Workbook on Management - Leadership

Reflective Workbook on Management Style, Leadership, and Decision Making

Management Style

Your workbook should be structured in three distinct sections:

1.Management style

2.Leadership, management and change

3.Leadership, management and decision making

NOTE: You should underpin each section with reflection on your development of skills on the module (this tests L01-L04). Use a reflective model to develop your insights.

You should reflect back on your experience of working in a group to develop your presentation. What was the ‘management style’ adopted by your group? Was this the ‘right’ management style to achieve your goals? Justify your answer

This section should include an analysis of the management style adopted by your group, and a critical review of your team’s approach, linking it to the management style used

Reflecting on the ‘management style’ questionnaire filled at the start of the semester, has your approach to management changed since you completed the questionnaire? Why?

Please note that you need to demonstrate in this section that you understand and can apply theories of management style.

At the end of this section, you need to provide references, including books and journal articles. These should be in the correct Harvard referencing style (see the folder on ‘academic skills’ on weblearn)

Looking back at the work you have done with your group this semester, how would you change the way that the group was managed and led?

This discussion should be linked to theories of change discussed during this semester. You should outline some of the key principles of successful change, applying these to your group’s work.

Consider critically the DECISIONS (or non-decisions) you have taken while working with your group this year. These decisions could be in your group leading up to the presentation, or in subsequent workshops and seminars. For this section, you need to consider theories of POWER. You need to discuss what form of power was used by students- both leaders and followers.

What were the barriers to taking effective decisions? This should be linked to theory e.g. of groupthink.

Looking back over the whole module, incorporate at least four key leadership/management skills that you have developed (and/or that others in your team have developed). In each case you should link the skills to reading on theory.

Leadership, Management and Change

You should also consider ethical decision making in Part 3. Reflecting on a management/leadership decision that you (or someone in your group) have taken this year, you need to decide if the decision was ethically correct. You must link this to a theory of ethics, and justify your decision.

Read each section of this workbook carefully to make sure you have not missed anything out?

Completed each section fully to include references?

Responded to any feedback that has been provided on your work?

Applied the theory to events this year (not just described what the theory is)?

Used the Harvard referencing format?

Checked for spelling and grammar?

Made sure that references in the text match the end references?

Used a range of references at the end of each section (not just websites)?

Kept within 10 per cent of the word limit?

Checked your document this through the Turnitin site on the module Weblearn site to check for plagiarism?

(Breevaart and Zacher, 2019) the laissez-faire style allows the group members to use their knowledge and skills to assist in achieving the group’s objectives. This collaborated with the scientific management approach principle, which ensured that the team members achieved maximum productivity. According to Fiaz et al. (2017), Taylor’s scientific management principles allow assigning members tasks based on their motivation and capability. Collaborating this approach with the laissez-faire leadership style allowed us to permit the members with a higher experience to exercise it in their area of expertise. Allowing the members with advanced skills and knowledge to lead the project in some areas. Additionally, the chosen management style was less efficient, due to consideration wasn’t made on our individual strengthen and weakness.

(Cherry, 2020) suggest, the laissez-faire management style can be applied to encourage the innovation of the group members. As a result, we were motivated to approach every situation with different opinions instead of depending on one direct viewpoint. Laissez-faire leadership style was right to achieve the group’s objectives, as it allowed us to create an environment of independence among the members. Some group members preferred to work alone and come up with solutions to different issues independently. Although the laissez-faire approach is completely hands-off, it tends to take a more selective approach (Western Governors University, 2020). Therefore, we used our own experiences to benefit the whole group, choosing when and where to get involved. This allowed us to make ourselves available to the team for advice or consultation. Instead of creating specific rules that the group members must follow, we preferred to use our own experience to guide ourselves towards the correct direction. Additionally, we were able to maintain a relaxed culture among ourselves.

Although I adorated a laissez-faire leadership at beginning of the semester we were asked to fill questionnaire which determined what management style we fall into. After adding my score, it was determined that I hand authoritarian leader approach. However, this change during my group presentation as it allowed me to understand leading in democratic way encourage my group members to have an input and motivative them to work better (Wilson, 2021).