Analyzing Leadership Styles For Project Management: A Case Study Essay.

In this assessment, students are required to analyse a case study that describes an organisation launching projects. In later modules, students work in groups to analyse the actual project. In this assessment, they analyse the leadership styles/approaches they believe to be appropriate for project leadership in this environment

Identifying and analysing leadership styles helps students to prepare for the management of the efforts of individuals who contribute to a project. This also introduces the concepts of power, and how the appropriate use of power can influence these efforts.

Address questions for case study

Students will read the case study and address the following, utilising subject resources and research:

• Explain why you might choose one of the leadership styles discussed in this module’s learning resources over another style when managing the highlighted project team.

• Describe which tools and techniques discussed in the resources you might use as a PM to influence this project team.

• As a project manager, what tools and techniques discussed in the resources are appropriate for managing communication outside of the project group?

• Explain which of the 5 types of power (as described in Shenoy web article) you would employ to motivate the team members to work collaboratively, and impact the project’s success

• Explain the methods for developing self-managed teams for Agile projects

• Explain your reasons for selecting these approaches, referencing any insight you have gained from the module resources and research or your interaction with colleagues in the Module Discussions.

• Describe the steps you might take, as project manager, to alleviate challenges faced by your project team before those challenges grow so large that they damage the work environment or the final product. Explain why.

Lead Sentence

In relation to EWS Ltd., it is evident that there are particular operations that cannot be executed singly. Workers and other stakeholders are supposed to cooperate, have issues discussed in groups, then work with one another to realize a common outcome or goal. Those that form a team are required to think alike with objectives that are more similar. EWS Limited will therefore, require skilled personnel in various project sections (D’auteur, 2012).

In this paper, therefore, the plan will entail developed, management, staffing, and assessment teams to manage the project and address the goals and aims of every team within the project (Bruce, 2016).

One, since EWS requires to expand into new markets, its restructuring process will require a new technological and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems to help in such mega expansions. Second, EWS is in need of investigating new supply chains systems alongside procedures in the form of negotiating, tendering, and implementing contracts (Hager, 2014). Finally, yet importantly, EWS requires determining the legal perspectives of expanding to new geographical locations. The organization, therefore, needs a legal team that would research on local, legal laws and ensures that the organization complies with them.

The outlined project by EWS will adopt the following leadership styles:

1. Project Manager: The overall project manager will be in charge of the entire project as stipulated in EWS’s plan. As identified, the best style that such a leader ought to possess is “Transformational Leadership”. As mentioned by Cox∗, Daoud and Rudd, (2013), transformational leadership is defined as a leadership approach that causes change in individuals and social systems. In its ideal form, it creates valuable and positive change in the followers with the end goal of developing followers into leaders. Such leaders are visionary, passionate, and charismatic (pg. 44).
2. Structural Organization Manager: This leader is required to be democratic. A manager with democratic skills of leadership needs to ensure that team members have whatever they need or require ensuring project success. Otherwise, these kinds of leaders make decisions through consensus. Since the structural organization is important in defining the role of different departments in an organization, every member of the team is required to contribute towards the process by upholding their opinions. Apart from that, democratic leaders also highly motivate team members and support their decisions whenever they make good contributions (Aguirre & Rugter, 2013).
3. Supply Chain Manager: Supply chain management department is critical in every organization. The segment determines sales and purchases and thus, requires an authoritative leader. The most appropriate style of leadership herein is “dictatorial”. These leaders make decisions by themselves and impose the same on their subjects. Herein, results get achieved within a short timeframe while team members have a clear, concise direction.
4. Legalities Compliance Manager: This leader is required to have both authoritative and situational leadership qualities. Since legal situations differ, such leaders are required to be flexible in their leadership processes. Situational leadership encourages the employment of almost every leadership style. Otherwise, this leadership combines flexibility to motivational attributes in all the endeavors of the group.

Ideas of team building get recommended for bonding workers as well as motivate them. By doing so, a positive-vibe workplace environment is created. Team building ideas are also supposed to improve the level of internal productivity and communication, help workers understand themselves and boost workplace morale.

This activity advocates for the use of a traditional project management technique. This management technique is also dubbed as “classical” because of its simplicity in methods of project assessment when it comes to project monitoring and completion. While the project is still, of course, this “classical” technique helps managers to coach teams and members, receive feedbacks, as well as assess the entire project with ease. Since this strategy for project management is simple, members do not need to wait for other groups to clear their assignments to move forward (Aguirre & Rugter, 2013). However, for proper external communication, “extreme project management” technique is most efficient. This method is good because it speeds iterative project cycles into daily and weekly processes. Herein, managers may assign numbers or names to teams at the end of each cycle regardless of functionality or completeness (Chatman & Eunyoung, 2013, pg. 22).

There are several styles of leadership. As a result, theorists have come with lots of definition on the same. Conventionally, leadership is recognized as an approach towards or the manner in which chosen individuals provide direction, motivate stakeholders, and implement plans. Therefore, having determined the requirements of EWS project and the job allocation framework of its project manager, it is important to note that the project leader must exercise three main types of power in the names of rewarding power, expert power, and punishment powers. With rewarding power, the project manager will be capable of creating a friendly working environment in which they would work cohesively under the created conditions. Overall, created project teams will not be out-rightly efficient if they are not punished, thus there is need of punishment power (Alvesson, 2012). 

According to research by J. French and B. Raven, several power types exist. Managers can employ these power types creating different impacts on the teams (SHENOY, 2016). However, the five most common types are:

1. Legitimate Power: - Managers employ this type to instructing team members on things they ought to perform thereby making managers completely in charge of the teams.
2. Reward Power: - By employing this type of power, project managers ensure that team members are given rewards for extra-ordinary contributions. Team are also given whatever they need to ensure that they produce positive results. Manager also potentially control the project's budget and decide on the kind of rewards to be given (Aguirre & Rugter, 2013).
3. Expert Power: - Herein, project managers are supposed to lead by example. This power is therefore, characterized by providing expertise, information, and knowledge to employees.
4. Referent Power: - This kind of power is derived from employees' respect for a manager and their desire to identify with or emulate him or her. In this case, managers are required to lead by setting good examples. This is also one way of increasing trust in the manager and influence or affluence.
5. Punishment Power: - The other name for this power type is “Coercive”. Although there are negative impacts associated with exercising punishment power e.g. deterioration of worker’s self-esteem, it encourages employees to conform to company policies and rules. Therefore, managers of projects are required to exercise this power if a team member is not performing and needs to get threatened of reminded of bad consequences if he or she does not improve (Estone, 2015).

Developing and Managing Self –Managed Teams for EWS’s Agile Projects

Agile project to develop and manage self-managed teams by taking responsibility themselves. Project managers, in this case, must manage costs, project scope, personnel, quality, risks, communication, and procurement among other functions. Therefore, some of the strategies of development and management of self-managed teams in agile projects include:

• Developing interpersonal effectiveness: The project manager should be able to influence workers to be in a position of competently influencing other workers to boost productivity (Aguirre & Rugter, 2013).
• Creating self-awareness for the employees: Project managers should also be capable of helping workers to assess the impacts of their situations to themselves and other workers through critical self-reflection.
• Assessing personal capability and commitment: Project managers are required to assess the capabilities of candidates and workers to contribute to teams, meet deadlines, resolve conflicts, and make appropriate decisions. Managers should also be capable of assessing commitment levels of workers in terms of putting effort, creating momentum, and ensuring project success among others (Calasanti & Slevin, 2017).
• Ensuring holistic communication: Holistic communication is communication with a particular purpose. Such kind of communication should convey project objectives and goals, management concepts, as well as ideas.
• Distributing administrative burden: In this case, project managers go for temporary staff and not permanent, direct hires to reduce costs of administering payrolls and processes (Aguirre & Rugter, 2013).

1. Steps towards Alleviating EWS’s Project Challenges 

The efficiency and effectiveness of a project manager depend on how good they handle project challenges and alleviate them. Therefore, some of the steps that the project manager for EWS needs to take include:

1. Ensuring that every team member knows his or her part in the system: - When members of any particular team misunderstand his or her responsibilities in the team, the system is likely to fail. Therefore, a good project manager should handle accountability issues by clearly laying out everyone’s responsible, goals, and expectations. This can be done using the RACI chart (where R = Responsible for work performance; A = Accountability for project results; C = Consulting on aspects of the project; and I = Informed about the project) (Businesstopia, 2017).
2. Maintaining Key Personnel in Teams: Resource related issues need proper handling to maintain project system balance. Other workers look up to resourceful individuals in their groups for support and help in different areas. If such individuals get sucked from groups, such teams are likely to crumble (GWA, 2017).

• Ensuring Timeliness: - Issues of missing deadlines are very serious and dealing with them is important. Therefore, project managers could handle them by giving team members specific deadlines to avoid procrastination.

1. Performing risk analysis: - In projects, there are several instances where the manager is not aware of risks. A good project manager could avoid such problems by carrying out status meetings with workers. Otherwise, failure could be avoided if all operational processes are timely and achieved (Alder, 2016).

References

Aguirre, A. & Rugter, P., V. (2013). Culture’s Critical Role in Change Management. [Online]. Strategy + Business. Retrieved on 25 September 2018, from https://www.strategy-business.com/blog/Cultures-Critical-Role-in-Change-Management?gko=a3f98  

Alder, N. (2016). International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior.  (3rd ed.). [Online] Cincinnai, OH: South-Western College Publishing. Retrieved on 25 September 2018, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/202186992_International_Dimensions_of_Organizational_Behavior 

Alvesson   M., (2012). Understanding Organizational Culture. [Online] London: Sage Publications Ltd. Retrieved on 25 September 2018, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284540074_Understanding_Organizational_Culture 

Bruce, M. (2016). Defining “Culture” and “Organizational Culture”: [Online] From Anthropology to the Office. Retrieved on 25 September 2018, from  https://www.thercfgroup.com/files/resources/defining-culture-and-organizationa-culture_5.pdf 

Businesstopia (2017). “Why is Non-verbal Communication Important?” [Online] Communication. Retrieved on 25 September 2018, from https://www.businesstopia.net/communication/why-non-verbal-communication-important

Calasanti, T., M. and Slevin, K., F. (2017). Gender, Social Inequalities, and Aging. [Online] Oxford: Altamira Press. Retrieved on 25 September 2018, from https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/34719898?q&versionId=43007791 

Chatman, J, A. and Eunyoung, S.  (2013). “Leading by leveraging culture.” California       Management Review, 4(45) 9–34       

Cox∗, A., M., Daoud, M., & Rudd, S. (2013). “Information Management graduates’ accounts of their employability: A case study from the University of Sheffield.” Education for Information, (30) 41–61

D’auteur, D. (2012). Engaging anthropology for development and social change. Engager l’anthropologie pour le développement et le changement social. Retrieved on 25 September 2018, from https://journals.openedition.org/apad/4105 

Dawson, C., S. (2017). Leading Culture Change: What Every CEO Needs to Know. [Online] Stanford University Press, Palo Alto, CA, USA. Retrieved on 25 September 2018, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/43166366_Leading_Culture_Change_What_Every_CEO_Needs_to_Know 

Estone, A. (2015, March 23). “Applying leadership theories to federal emergency.” Journal of applied leadership, 2(33), p. 57

GWA. (2017). Importance of emergency response training. Retrieved on 25 September 2018, from https://www.dmp.wa.gov.au/Safety/Importance-of-emergency-response-7935.aspx 

Hager, M. (2014). Intercultural Studies and Foreign Language Learning: Culture, Psychology, and Language Learning. Peter Lang AG, Bruxelles.

Shenoy, S. (2016). 5 Types of Power You Can Use As a Project Manager. Retrieved on 25 September 2018, from https://www.pmexamsmartnotes.com/5-types-of-power-to-a-project-manager/