Question 3.

Do you any problems with a participative (democratic) leadership

style? Can you see a manager getting frustrated when they exercise less control
over others?

Full Name
SAHRA SHAKOURI

Student ID
301302956

Assignment
Critical Thinking Activity 2 (Individual)

Date of Submission
February 13, 2023
 1. Definition and Background

To effectively achieve organizational goals, it is important to carefully examine the behavior

of organizational leaders at all levels (Mohammed, 2014). Leaders should understand their

interdependence with their employees and influence them to participate in decision-making and

take responsibility, thereby understanding their performance expectations (Puni & Okoe, 2014).

Employee behavior and efficiency in the organizational environment are influenced by the

behavior of leaders during interactions with their team members (Joashi & Row, 2011). It is

important for leaders to gain a better understanding of their behavior and how it impacts their team

members' self-confidence as this can shape workplace culture through employee feedback and

engagement (Joashi & Row, 2011). The impact of the participative leadership style on employee

productivity is a deliberate effort based on the knowledge and skills of behavioral sciences

(Armstrong, 2009). Organizational development efforts should focus on enhancing the

organization's problem-solving abilities, with employees aligning their goals with the

organization's goals.

Participative leadership, also known as the Democratic Leadership Style, involves all team

members in identifying important goals, developing strategies and procedures to achieve them,

and sharing decision-making authority with subordinates (Wiesenthal et al., 2015). As defined by

Puni and Okoe (2014), participative leadership involves joint decision making or shared influence

in decision making between the superior and subordinates. This leadership style has become

increasingly important in organizations (Ijeoma, 2010). Fincham (2005) notes that this style of

leadership recognizes the need for new labor-management relationships that more fully utilize the

skills, knowledge, and motivation of the workforce. Participative management aims to involve

employees and stakeholders in all levels of organizational decision-making (Dhamika, Ahmad, &

1
Sam, 2013). According to House et al. (2004), participative management can help managers

address fundamental challenges in today's dynamic and competitive environment while addressing

the philosophical issues of governance and the appropriate relationship between workers and their

employers.

While participative leadership involves including one or more employees in the decision-

making process, the leadership maintains final decision-making authority, according to Fincham

(2005). However, this style of leadership should not be seen as a sign of strength that employees

will respect (Sinek, 2014). The commitment of employees through participation can lead to less

need for formal authority, power, discipline, threats, and pressure to obtain job performance,

according to Ijeoma (2010). The increased goal concern through participation can reduce conflicts,

improve cooperation, and enhance conditions without the need for elaborate control or systems for

checking and correcting difficult behavior, as noted by Finchan and Rhodes (2005). Griffin et al.

(2007) also note that participation is an important ingredient in gaining employees' commitment

on an overall basis. In today's dynamic and competitive environment, maintaining effectiveness,

productivity, innovativeness, and worker motivation is the concern of all organizations (Monzani

& L., 2015).

2. Are there problems with this type of leadership?

The advantages and problems with the participative leadership style have been explored by

several research (Khassawneh & Elrehail, 2022; Li et al, 2018; Wang et al, 2022; Akpoviroro et

al. 2018). Based on these studies, this section is devoted to discussing whether there are problems

with this type of leadership.

2
 Participative leadership has several potential benefits. First, it can promote collaboration and

foster creativity, as it allows for diverse perspectives and ideas to be shared. Second, it can increase

employee engagement, as it gives team members a sense of ownership and involvement in

decision-making. Third, participative leadership can lead to higher levels of job satisfaction and

motivation, as employees feel that their voices are being heard and their contributions are valued.

Finally, participative leadership can lead to better decision-making, as it draws on the knowledge

and expertise of multiple stakeholders, resulting in a more well-informed and balanced decision.

Overall, participative leadership can be an effective approach in many situations, particularly those

where collaboration and employee engagement are valued.

Despite its advantages, there are some potential drawbacks to this leadership style. One

potential issue is that participative leadership can be time-consuming. Because this style involves

gathering input and ideas from multiple stakeholders, it can take longer to arrive at a decision. This

can be problematic in situations where a quick decision is necessary, such as in a crisis. Another

problem with participative leadership is the potential for groupthink. Groupthink occurs when

members of a group prioritize maintaining harmony over critical thinking and may not speak up if

they disagree with the group consensus. For example, during the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961,

President Kennedy relied on a group of advisors who tended to agree with each other, leading to a

disastrous outcome. Inconsistent decision-making is another potential problem with participative

leadership. When leaders rely heavily on group input, it can lead to inconsistent decision-making

if the group's input varies significantly. For instance, if a group of employees has vastly different

ideas about how to address a particular problem, the leader may struggle to come to a clear

decision. Finally, participative leadership can lead to a lack of accountability. When a group is

involved in decision-making, it may be difficult to hold individuals accountable for the final

3
decision. This can create confusion and frustration, as it may not be clear who is responsible for

the outcome.

Overall, participative leadership can be a useful approach in many situations, but leaders

should be aware of aforementioned issues and adapt their leadership style as needed.

3. Can you see a manager getting frustrated when they exercise less control over

others?

When a manager is required to share power and involve others in decision-making, they may

feel uncomfortable or uncertain about their role. They may feel frustrated if they perceive that

others are not contributing enough or if they feel that decisions are taking too long to make. In

some cases, a manager may even feel threatened by the prospect of sharing power, particularly if

they are concerned about losing control or status.

Managers may feel frustrated when they exercise less control over others in several situations.

For example, when a manager is required to share power and involve others in decision-making,

they may feel uncomfortable or uncertain about their role. They may feel frustrated if they perceive

that others are not contributing enough or if they feel that decisions are taking too long to make.

In some cases, a manager may even feel threatened by the prospect of sharing power, particularly

if they are concerned about losing control or status. Similarly, when a manager is responsible for

a high-stakes project or task, they may feel a sense of pressure to take control and may be hesitant

to involve others in decision-making. Additionally, managers may feel frustrated when they switch

to a more participative leadership style from a more directive or autocratic style. In this case, they

may be used to making decisions on their own and may find it challenging to involve others in

decision-making. They may also be concerned about losing control or status if they share power.

4
Finally, they would feel frustrated when team members are resistant to participating in decision-

making. This can occur if team members are used to a more directive style of leadership or if they

are not used to having a say in decision-making. In these cases, managers may need to provide

additional guidance or training to help team members become more comfortable with a

participative leadership style.

To overcome these challenges and reduce frustration, managers can focus on building

relationships with their team members and promoting a culture of trust and collaboration. They

can also provide clear guidance on the decision-making process and establish clear expectations

for participation. Additionally, they can provide training and support to team members to help them

develop the skills needed for effective participation. By doing so, managers can help create a more

positive and productive work environment, even when using a more participative leadership style.

References

Akpoviroro, K. S., Kadiri, B., & Owotutu, S. O. (2018). Effect of participative leadership style

on employee’s productivity. International Journal of Economic Behavior (IJEB), 8(1), 47-60.

Dhammika, K. A. S., Ahmad, F. B., & Sam, T. L. (2013). Transactional, transformational, union

and organizational commitment: An examination of the effect flaws. International Journal of

Business and Social Science, 4(6).

Griffin M.A. Griffin A., Neal S.K., Parker (2017). A new model of work role performance:

Positive behavior in uncertain and interdependent contexts. Academy of Management

Journal, 50 (2) (2007), pp. 327-347

House, R. J., Hanges, P. J., Javidan, M., Dorfman, P. W., & Gupta, V. (Eds.). (2004). Culture,

leadership, and organizations: The GLOBE study of 62 societies. Sage publications.

5
Ijeoma A. (2010). Unpublished Gender issues and leadership effectiveness in Nigeria labour

union activities. An Appraisal, University of Lagos.

Joshi, A., Liao, H., & Roh, H. (2011). Bridging domains in workplace demography research: A

review and reconceptualization. Journal of Management, 37(2), 521-552.

Khassawneh, O., & Elrehail, H. (2022). The Effect of Participative Leadership Style on

Employees’ Performance: The Contingent Role of Institutional Theory. Administrative

Sciences, 12(4), 195.

Li, G., Liu, H., & Luo, Y. (2018). Directive versus participative leadership: Dispositional

antecedents and team consequences. Journal of Occupational and Organizational

Psychology, 91(3), 645-664.

Michael, A. (2009). Armstrong’s handbook of human resource management practice. Kogan

Page.

Mohammed, U. D., Yusuf, M. O., Sanni, I. M., Ifeyinwa, T. N., Bature, N. U., & Kazeem, A. O.

(2014). The relationship between leadership styles and employees’ performance in organizations

(a study of selected business organizations in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja

Nigeria). Leadership, 6(22), 1-11.

Monzani, L., Ripoll, P., & Peiró, J. M. (2015). The moderator role of followers’ personality traits

in the relations between leadership styles, two types of task performance and work result

satisfaction. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 24(3), 444-461.

Puni, A., Ofei, S. B., & Okoe, A. (2014). The effect of leadership styles on firm performance in

Ghana. International Journal of Marketing Studies, 6(1), 177.

6
Sinek S. (2014). Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't. New

Jersey: B Fincham R. and Rhodes, P. (2005). Principles of Organizational Behaviour, 4th

Edition,: Oxford University Press. rilliance Corporation.

Wang, Q., Hou, H., & Li, Z. (2022). Participative Leadership: A Literature Review and Prospects

for Future Research. Frontiers in Psychology, 13.

Wiesenthal, A. M., Kalpna, J., McDowell, T., & Radin, J. (2015). The new physician leaders:

Leadership for a dynamic health. The New England Journal of Medicine, 1(3), 567-571.