BUS603: Managing People

6a. Determine the effects of authentic leadership on relational cohesion

• What is authentic leadership?
• Why is authentic leadership important?
• How can you instill a culture of authentic leadership in your organization?

Authentic leadership begins with the leader being honest about him/herself. Authentic leaders constantly practice self-awareness and self-regulation. Authentic leaders understand who they are by determining the advantages and disadvantages of their ego and trying to reduce the gap between them. Authentic leaders then strive to meet organizational goals based on genuine relationships with subordinates. Relational cohesion occurs when an employee perceives his/her relationship with team members as collaborative, close, and highly cohesive.

Through research on authentic leadership, we have found that authentic leaders are honest with themselves, are consistent, self-regulate, and positively affect employees' well-being. Second, the relationship among team members who perform tasks together is very important in addition to a team leader's authentic leadership, particularly for employees to feel hedonic (pleasant sensations through experiences of pleasure and enjoyment) well-being. Third, controlling for the factors of transformational and ethical leadership, this study found that authentic leaders can help their employees pursue true happiness. Fourth, individualism and collectivism show positive effects on employees' well-being.

Researchers in this study encourage organizations to go beyond leadership training that focuses on behavioral approaches for short-term performance. Instead, organizations must begin training leaders about individual authenticity and develop the qualities leaders need through self-awareness.

To review, see The Effects of Authentic Leadership on Employees' Well-Being and The Effects of Leadership Styles on Team Motivation.

 

6b. Explain why diversity is important to team and organizational success and the impact of discriminatory practices 

• What does, or will, a diverse workforce look like?
• How does a diverse workforce add value to an organization?
• How can we create a diverse workforce?

Historically a diverse workforce included race, gender, and religious differences. Now, however, diversity encompasses different thinking styles and personality types, along with other factors such as physical and cognitive abilities and sexual orientation. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects from 2010 – 2050 that the workforce makeup in the U.S. in 2050 will look more diverse. Asian workers will grow from 5% in 2010 to 8% in 2050; Black workers will remain even at 12%; White workers will decrease from 85% to 75%, and all others will increase from 2% to 5%.

Diversity strengthens internal organization relationships with employees and improves employee morale. A diverse workforce builds better relationships with external customer groups. Studies show that organizations that adopt diversity policies do well financially. Differences in age, experience and country of residence may result in a more global mindset and cultural fluency that will help international businesses succeed.

Organizations that are committed to diversity, equality, and inclusion must take steps to make these values part of the organizational culture. Hiring practices should be structured to reduce bias. Mentoring relationships should be developed between employees who differ in terms of their status in the organization and society. Leadership strategies in the organization should be developed that support diversity. In her work on diversity, Bahati suggested that inclusive leadership – a leadership style that focuses on having the courage to break down barriers for people at risk of being excluded – is one way to create a diverse and inclusive organization. According to Bahati, inclusive leaders have six characteristics: (1) commitment, (2) courage, (3) cognizance of bias, (4) curiosity, (5) cultural intelligence, and (6) collaboration. Barriers to inclusive leadership include the "like me" bias, stereotypes, the perceived threat of loss, and ethnocentrism.

To review, see Diversity and Inclusion in the Workforce, Recommendations for Managing Diversity, and Inclusive Leadership and Potential Barriers.

 

6c. Examine methods to manage conflicts in organizations and among team members 

• What is conflict?
• What are some causes of conflict in an organization?
• How should we NOT resolve conflict in an organization?

Conflict exists when individuals or groups react to other individuals and groups that have frustrated or are about to frustrate their plans, goals, beliefs, or activities. In organizations, we can have goal conflicts when people desire a different outcome than others do, cognitive conflict when one individual or group holds ideas or opinions that are inconsistent with those of others, affective conflict when two people just do not get along with each other, and behavioral conflict when one person or group does something that is unacceptable to others. A key idea to remember is that conflict is not necessarily bad. Conflict can lead to new ideas and change. Try changing the word "conflict" to "opportunities". That change in wording moves people from the negative to the positive.

Robert Miles points to several reasons for conflict: (1) task interdependencies – the greater the task interdependence to accomplish a goal, the more likely a group will experience conflict; (2) status inconsistencies – unfair treatment among the different "status" of employees can cause conflict; (3) jurisdictional ambiguities – where the responsibility for a task is ambiguous; (4) communication problems; (5) dependence on common resource pool – where conflicts occur over limited resources; (6) lack of common performance standards; and (7) individual differences.

However, how NOT to solve conflict is equally important! These strategies are not only ineffective, but some of them can also actually increase the problem. Nonaction, or doing nothing to solve the conflict and hoping it will go away, rarely works. Administrative orbiting occurs when managers agree there is a problem but take little serious action. These managers use terms like: "the problem is under study", "more information is needed", or "these things take time". Due process nonaction occurs when a process or procedure is in place to resolve conflicts, but that process or procedure is long, complicated, and costly. Using secrecy to reduce conflict rarely works. "What they don't know won't hurt them" leads to mistrust in management. Character assassination – labeling someone a troublemaker – results in social isolation and silencing voices.

To review, see Conflict and Negotiations.

 

6d. Explain how teamwork is impacted by individual-level values and behavior, group behavior, and the characteristics of group development 

• How can direct or indirect communication affect a multicultural team?
• How might accents and fluency of language affect a multicultural team?
• How does cultural status affect a multicultural team?
• How do decision-making norms affect a multicultural team?

Cultural differences can have a negative effect on a team. Understanding whether a culture uses direct or indirect communication is important to understand. In the United States, a more direct approach to communication is valued, while in many Middle Eastern and Asian countries, the indirect approach to communication is valued. At the extreme, direct communication could be seen as offensive to others, while indirect communication could be perceived as unproductive or passive-aggressive. As a leader, how would you reconcile these different communication approaches on your multicultural team?

The second cultural difference in a multicultural team might have is trouble with accents and fluency. If only one primary language is used, will those who don't speak the language feel left out? Even if team members speak two or more languages, accents and whether or not the speaker is fluent can hinder effective communication and team processes.

A third cultural difference is hierarchy or status. Some cultures are acutely aware of hierarchy and status, while other countries are more egalitarian and don't observe hierarchical differences to the same degree. Conflict can occur when someone believes they are of high status but is ignored by others.

A fourth cultural difference is decision-making norms. Different cultures use different decision-making processes; some cultures apply a high degree of analysis and preparation before making a decision, while other cultures make decisions quickly based on only the information they need to make a decision. These differentiating rates, or length of time to decide, can be frustrating to others.

To review, see Multicultural Teams.

 

6e. Evaluate team effectiveness using insight into individual behavior and theories of motivation 

• Why should we assess individual members of a team?
• Why should we assess teams?
• What are the benefits of assessing teams?

Assessing individual members of a team, and the entire team, are essential in team development. Assessing individual members can involve self-evaluations, self-monitoring, and self-regulation, whereby an individual identifies areas he/she can improve in team collaboration. Peer evaluations can also be done by other team members to assess each other's strengths and weaknesses. However, standards for peer evaluations should be objective and confidential.

Successful teams measure accomplishment, identify issues, and correct internal problems. Strategies for assessing team performance include: (1) generate clear and understandable team goals, (2) identify examples of quality work and successful standards, (3) use team discussion and reflection to compare team performance to goals, and (4) identify strategies needed to close performance gaps.

The benefits of assessing teams fall into three broad categories: improve goal attainment, enrich relationships, and enhance team performance. Assessing goal attainment can strengthen the members' commitment to goals and priorities and help team members understand the objectives. Enriching relationships can improve the team's cohesiveness and morale, enhance communication, increase role clarity, and reduce conflicts. Enhancing team performance can allow the team to streamline processes, increase team members' confidence, and improve learning output.

To review, see Principles of Team Effectiveness.

 

6f. Explain the effects of individual behavior on the behaviors of team members in the workplace 

• What is the difference between a hero and a leader?
• Why is interdependence required for collaboration to happen?

In her TedTalk, Lorna Davis discusses her work with B Corporations, a group of interrelated businesses that believe businesses are to do good. She compared what she calls a "heroic" leader – a traditional leader – with an "interdependent" or "collaborative leader'' and found three major differences: they set goals differently, they announce those goals differently, and they have a different relationship with other people.

A heroic leader sets a goal that can be individually delivered and measured – a sales goal of 10 new clients a month, for example. Interdependent leaders begin with a goal that is impossible to achieve by one person or one company. Through interdependence, problems are solved.

Interdependent leaders are also willing to declare their goals before they have a plan. Heroic leaders tend to announce their goals when the path to achieve that goal is clear. Heroic leaders announce triumphs in goal attainment; interdependent leaders seek out co-creators.

Davis believes that once you have goals that cannot be accomplished by one person or one company, and you have announced that goal with no plan on how to achieve it, you see people inside and outside the company differently. Heroic leaders see everyone as a competitor or a follower. Heroic leaders want to control everything, oftentimes because they want the credit. Meetings are their way of controlling the narrative. Interdependent leaders know they need others and that meetings are not just mindless calendar fillers. Attendees react to these interdependent leaders with enthusiasm and engagement.

At the end of her video, Davis asks: "Why does hero culture persist and why don't we work together more?" As you start or continue a career that involves leadership, and you find yourself being the 'heroic leader,' watch this video again to see if it inspires you instead to be a radical interdependent leader!

To review, see A Guide to Collaborative Leadership.

 

Unit 6 Vocabulary

This vocabulary list includes terms you will need to know to successfully complete the final exam.

• B corporation
• direct communication
• heroic leadership
• inclusive leadership
• indirect communication
• interdependent or collaborative leadership