Functional Roles of Managers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Functional Roles of Managers - Essay Example Autocratic approach. This is the type of style in which, a leader instructs employees of what is to be done without leaving a room for deliberations. It is criticized for being non-participatory but if well utilized it is a source of effectiveness in work Democratic approach. This is a consultative approach in which the leader involves the employees in making decisions. Although the leader has the final authority for decision making, it is usually a participatory style. It is a kind of leadership very popular amongst employees. Delegative approach. It is a style whereby employees are decision makers. It is appropriate when there are job situations needing analysis and therefore requiring employees to make contributions. It works well in cases when the leader has trust in the employees. In practice, there is no ‘fit all’ style and good leaders, therefore, are required to employ all the above three styles depending on what particular situations demand. For instance, it is widely recommended that for new employees getting into the system, the authoritarian style works. The participative style is seen to be very efficient for teams whereby the leadership wishes to tap employees’ expertise in solving some problems. Finally, the democratic style is applicable in situations requiring professional expertise and the assumption here is that everyone knows what is expected of them and are responsible enough to function without coercion. In deciding the right leadership style, (Shonk, James, 1992) suggested that a manager should always bear in mind the following; availability of time, organizational conflicts and the level of expertise amongst employees. Managers drive business and therefore are tasked with ensuring that set standards are adhered to by all employees. This involves guiding the entire organizations operations within the set operational limits. It is also the mandate of managers to make the right decisions which are in line with organizations objectives. Finally, managers are responsible for organizational behavior change and are required to guide the employees’ in al interactions within the organization.