UGANDA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
BACHELORS OF PROCUREMENT AND LOGISTICS
MANAGEMENT.
YEAR1 SEMESTER 1 2024
PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT COURSE WORK
LECTURER
MR. MARTIN KABANDA
NAME REG NUMBER SIGN
MUTAMBO VICENT M24B12/039
ROPI JESKA M24B12/080
AFEDRA CHRISTOPHER M24B12/015
NAKIBUUKA EDITH M24B12/027
JOSEPHINE MODONG JAMES IS19B00/030
KATEBERA SARAH M24B12/100
MAWA MARK M24B12/042
Qn2. Research and analyse; in your groups, your required to conduct research and critically analyse
each leadership style. You should focus on understanding the characteristics, strength and the
weaknesses of each style.
INTRODUCTION;
In regards to the above Couse, its probable to note that leadership styles refer to behaviour
approaches employed by leaders to influence, motivate and direct their followers. there are
different leadership styles which include, participative, authoritarian, laisses-fair, transformational
and transactional leadership. Below is the analysis of the characteristics, weaknesses and strength of
each style.
1. Authoritarian Leadership
This is the type of leadership where the leader does all the decision making without any input from
anyone.
Characteristics:
• The leader makes decisions unilaterally.
• Little input from group members.
• Clear, direct instructions given.
Strengths:
• Efficient decision-making.
• Clear direction and expectations.
• Effective in crisis situations or when tasks need quick action.
Weaknesses:
• Can lead to low morale among team members.
• Stifles creativity and innovation.
• May cause high turnover rates due to dissatisfaction.
2. Participative Leadership’
In this style of leadership, the leader makes decisions based on the input of each team member. The
leader takes decisions at his own level but employees participate in the decision making.
Characteristics:
• Decisions are made collectively.
• Leader values input from team members.
• Encourages open communication and participation.
Strengths:
• Higher team morale and job satisfaction.
• Promotes creativity and innovation.
• Better decision-making as it incorporates diverse perspectives.
Weaknesses:
• Slower decision-making process.
• May lead to indecision if there’s no consensus.
• Requires skilled and motivated team members to be effective.
3. Laissez-Faire Leadership
This is the type of leadership where people are let to do as they choose. This believes in empowering
employees by trusting them to work on there own
Characteristics:
• Minimal interference from the leader.
• Team members have a lot of freedom to make decisions.
• Leader provides support and resources as needed.
Strengths:
• High autonomy can boost creativity and innovation.
• Encourages personal growth and responsibility.
• Effective when team members are highly skilled and motivated.
Weaknesses:
• Can lead to lack of direction and coordination.
• Potential for reduced productivity and accountability.
• May result in poor performance if team members lack self-motivation.
4. Transactional Leadership
This sets targets for the employees, rate the results and reward the employees on the out come.
Characteristics:
• Focus on routine, supervision, and performance.
• Rewards and punishments are used to motivate followers.
• Clear structure and expectations are established.
Strengths:
• Clear roles and responsibilities enhance efficiency.
• Reward systems can motivate team members.
• Effective in achieving short-term goals and tasks.
Weaknesses:
• May stifle creativity and innovation.
• Can lead to a transactional relationship where loyalty and commitment are weak.
• Over-reliance on rewards and punishments may demotivate in the long run.
5. Transformational Leadership.
This is where the leader communicates his plans and wisdom to his employees frequently trying to
inspire and motivate them through direct contact.
Characteristics:
• Inspires and motivates followers through vision and enthusiasm.
• Focuses on change and transformation.
• Leader is charismatic and engages with team members on an emotional level.
Strengths:
• High levels of motivation and engagement.
• Promotes innovation and change.
• Builds strong team loyalty and trust.
Weaknesses:
• Can be overly dependent on the leader’s charisma.
• Risk of burnout due to high expectations.
• May overlook short-term tasks and details in favour of long-term vision.
Summary
Each leadership style has its own set of characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses. The effectiveness
of a style can depends on various factors including the nature of the task, the team members, and
the organizational environment. Understanding these can help leaders choose or adapt their style to
better fit their context and achieve their goals.
Qn 3. Identify Management Situations: Individually or as a group, students should identify and
present different management situations or scenarios (minimum of three) where each leadership
style would be most effective. These scenarios can include situations like crisis management, team
building, organizational change, innovation, or conflict resolution.
Memory updated
Scenario1: Team building.
A large healthcare company, Healthnet Solutions, is about to launch a major project to develop a
new healthcare management platform. This project is crucial as it aims to revolutionize how patient
data is managed and shared across various healthcare providers. The project involves multiple
departments, including software development, marketing, sales, customer support, and regulatory
compliance. The challenges include, interdepartmental coordination, complex and scope, high stakes
and need for team building. Certainly! Each managerial style would approach the situation differently
but as of this kind of scenario, participative management would be more suitable in Oder to achieve
the organisational goals.
Participative leadership style.
In this kind of management, you realise that a manager would ensure Inclusive Decision-Making
Involving representatives from software development, marketing, sales, customer support, and
regulatory compliance in key decision-making processes. Promotes open lines of communication,
encouraging feedback and suggestions from all team members. Holds regular team meetings where
each department can share updates, discuss challenges, and brainstorm solutions. Strive to build
consensuses on major decisions, ensuring that all voices are heard and considered. Empowers team
members by delegating responsibilities and trusting them to make decisions within their areas of
expertise. In doing so, the challenge in the scenario (team building) can be easily addressed hence
achievement and success in the organisational goals.
Scenario 2; innovation:
Two companies, Tech Innovators and Creative Solutions, recently merged to form a new entity to
Innovate Solutions. Both companies had distinct corporate cultures and work practices. Employees
from both sides are experiencing uncertainty and there is noticeable tension and lack of cooperation
among the staff. In the context where mergers are in close, the transformational leadership styles is
the best applicable as elaborated below.
. Transformational leadership styles.
This is where you realise that Transformational leadership is ideal for fostering innovation, as it
creates a positive and stimulating work environment, where employees feel valued, trusted, and
motivated to contribute their unique talents and perspectives. Would Inspire and motivate
employees to achieve higher levels of performance, encourage staff to seek innovative solutions,
fosters strong supplier partnerships, and promotes a vision of collaborative success. This ends up
making it the most suitable in case scenario where by even mergers are in the close.
Scenario 3; conflict resolution
Tetro Inc., a mid-sized company specializing in manufacturing and selling high-end consumer
electronics, is experiencing a significant conflict between its Sales and Production departments. The
Sales team is pushing for increased output to meet rising customer demand and to capitalize on new
market opportunities. Meanwhile, the Production department is struggling to keep up due to
capacity constraints, maintenance issues, and quality control concerns. This conflict has resulted in
missed deadlines, strained relationships, and a drop in customer satisfaction. Strict and immediate
action is needed in this kind of scenario. Its important to note the company might lose clients which
may lead to a financial set back for the company. So authoritarian leadership style is the best
applicable here.
Authoritarian Manager:
In this situation, the manager would assert strict control and authority. He might dictate immediate
actions to increase production output without much input from either department. action:
Implement rigid schedules and performance targets for both Sales and Production teams. Focus on
discipline and compliance to meet deadlines and quality standards. Short-term gains in production
output might occur, but morale could suffer due to lack of involvement and potential resentment
from both departments. After implementation of the following, positive results might be realised.
QN 4. Justification and Explanation: For each leadership style identified in step 3, students must
provide a comprehensive explanation and justification of why that specific style would be the most
suitable approach in the given management situation. Students can draw on real-life examples or
case studies to support their reasoning.
Scenario1: Team building.
A large healthcare company, Healthnet Solutions, is about to launch a major project to develop a
new healthcare management platform. This project is crucial as it aims to revolutionize how patient
data is managed and shared across various healthcare providers. The project involves multiple
departments, including software development, marketing, sales, customer support, and regulatory
compliance. The challenges include, interdepartmental coordination, complex and scope, high stakes
and need for team building. Certainly! Each managerial style would approach the situation differently
but as of this kind of scenario, participative management would be more suitable in Oder to achieve
the organisational goals and below is the justification and explanation.
The justification and comprehensive explanation.
By involving employees from various departments in decision-making and goal-setting processes,
participative management fosters a sense of ownership and commitment among team members. In
the case of Healthnet Solutions, where the project involves multiple departments like software
development, marketing, sales, customer support, and regulatory compliance, this approach can
align everyone towards a common vision. Increased Motivation and Engagement: By involving
employees in decision-making, participative management fosters a sense of ownership and
commitment among team members. They feel valued and respected for their insights, which in turn
boosts morale and motivation. This is crucial for tackling challenges such as interdepartmental
coordination and maintaining high stakes project momentum.
Scenario 2; innovation:
Two companies, Tech Innovators and Creative Solutions, recently merged to form a new entity to
Innovate Solutions. Both companies had distinct corporate cultures and work practices. Employees
from both sides are experiencing uncertainty and there is noticeable tension and lack of cooperation
among the staff. In the context where mergers are in close, the transformational leadership styles is
the best applicable as elaborated below.
The justification and comprehensive explanation
Transformational leadership styles: A transformational manager inspires and motivates employees by
encouraging innovation and fostering a shared vision. They seek to create positive change and
empower employees to think creatively.
Justification: For Global Tech Solutions, a transformational leader could encourage procurement
teams to innovate by exploring new sourcing strategies or sustainable materials. By inspiring a
shared vision of improving procurement efficiency and supplier relationships, this style fosters long-
term growth and adaptability. However, it may require more time and resources to implement.
Scenario 3; conflict resolution
Tetro Inc., a mid-sized company specializing in manufacturing and selling high-end consumer
electronics, is experiencing a significant conflict between its Sales and Production departments. The
Sales team is pushing for increased output to meet rising customer demand and to capitalize on new
market opportunities. Meanwhile, the Production department is struggling to keep up due to
capacity constraints, maintenance issues, and quality control concerns. This conflict has resulted in
missed deadlines, strained relationships, and a drop in customer satisfaction. Strict and immediate
action is needed in this kind of scenario. Its important to note the company might lose clients which
may lead to a financial set back for the company. So authoritarian leadership style is the best
applicable here. Below is the justification and explanation.
The justification and comprehensive explanation
An authoritarian manager would make unilateral decisions without necessarily consulting the teams
extensively. They would dictate production targets and sales strategies based on their assessment of
the situation.
Justification: In a crisis where, conflicting demands are disrupting operations, quick decisions are
crucial. An authoritarian manager can provide clear direction and prioritize immediate actions to
address production constraints and meet sales demands promptly. This can prevent further delays
and alleviate immediate tensions.
CONCLUSION;
In conclusion, management styles as a whole, are behavioural approaches leaders deploy as
concepts in which they can easily execute organisational work plans to achieve a given organisational
goal. These frame works are systems that can work effectively and efficiently if not wrongly applied
can be of great help.
