Leadership in Organizations

subordinates can come up with possible solutions. Manager chooses best
solution.
6. Defines: manager defines the problem, then states the limits and the group can
make the decisions.
7. Participates: group makes decisions. Manager is equal participant, no more
formal authority than other team members. Limits as cash, risk and strategy.
Tannenbaum and
Schmidt say that
there are forces
that influences
decisions. They explicitly believe that the manger does have a choice! Three areas of
forces: in the manager, in the subordinates, in the situation.
Forces in the manager
• Value system: manager knows he can make decisions by himself and has that
authority.
• Confidence in subordinates: making a judgment call on what he believes the
skill, knowledge and competence his team have in order to complete the
assignment. He decides how much he can trust his subordinates to deliver the
tasks. He may decide that his is best qualified to make the decision and not
involve any subordinates.
• Personal leadership tendency: certain ‘traits’ may enable a leader to be more or
less directive in decision making.
• Manager’s attitude to risk: by releasing the decision-making process, he will be
losing control over both process and outcome à higher risk.
Forces in the subordinate (nature of the subordinate and the expectations of him)
• Need for independence: specialist professions need freedom to solve things,
because they know it themselves because of their specialism;
• Need for responsibility: the amount of responsibility individuals are able and
willing to accept.
• Need for boundaries: some people need boundaries to accomplish a task,
others need complete freedom.
• Competence, experience, motivation: these three things influence the
manager’s decision.
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