Requisitos propios

According to Awolowo (1997), the foundation for the “style of leadership” approach was the belief that effective leader utilize a particular style to lead individual and groups to achieving certain goals, resulting in high productivity and morale.

Leadership style in an organizational context is the general way in which leaders behave toward subordinates in order to attain objectives. The degree to which a manager

delegates authority, the modes of power a manager employs, and his/her relatives concern for human relationship or task orientation, all tend to reflect the managers leadership styles.

3.2.1 Autocratic Leadership Style

The autocratic leaders determines all the policy for the group. He commends and expects compliance. The techniques and activities to be carried out are spelt out one at a time so that members of the group are not always sure of what the next step will be.

According to Apala (1990), decision making in this leadership style is solely within the prerogative of the leader. The autocratic leads, assigns tasks, provides facilities and directs without consultation with the individuals carrying out the work. The leader works with the assumption that he or she knows what is best for the organization. He may be friendly or kind to workers but ultimately decides what the subordinates should do.

Mbiti (1977) sees the autocratic leader as a dictator. Oyedeji (1986) supports this

description when he described the autocratic leaders as using force, fear, power, authority, initiation and their personal influence to get the followers to obey their will. For an

autocratic leader, pay is just a reward and the only reward that can motivate worker. He (autocratic leaders) therefore uses pay as a means of reward and punishment.

Blanchard (1990) refers to the autocratic styles as the telling style. For the leader takes all decision, issues, instruction and expect others to carry them out without question or debate.

The autocratic leadership style has been recommended to be the best in times of emergency or when tasks are needed to be carried out fast. The argument, as you can understand, stems from the fact that decisions making process is very fast in the autocratic setting since it is only the leader that tales decisions. However, it has been criticized as being capable of causing dissatisfaction and ill- feeing among the group, dependence on the leader and passiveness towards the organizational goals.

3.2.2 Democratic Leadership Style

A democratic leader tends to be faithfully high in decisions but allow more participation than the autocrat. He seek suggestions or opinion from his followers but the final decision rest with the leader.

His subordinates are free to consult the leader on any issue they cannot handle on the work should be done.

Blanchard (1990) describes the democratic leader as one who join the group to discuss a problem and reaches a decision on the basis of consensus or agreement. In style, the leader confers with the group before taking decisions and takes account of advises and feelings when reaching his decision.

According to Betts, (1991), he also pointed that democratic leader consults, encourages participation and uses power with, than power over employee”

The democratic leader encourages and assists subordinates, members are free to work with whosoever they choose and division of tasks is left for the group. The democratic leader instills a high sense of belonging and love. The result is increases in efficiency.

Webber (1975) has enumerated some of the benefits of this types of leadership, which include the following:

(1) The follower to be done will probably understand the decision and agree that a certain course of action is necessary and proper.

(2) The leader motivates people to contribute and encourages them to be responsible.

(3) it gives the leader an opportunity to recognize the follower’s power and expertise which he can solicit and combine with his own to reach a joint and perhaps better

decision.

Though there are general thinking in favour of this styles, findings shows that the productivity under this style is low and work is done in a sloppy manner.

3.2.3 Paternalistic Leadership Style

This type of leadership style entails an intimate relationship between the leaders and the group, and it manifest in watchful care for the comfort and welfare of the followers.

Contributing on paternalistic leadership style, Apala (1990) said that, “it aims to guide and protect”. It is mostly associated with family business; in which case, the father or the mother is the chief executive and the children constitute the main personnel of the

organization.

3.2.4 Laissez Faire or Free Rein Leadership Style

In the laissez faire leadership style, Apala (1990) describes the leader as giving little or no direction and allow group members a great deal of freedom.

According to Betts (1991) “the laissez-faire leader allows a high Amount of

independence; employees set their own objectives and decide how they achieve them”.

In this style of leadership, there is total freedom for group or individual decisions, with minimum participation by the leader. Under this leadership styles, decision making process is slow and there can be a great deal of buck passing. As a result the task may not be undertaken and conditions may become some what chaotic

Actually, in this instance, decision making is left to whoever in the group is willing to take on such responsibility. The leader grant the subordinates total freedom to take their decisions, set their own goals and devise means of achieving this set goals. The leader makes little or no effort to regulate, appraise or control the course of events. He comes in only when asked questions or subordinates indicate that they need him.

Contributing further, Betts (1991) observed that, the use of authority forms the basis for these style together with a philosophy variance ranging from fear, single authority decentralized authority through to complete freedom from authority. He further observed that many models have models been particular research findings. According to Mbiti (1977), laissez-faire is a French word and it mean, let people do what they want: the opinions of such a leader is not respected and the followers behaves as they like.

The manager who adopts this leadership style do as little supervision as possible. Also the group is loosely structured the decision making process slow (Apala, 1990). According to Sisk (1981) the leader who adopts this style maybe a deserter, a person who hangs onto a leadership position because it is profitable, but who has no identification with the

organizational objectives and no concern for other people.

Concluding, this type of leadership style does not provide effective leadership at all since the followers or subordinates are left on their own, they tackle problems as best as they could.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 1

Mention and explain various types of leadership styles.