Effective Management and Leadership. Key Functions of Leadership and Essay

Effective Management and Leadership. Key Functions of Leadership and Management, and Their Application - Essay Example Leadership can be described as a calling. For one to practice as an effective leader, they must tap into management skills. It is important to note that leadership and management are two different concepts that must go hand in hand for the successful operation of an organisation (Armstrong, 2012:15). Notably, effective management and leadership are important in guiding a particular team towards the attainment of its goals and objectives. Particularly, any leader requires effective management skills to direct any organisation efficiently. One must therefore adapt excellent managerial principles to be an efficient leader. Various Theories of Leadership and Management and Appreciate the Contemporary Issues Facing Leaders and Managers There are various theories that can be used to describe the issues of leadership and effective management. For one to be an effective leader they must understand how an efficient team works therefore it is important to look at John Adair’s action cen tred leadership framework. This model supports previous on motivation by Maslow (Janet, 2006:45). The model offers a well defined strategy for the effective management and leadership of any group, team or organisation. It is a basic leadership and management framework that can be easily adapted or applied to various business situations. Effective managers and leaders have command of the three areas stipulated by the model. These are task, individual and team. Effective managers and leaders are said to have command of the three areas and can balance them to improve productivity within a team, improve staff morale, develop teams and build and improve quality. According to Adair’s framework, there are three basic responsibilities for management. These include accomplishing a particular task, managing a team or a group and managing people. The framework stipulates the roles and duties of a manager in achieving a given task. Some of the important roles that have been identified in clude defining the activities to be achieved, coming up with a plan on how to attain these tasks, monitoring and evaluating performance of the group and reporting the progress to the relevant authorities. The framework spells out the responsibilities of a manager towards the group (Gray, 2010:34). These are to set up and communicate to the members of the group the culture, ethics and aims and objectives of the group. Finally, it spells out the responsibilities of managers for different team members. Managers should understand their team members in terms of skills, personality, strengths, weaknesses and goal. This model concludes that management and leadership are different. Furthermore, good leaders are not necessarily effective mangers but good leaders will have effective management skills. Secondly, there is the management theory of leadership that is commonly referred to as the transactional theory. This model pays close attention to the role of group performance, supervision and organisation. It is based on a system of rewards for outstanding performance and punishments for substandard performance. From the leadership perspective, the relationship between managers and employees is an exchange. Both parties have something to offer. Rules and regulations are important in leadership (Forssell, 2008:78). Employees are not required to be creative or come up with solutions to problems. This framework is application in entities where there are simple problems. This model is only effective in specific situations and it hinders managers and employees from realising their optimum potential. There is the contingency theory of leadership and management that states that no leadership or management style is suitable for all work environments. According to the model, there are various

Critically evaluate the nation from McGunnigle and Jameson (2000) that Essay

Critically evaluate the nation from McGunnigle and Jameson (2000) that the hospitality industry does not adopt sophisticated Hum - Essay Example They were those who offer excellent comfort whenever someone wishes to temporarily find accommodation in hotels; act anthropologically as tour guides of foreign nationals; manage entertainments for theatres, disco houses and galleries. There lives are an endless management of affairs that constantly change. A number of these hospitality workers have earned a degree; others earned a certificate while the rest are not but take opportunities to maximize their personal skills. Some of them are professionals trained to groom hotels for interior designs and house keeping; cooking nutritious food with delicate garnishes; servicing variety of wines; offering professional skills and geographic knowledge for clients of tourism industry; manage public relations artfully; organize events and celebrations; and other services of similar nature. There working environments are often in excellent or satisfactory facilities. Like how seemingly lucrative the job sounds, they reinvent themselves to what suit best for occasions. The hospitality industry presents an opportunity for supervisory functions who can effectively and efficiently relate with people. There are perks and incentives offered by clients or manager clients in exchange for satisfactory services. There job also provides an opportunity to meet people from varied places and of varying experiences. The industries on the other hand present some threats and weaknesses especially whenever workers are exposed to sexual harassment or degrading experiences at work places. Harris and Reynolds (2004) who studied the motive in the hospitality industry pointed that there are customers who deliberately act or misbehave in abusive manner which cause some level of insecurity that will affect the hospitality providers. It is widely acknowledged that workers are at risk when they are confronted with deviant or dysfunctional customer behaviors. Woods and Kavanaugh (1994), who conducted a study on perception of gender discrimination a nd sexual harassment in hospitality industry with 613 responses, attest that such discrimination happens and are manifested in different manners. Women respondents professed that they are most discriminated in promotion and salaries while male hospitality workers responded that they are more exposed to uncertain possibilities. Woods et. al. (1994) bared that 25% of their respondents of women in hospitality positions experienced sexual harassment at work and that these are pervasive realities in this industry. Moreover, there is evident weakening of market conditions as some establishments within this industry decided to undergo cost-savings in both capital and operational level (Ernst & Young, 2009). Many decided to reduce expenditures, undergo asset management and limited capital improvements (Ernst & Young, 2009). Their situation is at some level unpredictable because they are also governed by developments that may negatively impact the industry, such as issues on insecurity, poli tical upheavals, economic downturns that may result to retrenchments. But such situation is generally true to all profession. What matters foremost is when executives and managers of hospitality industry are able to strategically manage its human resources

Kandinsky on Color Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Kandinsky on Color - Assignment Example The essay "Kandinsky on Color" discovers the art of Wassily Kandinsky. Women wearing flowery and beautiful dresses in well-decorated rooms would make one imagine their happiness. Taking a closer look, one gets to realize that the women in these paintings seem bored and in deep thought. The women do not express any happiness, but sorrow and confusion. The painting reflects a dry season with the colors confirming the viewer's suspicion. Although thought so, the rolls of grass on the left side of the painting would mean that the dust is caused by the machinery harvesting the grass. The road seems brown, and a man walks along it. Trees along the road seem dried. The process of clearing could mean anticipated rains that will lead to sprouting of more grass and leaves on the trees. Dull colors in homes and workplaces lead to slow responses from individuals. Dull colors and appearance psychologically represent sadness while warm colors trigger happy reactions and also express happiness from individuals. Warm colors, when used in advertising and sales, grab the attention and interest of viewers. Additionally, dull colors repel the attention and interest of individuals. Therefore, to ensure a painting wins the attention of a majority of the targeted group of people, more warm colors and expression needs to get used. Therefore, it would be true to conclude that the eye is charmed by color before it ruminates the detail. Kandinsky Wassily became the genius of art after discovering its effects to people in different aspects.

Different Perspective Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Different Perspective - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that diversity means difference. Human diversity sets to explain the differences among people. The trends of diversity in the society have made the topic very imperative. Diversity has made the global market a competitive one. It has also encouraged the vivid change of the population believes. Diversity has enabled people to celebrate their different uniqueness because, in the society, there is reduced effort to fit in. People vary from one another. The subject of how people differ is unclear, and that is the reason why studies that involve individual differences are carried out. Such studies scrutinize variance, the difference between people and their central tendencies. The main aim of diversity awareness is to reveal the similarity and difference of people across varying situations. The researchers that study individual differences use genetic codes to determine the ethnic, social, sexual, and cultural differences. The methods that colle ct information for the studies range. Such methods are field studies, laboratory experiments, Principal Component Analysis, Factor Analysis and procedures of structural or multilevel modeling. The researchers identified that gender/sex and ethnicity are traits that are complex. These traits are useful because they include the social magnitude of diversity consciousness. Sexual orientation is the pattern of sexual attraction to opposite sexes or both.

Analyze a Business Case Study. Provide an analysis with an application Essay

Analyze a Business Case Study. Provide an analysis with an application of at least two theories relating to Ethics. They also will recommend what action should be taken - Essay Example The ethical issue is accepting the $50 bill and locating and providing a room for Liz Borden, despite eminent knowledge that no rooms were apparently available for the night. For giving a room to Liz Borden, Paige Lewis violated the duty-based ethics or deontological ethics, which was premised on â€Å"the right motive is â€Å"to do the right thing†, â€Å"to do one’s duty†, â€Å"to respect the moral law† (LaFave, 2006, p. 1). Paige Lewis has full knowledge that it is her responsibility to abide by the reservations made by customers, pursuant to the Code of Conduct and the hotel’s policies and procedures regarding reservations. As it was disclosed that the hotel was completely booked that night and there is clearly stipulated policy that states: â€Å"Honor the reservations at all cost† (Lieberman and Nissen, 2008, p. 121). Clearly, Lewis violated company policies and the hotel’s Code of Conduct under responsibilities with clients, which indicates that â€Å"members will not promise any benefit that is not within their control to deliver† (International Association of Hospitality Advisors: Responsibilites wit Clients, n.d., par. 5). Concurrently, Paige Lewis also violated trust of its employer by accepting the $50 bill, considered as a bribe to locate a potential room for Liz Borden. It itself, this is again a violation of the Deontological theory that stipulates that a bribe is morally wrong (Practical Business Ethics.com). Likewise, under consequentialist theory, the outcome of Paige Lewis’ action, displacing the young woman of a room that was rightfully hers in the first place could potentially jeopardize her position when complaints would be filed against her and the hotel. holding times (meaning, the time needed to wait for the customers who made the reservations to arrive within the stipulated time frame). If there is a hold order of say, within one hour from the time of arrival indicated, and if any guest did not call to confirm

Advanced Project Management unit 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Advanced Project Management unit 1 - Essay Example According to British Standards, projects are a unique set of coordinated activities, with definite starting and finishing points, undertaken by an individual or organisation to meet specific performance objectives within defined schedule, cost and performance parameters (Maylor, 2010). Project management can be defined as â€Å"leading a team to achieve project success through team spirit and skills development, in a constrained environment, leading to value creation through appropriate use of tools and techniques†. This definition has been based on several requirements and parameters in achieving project success. Team spirit suggests that the success of the project depends upon the people involved in it. The team members must have certain abilities such as soft skills. They must have the ability to work in teams, be full of enthusiasm and possess good communication skills (McConachy & Caine, 2003). This indicates that organizational culture should be supportive of projects without which it can result in project failure. Other significant elements in the success of projects are interpersonal relationship, management commitment and results-orientation. Skill development is an essential part of any project. Project teams comprise of a unique group of individuals who come together to work in a controlled environment towards a common goal (Atkins and Gilbert, 2003). If the members are brought together at the earliest possible stage, they could be flexible and adaptable, thereby enabling timely decisions, with quicker response to market and technology. The members’ strengths, contributions and interests have to be given due recognition. They must also be encouraged to develop further skills. If top performers are included in the project team, performance will meet or exceed expectations (Hacker, 2000). All projects operate in a

Health care reform Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Health care reform - Essay Example hon $350 billion per year, or 20-25 per cent of American citizens hard earned dollars away from its doctors, its hospitals as well as its patient care into the pockets of their executives, administrative employees, shareholders and politicians.1 U S medical reforms should allow all Americans (including Veterans) as well as the 40 million or so uninsured American citizens into the Medicare Health Insurance Corporation. Since almost all American physicians, Hospitals, and clinics in the Country already accept the current operations of the Medicare Insurance Company, hardly any infrastructure investments on the health care delivery end will be necessary. 2 A much required medical reform in the U S would be to allow Medicare, much like the current Veterans Administration System and every private health insurance company and government health care system around the world, to bid on medications from pharmaceutical corporations for its Medicare drug formulary. Every physician or doctor, not to mention pharmacists recognizes that the U S does not actually require a choice of a dozen needless medicines in each pharmaceutical category. For instance, American citizens require only 2-3 statins for countering the adverse affects of high cholesterol, a few types of antibiotics for common sorts of infections, two kinds of beta-blockers for hypertension / high blood pressure, and several generic types of painkillers.3 The present quality of contemporary medical records software lags at least two decades behind business software used for similar purposes. Thus, the U S government should attempt to fund as well as to challenge America’s best software corporations to finally develop standardized electronic medical records software. Up to date and fully functioning computer software for use in doctors’ offices and hospitals is required in order to increase the efficiency as well as the over all productivity levels of physician charting, billing and prescribing.4 In the