DAIMSR

DR. AMBEDKAR INSTITUTE OF

MANAGEMENT STUDIES AND
RESEARCH

ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

Prof. Deepika Soni

 MODULE 03

Motivation
* Concept
* Types of Motivation
* Theories of Motivation-Malsow’s, Herzberg, Mcgregor
* Leadership-Concept, Leadership styles
* Leadership Theories-Trait Theory, Path Goal theory, Blake Mouton-
Managerial Grid.

2
 COURSE DETAILS

PROGRAM M.B.A
COURSE CODE 1T4
COURSE ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
SEMESTER II
COURSE TYPE CORE
COURSE OBJECTIVE 3 The student will be able to distinguish
between the various theories of
motivation and their application in
organizations and also be able to apply
these theories to practical problems in
organizations. They will also be able to
distinguish between a number of
different leadership theories & styles
and contribute

3
 MOTIVATION

Motivation is one of the main psychological factors which affects performance.

Motivation means to be inspired to do something. The definition of motivation
is to give reason, enthusiasm or interest that causes a specific action or certain
behaviour. Motivation is present in every function of life. Simple acts such as
eating and drinking are motivated by hunger and thirst, respectively.

According to Crooks and Stein,”Any condition, that might energize and direct
our actions” called motivation.
 MOTIVATION

Psychologists study motivational forces to help explain observed changes in

behaviour that occur in an individual. Thus, for example, the observation that a
person is increasingly likely to open the refrigerator door to look for food as the
number of hours since the last meal increases can be understood by invoking
the concept of motivation. As the above example suggests, motivation is not
typically measured directly but rather inferred as the result of behavioral
changes in reaction to internal or external stimuli. It is also important to
understand that motivation is primarily a performance variable. That is, the
effects of changes in motivation are often temporary. An individual, highly
motivated to perform a particular task because of a motivational change, may
later show little interest for that task as a result of further change in motivation.
 MOTIVES

Motives are often categorized into primary, or basic, motives,

which are unlearned and common to both animals and humans;
and secondary, or learned, motives, which can differ from animal
to animal and person to person. Primary motives are thought to
include hunger, thirst, sex, avoidance of pain, and
perhaps aggression and fear. Secondary motives typically studied
in humans include achievement, power motivation, and numerous
other specialized motives.
 MOTIVES

Motives have also sometimes been classified into “pushes” and “pulls.” Push
motives concern internal changes that have the effect of triggering specific
motive states. Pull motives represent external goals that influence one’s
behaviour toward them. Most motivational situations are in reality a
combination of push and pull conditions. For example, hunger, in part, may be
signaled by internal changes in blood glucose or fat stores, but motivation to eat
is also heavily influenced by what foods are available. Some foods are more
desirable than others and exert an influence on our behaviour toward them.
Behaviour is, thus, often a complex blend of internal pushes and external pulls
 TYPES OF MOTIVATION

Motives have also sometimes been classified into “pushes” and “pulls.” Push
motives concern internal changes that have the effect of triggering specific
motive states. Pull motives represent external goals that influence one’s
behaviour toward them. Most motivational situations are in reality a
combination of push and pull conditions. For example, hunger, in part, may be
signaled by internal changes in blood glucose or fat stores, but motivation to eat
is also heavily influenced by what foods are available. Some foods are more
desirable than others and exert an influence on our behaviour toward them.
Behaviour is, thus, often a complex blend of internal pushes and external pulls
 TYPES OF MOTIVATION

1. Intrinsic Motivation: It is internal. It occurs when people are compelled to do

something out of pleasure, importance or desire. Motivation is always intrinsic when the
force comes from within oneself.

2. Extrinsic Motivation: It is external. It occurs when external factors compel the

person to do something. Motivation is extrinsic, when external forces, positive or
negative produce a behavioural change. Reward, punishment, prize, blame, etc are
examples of extrinsic motivation.

3. Positive Motivation: –
Positive motivation is based on reward. Workers are offered incentives to achieve
desired goals. Incentives may be in the form of higher salaries, promotions, recognition
of work, etc. Employees are offered incentives and seek to improve their performance
voluntarily.
According to Peter Drucker, genuine and positive motivators are responsible for
placement, high levels of performance, sufficient information for self-control, and
worker involvement as a responsible citizen in the plant community. Positive motivation
comes from the support of employees and they feel happy.
 TYPES OF MOTIVATION

Negative Motivation: –

Negative or fear is based on motivation or fear. Fear causes employees to act a certain
way. In case, they do not act accordingly then they can be punished with demotion or
take-off. Fear acts as a pushing mechanism. Employees do not cooperate voluntarily;
instead they want to avoid punishment.
Although employees work to a level where punishment is avoided, this type of
motivation leads to anger and frustration. This type of motivation usually becomes the
cause of industrial unrest. Despite the drawbacks of negative motivation, this method is
commonly used to achieve desired results. There can hardly be any management who
has not used negative motivation at one time or another.
 DEFINITIONS OF MOTIVATION

According to Thompson, "Motivation covers any and every factor of the spring of
human action from the beginning to the end i.e., attitudes, bias, urge, impulse, cravings,
incentive, desire, wish, interest, will, intention, longing, aim."
According to Guilford, "Motivation is an internal factor or condition that tends to
initiate and sustain activity."
According to Johnson, "Motivation is the influence of general pattern of activities
indicating and directing behavior of the organism.
According to McDonald, "Motivation is an energy change within the person
characterised by effective arousal and anticipatory goal reactions.
Definition by Skinner, "Motivation in school learning involves arousing, persisting,
sustaining and directing desirable behaviour."
 DEFINITIONS OF MOTIVATION

According to Thompson, "Motivation covers any and every factor of the spring of
human action from the beginning to the end i.e., attitudes, bias, urge, impulse, cravings,
incentive, desire, wish, interest, will, intention, longing, aim."
According to Guilford, "Motivation is an internal factor or condition that tends to
initiate and sustain activity."
According to Johnson, "Motivation is the influence of general pattern of activities
indicating and directing behavior of the organism.
According to McDonald, "Motivation is an energy change within the person
characterised by effective arousal and anticipatory goal reactions.
Definition by Skinner, "Motivation in school learning involves arousing, persisting,
sustaining and directing desirable behaviour."
 THEORIES OF MOTIVATION

Maslow’s Need
Hierarchy Theory
It is probably safe to say that the
most famous theory of motivation is
Maslow’s requirement hierarchy
theory. Maslow’s theory is based on
human needs. Primarily based on
their clinical experience, they
categorized all human needs from
lower to higher order.

In short, he believed that once the

level of need given is satisfied, it
does not work to motivate man.
Then, the next higher level need to
be activated to motivate the man.
Maslow identified five levels in its
need hierarchy
 Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory

1. Physiological Needs: –

These needs are basic to human life and, therefore, include food, clothing, shelter, air, water and life
requirements. These are related to the existence and maintenance of human life.
They have a tremendous impact on human behavior. These needs must be met at least partially
before high levels of needs emerge. Once physical needs are met, they do not motivate the man.

2. Safety Needs: –

After satisfying the physical requirements, the next needs to be felt are called the need for safety
and security. These require expression in desires such as economic security and protection from
material threats.
To meet these needs more money is required and hence, the person is motivated to do more work.
Like physical needs, they become inactive after being satisfied.

3. Social Needs: –
Man is a social animal. Therefore, he is interested in social interaction, companionship, belonging,
etc.
It is because of this socialization and belonging that individuals like to work in groups and
especially older people go to work.
 Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory

4. Esteem Needs: –

These refer to self-esteem and self-respect. They include requirements that indicate
confidence, achievement, ability, knowledge, and independence.
Meeting the requirements of respect creates confidence, strength and the ability to be
useful in the organization. However, inability to meet these needs creates feelings of
inferiority, weakness and helplessness.

5. Self-Actualization Needs: –

This level represents the culmination of all lower, intermediate and higher needs of
humans. In other words, the last step under the needs hierarchy model is self-realization.
It refers to fulfillment.
The term self-realization was coined by Kurt Goldstein and it means that what is
probably good becomes real. In fact, self-realization is the motivation to change one’s
perception of oneself in reality.
 Criticism of Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory

• The needs may or may not follow a certain hierarchical order. So to say, needs can
be overlapping in the hierarchy. For example, even if the need for security is not
satisfied, social need can emerge.
• The requirement priority model may not be applicable to all locations at all times.
• Research suggests that human behavior at any given time is guided by a multiplicity
of behaviors. Therefore, Maslow’s proposal that one satisfied at a time also has
questionable validity.
• In the case of some people, the level of motivation may be permanently reduced. For
example, a person suffering from chronic unemployment can remain satisfied for the
rest of his life, if only he can get enough food.
• Despite this, Maslow’s theory of hierarchy has received widespread recognition,
especially among practicing managers.
 Herzberg’s Motivation Hygiene Theory

Psychologist Friedrich Herzberg carried on Maslow’s work and introduced a new

motivation theory known as Herzberg’s Motivation Hygiene (Two-Factor) theory. He
conducted a widely reported motivational study on 200 accountants and engineers
employed by firms in and around western Pennsylvania.

He asked these people to describe two important events in their jobs: –

When did you feel good about your job and

When did you feel exceptionally bad about your job? They used the critical event
method of obtaining data.
When analyzed, responses were found to be quite interesting and quite consistent.
Respondents when they felt good about their jobs were significantly different from the
answers given when they felt bad. Reported good feelings are usually associated with
job satisfaction, while bad feelings accompany job dissatisfaction.

Herzberg labeled the job-satisfying motivators, and he called the job unsatisfactory with
hygiene or maintenance factors. Taken together, the motivators and hygiene factors are
known as Herzberg’s two-factor theory of motivation
Herzberg’s Motivation Hygiene Theory
 Herzberg’s Motivation Hygiene Theory

According to Herzberg, dissatisfaction is not the opposite of satisfaction. The underlying reason,
they say, is that removing dissatisfied characteristics from a job does not necessarily make the job
satisfactory. He believes in the existence of a double continuum.

According to Herzberg, today’s motivators are the hygiene of tomorrow because the latter
influences the behavior of individuals when they receive them. Accordingly, one hygiene may be
the motivator of another.

Herzberg’s model is labeled with the following criticism: –

When things go well, people usually start taking credit for it themselves. They blame failure on
the external environment.
The theory basically explains job satisfaction, not motivation.
Even job satisfaction is not measured on an aggregate basis. It is unlikely that a person may
dislike part of their job, yet they consider the work acceptable.
This theory ignores situational variables to motivate the individual.
Due to its ubiquitous nature, pay usually appears as a motivator as well as clean.

Despite criticism, Herzberg’s ‘two-factor motivation theory’ has been widely read and some
managers seem ineligible with his recommendations. The main use of their recommendations is
in the planning and control of the work of employees.
 McGregor’s Participation Theory:(X and Y theory)

Douglas McGregor formulated two different views of humans based on worker’s

participation. The first basically negative, the label of Theory X, and the second
basically positive, the enabling of Theory Y.

Theory X is based on the following assumptions: –

People are indolent by nature. That is, they like to do as little work as possible.
People lack ambition, dislike responsibility, and prefer to be guided by others.
People are naturally self-centered and indifferent to organizational needs and goals.
People are usually naive and not very sharp and bright.
On the contrary, theory Y assumes that: –

They want to assume responsibility.

They want their organization to succeed.
People are able to direct their own behavior.
They require achievement.
 McGregor’s Participation Theory:(X and Y theory)

Urwick’s Theory Z
Following the propositions of theories X and Y by McGregor, three theorists Urvik,
Rangnekar, and Auchi accepted the third theory as the Z theory.

The two propositions in Urwicks’s theory are that: –

Everyone should know the organizational goals properly and the amount of
contribution to these goals through their efforts.
Everyone should also know that the relationship of organizational goals is positively
satisfying their needs.
In Urwik’s view, both people above are willing to behave positively to meet both
organizational and personal goals.

However, Ouchi’s Theory Z has attracted a lot of attention from management

practitioners as well as researchers. It should be noted that Z does not stand for
anything, only the last alphabet in the English language.
 McGregor’s Participation Theory:(X and Y theory)

Theory Z is based on the following points: –

Strong bond between organization and employees

Employee participation and participation
No formal organization structure
Human Resource Development
Ouchi’s Theory Z represents the adoption of Japanese management practices (group
decision making, social cohesion, job security, overall concern for employees, etc.) by
American companies. In India, Maruti-Suzuki, Hero-Honda etc. apply the post-up of
Principle Z.
 Leadership

Leadership is an important element of the directing function of management.

Wherever, there is an organized group of people working towards a common goal,
some type of leadership becomes essential. “The power of leadership is the power of
integrating. The leader stimulates what is best in us he unites and concentrates what
we feel only gropingly and shatteringly. He is a person who gives form to the
uncoarctate energy in every man. The person who influences me most is not he who
does great Deeds, but he who makes me feel that I can do great deeds.” Marry Parker
Follet.

Leadership is the ability to build up confidence and zeal among people and to create
an urge in them to be led. To be a successful leader, a manager must possess the
qualities of foresight, drive, initiative, self-confidence and personal integrity. Different
situations may demand different types of leadership.
 Leadership : Definitions

1. Koontz and O’Donnell, Leadership is the ability of a manager to induce subordinates to work
with confidence and zeal.

2. Dubin, R.Leadership is the exercise of authority and making of decisions.

3. Allford and Beaty, Leadership is the ability to secure desirable actions from a group of
followers voluntarily, without the use of coercion.

4. George R. Terry, Leadership is the activity of influencing people to strive willingly for group
objectives.

5. Hemphill, J.K., Leadership is the initiation of acts which result in a consistent pattern of group
interaction directed towards the solution of a mutual problem.

6. Jame J.Cribbin, Leadership is a process of influence on a group in a particular situation at a

given point of time, and in a specific set of circumstances that stimulates people to strive
willingly to attain organisational objectives and satisfaction with the type of leadership provided.

7. Peter Drucker, Leadership is not making friends and influencing people, i.e., salesmanship it
is the lifting of man’s visions to higher sights, the raising of man’s personality beyond its normal
limitations.
 Nature & characteristics of Leaderships

1. Leadership is a personal quality.

2. It exists only with followers. If there are no followers, there is no leadership?

3. It is the willingness of people to follow that makes person a leader.

4. Leadership is a process of influence. A leader must be able to influence the

behaviour, attitude and beliefs of his subordinates.

5. It exists only for the realization of common goals.

6. It involves readiness to accept complete responsibility in all situations.

7. Leadership is the function of stimulating the followers to strive willingly to attain

organizational objectives.

8. Leadership styles do change under different circumstances.

9. Leadership is neither bossism nor synonymous with; management.

 Formal and Informal Leaders

From the view point of official recognition from top management, leaders may be
classified as formal and informal leaders. A formal leader is one who is formally
appointed or elected to direct and control the activities of the subordinates. He is a
person created by the formal structure, enjoys organizational authority and is
accountable to those who have elected him in a formal way. The formal leader has a
two-fold responsibility. On the one hand, he has to fulfill the demands of the
organization, while on the other he is also supposed to help, guide and direct his
subordinates in satisfying their needs and aspirations.

Informal leaders are not formally recognized. They derive authority from the people
who are under their influence. In any organization we can always find some persons
who command respect and who are approached to help, guide and protect the informal
leaders have only one task to perform, i.e., to help their followers in achieving their
individual and group goals. Informal leaders are created to satisfy those needs which
are not satisfied by the formal leaders. An organization can make effective use of
informal leaders to strengthen the formal leadership.
 Formal and Informal Leaders

From the view point of official recognition from top management, leaders may be
classified as formal and informal leaders. A formal leader is one who is formally
appointed or elected to direct and control the activities of the subordinates. He is a
person created by the formal structure, enjoys organizational authority and is
accountable to those who have elected him in a formal way. The formal leader has a
two-fold responsibility. On the one hand, he has to fulfill the demands of the
organization, while on the other he is also supposed to help, guide and direct his
subordinates in satisfying their needs and aspirations.

Informal leaders are not formally recognized. They derive authority from the people
who are under their influence. In any organization we can always find some persons
who command respect and who are approached to help, guide and protect the informal
leaders have only one task to perform, i.e., to help their followers in achieving their
individual and group goals. Informal leaders are created to satisfy those needs which
are not satisfied by the formal leaders. An organization can make effective use of
informal leaders to strengthen the formal leadership.
 Leadership Functions

1. Setting Goals:
A leader is expected to perform creative function of laying out goals and policies to
persuade the subordinates to work with zeal and confidence.

2. Organizing:
The second function of a leader is to create and shape the organization on scientific
lines by assigning roles appropriate to individual abilities with the view to make its
various components to operate sensitively towards the achievement of enterprise
goals.

3. Initiating Action:
The next function of a leader is to take the initiative in all matters of interest to the
group. He should not depend upon others for decision and judgment. He should float
new ideas and his decisions should reflect original thinking.

4. Co-Ordination:
A leader has to reconcile the interests of the individual members of the group with that
of the organization. He has to ensure voluntary co-operation from the group in
realizing the common objectives.
 Leadership Functions

5. Direction and Motivation:

It is the primary function of a leader to guide and direct his group and motivate people
to do their best in the achievement of desired goals, he should build up confidence and
zeal in the work group.

6. Link between Management and Workers:

A leader works as a necessary link between the management and the workers. He
interprets the policies and programmes of the management to his subordinates and
represents the subordinates’ interests before the management. He can prove effective
only when he can act as the true guardian of the interests of his subordinates.

7.Qualities of a Good Leader:

A successful leader secures desired behaviour from his followers. It depends upon the
quality of leadership he is able to provide. A leader to be effective must possess certain
basic qualities. A number of authors have mentioned different qualities which a person
should possess to be a good leader.
 Leadership Styles

1.Autocratic Leadership:

In this style, the leader makes decisions unilaterally and retains significant control
over the team.
The leader does not consult or seek input from subordinates and expects strict
compliance with their directives.
Autocratic leadership is effective in situations requiring quick decisions or when
dealing with inexperienced team members.
Autocratic leadership can be defined as a leadership style where an individual takes
control of decision-making and manages the subordinates with little or no input.
Autocratic Leaders takes decisions based on their own beliefs, ethics, and moral
values. They do not seek advice from others and go by their knowledge and
experience.In simple words, All dictators are autocratic leaders; but vice versa might
not be true all the time.The autocratic Leadership style is generally used in the modern
world to take control and push the team forward and not for misuse.
 Leadership Styles

1. Characteristics of an Autocratic Leader:

Many autocratic leaders who follow the autocratic leadership style are generally
considered dominating or bossy in most situations. This control style can be beneficial
in some situations and might fail in other situations. Before we discuss the pros and
cons of autocratic leadership, let us take a look at the characteristics of an autocratic
leader.
 Leadership Styles

Confident

The world will mostly follow a confident leader’s ideas and actions. Leaders need to
be confident and believe in themselves, and it is a very desirable attitude when
showcased correctly. Also, autocratic leaders sometimes tend to get overconfident and
with no room for discussions and ideas, which will have a negative effect on the
subordinates/team members. This might hamper the productivity of the individuals
and affect the culture negatively, which could lead to the downfall of an organization.

Structured

Autocratic leaders are generally structured in their approach to any task. The working
environment is highly regimented to the point of rigidity, and this leadership style
helps in completing tasks quickly. On the contrary, the work environment can be
overly strict in an authoritarian workplace. It might not allow team members to learn
since they are scared to make mistakes as their performance is constantly monitored.
Fear is not the best form of motivation to learn for all individuals.
 Leadership Styles

Decisive

This is one of the key features of autocratic leadership as the decision-making is quick since the
leader himself takes the final call. Quick decision making is of great importance, especially
during crisis situations.

For example, when the world was suddenly hit with the COVID-19 pandemic, every organization
needed leaders who would be quick and take decisions considering risks; rather than being
dependable on someone else.

Taking the right decisions considering calculated risk makes the workplace a better place.

Very Clear
We already know who makes the final decision in authoritative leadership, whether on a vital
business decision or how the organization operates. This leadership style accurately defines the
roles and responsibilities of individuals’ work processes to ensure things run smoothly and
achieve maximum efficiency.

However, not all individuals who work well in such an environment restrict creativity and
involvement and feel left out. If the ideas are not valued, the individual might not stay longer in
an organization, leading to high attrition rates, affecting the team and productivity.
 Leadership Styles

Responsible

Since autocratic leaders have a complete hold on decision-making, they are

responsible for success and failure. The leaders will first face the consequences of
their actions in any scenario. A responsible leader marks a good impression on his
subordinates and establishes a bond of trust.

However, some team members might not get the credit where it is due on specific
scenarios, and it depends on the leader to be responsible and hold their group together.

Fewer discussions

As we already discussed, the autocratic leader makes most of the decisions

individually and does not give much room for feedback/discussions. Although it
increases the decision-making speed, it affects team morale negatively as often team
members will feel left out, especially on critical decisions.
 Autocratic Leadership Advantages

Fast decision making

In Autocratic Leadership, there are fewer levels of hierarchy and administration, due to which there are fewer
stakeholders that must be kept informed of each decision. In addition, there is less feedback from various levels of
management that must be analyzed. Since there is only one person(autocratic leader) in charge of everything, the
decision making process is fast and helps achieve the goals quickly.

Improves productivity and efficiency

Quicker decision-making and information-sharing from an autocratic leader will boost the productivity of any team.
Since the roles of all the employees are precise, and there is less waiting time for approvals, actions are quickly taken
by the subordinates/team members, which has a significant positive impact on their performance.
 Autocratic Leadership Advantages

Structured and disciplined approach

In autocratic leadership, everything is structured and properly defined. The processes

involved in work and discipline in work standards are clearly defined, ensuring the
organization and team move forward together.

Clear Communication

“Communication is the lifeline of any relationship” – Elizabeth Bourgeret

The systematic process of conveying information from one person to another is known as
communication. This is very important in any leadership style as it is the difference between
confusion and clarity. If the communication is not clear, team members might not be
actionable to their best and might hamper efficiency. Autocratic leadership constantly
supports one-way communication, and the leader assigns specified duties and work patterns
to the employees. Furthermore, the instructions will be delivered directly to the personnel,
and it is one of the most significant advantages of autocratic leadership.
 Autocratic Leadership Advantages

Control

A leader with good leadership characteristics has more decision-making power. They can
keep a careful eye on what others are doing and ensure workplace conformity. This will
ensure that the organization meets its goals and focuses on their tasks.

Helps in crisis management

Autocratic leadership is an excellent leadership style when dealing with crisis situations. The
leader is in complete charge of the situation and is focused on problem-solving, facing all the
challenges, and navigating hierarchies.
Autocratic Leadership Disadvantages
 Autocratic Leadership Disadvantages

Micromanagement

Autocratic leaders are responsible for success or failure when they take the lead on any project, and there is a lot at
stake for them. Hence, they supervise every small task in any work. When done too much to avoid mistakes, this
might make it very difficult for employees to execute their work. This will hamper productivity and affect the work
culture over a period of time.

Lack of creativity

As they say, drops of water make an ocean. A team can generate several ideas as compared to a single person. This
gives more room for discussion, feedback, and improvement on processes, with an opportunity for everyone to be
creative. Innovation and creativity will help businesses grow faster in the long run.
 Autocratic Leadership Disadvantages

Dependable system
Since the leader is more authoritative and takes the final call, individuals might struggle in the leader’s
absence and are dependent on the autocratic leader. This does not help the individuals grow and restricts
the growth of the team and the organization.

Discourages ideas and inputs

In this type of leadership, you will see fewer meetings and discussions on processes and work
implementation, which gives little room to discuss new ideas and inputs. Since the autocratic leader
makes the final decisions, he/she might reject ideas basis his personal preference, which discourages
team members from giving new creative ideas.

Might affect Work Culture negatively

If the autocratic leader in charge strictly follows ethics and morals without breaking the rules, it creates a
very positive culture and work environment. If the vice-versa happens, organisations will have to deal
with high attrition rates and a mental breakdown for employees/team members.

Less room for employee growth

As discussed before, there is less hold on decision making and no room for idea discussion. The
feedback consideration is also less for any processes/projects. Since the leader will have a complete hold,
team members might not get a chance to improve their soft skills, essential for individuals.
 Autocratic Leadership Examples

1.Donald Trump

Donald Trump, the former president of USA is one of the popular leaders known for his autocratic leadership style.
Trump takes the responsibility of his conglomerate company on his shoulders, taking all the critical decisions. He even
fired employees who were not performing well and gave a raise and other incentives to those performing well, which
seems strict but fair.

This worked well for his organization but not so much during his tenure as the president of USA. Different roles
require different leadership skills to be used, and flexibility and adaptability play a significant role in any leadership
role.

2.Bill Gates

During his tenure as the CEO of Microsoft, Bill Gates followed the authoritative leadership but with room for
participation from his subordinates and peers, which was a huge success. He took the major decisions but gave room
for feedback and inputs in critical areas, which shows an example of How one can leverage autocratic leadership!

3.Napoleon Bonaparte

Napolean Bonaparte was one of the craziest autocratic leaders you will ever encounter. In a completely different
approach, the French revolutionary leader shared his ideas with no one in his vast army. He expanded his army to more
than 70 million in a few decades, keeping control over everything.
 Democratic Leadership

In democratic leadership, the leader involves subordinates in decision-making processes,

seeking their input and feedback.
This style fosters a sense of ownership, empowerment, and participation among team
members.
It is particularly useful when creativity, diverse perspectives, and consensus-building are
essential.

The idea of democratic leadership clearly comes from the early concept of democracy, which
in short, means government by the people. In a democracy, some people fill the role of
leaders and some the role of followers, but everybody has equal say in the decision-making
process.

Daniel Goleman expanded on Lewin’s ideas of leadership with his six leadership styles,
adding two important elements to the definition of democratic leadership: empowerment and
consensus-seeking. Team members are empowered to participate fully in group decision-
making and the process is geared toward reaching a consensus.
 Characteristics of the Democratic Leadership Style

Promote creativity
In shared leadership, leaders trust their teams to generate ideas and come up with solutions. This trust
encourages organizational creativity, spurring teams to work together in new ways, without
micromanagement.

Inclusive
Democratic leaders want all team members to be involved. Everyone comes to the table when it’s time to
make a decision. This approach reduces power struggles and makes team members feel valued.

Collaborative
In contrast with other styles of leadership, democratic leadership encourages team members to work
together. Employees can’t just rely on the leader’s edicts to get things done. Instead, they have to come
up with solutions themselves, knowing that their leader is there to take responsibility when there’s an
issue.

Trust-building
Above all, participatory leaders trust their teams to get things done. They follow Douglas McGregor’s
Theory Y model, an optimistic approach that assumes workers are self-motivated, see work as fulfilling
and can solve problems creatively on their own.
 Democratic Leadership Examples

President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was famously democratic in his leadership style, once said that
“leadership consists of nothing but taking responsibility for everything that goes wrong and giving your
subordinates credit for everything that goes well.”

This attitude doesn’t come automatically to everyone, but it can be learned. Continuing education
coursework, such as Strategic Organizational Leadership, a course within Villanova’s Certificate in
Organizational Leadership program, can help you acquire the four traits of democratic leaders.

Known as the “Balancer in Chief,” Eisenhower demonstrated the qualities of democratic leadership by
building strategic coalitions and bringing on board knowledgeable experts to help make important
decisions.

Mahatma Gandhi, one of the great leaders of our time, exemplified many of the traits of a democratic
leader. He brought together broad coalitions of people, working among them instead of above them. He
held the life-long belief that every class of people had something to contribute, and he encouraged
diverse and often at-odds groups to find ways to work together. The people of India trusted him, and he
trusted them to create a new future for India, together.
 Pros and Cons of Democratic Leadership

Cons of democratic leadership

Slower decision making: Because democratic leadership requires building coalitions and coming to a
shared consensus as a team, it can take longer to make decisions than in situations where one leader is
unilaterally deciding an organization’s direction.

Can lead to communication failures: If a democratic leader is not adequately engaged or employees
don’t have the experience to make important decisions, deadlines can be shuffled to the side and
momentum can go haywire.

Pros of democratic leadership

Empowering: Employees are trusted as capable, creative team members, not simply mechanisms for
carrying out a boss’s instructions. They are empowered to come up with solutions and get better at their
jobs.

Increases employee satisfaction: A meta-analysis of democratic leadership studies shows that there is an
increase in group member satisfaction among groups led by democratic leaders.
 Laissez-Faire Leadership:

Laissez-faire leaders provide little or no direction to their team and delegate decision-making
authority to subordinates.

This style works best with highly skilled and self-motivated individuals who can work
independently and take responsibility for their actions.

Definition: The Laissez-Faire or Free-Rein is the leadership style wherein the leader gives
full freedom to his subordinates to act on their own. Here, the leader once defines the goals,
policies, programmes and the limitations for action and then leaves the remaining process to
be accomplished by the subordinates on their own.

In Laissez-Faire leadership style, the leader maintains contact with outside people and bring
in information to the group members which they need for the accomplishment of the given
task. Although, the subordinates are given the power and authority to make decisions the
leader still takes responsibility for the actions of his group members.
 Laissez-Faire Leadership:

This leadership style proves to be beneficial only when the group members are highly
skilled, well-motivated and capable enough to accomplish the task assigned to them. The
Laissez-Faire style is most suitable in the situations, where the group members are more
knowledgeable than the leader and possess expertise in a particular field that can be used to
find a solution to the complex problem. Thus, highly passionate team members prefer this
style of leadership.
One of the major disadvantages of the Laissez-Faire leadership style is that the project may
go off track in case the group members are not knowledgeable and lacks experience in
making the effective decisions. Also, the project may suffer if no clear lines of authority and
responsibility are defined among the group members. Lack of guidance and feedback from
the leader may also affect the viability of the project which in turn may lead to inadequate
integration among the teammates.
 Characteristics of Laissez-Faire Leadership:

“Hands-Off Style” Leadership

A hands-off approach is perhaps the fundamental characteristic of laissez-faire leadership, as

the “laissez-faire leadership style is also known as the “hands-off” style” (Sharma & Singh,
2013).
In this leadership style, the leader of the group is absent from many of the group’s functions
and leaves things in the hands of their group members. This may be beneficial for people
who function best with little direction, but, on the other hand, it may pose problems for
people who require more direction to complete tasks effectively and efficiently.
 Characteristics of Laissez-Faire Leadership:

Provide Training and Support

In order for group members to make effective and well-informed decisions on the group’s
behalf, training and support from the leader of the group is extremely useful.
As the leader of a laissez-faire led group is not very involved with the group’s decision-
making process, they must make sure that the people who are in charge (the group members)
are adequately prepared for their responsibilities.
A variety of training is likely needed before group members can assume the large
responsibilities that this leadership style gives them.
Additionally, it is important for laissez-faire leaders to set up support for their group
members if they need it along the decision-making process.
Especially since the leader of a laissez-faire led group may not be accessible in the group
decision-making process, they must ensure that proper support and materials are available to
help their group members through the process as smoothly as possible.
 Characteristics of Laissez-Faire Leadership:

Trust is Given to Employees

Because employees are given so much responsibility in the laissez-faire leadership style, a huge amount
of trust is being put in them to keep the group running smoothly.
It is important for a laissez-faire leader to have group members that they can trust so that they can ensure
that the group will progress without the leader’s direct input. If the leader does not trust their group
members to handle their responsibilities properly, then it may be difficult for the leader to not be
involved, and therefore it would likely not be a laissez-faire leadership.
Placing trust in group members may increase their confidence in themselves and make them more likely
to complete their jobs efficiently and effectively, which highlights an advantage of laissez-faire
leadership.

Employees Make Decisions

Part of group members’ responsibilities in the laissez-faire leadership style is making decisions (Sharma
& Singh, 2013). In this leadership style, employees must come together to make the best decisions for
the group’s future development.
It is important for this process to be collaborative, with all group members participating in some way. It
may be more efficient to divide responsibilities among group members, but how responsibilities are split
up will be different from group to group.
 Advantages of Laissez-Faire Leadership:

Encourages Personal Growth

One advantage of laissez-faire leadership is that, by providing group members with more responsibility
within the group, it encourages their own personal growth.
Being trusted with more tasks and completing these tasks can boost anyone’s confidence in themselves
and their skills. This highlights a positive cycle within a laissez-faire-led group as if people are more
confident in their abilities, they are likely to do a better job, and doing a good job further raises their
confidence in themselves.

Encourages Creativity
Because the laissez-faire leadership style includes so many people in the decision-making process and in
other important group functions, it encourages creativity through all the different perspectives and ideas
that many people can bring (Malec, 2021).
Importantly, “such a focus on personal growth and a general trust in the capabilities of individuals creates
room for innovation and to be creative without the fear of failure, or rather the fear of the consequences
of failure.”
Removing an authority figure to overlook the decision-making process within a group gives people
opportunities to make mistakes, which promotes creativity.
 Advantages of Laissez-Faire Leadership:

Learning and Development

Another advantage of laissez-faire leadership is that “it facilitates learning and development
opportunities…because of its hands-off approach, employees have the chance to learn on
their own” (Pathak, 2022).
Many people learn better with direct experience than being shown exactly how to do
something, and a laissez-faire leadership style provides this opportunity.

Faster Decision-Making
A laissez-faire leadership style can lead to faster decision-making because group members do
not have to pass ideas by the group leader along the way in the decision-making process
(Pathak, 2022).
This allows for a smoother, speedier process, where more decisions can be made and, if they
are good decisions, a group can progress and develop faster overall.
 Disdvantages of Laissez-Faire Leadership:

Low Accountability
Without a clear authority figure or hierarchy among the group, group members in a laissez-
faire led group are not truly held accountable by anything or anyone other than the success of
the group itself. And, if group members are not invested in the group’s success, then they
truly have no accountability.

Avoids True Leadership

With the low involvement of the leader in a laissez-faire leadership style, there is a lack of
any true leadership, which can be a disadvantage for many groups.
Leadership can be a strong factor in productivity and in making a group move forward and
progress. With all group members at the same leadership level and with no leader in charge,
accountability may be low, and therefore little or no progress may be made within the group.
 Disdvantages of Laissez-Faire Leadership:

Isolation
Group members may even feel like the group leader does not care about the group in this
leadership style (Malec, 2021).
With the leader being so removed from the group dynamic, it may seem as though the leader
is not invested in the group to group members. However, the opposite is likely true.
Those who choose to lead their group in a laissez-faire way should choose this leadership
style because they think that it will be the best way for the group to function, and by
implementing a whole new style of leadership, the leader would actually be demonstrating
just how much they care about the success of their group.
Naturally, if a group has a designated leader, that person would be the authority figure within
the group, and therefore for a group to have a laissez-faire leadership style, the leader of the
group (or the founder of the group) would have to have gone out of their way to implement
this style.
Interestingly, a study from 2012 found results that “indicate that Laissez Faire style is not an
important style that boosts the motivation level of workers as compared to other leadership
styles” (Chaudhry & Javed, 2012). This highlights the potential lack of motivation that
laissez-faire leadership may cause among group members
 Theory of Leadership:

1.Trait Theory of Leadership

The trait model of leadership is based on the characteristics of many leaders - both successful
and unsuccessful - and is used to predict leadership effectiveness. The resulting lists of traits
are then compared to those of potential leaders to assess their likelihood of success or failure.

Scholars taking the trait approach attempted to identify physiological (appearance, height,
and weight), demographic (age, education and socioeconomic background), personality, self-
confidence, and aggressiveness), intellective (intelligence, decisiveness, judgment, and
knowledge), task-related (achievement drive, initiative, and persistence), and social
characteristics (sociability and cooperativeness) with leader emergence and leader
effectiveness.

Successful leaders definitely have interests, abilities, and personality traits that are different
from those of the less effective leaders. Through many researches conducted in the last three
decades of the 20th century, a set of core traits of successful leaders have been identified.
These traits are not responsible solely to identify whether a person will be a successful leader
or not, but they are essentially seen as preconditions that endow people with leadership
potential.
 Theory of Leadership:

Among the core traits identified are:

Achievement drive: High level of effort, high levels of ambition, energy and initiative
Leadership motivation: an intense desire to lead others to reach shared goals
Honesty and integrity: trustworthy, reliable, and open
Self-confidence: Belief in one’s self, ideas, and ability
Cognitive ability: Capable of exercising good judgment, strong analytical abilities, and
conceptually skilled
Knowledge of business: Knowledge of industry and other technical matters
Emotional Maturity: well adjusted, does not suffer from severe psychological disorders.
Others: charisma, creativity and flexibility

Strengths/Advantages of Trait Theory

It is naturally pleasing theory.
It is valid as lot of research has validated the foundation and basis of the theory.
It serves as a yardstick against which the leadership traits of an individual can be assessed.
It gives a detailed knowledge and understanding of the leader element in the leadership
process.
 Theory of Leadership:

Among the core traits identified are:

Achievement drive: High level of effort, high levels of ambition, energy and initiative
Leadership motivation: an intense desire to lead others to reach shared goals
Honesty and integrity: trustworthy, reliable, and open
Self-confidence: Belief in one’s self, ideas, and ability
Cognitive ability: Capable of exercising good judgment, strong analytical abilities, and
conceptually skilled
Knowledge of business: Knowledge of industry and other technical matters
Emotional Maturity: well adjusted, does not suffer from severe psychological disorders.
Others: charisma, creativity and flexibility

Strengths/Advantages of Trait Theory

It is naturally pleasing theory.
It is valid as lot of research has validated the foundation and basis of the theory.
It serves as a yardstick against which the leadership traits of an individual can be assessed.
It gives a detailed knowledge and understanding of the leader element in the leadership
process.
 Theory of Leadership:

Limitations of The Trait Theory

There is bound to be some subjective judgment in determining who is regarded as a ‘good’ or

‘successful’ leader
The list of possible traits tends to be very long. More than 100 different traits of successful
leaders in various leadership positions have been identified. These descriptions are simply
generalities.
There is also a disagreement over which traits are the most important for an effective leader
The model attempts to relate physical traits such as, height and weight, to effective
leadership. Most of these factors relate to situational factors. For example, a minimum
weight and height might be necessary to perform the tasks efficiently in a military leadership
position. In business organizations, these are not the requirements to be an effective leader.
 Theory of Leadership:

2.Path Goal Theory

Effective leadership strategies can improve employee satisfaction, boost productivity and
promote better business alignment. One theory many organizations and leaders consider
when deciding how to best manage their teams is the path-goal theory. Understanding how
this theory works and how to employ it in your own practices can help you motivate
employees and improve team performance.

In this article, we define what path-goal theory is, list its four components and offer
strategies for employing path-goal theory with your team.
The path-goal theory of leadership says that a leader's style, traits and behaviors influence
team productivity, motivation and satisfaction. This theory comes from expectancy theory,
which is the assertion that individuals act in a certain way based on the expectation of a
desirable outcome. Path-goal theory assumes that a leader complements their employees and
can compensate for their shortcomings. Effective leaders, according to this theory, give their
employees a clear path to follow to achieve goals, removing challenges and obstacles. The
theory provides guidance for ways leaders can encourage and support employees in reaching
their goals.
 Theory of Leadership:

4 types of path-goal theory

Path-goal theory identifies four key types of leadership behavior

1. Achievement-oriented
With this type of leadership style, the leader focuses on encouraging excellence by setting challenging
goals. Leaders encourage employees to pursue their highest level of performance and the leader trusts
their ability to handle this.

The leader encourages employees to display excellent work achievements and be continually improving.
Employees who are comfortable working fully independently and have strong problem-solving skills are
suitable for this type of management.

2. Directive path-goal clarifying

In directive leadership, the leader provides employees with clear guidelines for the processes and
expectations for them, as well as how they should best carry out tasks. This style of leadership aims to
reduce ambiguity in job functions and clarify work processes.

This can give employees a higher level of certainty regarding procedures, policies and rules. Leaders
define the relationship between performance goals and rewards, including pay increases and promotions,
explicitly to promote clarity and transparency. With this style of leadership, leaders supervise employees
closely, which makes it most appropriate for inexperienced employees who need guidance and to be
checked on regularly
 Theory of Leadership:

3. Supportive
With supportive leadership, the leader pays attention to the needs and well-being of
employees and makes work pleasant for them by being friendly and empathetic. Leaders who
operate under this style treat employees with respect and offer support when needed. This
management style is useful when employees have personal problems or need a boost in
motivation or confidence.

4. Participative
This type of leadership behavior involves consulting with employees on important decisions
related to work, task goals and paths to reach goals, enabling the employee to be directly
involved in the decision-making process. This typically results in the employee exerting
greater effort to achieve the goals they selected.

Leaders often use this style of leadership when employees are highly involved or have
specialist knowledge. In these situations, their insight can be invaluable to the leader.
 Strategies for using Path Goal Theory

Achievement strategies
For this approach to be successful, leaders must display complete confidence in their team's ability to overcome
obstacles. Set high expectations for employee goals. Create a list of objectives that you want your team
members to complete and a time frame in which they're required to have them completed.

Express your confidence that the goal is achievable, even if there is a tight deadline attached to it. Tie the
completion of the objectives to a higher goal or specific project or priority. This style of leadership often works
best with employees who have a low need for affiliation or who are comfortable working independently.

It also works well for employees who prefer less structure and who have a high belief in their own abilities.
This style is most effective in professional work environments, such as scientific or technical, or achievement
environments like sales.

Directive strategies
Because this style of leadership is task-oriented, where the leader provides strict guidelines, goals and
performance standards, the best way to apply this style is through extensive training or one-on-one coaching.

Break down bigger goals into smaller steps with milestones. When using this leadership style, try to leverage
rewards for achievement, particularly when employees reach important milestones.

This style works well for employees who prefer structure or who require more clarity to understand how
external factors influence their role or responsibilities. It also works well for employees who lack confidence in
their own abilities.
 Strategies for using Path Goal Theory

Supportive strategies
With this leadership style, leaders show genuine concern about the needs of their employees and want to
do all they can to help the employees reach their goals. It is most effective in situations where
relationships and tasks are physically or psychologically challenging.

Supportive leaders can focus on creating a warm and friendly environment and showing employees
they're friendly and approachable in the event of a problem or concern. By being empathetic and
motivating, managers can develop more cohesive cultures and safe work environments.

Participative strategies
Using this theory, employees can take part in goal setting. Meet regularly with employees to discuss
goals and come up with a strategy together for how you plan to achieve those goals. Encourage
employees to provide feedback regarding progress. This can help you work together to reach objectives,
improve processes and elevate business strategies.
 Blake Mouton-Managerial Grid

The treatment of task orientation and people orientation as two independent dimensions was
a major step in leadership studies.

Many of the leadership studies conducted in the 1950s at the University of Michigan and the
Ohio State University focused on these two dimensions.

Building on the work of the researchers at these Universities, Robert Blake and Jane Mouton
(1960s) proposed a graphic portrayal of leadership styles through a managerial grid
(sometimes called leadership grid).

The grid depicted two dimensions of leader behavior, concern for people (accommodating
people’s needs and giving them priority) on y-axis and concern for production (keeping tight
schedules) on x-axis, with each dimension ranging from low (1) to high (9), thus creating 81
different positions in which the leader’s style may fall. (See figure 1).
Blake Mouton-Managerial Grid
 Blake Mouton-Managerial Grid

The five resulting leadership styles are as follows:

Impoverished Management (1, 1): Managers with this approach are low on both the dimensions
and exercise minimum effort to get the work done from subordinates.
The leader has low concern for employee satisfaction and work deadlines and as a result
disharmony and disorganization prevail within the organization. The leaders are termed ineffective
wherein their action is merely aimed at preserving job and seniority.

Task management (9, 1): Also called dictatorial or perish style. Here leaders are more concerned
about production and have less concern for people. The style is based on theory X of McGregor.
The employees’ needs are not taken care of and they are simply a means to an end. The leader
believes that efficiency can result only through proper organization of work systems and through
elimination of people wherever possible.

Such a style can definitely increase the output of organization in short run but due to the strict
policies and procedures, high labour turnover is inevitable.

Middle-of-the-Road (5, 5): This is basically a compromising style wherein the leader tries to
maintain a balance between goals of company and the needs of people.
The leader does not push the boundaries of achievement resulting in average performance for
organization. Here neither employee nor production needs are fully met.
 Blake Mouton-Managerial Grid

Country Club (1, 9): This is a collegial style characterized by low task and high people
orientation where the leader gives thoughtful attention to the needs of people thus
providing them with a friendly and comfortable environment.
The leader feels that such a treatment with employees will lead to self-motivation and
will find people working hard on their own. However, a low focus on tasks can hamper
production and lead to questionable results.

Team Management (9, 9): Characterized by high people and task focus, the style is
based on the theory Y of McGregor and has been termed as most effective style
according to Blake and Mouton.
The leader feels that empowerment, commitment, trust, and respect are the key
elements in creating a team atmosphere which will automatically result in high
employee satisfaction and production.
 Blake Mouton-Managerial Grid

Country Club (1, 9): This is a collegial style characterized by low task and high people
orientation where the leader gives thoughtful attention to the needs of people thus
providing them with a friendly and comfortable environment.
The leader feels that such a treatment with employees will lead to self-motivation and
will find people working hard on their own. However, a low focus on tasks can hamper
production and lead to questionable results.

Team Management (9, 9): Characterized by high people and task focus, the style is
based on the theory Y of McGregor and has been termed as most effective style
according to Blake and Mouton.
The leader feels that empowerment, commitment, trust, and respect are the key
elements in creating a team atmosphere which will automatically result in high
employee satisfaction and production.