves. Authentic leaders maintain that people have to act in concert with their deep personal and moral values and beliefs, but instead of centering on intrapersonal courses like self-awareness and self-regulation, the chase of ethical values on a normal basis is professed as morally
Most conclusions on this approach were vague or indecisive in terms of social, psychological or mental significance (Rice, 1978, 1981; Graen et al., 1972; Ashour, 1973). Furthermore, over the years, many scholars have come to the realization that leadership is situational and hence there are many realistic settings like the environment, the employees, the resources, etc. that determine the characteristics needed in a leader as well as his/her business approach
Part 1 History of Modern Leadership Studies Since 1900 The evolution of modern leadership studies begins with the Great Man Theory, which originated in the 19th century and carried over into the 20th century. It came about as people looked at the world’s greatest leaders who stood out from the run of the mill individuals of their time and made a significant difference upon the course of human history. Individuals like George
Leader's Self-Insight 1.1: Your Learning Style: Using Multiple Intelligences I scored evenly on all of the types of intelligence measured by this self-assessment: logical-mathematical, verbal-linguistic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and musical. This indicates that I am a well-rounded person with the ability to work in multiple environments on different tasks. Leader's Self-Insight 1.2: Your Leadership Potential I scored slightly more (7) on the even-numbered indicators than on the odd ones (6), indicating I have leadership
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now