Unit A: Leadership and Supervision

CONTENT/TEACHING OUTLINE

Unit A: Leadership and Supervision

COMPETENCY:1.00Understand the concept of leadership.

OBJECTIVE:1.02Compare leadership styles.

A.Understand autocratic leadership.

1.Autocratic: A leadership style characterized by specific instructions to employees regarding what, how, and when work should be done.

2.Micro-management style

3.Leader plans, organizes, controls, and coordinates

4.Emphasis on getting the job done without regard for input from others

5.Advantages

a.Efficiency

b.Employees know the manager’s expectations.

6.Disadvantages

a.Discourages employees from thinking about process improvements

b.Employee dissatisfaction

c.Decline in worker performance

d.Does not prepare employees for promotion or possible advancement

7.When to use the autocratic style

a.During an emergency

b.Managing temporary employees

c.Managing new employees

B.Understand democratic leadership.

1.Democratic: A leadership style characterized by encouragement for employees to share in the decision-making and problem-solving processes.

2.General management style

3.Considers everyone’s viewpoint in decision making

4.Utilizes team concept in goal setting

5.Advantages

a.Employees actively involved in decision making

b.Higher employee morale

c.Stronger employee commitment to established goals

6.Disadvantages

a.Time consuming

b.Not everyone likes to participate in decision making.

7.When to use the democratic style

a.Managing employees who are committed to their jobs

b.Managing employees who are interested in more responsibility

c.Managing experienced and well-trained employees

C.Understand laissez-faire leadership.

1.Laissez-faire: A leadership style in which minimal direction and supervision is given to workers.

2.Open management style

3.Management shares information

4.Team (or individual employee) is completely responsible for the workload.

5.Advantages

a.Easy management style to administer

b.Complete empowerment for employees

6.Disadvantages

a.Poor decision making may result.

b.Some employees do not perform well withoutdirection and supervision.

7.When to use laissez-faire

a.Managing experienced, well-trained, and highly-motivated workers

b.Managing home-based employees, outside salespersons

D.Understand situational leadership.

1.Situational: Leadershipcharacterized by shifts in management style as appropriate for individual employees.

2.The management style applied depends on the needs of each employee.

3.Advantages

a.Managementstyle personalized to meet needs of each employee

b.Improved communication

c.High employee morale

d.Improved production

4.Disadvantages

a.Time consuming

b.Difficult to manage

5.When to use situational management

a.Highly experienced manager

b.Manager highly skilled in human relations

c.Employees with range of needs for supervision

Marketing Management

A-1