Strategies And Growth Organizational

Introduction

In the contemporary organizational and business environment characterised by intense competition, demand of high quality services and products, globalizations, and need for optimised efficiency, importance of leadership and the approaches integrate by respective leaders has increasing grown into a critical elements. Building a business entity that aligns with modern, productivity, and competitiveness as well as fostering a long lasting team and organizations goals is perceived as essence elements for organizational sustainability and growth (Gibson, 2011; Löfsten, 2016). In essence, human being strive to changes whether in the living environment or expectation of products/services offered relating to ever-changing demands, expectation, perception, and working environment.

In current workplace, leaders and employees alike faces numerous challenges emanating from technological advancements, globalization, demographic shifts, customer needs and motivations, and information and available choices to workforce (Bolden, 2016). Collectively, these has led to complexity in not only operating spectrum but also its cultural aspect including demand form more commitment and input from workforce. Ideally, the purpose of leader in performance management is to improve quality outcome, productivity, and consumer satisfaction in business perspective. Statistically, a motivated workforce ultimately result in higher organizational and employee performance measured by attainment of mission, pre-set goals and objectives, efficiency, sustainability, bottom line, growth, and competitiveness (Nyberg et al., 2016). Establishing a motivational strategy demands taking into consideration factors that drive employees both individually and collectively to their peak performance.

Undeniably, leaders have direct influence on employee behaviour, effort, input, and consequently output. As human being, the expectation of employees is that behaving in specified or certain ways directly affects their desired outcome including if and how the tasks are performed (Elliot et al., 2017). Presently, there are numerous approaches stipulating ways in which leaders should integrate into organizational culture and personal values in order to reach to positive drivers of each employee and as a team. Motivation is a fundamental element that pushes civilization, innovativeness, and growth whether personal or organizational. In essence, motivated individuals can do any tasks no matter how insignificant, difficult, or impossible it may seems. In workplace, employee motivation happens at different levels and scale depending cultural and leadership values observed by an organization but arguably the approach deployed has implication either positive or negative on employee commitment to their respective tasks, personal and organizational objectives, and team and companies ultimate goals (Recklies, 2014; Professionals Australia, 2017). Fundamentally, understanding individual and team’s driving factors is key in strategizing towards employee motivation. Experiments have demonstrated happy employees where they have a welcoming in which can perform given task with flexible schedule, availed opportunities, and reasonable benefits packages increases their commitment and productivity by more than 20%.

Research gap

Researchers and professionals have proposed numerous approaches in which leaders can integrate into organizational culture aimed at enhancing individual and team’s performance. Following going through the literature extensively, it is apparently that employee commitment to tasks and leadership have significant correlation directly interlinked with each other. However, there is limited finding on the influence of different leadership style as employed by organizations on employees driving forces to better and improved outcome. In this perspective, there is need for in depth studying the impact held by organizational leadership structure (style) on individual and collective employee performance as well as corresponding degree to which employee’s commitment motivation is affected by implemented style of leadership in workplace. As such, key research question will be ‘what are the impacts of leadership style integrated by an organization on employee motivation’

Research problem and justification

For organizations that include business entities to attain effectively and efficiently their formulated goals, gaining competitive advantages, sustainability, efficiency, consumer satisfaction, and enhancing their bottom line, the fundamental elements is leadership approach and employee motivations. Failure in any of these concepts for instance low employee’s motivation will ultimately lead to low input (effort and time) and consequently poor services and product quality and efficiency in resource usage. As such, holds that leadership style integrate by a given organization have significantly implication on respective employee outcome has it influence their driving forces in workplace. Therefore, this research will be based on impact of leadership style on employee’s motivation. The research problem will be “what are the impacts of leadership style on employee’s motivation and its extent on commitment, driving factors, and outcome in workplace”

Research objectives and Aims

This investigative study aims to outline influences held by leadership style implemented by respective leaders in workplace on employee motivation to achieving high quality services and products, meeting goals and objectives effectively, and enhancing firm’s efficiency. It will follow the objectives below in establishing research framework, data collection, and analysis.

To critically assess existing literature on leadership style and employee motivation To determine to what extent does leaders influence the employee’s driving factors in workplace To investigate relationship between leadership approach implements by an organization and its employee’s motivation To examine factors linking leaders and employee to commit more to their task and duties To critically appraise acquired data and develop evidence-based assertion on influence of leadership style on employee’s commitment

Research hypothesis

This study will focus on testing the following hypothesis related to employee motivation and leadership approach integrated within workplace. Employee performance is extensively impacted by motivation factors A workplace environment that emphasis employee needs and wellbeing sets higher potential of successful attaining its goals effectively and efficiently A leadership approach followed by an organization influences greatly the commitment and outcome of its employees on given task and duties. Leaders influence either positively or negatively the employee performance and productivity based on values and beliefs held A leadership style that promotes engagement, collaboration, and involvement of employee and leaders has more influence of employee motivation For better individual employee and organizational performance, leaders play must understanding workforce needs and components that drive them

Conceptual framework

The conceptual framework below outlines the step-by-step process that will be undertaken in solving research problem and pre-formulated questions. First step is defining core variables of leadership and motivation, highlighting different leadership styles, and lastly interlink of these research variable following in depth interview of employees.

Leadership styles

Over the years, studies have highlight many leadership approaches such as transformational, democratic, laissez-faire, paternalistic, authoritarian, and transactional styles. The differentiating component in these leadership mechanism is decision making process. In autocratic surrounding, leaders do not allows junior employees to be involved in the decision making, employees’ opinion and perspective are not taken into consideration in designing organization policies (Jogulu, 2010; Pekerti, & Sendjaya, 2010). According to Harold and Holtz (2015), in the situation demanding in depth involvement or great deal of pressure, strict adherence to stipulated procedure, or need for high quality outcome, the type of leadership style employed ensures the followers perform tasks required of them while avoiding making complex decisions. Tuckey et al. (2017) and Samad (2015) perceived the technique set in place platform where it allows group develop into highly skilled at performing assigned tasks and under stipulated rules for instance in military and construction industry. As illustrated by Trivisonno and Barling (2016), the efficiency of the organizational activities emanate from the fact that one person is in charge of organizational operation that include setting roles, assigning task, and stipulating quality and time frame of the tasks. The two most prominent leadership approaches are transformational and authoritarian.

In authoritarian leadership setting, Alkahtani et al. (2011) asserted autocratic also referred to as authoritarian leadership is an approaches where the leaders have full control over the decision making process strategizing on organizational approaches including problems solving techniques and taking advantages of opportunities with little regard of advice and opinion from followers. Studies on the beneficial attributes of autocratic leadership have placed emphasis on time and convenience in decision making process. According to Nanjundeswaraswamy and Swamy (2012), leaders can make a decision concerning an organization or a group without consulting or seeking approval from large group of people. In same argument, Northouse (2017) asserted that some decision require strong leadership traits for approaches and things to be done efficiently and in timely manner. Solaja et al. (2016) argued that if the leaders or manager is the most knowledgeable or experienced person in the group, the technique will ultimately lead to effective and fast decision making process.

Researching on application of paternalistic leadership style Dedahanov et al. (2016) and Jogulu (2010) found that it is most applicable in occasions where leadership has been lacking predominantly in small groups characterised by poor organizational and time management and problem with developing and implementing effective strategies. According to Steers et al. (2012), strong paternalistic take control of the team or organization, assign tasks to members accordingly, and setting strategic roadmap including deadline and quality for the tasks. Nevertheless, like authoritarian leadership technique, studies perceive this leadership approach problematic being termed dictatorial and controlling (Chen et al., 2014; Chan, 2014). According to Dinham et al. (2011) and Jeon et al. (2010), both approaches (paternalistic and authoritarian) follows very little room for employee engagement and feedback that leads to failure to foster their engagement, morale, and resentment. Study conducted by Zhang and Bartol (2010) on empowering leadership and employee creativity, revealed close supervision levied by some leadership approaches aimed at improving productivity and reducing stress actually results in unmotivated, fearful, resentful, and lack of work ownership. As pointed by Bello (2012), the technique is largely grounded on attributes and abilities of a leader. It the scenario where s/he is weak, incompetent, and lacks critical thinking and problem solving skills, the entire organization may suffers great consequences.

In addition to possessing good judgment skills, communication skills, and interpersonal skills, transformational leaders have abilities to inspire and stimulate followers to attain their potential. According to Liaw et al. (2010), the leaders within this category put the personal goals of both an organization and employees at centre of the strategy by setting strategies where the followers can develop and growth. Choi et al. (2016) demonstrated transformational leaders empower indispensable job satisfaction among employees but also enhances employee-leaders job relationship. Examining the relationship between job satisfaction and commitment and transformational leadership. Top et al. (2015) indicated that fundamental element in organizational setting is employee engagement and development of platform driven by leaders can optimise employees’ potential.

On the hand laissez-faire leadership approach posit the element of developing conducive working environment through making employee be part of the larger organization, involved in decision making, and cultivating an goal-oriented mentality. According to Bellom (2012) and Zareen et al. (2015), this type of leaders inspire through working with follower in achieving a common goal while promoting individual self-efficacy and belief of going beyond expectation at personal and organizational level.

Employee motivation

Presently, numerous studies have been conducted on employee motivation, it influence on organizational and personal performance, different approaches that can be implemented by leaders to enhance employee output, and influence leaders on employee commitment and performance. Theoretically, employee motivation measures the commitment, creativity, and energy individuals bring into given tasks. Irrespective of organizational size or industry, employee motivation can have an incremental influence growth and performance of an organization. According to Lazaroiu (2015), lack of workforce motivation can be harmful causing such problems as complacency, disinterest, and widespread discouragement. Studies have demonstrated that employees perceive their contribution and performance in form of long-term effect exert to an organization and making a difference. Taking into consideration individual views leading to positive results give a feeling of accomplishment and valuable (Yahaya, and Ebrahim, 2016; Northouse, 2018).

Research method

Building from Christensen et al. (2011) and Ketokivi & Mantere (2010) assertion, research method outline step-by-step direction in which pre-formulated research question and problem can be solved in a systematic and procedural manner while taking into account its core variables of the research. In this case, research aims to answer the correction between employee performance grounding on individual’s commitment and motivation into achieving optimal outcome in the tasks given and leadership style integrated within organization culture and structures. Given that extensive research on the influence of leadership on organization performance in general as well as effect of motivated employee on firm’s outcome and sustainability, this research will base its reasoning in that employee motivation and leadership approach have direct connection where the later has a significant influence on the former. As such, it employees the use inductive reasoning with focus of justifying or disproving the above mentioned hypothesises.

Research design and approach

In order to have an in depth understanding of ways and degree to which leadership and motivation influence each other, this study aims to follow qualitative research framework. Lewis (2015) descripted qualitative research method is designed to capture the perception and behaviour harboured by given research topic to draw inferences descriptively. Using this tactic, the study will investigate and having deeper understanding of correlation between leadership and motivation from employee perceptive including degree to which the commitment, driving factors, and ultimately performance is affected

Data collection

In order to achieve effectively above research hypothesis and solve research problem qualitatively, research will employ primary research approach in the form of questionnaire. An open-ended research interview approach as primary data source will be administered to approximately 25 participants covering role of motivation and leadership in workplace and largely relationship between the two variables. An open-ended approach will capture and incorporate participants view and perception of leadership style on their driving factors to better performance. In sampling process, participant must be an employee of an organization either small scale or big corporation within Australia. Additionally, be able to access the questionnaire via online platforms.

Data analysis

Before transforming the acquired data on correlation between leadership style and motivation of workforce in workplace, it will be examined for relevance, validity, and consistence. It will then deploy NVivo Software as a tool organizing, transform, and provide insight into research variables (motivation and leadership style).

Ethical consideration

All the participants of the research will sign consent letter stipulating the scope, data usage, requirement for participation, period taken for the research and filling the questionnaire, and confidentiality agreement. All relevant authorities including organization management and university examination board will have to approve before commencement of the study. Moreover, it will adhere to academic integrity such as representing used data and information as collected from either secondary or primary sources.

Research budget

As stated, this study intents to employee the use of interviews as data source. It will interview individuals working within Australia thus minimizing travelling cost. The respondents will not be paid for participation but small incentive as equivalent to 5A$ for encourage participation. As such, the entire project is expected to require an estimate of 400A$ budgeted for travelling, participation incentives, analysis process, and other miscellaneous activities.

Limitation

The scope of leadership particularly numerous theorised and formulated styles will raise potential difficulty in stating categorically and inferring the relationship between leaders and employee motivation. Leadership by itself is a wide topic similarly employee driving factors, combining the two concepts in a generalised organizations working environment will potentially distort the in depth understanding and inferences as aimed by the study. Lastly, using 25 participants in data collection will limited the data and information provided.

Research timeline

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