Observation journal

Class BA 352

Yu Sun

05/22/2019

The study was conducted in an organization that deals with computer maintenance and

software development.

1. Power plays an important role in leadership. In this organization I observed that the leader

has a great impact on the employees regarding power. He owns a power as well as he

empowers the employees too because it is necessary for the organization to win if the

employees are given a certain amount of power too. The employees are empowered to take

daily basis steps for the organization by getting appreciation, motivation and enough

training from the leader. If this power strategy lacks, then managers cannot get the work he

wants from employees.

2. There are following types of powers that leaders use: Legitimate power: it refers to the

status by using which the leader just gives the order to do the tasks. But in Organization, I

felt the leader is not using this kind of power rather he was discussing not implying the

decisions on them. Expert power: expert power is based on the expertise of the leaders. In

Organization, I observed that there were some employees who also were expert in the field

in which lead was not so by mutual consent they were deciding everything on the basis of

each other’s skills and expertise and knowledge. Reward power: it was highly used in this

organization. The leader was giving rewards like recognition, bonuses, incentives,

appreciating words to the employees. Referent power: referent power was not used in the

Organization because there were equal opportunities and rights were given to everyone in

the team. Moral power: Organization leader was using the moral power by doing the good

deeds and doing the things in a most moral way and indirectly it affects the thinking’s and

actions of the employees in positive way b because they follow their leader.

3. Organization team leader was using these two types of conflict management techniques to

solve the conflict (Llopis, 2014). Knowing the exact boundaries: in Organization

everyone’s takes were assigned separately and every follower was in certain in boundary

and if someone crossed the boundaries there was a proper system to solve this matter

(Economy, 2013). Respect the differences: nobody was allowed to create the differences

in between each other and cultures, beliefs and other things that were not common were

given respect by each other. Each follower’s point of view was important.

4. A good leader inspires others which I saw in Organization. He was optimistic, he was

supportive for the team’s members, he was having confidence in the personalities of team

members, he was taking the positive decision, he was cooperative, understanding, he was

managing complexity and was empowering the team members.

5. Transformational leadership is beyond the scenario of day to day work. It focuses on the

best practices of the leadership styles. Transactional leadership is to keep the things on

track on daily basis but transformational is the way to focus on the effective building of

teams, collaboration with employees, motivation, and giving the incentives as well

(Ingram, 2019).In Organization I observed that the leader is working hard for the

effectiveness of teams, he was giving rewards and incentives, was appreciating their good

work, and was collaborating with the employees so he was practicing the transformational

leadership style.

References

Economy, P. (2013, August 27). 7 Traits of Highly Effective Leaders. Retrieved from Inc.:

https://www.inc.com/peter-economy/7-traits-highly-effective-leaders.html

Ingram, D. (2019, February 4). Transformational Leadership Vs. Transactional Leadership

Definition. Retrieved from Chron: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/transformational-

leadership-vs-transactional-leadership-definition-13834.html

Llopis, G. (2014, November 28). 4 Ways Leaders Effectively Manage Employee Conflict.

Retrieved from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2014/11/28/4-ways-

leaders-effectively-manage-employee-conflict/#127f0fc65e15