Leadership

BUSM 4177 / 4194

Leading for Change

Topic 5: Participative Leadership

Sometimes called “empowering leadership”

Learning Objectives

Participative Leadership:

1. Understand different forms of participative leadership and empowerment.

2. Understand the major findings in research on consequences of participative leadership.

3. Understand the situations in which participative leadership is most likely to be effective.

4. Understand procedures for the effective use of consultation.

5. Understand the potential benefits and risks of delegation.

6. Understand when and how to use delegation effectively.

Types of Participative Leadership

(a continuum of decision making involvement)

AUTOCRATIC

• Weak (or no) input by other people

• Leader decides unilaterally

CONSULTATIVE

• Leader seeks opinions of others

• Shares information JOINT DECISION

• Leader asks others to help make decisions

• Collaborative approach to decisions

DELEGATION

• Strong input by other people

• Leader is “hands-off” leaving others to self- direct

The “causal model” of participative leadership: Overview

Yukl suggests that there are three factors that determine just how beneficial

participative leadership can be.

(see section in textbook for fuller description)

Potential benefits of the consultative approach

• Decision quality

• Decision acceptance

• Satisfaction with decision process

• Development of participant skills

Potential benefits of the consultative approach

Benefit 1: Decision quality

“Involving other people in making a decision is likely to

increase the quality of a decision when participants have

information and knowledge lacked by the leader and are

willing to cooperate in finding a good solution”

Yukl (p113)

Potential benefits of the consultative approach

Benefit 2 : Decision acceptance

“People who have considerable influence in making a

decision tend to identify with it and perceive it to be their

decision. This feeling of ownership increase their

motivation to implement it successfully”

Yukl (p113)

Potential benefits of the consultative approach

Benefit 3 : Satisfaction with decision process

“Research on “procedural justice” found that the

opportunity to express opinions and preferences before a

decision is made (called voice) can have beneficial effects

regardless of the actual influence participants have over

the final decision (called choice)”

Yukl (p113)

Potential benefits of the consultative approach

Benefit 4 : Development of participant skills

“…helping to make a complex decision can result in

more skills and confidence by participants….

…involvement in diagnosing the problem, generating

solutions and planning implementation builds skills…

…may require considerable coaching and

encouragement from leader..”

Yukl (p114)

Research evidence on participative leadership claims:

Can we show that it really does result in better outcomes?

Research approach Researchers

Does research show

participative

leadership to be more

effective?

Field research

Examine real situations in organisations

Coch & French

(1948)

Latham & Yukl (1975)

yes

Survey studies

Questionnaires to leaders and followers Kim & Yukl (1995) yes

Lit reviews and Meta-analyses

Summarise all research papers

Combine data from many studies

Cotton et al (1988)

Leana et al (1990) Mixed outcomes

“Laboratory” experiments

Set up experiment where leaders vary

participative leadership

Bragg & Andrews

(1973) no

Research evidence on participative leadership claims: 2

“Overall, the results from research on the effects of participative

leadership are not sufficiently strong and consistent to draw any firm

conclusions

Sometimes it results in higher satisfaction, effort and performance…

at other times it does not!”

Yukl (p 116)

What additional factor(s) might help explain the difference in the

outcome?

Situational variables may explain differences in outcomes seen

Does the participative leadership approach only work when the

“situation” or environment is right?

This idea is the basis of contingency theories which we’ll cover more

fully in a separate topic.. We touch on it lightly here

Victor Vroom & Philip Yetton 1973

Model that helps you decide how “participative”

to be when making decisions – hence called

“decision model

Normative Decision model

Decision Procedures in Normative Decision Model

Autocratic

decision

Consultative

decision

Group

decision

Normative Decision model

– Autocratic, consultative and group decision approaches

Vroom & Yetton’s Normative Decision model

– Summary or “contingency table” to determine approach

Moving beyond consultation:

Joint decision making

Moving beyond consultation:

Joint decision making

Deciding whether to deeply involve staff

in a decision depends on:

 How important the decision is

 Whether staff have the relevant knowledge or expertise

 Whether staff are likely to cooperate

 Whether staff would accept a decision made solely by the leader (autocratic)

 Whether it is feasible to get staff together to make a joint decision

Moving beyond consultation:

Joint decision making

Encouraging staff to participate:

 Ensure that staff have confidence / comfort to express concerns

 Describe a proposal as “tentative”

 Record staff ideas and suggestions

 Look for ways to build on these ideas and suggestions

 Be tactful in your feedback on suggestions

 Listen to opposing views without getting defensive

 Show appreciation for suggestions

Version Woodruff 2014 SIM

Delegation as the ultimate decision-making approach

RMIT University© School of Management 20

Delegation

Delegation (or passing down) is the partnership of authority

and not responsibility to another person (normally from a

manager to a subordinate) to carry out specific activities. It is

one of the core concepts of leadership.

Wikipedia

Different forms and

degrees of power sharing

with individual staff.

Your textbook

“Major aspects of delegation include the

variety and magnitude of responsibilities, the

amount of discretion or range of choice

allowed.. authority to take action and

implement decisions without prior

approval…”

Your textbook

Defining delegation

entrust (a task or responsibility) to another person, typically one who is less senior than oneself

Oxford English Dictionary

Benefits of Delegation

 Decision quality improvement

 Subordinate implementation commitment

 Enriched job

 Time management

 Management development

Downside of Delegation

 Power sharing

 Mistakes

 Competition

 Personal achievement

Subordinate characteristics

 Distrust

 Leader authority

What should we delegate?

 Tasks that can be done better by a subordinate

 Urgent but not high priority

 Relevant to a subordinate’s career

 Appropriate difficulty

 Both pleasant and unpleasant tasks

 Tasks not central to the manager’s role

How should we delegate?

 Specify responsibilities

 Provide adequate authority limits

 Specify reporting requirements

 Ensure subordinate acceptance of responsibilities

 Inform others who need to know

 Monitor progress

 Arrange for delegate to receive necessary information

 Provide support ands assistance

 Make “mistakes” a learning rather than a punishing experience

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RMIT is proud to partner with Pearson Australia in the development of the

customised resources for this course.

This presentation draws on material from chapter five of the course textbook

Sustainable Leadership people, technology and design – an RMIT Custom

Publication, Pearson® Australia and is subject to copyright.

Presentation developed by Ian Woodruff, School of Management,

RMIT University

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Acknowledgements

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