Leadership Qualities and Organizational Mechanics to Increase Employee Commitment and Involvement 1

Leadership Qualities and Organizational Mechanics to Increase Employee Commitment and

Involvement
Patrick Lyall
Siena Heights University
Dr. Loughran, Organizational Culture & Communication

Leadership Qualities and Organizational Mechanics to Increase Employee Commitment and Involvement 2

Introduction
The purpose of this paper is to highlight leadership qualities and organizational
mechanics that have been shown, through research, to increase employee commitment and
involvement. Commitment and involvement are key components of productive, long lasting,
employees and a positive culture within an organization. Transformational leaders are very
important facilitators of many of the organizational mechanics as they develop relationships and
trust with their subordinates - a crucial aspect in creating a positive or thriving culture within a
company. Additionally, businesses can introduce profit sharing into their pay scales to better
compensate their workers and create a sense of ownership which aids with commitment and
involvement.
Commitment
According to Dubrins Model of Power and Influence, Commitment is the most
successful outcome of influence or leadership: the target of the influence attempt is enthusiastic
about carrying out the request and makes a full effort. (Dubrin, 2010) Second is compliance,
where a follower will agree to do a task or complete a goal but has less positive feelings towards
the request from a leader. Lastly, resistance is the worst outcome of a leaders influence.
Resistance results in a lack of effort or complete disregard for directives. (Dubrin, 2010)
Commitment is important in todays modern workplace. Commitment is the best
motivator for multifaceted, demanding tasks; wherein a worker may be stumped by technical or
unforeseen problems and then have to use his own intelligence, rethink his approach, and
redouble his efforts. Less committed workers are stumped and stalled easily. Creating a desire to
see a goal fulfilled by employees will increase productivity. (Dubrin, 2010)

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Compliance is necessary as well. Compliance keeps an office orderly or a work site

relatively safe. Followers may not be excited to place files in the correct folders, but being able
to carry out such routine tasks without resistance is all a leader can hope for at times. Few
individuals relish the chance to complete menial(while essential) chores such as wearing safety
equipment or keeping their expenses reported, so leaders should not waste effort trying to foster
positive emotions around such tasks. (Dubrin, 2010)
Commitment is what every leader is working towards. Commitment by its nature leads to
more productivity as it is the polar opposite of resistance. Leaders with a strong influence over
their followers will have higher commitment and compliance while experiencing less resistance,
thereby alleviating theyre focus on motivation and allowing for opportunities for the leader to
focus on organizational goals. Working with employees is endearing and helps build
relationships. (Dubrin, 2010)
Involvement
Employee Involvement is a management style that, uses the entire capacity of workers,
[and is] designed to encourage employee commitment to organizational success." The goal of
employee involvement is to create a "Knowledge-enabled organization" in which the collective
knowledge of workers facilitates high performance. (Miller 2015) There are many programs that
are designed to involve employees but the most basic principle or all of them is the intent of
maximizing the contribution of employees. Miller calls this managerial style, putting people
first. According to Pfeffers Seven Practices of Successful Organizations, there are multiple
ways to demonstrate that an organization is interested in involving their employees. (Miller
2015)

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1. Employment security: showing workers they are secure in their positions garners
commitment.
2. Selective Hiring: the most important way to increase productivity is to hire individuals
who have the skills and attitudes to complete the daily duties of the job. Finding
individuals who showcase leadership qualities is imperative.
3. Self-Managed Teams and decentralization: giving workers a degree of control over
how they do their duties is important for multiple reasons, it lets them pool
information and gives them a degree of ownership in the tasks at hand.
4. Comparatively high and contingent compensation: compensation rewards individuals
for performance.
5. Extensive Training: training employees increases how much they can contribute
towards organizational goals. Moreover, it shows employees that the
organization has invested in them and the organization wishes to
see positive
change.
6. Reduction of status differences: the less regimented the hierarchy within the
organization is, the more individuals feel free to contribute and they feel
highly
valued.
7. Sharing Information: the more a leader and the organization shares with its employees,
the more an employee can trust in their employers. (Miller 2015)

The overarching theme of the employee involvement managerial style is the value placed
on the individual worker. Valued workers are compensated fairly for their time and effort, they
are kept in the loop in terms of important information, they are treated with respect by their
superiors, and trained to increase their skill set. When followers feel respected, they become
more involved in their organization; they feel valued, so they value their organization. Finding
leaders who can elicit a sense of value from his subordinates is of major importance when trying
to improve employee involvement.
Transformational Leadership
Transformational leaders excel at building trust and loyalty in their employees. Trust and
loyalty are key components of commitment and involvement. A transformational leader, is one

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who brings about positive, major changes in an organization. (Dubrin, 2010) Transformational
leaders need charisma; they need to be able to communicate their vision, not just for the
organization, but for individuals within said organization. Great transformational leaders know
how to use their words and their message masterfully. They will inspire their workers with
stories and metaphors. Most importantly, transformational leaders develop relationships with
those who follow them. (Dubrin, 2010)
Transactional leaders, on the other hand, are not well known for their positive
relationships. Transactional leaders offer followers something in exchange for their services.
With transactional leaders, their main focus is this exchange, whether it is positive or negative. If
an employee does well he or she may receive a gift card for their efforts. If they perform poorly
they may have their wages docked. In place of a relationship, charisma, or an inspiration vision,
transactional leaders use a system of rewards and authority to assure workers comply with
directives. (Miller 2015)
Conversely, transformational leaders know how to create a relationship with their
employees or followers that aids the organization, the follower, and even themselves. The goal of
a transformational leader is for each member of the organization to reach their full potential. The
relationships developed by a transformational leader, secure extraordinary levels of followers
trust and inspire followers to emulate their behavior. (Miller 2015) Their focus on positive
change is the main motivating factor that drives their subordinates.
Transformational leaders also inspire their workers by, walking the walk. The leaders
that know how to exemplify the ethics, commitment, and perseverance they desire, will have
followers that follow suit. A main component of transformational leadership is exemplification.

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Leaders have to be able to communicate their vision, they have to be inspiring, and they have to
emphatically care about their followers, but most importantly, they also have to exhibit the
characteristics they want to see from those under their direction. (Miller 2015)
Organizations need to find transformational leaders to inspire trust, commitment, and
involvement from their employees. The key traits of a strong transactional leader are high
degrees of intelligence in verbal skills, critical thinking and reasoning and perceptive abilities.
The right leader is confident in himself, social (this is very important for transformational
leaders), determined, and honest. (Miller 2015) Finding the right person to lead is key to the
fomentation of commitment in followers.
Transformational leaders need to offer their employees a venue for positive change. If
there is not an opportunity for upward mobility within the organization, many workers will
become despondent. Employees need to be able see the path towards their own advancement
reflected in the companys structure and policies. Leaders need to invest in their employees, so
that employees feel valued. The companies that truly value their employees do so by working
hard to support their employees. If employers want their followers to invest and commit to their
organization, then employers need to commit and invest in the employees.
Thriving Employees
Spreitzer and Porath worked with researchers at the Ross School of Business in Ann
Arbor, Michigan, to find out what factors played a part in, sustainable individual and
organizational performance or in other terms: committed and involved employees. (Porath
2012) They describe employees with these attributes as thriving:

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Happy employees produce more than unhappy ones over the long term. They
routinely show up at work, theyre less likely to quit, they go above and beyond
the call of duty, and they attract people who are just as committed to the job.
Moreover, theyre not sprinters; theyre more like marathon runners, in it for the
long haul. (Porath 2012)
Beyond higher production and commitment to their work, thriving individuals also maintain a
sense of vitality or passion about their work and continue to learn while working. (Porath 2012)
Companies can help to encourage passion by assuring employees that their work has
value. Companies that train their employees help to develop their skills and show them pathways
for future growth within the company. According to their research, companies that encourage
thriving individuals have, 16% better overall performance (as reported by their managers) and
125% less burnout (self-reported) than their peers. They were 32% more committed to the
organization and 46% more satisfied with their jobs. (Porath 2012) Individuals who exhibit
passion and a drive for knowledge also encourage others to act in a similar fashion. Commitment
and involvement are contagious.
How can organizations encourage thriving employees? It starts with hiring the correct
individuals. Looking for the same leadership qualities found in successful transformational
leaders (strong communication skills, charisma, strong social skills, and vision) regardless of
their position is a simple way to breed commitment and involvement in others. Other than
finding the right people, Spreitzer and Porath outline four mechanisms to help generate and build
on a culture of thriving employees: provide decision-making discretion, share information,
minimize incivility, and offer performance feedback. (Porath 2012)

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Leaders need to provide decision-making discretion to their followers, Employees at

every level are energized by the ability to make decisions that affect their work. (Porath 2012)
The more agency an employee has, the more he feels his work and decisions matter. Leaders
need to empower their follower to act, micromanaging every decision stifles innovation and even
productivity. Letting groups or teams make important work related decisions also gives workers
a sense of ownership of the organization. (Porath 2012)
Sharing information is hugely important for multiple reasons. If an organization wants
followers to be self-leaders and make decisions autonomously, they need to have up to date
information to help make the correct choices. Sharing information also inspires trust in
leadership and is an easy way to develop meaningful relationships, "Systems that make
information widely available build trust and give employees the knowledge they need to make
good decisions and take initiative with confidence. (Porath 2012) Additionally, sharing
information, when done frequently and correctly, helps to focus an entire organization on the
vision. (Porath 2012)
In regards to sharing information, Spreitzer and Porath describe Zingermans (a restaurant
in Ann Arbor) open book policies. The company has weekly meetings that show all involved
their business data. These meetings cover everything from company goals, to financial figures, to
quality measurements, and even internal satisfaction statistics of the employees. These meetings
allow leaders and subordinates to see what is working and what needs changing. Changes in
daily routines and protocol are initiated at these open book meetings in coordination with the
workers. Naturally, having a roll in the decision making and problem solving process gives the
employees a sense of ownership when it comes to new changes and helps to keep everyone
focused on the same goal together. (Porath 2012)

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To maintain a culture of thriving, committed employees, leaders must minimize incivility.

Workers who are afraid to act, typically, are less productive. Uncivil behavior from peers
decreases commitment and employee involvement. Disrespect from bosses or peers will lower an
individuals efforts and make that individual more likely to become disrespectful to others in the
future. As thriving employees attract one another, so too do caustic workers. A negative culture
in the workplace also increases the likelihood of turnover.
Finding the correct leader is a key component in maintaining civility, Corporate culture
is inherently contagious; employees assimilate to their environment. In other words, if you hire
for civility, youre more likely to breed it into your culture. (Porath 2012) As assignments
become more complex, employees must be supported so that they are committed to the task.
Workers must be empowered so that they are not afraid to think and make decisions.
Spreitzer and Poraths final mechanism for creating a culture of thriving is offering
performance feedback. Leaders need to be able to praise a follower when they have done well
and offer corrections when performance needs improvement. In many ways, performance
feedback is an aspect of sharing information. Praise and correction both alleviate uncertainty in
subordinates when done correctly. When a worker realizes what he or she has done has been
recognized (positively or negatively) their actions and efforts have value. Transformational
leaders will use feedback to empower their subordinates, an individual that receives regular
performance feedback knows that they matter and their actions have meaning. Feedback also
gives leaders an opportunity to identify workers who have a desire to make purposeful change
and learn, key components of a thriving individual.
Profit Sharing

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Profit sharing is a great mechanic for improving employee commitment and involvement,
"When profit sharing is perceived as both an opportunity for individual input to the
organization's success and a reflection of the organization's desire to treat employees fairly,
higher levels of commitment follow." (Coyle-Shapiro 2002) It fits perfectly with the concepts of
thriving employees and transformational leadership. Companies that implement profit sharing
are seen by employees as fair. Positive employee attitudes and opportunities for strong
relationships are not the only encouraging aspect of profit sharing; employee productivity
increases while absenteeism and quit rates drop. (Coyle-Shapiro 2002)
It also aligns with Pfeffers Seven Practices of Successful Organizations: Comparatively
high and contingent compensation: the better the company performs the more each individual is
rewarded, "Explicitly rolling out profit sharing as a desire on the part of management to
distribute rewards more fairly should heighten trust in management." (Coyle-Shapiro 2002)
Profit sharing builds trust in management, which would enable stronger relationships and more
efficient transformational leadership. It can reduce the of status differences: every individual
receiving the same amount from profit sharing creates commonality regardless of rank.
Ultimately, profit sharing is incredibly synergistic with the concepts of employee
commitment and involvement. It is another tool that could be used by transformational leaders to
show followers they are valuable and that their actions have meaning. It has been shown to
increase productivity, decrease absenteeism, and increase trust in management. It is a simple way
to show workers an organizations commitment to its employees; which is the first step towards
creating commitment from followers.
Conclusion

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In conclusion, companies that invest in their employees have higher levels of

commitment and involvement from their employees. Hiring transformational leaders is the first
step towards involving employees, organizations that have job involvement culture, their
employees are more committed with organization than those organizations who do not involve
their employees. (Khan 2011) Companies that encourage a culture of thriving also see higher
degrees of commitment and involvement, as do companies with profit sharing. In the end,
developing a relationship with followers and caring about their wellbeing makes for more
involved, committed, and productive employees.

Works Cited
Coyle-Shapiro, Jacqueline A-M (2002); Morrow, Paula C; Richardson, Ray; Dunn, Stephen R.
Using profit sharing to enhance employee attitudes: A longitudinal examination of the
effects on trust and commitment. Human Resource Management 41.4 (Winter 2002):
423-439.

Leadership Qualities and Organizational Mechanics to Increase Employee Commitment and Involvement 12

Dubrin, A. J. (2010). Leadership. Research findings, practices, and skills. (9), 279-280. Mason,
Ohio: South- Western, Cengage Learning
Khan, Tariq Iqbal(2011); Jam, Farooq Ahmed; Akbar, Aisha; Khan, Muhammad Bashir; Hijazi,
Syed Tahir; Job Involvement as Predictor of Employee Commitment: Evidence from
Pakistan. International Journal of Business and Management 6.4 (Apr 2011): 252-262.
Miller, Katherine (2015), Organizational Communication approaches and Processes, Stamford
Connecticut, Cengage Learning
Porath, Christine (2012), Spreitzer, Gretchen; Creating Sustainable Performance, Harvard
Business Review, 2012. https://hbr.org/2012/01/creating-sustainable-performance