Introduction
Managing a team is a complex task that presupposes consideration of all existing peculiarities of a team to align its functioning and ensure that all employees realize their tasks, current goals and are ready to contribute to their achievement. However, for diverse groups selecting an appropriate leadership style might be complex as it should take into account the unique characteristics of all individuals and create a climate beneficial for their personal and professional development. At the same time, the correctly chosen approach generates multiple benefits, such as aligned teamwork, increased effectiveness, and contribution to the development of a particular unit or a firm. For this reason, the proposed case outlines the major factors influencing the process of management style selection, its benefits, weak aspects, and how it contributes to the further rise of the unit.
Background
The offered case presupposes managing a newly formed team consisting of 20 members. They vary in their skills, age, gender, background, and the correct vision of the company’s goals. Another factor is that a car manufacturing plant is a new firm with the need to empower its position and enter the market with attractive proposals that can attract clients. Under these conditions, managing the given team, it is vital to consider several essential aspects. First, the chosen style should be effective in working with diversity issues and conflict resolution because of the heterogeneous composition of the collective. Second, it should create the basis for future growth as this group is responsible for the success and the rise of the plant. These factors are central to selecting the correct method to work with employees.
Management Style
Regarding the given factors, the democratic or transformational management style is viewed as the best option. The framework implies the encouragement of employees to contribute to the evolution of a firm by participating in the decision-making process and communicating at different levels (Ausmus, 2021). The approach also presupposes the diversity of opinions, skills, and attitudes that can be considered to accomplish the existing goal. The transformational style also means that a manager should focus on encouraging staff to move towards new accomplishments, leave comfort zones, and motivate them to grow personally and professionally. A leader should also be ready to inspire employees to make greater efforts using his/her example and focusing on the importance of every individual, his/her contribution, and the company’s dependence on them.
Several reasons justify the choice of this management style and its employment to work with employees. First, it cultivates innovation, and all employees adapt to change or challenges faster if compared with other types (Ausmus, 2021). This benefit is vital because the company is new, and all specialists should be ready to engage in all processes and improve them. Second, the transformational approach encourages creative thinking and improves problem-solving activities because of the flexibility and lack of stress (Ausmus, 2021). For new collectives, this feature is critically important as it ensures they find a common language and have tools for enhanced communication, decision-making, and collaboration. The style also has some weaknesses, such as the increased importance of a leader as a model, staff burnout, or inability to follow the current goals (Ausmus, 2021). However, they can be managed by using specific approaches and strategies.
Benefits
The correctly chosen management style can generate multiple benefits and lead to better outcomes. It is expected that the employment of the transformational approach will help to improve conflict resolution, establish effective rewards patterns, help to avoid critical failures, and result in better diversity management (). Under these conditions, it becomes vital to use the model and monitor its effects to ensure that all employees understand the new demands and are ready to follow the leaders’ example. The manager remains the central figure responsible for the results and development.
Conflict Resolution Between Employees
As stated previously, democratic and transformational styles are characterized by better conflict management. It comes from the focus on the engagement of all employees in the decision-making process. Discussing various aspects of the firm’s functioning, specialists acquire the chance to get to know each other better and avoid touching disputable or problematic issues. Moreover, this framework cultivates discussion as one of the most potent tools for solving problems (Raines, 2019). It can be applied to analyzing complex situations and arguments of all parties to the conflict. The collaborative effort to understand the basis for the undesired scenario, its causes, and possible outcomes will contribute to an improved negotiating process and making a compromise (Raines, 2019). It means that the transformational style becomes a potent approach for resolving conflicts that might emerge in new teams.
Consistent Tardiness Among a Group of Employee
The inability to observe the timetable or constant lateness is another serious problem for collectives, especially young ones. Using the transformational management style, it is possible to deal with the consistent tardiness among employees. First, being a part of the collective and participating in all discussions and strategic planning, specialists will feel obliged to be on time to ensure that the collective does not wait for them or have some difficulties because of their absence (Raines, 2019). Second, the positive example of other employees will serve as a motivational and inspirational tool to improve individuals’ behaviors and ensure they realize the importance of observing the existing schedule. Finally, public discussion in the group can help to correct such patterns and ensure workers learn the unacceptability of their actions (Raines, 2019). Using the given style, it is possible to resolve the problem of consistent tardiness.
Recognition and Rewards
Recognition and rewards are two vital aspects influencing the formation of a collective, its functioning, atmosphere, and employee motivation. For a manager, it is critical to establish a fair and clear rewarding system allowing to provide bonuses, prizes, and benefits for specialists who show outstanding results (Ausmus, 2021). Following the transformational approach, it is possible to ensure the transparent and effective distribution of prizes. Because all employees are engaged in the process, they see others’ contributions and evaluate them (Ausmus, 2021). It is possible to select the most successful workers during special meetings to guarantee the democratic way of reward. It will help to cultivate a positive climate within a group and ensure the lack of reasons for conflicts because of the unfair recognition.
Addressing Misconduct and Failure to Perform
Another important issue for collectives is establishing the appropriate organizational culture supported by the code of ethics. These elements are fundamental for teams’ work as they help to struggle with misconduct, failure to perform, and inappropriate behaviors (Schein & Schein, 2016). Cultivation and sharing culture are leaders’ central tasks, as it directly influences results. The choice of the transformational model can simplify this task as a manager will serve as a role model inspiring employees to follow his/her example and avoid misconduct or problematic behaviors.
Furthermore, the democratic styles presuppose the focus on the ethical side of the work, meaning that the correctness and acceptability of some solutions are judged regarding the existing code of ethics. Employees are involved in the discussion of various acts and determine whether they should be condemned or rewarded (Schein & Schein, 2016). Following this approach, it is possible to handle all cases of abuse, harassment, or discrimination based on culture, religion, or race, which is viral for diverse teams (Schein & Schein, 2016). At the same time, the failure to perform can also be managed following the model. A leader can ask for the support of other team members or use cooperation and communication channels to support a person (Schein & Schein, 2016). It means that the selected framework has a high practical utility.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Altogether, regarding the project’s background and the need to control the work of a department consisting of multiple employees who vary in their background, the use of the transformational management model seems the most beneficial choice. It will help to cultivate creativity, innovativeness, and communication between all team members, which is vital for new collectives. Moreover, the workers’ engagement in decision-making and using a leader’s example to inspire them will improve performance. The style also focuses on better problem and conflict resolution, effective reward practices, and moderating employees’ behaviors to create the desired corporate culture. Considering all these aspects, the transformational management style becomes the best possible choice vital for the future evolution of the discussed plant and its ability to attain success.
References
Ausmus, B. (2021). The transformational leadership compass: A dynamic coaching system for creating big change. Lioncrest Publishing.
Raines, S. (2019). Conflict management for managers: Resolving workplace, client, and policy disputes (2nd ed.). Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Schein, E., & Schein, P. (2016). Organizational culture and leadership (5th ed.). Wiley.