Chapter 8

Team Work in Organization

An effective team leader has a variety of traits and characteristics that encourage
team members to follow him. Team leaders naturally possess certain qualities, such
as compassion and integrity, or learn leadership skills through formal training and
experience. The qualities of an effective team leader inspire the trust and respect of
the team and stimulate production within the workplace.
Characteristics of Team Leaders
Communication
Effective

team

leaders

communicate

clearly.

Quality

verbal

and

written

communication skills allow leaders to present expectations to team members in a

way workers can understand. Effective communication skills also allow team leaders
to listen to the input of others.
Organization
Effective team leaders possess exceptional organizational skills. Organizational skills
help team leaders plan objectives and strategies, which allow team members to
perform optimally. Organized team leaders put systems in place that maintain order
and guide team members toward meeting company goals and objectives.
Confidence
An effective team leader is confident in his abilities, as well as confident in the
abilities of his team members. A confident leader is secure in the decisions he
makes that affect his team. A self-confident team leader also reassures team
members of his authority within the organization.

Respectful
A quality team leader is respectful of his team members. A respectful leader
empowers employees by encouraging them to offer ideas about decisions that
affect them. This lets team members know that the leader respects their input and
opinions.
Fair
A quality team leader treats team members fairly. He is consistent with rewards and
recognition, as well as disciplinary action. A fair leader ensures all employees
receive the same treatment.
Integrity
An effective team leader is honest and open with his team members. Leaders who
possess integrity gain the trust of team members because he does what he says he
will do and treats others the same way he wants to be treated.
Influential
Influential leaders help inspire the commitment of team members to meet company
goals and objectives. Influential leaders also help manage change in the workplace
by gaining the confidence of workers through effective decision making and
communication.
Delegation
Effective team leaders know how to share leadership through delegation.
Delegating certain tasks to trustworthy team members allows the leader to focus on
improving workplace functions and production.

Facilitator
Effective team leaders are powerful facilitators. As a facilitator, team leaders help
workers understand their goals. They also help organize an action plan to ensure
team members meet their goals and objectives more efficiently.
Negotiation
Team leaders utilize negotiation skills to achieve results and reach an understanding
in the event of a workplace conflict. Team leaders who negotiate effectively
streamline the decision-making process, as well as solve problems for the best
interest of everyone involved.

Development of team
Organizations often try to improve the productivity and motivation of people
working in groups/teams. The planned and systematic process designed to improve
the effort of people who work together to achieve common goal is referred to as a
team. Team can be described as an internally organized set of people with specific
roles for different members to achieve a specific goal while group can be referred to
as a collection of people with something in common, such as being in the same
place or having their individuals interest.
Meredith Belbin (1981) found that successful teams consisted of a mix of
individuals, each of whom performed a different role. The characteristic and goals
of the individual members of the team helped to determine

the teams

characteristics and goals. According to Belbin, each person has a preferred role and
for a team to be effective, all the roles need to be filled. Organization selects people
that are capable to fill one or more of the roles. Individual member of the team will
be influenced more strongly because of their role. This is unlike group with large
number of people where very few people take part in the project while others are

not and unable to participate effectively in team decisions. Effectiveness of team

depends on the blend of the individual skills and abilities of its members. Team
development is based on the idea that before organisations can improve
performance, team members must be able to work together effectively.
This exercise is used to help team members develop trust, open up communication
channels, make sure everyone understood the goals of the team, help individuals
make decisions with the commitment of all members, prevent the leader from
dominating the team, openly examine and resolve conflicts and to review work
activities.
Roles and Models of Team Leadership
Leadership of teams must get members of team to work with each other. This is
one method that involves low levels of risk among members. The roles of team
leader include ability to be able to organize joint projects or some form of exchange
between members of the team. The leaders of the team work together or exchange
roles with members for this approach to be effective.

The working spirit was

further developed by communication and swapping of team members. These ideas

develop social interaction among the employees.
Keeping every single activity connected to the others help team leaders and
organization to achieve what they actually planed. Members are enjoying while
performing their roles and are also discovering something new about themselves,
their co-workers, and the organization as a whole.
Researching and learning about the team current issues definitely help team
leaders in creating the actual activities that the members can participate in. This
affords lapses of any kind for members not to participate in the activities of the
team.

Usefulness of Team Work within the Organization

The leader of any team of an organization aims to create team/group that is
effective and efficient. If the team leader or organization can motivate the team
members to work harder in order to achieve goals, the sense of pride in the teams
own competence will create job satisfaction for the leadership of the team/team
members and employees in general.

Lecture 9
Leadership Competencies
Essential leadership competencies and global competencies have been defined by
researchers. However, skills needed for a particular position may change depending
on the specific leadership level in the organization.

By using a competency

approach, organization can determine what positions at what levels require specific
competencies.
Categories of Leadership Core Competencies

There are 28 Leadership Core Competencies sub-divided into five levels. Definitions
are listed below organized by the leadership levels.

Managing Self
Integrity/Honesty: Behaves in an honest, fair, and ethical manner. Shows
consistency in words and actions. Models high standards of ethics.
Interpersonal Skills: Treats others with courtesy, sensitivity, and respect.
Considers and responds appropriately to the needs and feelings of different people
in different situations.
Continual Learning: Assesses and recognizes own strengths and weaknesses;
pursues self-development.
Resilience: Deals effectively with pressure; remains optimistic and persistent, even
under adversity. Recover quickly from setbacks.
Oral Communication: Makes clear and convincing oral presentations. Listens
effectively; clarifies information as needed.
Written Communication: Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing
manner for the intended audience.
Flexibility: Is being open to change and new information; rapidly adapts to new
information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles.
Problem Solving: Identifies and analyzes problems; weighs relevance and
accuracy of information; generates and evaluates alternative solutions; makes
recommendations.

Managing Projects
Team Building: Inspires and fosters team commitment, spirit, pride, and trust.
Facilitates cooperation and motivates team members to accomplish group goals.
Customer Service: Anticipates and meets the needs of both internal and external
customers. Delivers high-quality products and services; is committed to continuous
improvement.
Technical Credibility: Understands and appropriately applies principles,
procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies related to specialized expertise.
Accountability: Holds self and others accountable for measurable high-quality,
timely, and cost effective results. Determines objectives, sets priorities, and
delegates work. Accepts responsibility for mistakes, comply with established control
systems and rules.
Decisiveness: Makes well-informed, effective, and timely decisions, even when
data are limited or solutions produce unpleasant consequences; perceives the
impact and implications of decisions.
Influencing/Negotiating: Persuades others; builds consensus through give and
take; gains cooperation from others to obtain information and accomplish goals.

Managing People
Human Capital Management: Builds and manages workforce based on
organizational goals, budget considerations, and staffing needs. Ensures employees
are appropriately recruited, selected, appraised, and rewarded; takes action to
address performance problems. Manages a multi-sector workforce and a variety of
work situations.
Leveraging Diversity: Fosters an inclusive workplace where diversity and
individual differences are valued and leveraged to achieve the vision and mission of
the organization.
Conflict Management: Encourages creative tension and differences of opinions.
Anticipates and takes steps to prevent counter-productive confrontations. Manages
and resolves conflicts and disagreements in a constructive manner.
Public Service Motivation: Shows a commitment to serve the public. Ensures
that actions meet public needs; aligns organizational objectives and practices with
public interests.
Developing Others: Develops the ability of others to perform and contribute to
the organization by providing ongoing feedback and by providing opportunities to
learn through formal and informal methods.

Managing Programs
Technology Management: Keeps up-to-date on technological developments.
Makes effective use of technology to achieve results. Ensures access to, and
security of, technology systems.
Financial Management: Understands the organizations financial processes.
Prepares, justifies, and administers the program budget. Oversees procurement and
contracting to achieve desired results. Monitors expenditures and uses cost-benefit
thinking to set priorities.
Creativity/Innovation:

Develops

new

insights

into

situations;

questions

conventional approaches; encourages new ideas and innovations; designs and

implements new or cutting edge programs/processes..
Partnering:

Develops

networks

and

builds

alliances;

collaborates

across

boundaries to build strategic relationships and achieve common goals.

Political Savvy: Identifies the internal and external politics that impact the work of
the organization. Perceives organizational and political reality and acts accordingly.

Leading Organizations
External Awareness: Understands and keeps up-to-date on local, national, and
international

policies

and

trends

that

affect

the

organization

and

shape

stakeholders views; is aware of the organizations impact on the external

environment..
Vision: Takes a long-term view and builds a shared vision with others; acts as a
catalyst for organization change. Influences others to translate vision into action.
Strategic Thinking: Formulates objectives and priorities, and implements plans
consistent with the long-term interest of the organization in a global environment,
Capitalizes on opportunities and manages risks.
Entrepreneurship: Positions the organization for future success by identifying new
opportunities; builds the organization by developing or improving products or
services. Takes calculated risks to accomplish organizational objectives.

Lecture 10
The Concepts of Leadership and Gender
Introduction
The world is made up of men and women thus how it is run and what happens to it
is of equal concern to both of them. The idea of gender was for the first time
brought about in the 1970s by a group of feminists. The underlying factor was to
use the notion of gender as a parameter for appreciating the fact that women do
not relate to men in much the same way in all circumstances in every culture; and
more importantly, that the position of women in society vary considerably. The
concept of gender presupposes a social construct as against biological circumstance
of men and women.

Sometimes the phrase sex-gender relation is used; this

reminds us that there is a link between biological differences between men and
women and the social assumption about masculinity and feminity (Rowotham,
1992). Transformational leadership concept was defined by Bass (1990) as
exceptional leadership performance that exists when leaders broaden and elevate
the interests of their followers, when they generate awareness and acceptance of
the purposes and mission of the group, and when those leaders stir their followers
to look beyond their self-interest for the group benefit. The catalyst for change
contained

in

many

international

instruments

and

conventions

notably

the

Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

(CEDAW), 1981; the Beijing Platform for Action, 1985; the protocol to the African
Charter on Human and peoples Rights, 2006 and the Millennium Development
Goals (MIDGs), 2000 has contributed to the emergence and growing number of
women in leadership positions.
THE CONCEPT OF GENDER
Gender refers to the social attributes and opportunities associated with being male
and female and the relationships between women and men; girls and boys as well
as the relations between women and women and those between men and men.
These attributes, opportunities and relationships are socially constructed and are

learned through socialization process. This implies that the society determines
these and expects men and women, boys and girls to behave in specified ways. In
other words, what the society expects the man to be, the role he should play at
home, in the market, office, government and so on is different from the roles the
woman is expected to play.
The concept of gender also includes the expectations held about the characteristics,
aptitudes and likely behaviours of both women and men (femininity and
masculinity). These roles and expectations are learned, changeable over time and
variable within and between cultures. Gender analysis has increasingly revealed
how womens subordination is socially constructed and therefore able to change, as
opposed to being biologically predetermined and therefore static (Akinboye,
2004:190).
The term sex is used to refer to the classification of individuals as female or male
based on their genetic makeup, anatomy and reproductive functions, gender on the
other hand is used to refer to the meanings that societies and individuals given to
male and female categories Becker & Eargly (2004:59). Oakley (1972) clearly
explicates the difference between sex and gender, sex refers to the biological
features that go with being male or female. It also refers to a natural division
derived from the most basic physiological differences between males and females,
in which these differences are genetically determined, largely universal and
genetically constant.

Gender refers to the social, cultural and psychological

features that identify someone as a woman, which are highly variable across
cultures and are continually subject to change.
The person who guides and directs others in the attainment of common goals or
tasks is referred to as a Leader. A leaders job is to inspire and motivate. A leader
should not be confused with a manager but they both complement each other. A
leader must have a vision of the future or the past or of the present and must
succeed in communicating such a vision to others.

THE CONCEPT OF LEADERSHIP

The person who guides and directs others in the attainment of common goals or
tasks is referred to as a Leader. A leaders job is to inspire and motivate. A leader
should not be confused with a manager but they both complement each other. A
leader must have a vision of the future or the past or of the present and must
succeed in communicating such a vision to others.
Leadership is defined as part of the organization that concerns itself with people. It
is the human dimension.

Koontz and O Donnel defined leadership as the act or

process of influencing people so that they will strive willingly towards the
achievement of group goals. Hannan and Scott see it as a process by which people
are directed, guided and influenced in choosing and achieving goals.
Leadership according to Ajayi (1998:5) is the ability to persuade others to seek
defined objectives enthusiastically. It is the human factor that binds a group
together and motives group members towards set goals. Leadership transforms
potential to reality. It is the ultimate instrument that brings to the front burner the
potentials of an organization and those of its people.
Leadership is the ability of management to induce subordinate to work towards
group goals with confidence and keenness. Leadership also implies that the leader
accepts responsibility for the achievement of the group objective and it is therefore
essential for trust and co-operation from both sides to be in evidence all the time.
Appleby (1994:190)
Leadership influences a process by effectively changing the behaviour of others.
Leadership effectiveness is the acknowledged ability of manager to guide a group
towards goal accomplishment.
Effective leadership qualities and skills is a must, in order to have discipline and
decorum at the work place. Leaders carry out the important tasks of chalking out
strategies for the growth of organization. Without the presence of leaders, there
would not be any specific aim before the organization and this will naturally hamper
its progress. Leaders can make employees more confident and train them in key

areas for better result. The process of decision making becomes much easier and
successful with a good leadership team. A sound leadership also makes employees
feels secure about their jobs and very confident about their future in company, thus
increasing their productivity. A sense of unity and passion for work can be
developed among workers only by effective leadership.
Femininity and Masculinity: Refers to ones gender identity. It also refers to the
degree to which persons see themselves as masculine or feminine given what it
means to be a man or woman in society. Femininity and masculinity are rooted in
the social, rather than ones sex.

Societal members decide what being male or

female means (e.g., dominant or passive, brave or emotional). Because these are
social definition, however, it is possible for one to be female but see herself as
masculine or male but see himself as feminine (Burke and Stets, 2000).
Organization: The business dictionary describes it as a social unit of people that
is structured and managed to meet a need or to pursue collective goals.
Organizations are open systems, they affect and are affected by their environment.
Vision: Vision is a driving force which provides sense of direction for effective
leadership. Jonathan Swift describes vision as the art of seeing what is invisible to
others.

While Hagher (2012) puts it as the common denominator of good

leadership is the possession of a vision and the ability to instill this vision in the
followers and empower them to achieve the goals of the vision through the process
that enables both leaders and the followers.

Lecture 11

Modes of Leadership
Transactional and transformational are the two modes of leadership that tend to
be compared the most. The concept of transformational leadership was initially
introduced by leadership expert and presidential biographer James MacGregor
Burns. According to Burns, transformational leadership can be seen when
leaders and followers make each other to advance to a higher level of moral
and motivation. Transactional leader are leaders who exchange tangible
rewards for the work and loyalty of followers.
Different managers employ distinctly different management styles, ranging from
relatively hands-off, facilitative styles to autocratic, micromanaging styles.
Managers can also employ different motivational strategies and techniques to boost
employee performance or accomplish internal change. Transformational and
transactional leadership are polar opposites when it comes to the underlying
theories of management and motivation. Understanding the difference between
transformational and transactional leadership is crucial for anyone pursuing a career
in management.
Transactional Leadership
Transactional leadership styles are more concerned with maintaining the normal
flow of operations. Transactional leadership can be described as "keeping the ship
afloat." Transactional leaders use disciplinary power and an array of incentives to
motivate employees to perform at their best. The term "transactional" refers to the
fact that this type of leader essentially motivates subordinates by exchanging
rewards for performance.
A transactional leader generally does not look ahead in strategically guiding an
organization to a position of market leadership; instead, these managers are solely
concerned with making sure everything flows smoothly today.
Transformational Leadership
A transformational leader goes beyond managing day-to-day operations and crafts
strategies for taking his company, department or work team to the next level of
performance and success. Transformational leadership styles focus on teambuilding, motivation and collaboration with employees at different levels of an
organization to accomplish change for the better. Transformational leaders set goals
and incentives to push their subordinates to higher performance levels, while
providing opportunities for personal and professional growth for each employee.

Advantages
Both leadership styles are needed for guiding an organization to success.
Transactional leaders provide distinct advantages through their abilities to address
small operational details quickly. Transactional leaders handle all the details that
come together to build a strong reputation in the marketplace, while keeping
employees productive on the front line.
Transformational leadership styles are crucial to the strategic development of a
small business. Small businesses with transformational leaders at the helm shoot
for ambitious goals, and can they achieve rapid success through the vision and
team-building skills of the leader.
Applications
Different management styles are best suited to different situations. When it comes
to front-line supervisors of minimum-wage employees, for example, a transactional
leadership style can be more effective. Shift supervisors at a fast food restaurant
will be much more effective if they are concerned with ensuring all of the various
stations run smoothly, rather than spending their time thinking up better ways to
serve hamburgers.
On the other hand, CEOs or sales managers can be more effective if they are
transformational leaders. Executive managers need the ability to design and
communicate grand strategic missions, passing the missions down to transactional
leaders for implementation of the details.
Comparing Leadership Types
1.

Transactional leadership reacts to problems as they arise, whereas

transformational leadership is more likely to address issues before they
become problematic.

2.

Transactional leaders
organizational culture.

3.

Transactional leaders reward and punish in traditional ways according to

organizational standards; transformational leaders attempt to achieve
positive results from employees by keeping them invested in projects,
leading to an internal, high-order reward system.

4.

Transactional leaders appeal to the self-interest of employees who seek out

rewards for themselves, in contrast to transformational leaders, who appeal
to group interest and notions of organizational success

emphasize

new

ideas

and

thereby

transform

5.

Transactional leadership is more akin to the common notions of

management, whereas transformational leadership adheres more closely to
what is colloquially referred to as leadership.

Transactional Vs Transformational Leadership

Transactional Leadership
Leadership

Transformational

Lecture 12
Transformational Leadership and Gender
Introduction
The need to involve both men and women in the development process is intended
to reverse the huge prevailing inequalities and injustices. Without the participation
of women it is recognized that the inequalities and disparities will deepen. In spite
of progress that has been made in getting more women in decision making
processes it is evident that Africa is far from reaching the internationally agreed
targets. Also, there is enough evidence to show that when women participate in
decision making children are more likely to go to school and stay in school, that
child and maternal mortality rates will reduce, that family health will improve and
that food security and environmental sustainability will increase.
Interest in transformative leadership started at the same time as calls for inclusion
of women in the decision making processes also took centre stage in the global
development agenda.
Gender roles consist of perceptions about the psychological attributes that
constitutes the characteristics of each sex, which is called gender stereotype.
Increased equivalence in the managerial roles played by women and men overtime
may have been sufficient to bring about stereotype change (Powell, Butterfield and
Batrol 2008).
Transformational Leadership: Transformational leadership is the ability of a
leader to influence others values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors in order to
achieve the mission and goals of the organization. According to Burns (1978: 20),

transformational leadership occurs when one or more persons engage with others
in such a way that leaders and followers raise one another to higher levels of
motivation and morality.

Origin of Transformational Leadership

In recent years there has been an interest in something called transformational
leadership. It was a term coined by political scientist James McGregor Burns in
1978. He wrote that: Transforming leadership occurs when one or more persons
engage with others in such a way that leaders and followers raise one another to
higher levels of motivation and morality transforming leadership ultimately becomes
moral in that it raises the level of human conduct and ethical aspirations of both the
leader

and

led

and,

thus,

has

transforming

effect

on

both.

The most significant essence of transformational leadership is the relationship

between leaders and followers. Transformational leaders have the ability to identify
their own values, and those of others in the organization, to guide their actions,
thus developing a shared, conscious way of behaving and doing. Power is
distributed because these leaders do not see power as limited but expansive.
Transformational leaders are concerned with substance and truly empower others.
Components of Transformational Leadership
Transformational

Leadership

represents

the

most

active/effective

form

of

leadership, a form in which leaders are closely engaged with followers, motivating
them to perform beyond their transactional agreements (Panagopoulous and
Dimitriadis, 2009). In general, there are four types of leaders' behaviors constitute
the dimensions of transformational leadership:
1. Idealized Influence: Another term used to describe this form of leadership is
charisma. Charismatic leaders project their self-confidence into others (Sarror and
Santora,

2001).

Idealized

influence

constitutes

the

charismatic

factor

of

transformational leadership in which leaders become role models for ethical

behavior by their followers (Avolio and Bass, 2002). As a result of the leaders`
behaviors, followers are expected to have faith and trust in them and in their
actions and decisions.
2.

Individualized

Consideration:

Individualized

consideration

refers

to

the

transformational leadership behaviors of dealing with followers as important

contributors to the organization. Leaders, according to this behavior show
consideration for followers` needs and requirements. Transformational leaders help
their

subordinates

in

fulfilling

their

potential

talents

and

increasing

their

responsibilities in the organization (Jandaghi, 2009).

3. Intellectual Stimulation: Transformational leaders stimulate their followers to be
innovative and creative by questioning assumptions, reframing problems, and
diagnosing old problems in new ways. (Avolio and Bass, 2002). Leaders provide
learning and training for their followers and develop innovative and creative climate
in organization. Leaders who intellectually stimulate subordinates encourage
creativity and accept challenges as part of their job; they keep their cool, working
out ways of dealing with problems in a rational manner (Sarros and Santora, 2001).
4. Inspirational Motivation: This type of behavior describes leaders who motivate
followers and encourage them to good behaviors inspirationally. Raising the
consciousness of followers about the organization's mission and vision, and
encouraging others in understanding and committing to the vision is a key facet of
the transformational leadership style of inspirational motivation (Sarros and
Santora, 2001). Inspirational motivation creates a clear picture of the future that is
both optimistic and attainable. Leaders set high expectations, use symbolism to
focus efforts, and communicate a vision to followers in a simple language, and then
followers react by willing to increase their efforts to attain the vision (Coad and
Berry, 1998).
Gender-role stereotype of Leadership
Gender stereotypes are generalized beliefs about the characteristics and qualities
attributed to men and women in the society. In general, men are characterized as
aggressive, risk-taking, decisive, and autonomous (agentic attributes), whereas

women are characterized as kind, caring, relational, and humble (communal

attributes). Expectations and beliefs concerning the qualities that men and women
have often dictate the type of jobs that are considered appropriate for them,
leading to a situation in which the requisite characteristics for some jobs are
defined in terms of gender, such as mens work or womens work (Hailman, 1997).
For example, we hear more often about male mechanics and female kindergarten
teacher than vice-versa as gender stereotyping reinforces the belief that
kindergarten teachers require characteristics associated more with women, than
with men.
Unlike the long established styles of consideration and initiating structure,
transformational leadership may provide a way that male and female leaders can
integrate role and social role demands, thereby transcending gender role
stereotypes.