Last update: 01/04/2014
The authoritarian style of management, also known as autocratic, is characterized by individual control over the adoption of absolutely all decisions, which takes place with little or no participation of group members. Authoritarian leaders tend to make choices based on their own ideas and judgments, and rarely take advice from subordinates. The authoritarian style of management, in comparison with, implies absolute, sole control over the group.
Characteristics of an authoritarian style
- the opportunity for group members to contribute to organizational work is limited or non-existent;
- all decisions are made by the leader;
- the leader of the group dictates his conditions and methods of work;
- group members are rarely trusted to solve important tasks, etc.
Benefits of an authoritarian management style
This management style can be useful in some cases - for example, when decisions need to be made quickly without consulting a large group of people. Some projects require a strong manager to get things done quickly and efficiently.
Have you ever worked with a group of students or co-workers on a project that was derailed by poor organization, lack of leadership, and failure to set deadlines? If yes, then chances are your group or team's performance has been hit hard. In such situations, a strong leader who uses an autocratic management style can take responsibility for the work of the group: he will distribute tasks to different members of the group and set precise deadlines for the completion of the project.
In particularly tense situations, such as during military conflicts, group members may actually prefer the autocratic style of leadership to all others. This allows them to focus on specific tasks without having to worry about making complex decisions. It also allows the members of the group to be highly qualified in performing any specific duties that can benefit the group.
Disadvantages of an authoritarian style
Although the autocratic leadership style can sometimes be effective, it is not uncommon for this style to bring problems to the team. People who tend to abuse the autocratic style are often seen as overbearing dictators, and their behavior can often lead to discontent among the rest of the group.
Since authoritarian leaders make decisions without consulting the group, people may not like the fact that they do not have the opportunity to bring new ideas to the group process. The researchers also found that authoritarianism often results in a lack of creative solutions to current problems, which can ultimately have a negative impact on group performance.
While there are some potential pitfalls in the most authoritarian management style, leaders can learn to use the elements of this style wisely. For example, the authoritarian style can be used effectively in situations where the leader is the most experienced and skilled member of the group, or someone who has access to information that other members of the group cannot.
Management plays an important function in all spheres of human activity. This is especially important in a market economy. Competent management of subordinates unobtrusively brings them to the achievement of the goal set by the leader. For each type of activity and type of employees, different styles of behavior of the employer are suitable.
What are management styles
The normal functioning of the enterprise is ensured by the presence of one or another style of management, as well as the use of combined techniques. The applied management scheme is the main characteristic of activity efficiency. The success of the company and the dynamics of its development depend on it. It forms the presence in the work of the motivation of employees, which determines their attitude to their duties, or demotivates them. The leadership scheme also affects the relationships in the team.
What management styles are relevant in management? What is their feature? In what situations is their use effective, and in what situations can they only harm?
Concept definition
Types of styles, their advantages and disadvantages
The duties of the head of the company include supervision of all structural divisions. This type of responsibility implies the need to monitor employees and control their activities as determined by the job description and the provisions of the employment contract. The implementation of all activities is carried out in the perspective of management, implemented by the leader independently without the help of subordinates. His usual measure of behavior contributes to the formation of working relationships, motivating employees to work and achieve certain results, and also affects the performance of the company.
In practice, there are three main schemes for the relationship between the employer and subordinates:
- democratic;
- liberal;
- authoritarian.
The personality of the leader and the styles of personnel management applied by him have an impact on the results of the company. This relationship explains the prosperity of one organization, even in a crisis, and the closure of enterprises in favorable periods. The ideal entrepreneurial result can be achieved by combining several methods of leadership.
The style of behavior of the director in relation to his subordinates has a direct impact on the effectiveness of their management. He needs to constantly monitor his strengths and weaknesses in order to correct managerial behavior. It depends on the administrative and personal qualities of the director, and is his original and recognizable handwriting.
Democratic leadership scheme
The democratic style of management implies that subordinates participate in making managerial decisions.
They also share responsibility for their consequences with the head of the company. The name "democratic" means "rule of the people" in Latin. With regard to the subject of entrepreneurship, it interprets the equal rights of the director and heads of structural divisions. Statistical studies show that this leadership style is many times more effective in influencing the formation of a positive atmosphere in the team and the effectiveness of entrepreneurial activity.
Democratic governance
When a leader behaves democratically with subordinates, he relies on their initiative. All members of the team in this perspective are equal and have the right to actively participate in the process of discussing problematic issues and in decision-making. The relationship between the leader and subordinates is based on trust. It is worth noting that the desire of the director to listen to the opinion of the company's specialists is not due to the fact that he does not own the issue, but to the fact that he understands that during the discussion of the problem, new ideas may arise, the implementation of which will increase the effectiveness of the work and bring the achievement of the goal closer.
With a democracy in production, management never imposes its opinion and will on subordinate employees. The main principle of its management are the methods of stimulation and persuasion. Punishment and sanctions are used extremely rarely in situations where other ways of influencing the mind of an employee have already been exhausted. The boss shows a sincere interest in his employees and takes into account their needs, which contributes to their initiative and activity in achieving joint goals.
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In this perspective of labor relations, a specialist receives satisfaction from his work, since he has the opportunity for self-realization. A favorable psychological environment contributes to the cohesion of employees.
Management in a democratic style is possible only if the management enjoys authority among employees. To do this, the director must be literate, professionally competent and intellectual, as well as possess organizational and psychological and communication skills. In the absence of such qualities, democratic leadership will be ineffective. In practice, there is a distinction between deliberative and participatory style of democratic governance.
deliberative style
With a deliberative management style, most problems are solved in the process of discussing them.
The director, before making any decision, consults with his subordinates, whose competence is the issue. When negotiating, he does not demonstrate his superiority and does not shift full responsibility to the specialist for the consequences that may result from joint decisions. The deliberative type of leadership provides two-way communication with subordinates. Important decisions are made by the director, however, the opinion of specialists is taken into account, who are also given the authority to independently solve problems that are within their competence.
Participating style
A participatory democratic leader seeks to involve employees not only in making certain decisions, but also in monitoring their implementation. Relationships in this perspective require complete trust. The director behaves like one of the members of the team and does not take a predominant position. Any employee has the right to express his own opinion and not be afraid of the consequences of his openness. Responsibility for negative performance is shared between the manager and subordinates. A mixed management style allows you to create effective labor motivation, since every employee in the team is respected.
liberal style
The liberal style of management in the organization is based on the tolerance and indulgence of management towards subordinates.
Employees in such an enterprise have complete freedom in their decisions, in which the director practically does not participate. He withdraws from his obligations of control and supervision over the activities of subordinates. The principle of its functioning is the signing of administrative documentation drawn up by specialists in whose competence it is located.
A liberal attitude in the team is formed in a situation where the leader is not sure of his official position due to professional or organizational incompetence. His independent decisions are possible only after appropriate instructions from higher authorities. With this style of management, unsatisfactory results of work are not uncommon, from which the director seeks to evade responsibility.
Liberal style management
The solution of all important issues at the enterprise with a liberal director is carried out without his participation. To preserve the image of the leader and build his own authority, he has to provide employees with various benefits and pay undeserved bonuses.
Liberal management is relevant in companies that have a high level of discipline and understanding of their own responsibility. It can be applied in partnership of creative individuals. In all other situations, such leadership is regarded in two ways. If the team has disciplined, responsible and qualified employees, then the liberality of the director will have a positive effect on the functioning of the enterprise.
Teams in which employees command management can lead to negative results of activities with this perspective of management. The director is their best friend, however, in the event of a conflict situation, the employees cease to obey him, which leads to a decrease in discipline, quarrels and non-compliance with the norms of internal documentation governing labor procedures. All these phenomena lead to a decrease in labor productivity.
Management style is a stable system of ways, methods, techniques for influencing the leader on the team, organizing joint activities to achieve significant goals. The correct choice of management style largely determines the success of management, and hence the efficiency of the enterprise.
Undoubtedly, the style of management is influenced by the personality of the leader, who, even by his character or temperament, can determine one or another style. Not the last place is occupied by the moral and business qualities of the leader in the formation of the management style. In any case, management style is a rather complex phenomenon that is studied by management psychology and other sciences that study the relationship of people in the field of production, management, and economics.
American psychologists are quite resolute about the potential possibilities of shaping management style. Their position is unequivocal - the management style should be formed. This should be done by the leader himself by restructuring both his personality and by making appropriate decisions to change the structure of the working group, the daily routine and other factors that affect production.
Characteristics of the main management styles
American scientists in the field of management psychology R. Blake and D. Mouton have developed a table of management styles, with which you can choose the most effective management style, depending on the individual qualities of the manager and the needs of production.
They took as a basis two qualities of a leader, which he manifests in the process of managing an enterprise. This is concern for people and concern for production efficiency. Depending on this, scientists have identified five main management styles. However, there are many intermediate options between them, because those properties that Blake and Munton took as starting points are rarely found in their pure form.
The meaning of their classification is that the manager is constantly faced with a choice: either to increase the volume of production by increasing the efforts of employees, or to choose a policy that meets people, but the interests of the manufacturer will certainly suffer.
Another important factor in the Blake-Mouton system is the collective management factor. It is decisive in the case when the manager is faced with the task of significantly increasing production volumes and at the same time causing less harm to people.
When choosing a management style, a manager should know that he needs more time for this time: improving relations with workers or completing production tasks. Thus, the Blake-Moonton system is quite flexible and allows the leader to constantly change his tactics and management style.
Authoritarian management style
The authoritarian style of management is characterized by excessive centralization of power: the leader concentrates all power in his hands, takes over all, even partial, management functions and tries to eliminate all the necessary self-regulatory mechanisms of this process.
The autocrat autocratically decides most of the issues of the life of the team, does not consult with anyone, does not strive for collegiality in work. In working with subordinates, the leader tends to exaggerate administrative methods of influence. Stimulating the labor activity of subordinates, he uses mainly negative incentives: remark, warning, reproaches, threats, reprimands, punishments, deprivation of benefits, prohibitions that cause subordinates to feel anxiety, anxiety, fear, oppression.
The authoritarian style is characterized by a very high intensity of control over the work of subordinates by the leader. He seeks to personally control everything and everyone. He does not trust anyone, he constantly keeps in sight all aspects of the life of the team. In this way, he achieves the exact and obligatory fulfillment of his requirements, but at the same time increases the dependence of his subordinates on himself.
Democratic management style
A study of the performance of each style proved that the most effective is the democratic style of management, which creates conditions for efficient production and a favorable moral and psychological climate in the team.
Typical for a democratic style of management is the use of positive incentives to work: encouragement, prospects for tomorrow's joy, relying on a person's natural attraction to pleasant things, satisfies his needs more fully. The democrat expresses his demands most often in a soft, consultative form: wishes, advice, recommendations. Democratic style means that the leader is striving to take into account the opinions of other specialists, to check his thoughts, ideas, and decisions collegially. At the same time, compromises are required.
In a democratic style of government, there is a tendency to spread publicity: the decision-making process should be open to all. Constant meetings with purposeful information improve relations between people, coherence in actions, group orientation, develop a sense of shared responsibility among employees, which positively affects labor productivity.
A democrat constantly cares about the cohesion of the labor collective, strives to maintain the unity of workers, and prevents complications in human relations. Good relationships help them cooperate. A democrat works with the team as a whole, does not particularly separate anyone, does not violate official subordination, does not oppose his deputies to their subordinates, and is not stereotyped in assessments and behavior.
He is well oriented in people, knows how to abstract from personal qualities, subjectivity in assessments and adequately understand other people. The democrat takes into account the individual personality traits of subordinates in his work: he studies their needs, interests, causes of social activity and seeks to harmonize them with the interests of the case. When organizing production activities, he takes into account the psychology of the personality of the subordinate, selects assignments and tasks for him, determines the means of influence, the content of the requirements.
Liberal management style
The liberal style is often called permissive, anarchist. Its main difference is the insignificant activity of the leader in management. He is little interested in the process of daily work, he does not often visit production units, and weakly exercises control functions.
Such a leader spends most of his working time on meetings, desk work. As a result - poor awareness of the state of affairs in the enterprise. A liberal is an undemanding person. Often such a leader, at his own discretion or indirect initiative of an informal leader, delegates, delegates his powers to him. At the same time, the degree of personal participation of the manager in management does not reach the optimal level.
Often it comes to the point that he is forced to persuade his subordinates to do this or that work, and even he himself undertakes to carry out assignments that have not been completed by subordinates.
Thus, knowledge of the psychology of people and oneself personally helps the leader to choose the right management style, on which the effectiveness of structures subject to him largely depends. Psychology makes it possible to select a management style on a scientific basis, taking into account factors that are already defined and developed in scientific theories and concepts.
A correctly defined and successfully applied management style allows the most successful use of the potential of all employees of the enterprise. With the help of an established management style, job satisfaction and employee productivity are achieved.
Management style is the way in which a leader manages subordinate employees, as well as a pattern of behavior of a leader that is independent of a specific management situation. Through an established management style, job satisfaction can be achieved and employee productivity is encouraged. At the same time, there is no optimal management style, and it is possible to speak about the advantage of one or another management style only for a certain management situation.
There are the following management styles:
Task Oriented, which must be completed, while, according to Bisani, the leader:
condemns insufficient work;
encourages slow-working employees to put in more effort;
emphasizes the volume of work;
guides with an iron hand;
draws attention to the fact that its employees work with full dedication;
encourages employees through pressure and manipulation to even greater efforts;
requires more performance from low-performing employees.
Research by Halpin-Wiener and Peltz shows that such leaders:
are often more positively characterized by their superiors than personality-oriented leaders;
are positively evaluated by their employees if managers have influence "at the top".
Learner-Centered in which the focus is on employees with their needs and expectations. According to Bisany, Head:
pays attention to the health of employees; takes care of good relations with his subordinates; treats his subordinates as equals;
supports its employees in what they do or should do;
stands up for his employees.
A leader who manages on the basis of personality cannot, however, immediately count on the full satisfaction of his employees. For this, the influence and respect of the leader "at the top" are important, on the basis of which he is able to protect the interests of employees.
Management style has three problems:
1. The results to be achieved with a management style have several components that cannot be put together.
2. Absolute management style is seen as a way to increase productivity.
3. The management situation is regarded as unchanged, while over time it can change and the manager must accordingly change his attitude towards individual employees.
Control styles can be single or multidimensional. The management style is one-dimensional if one evaluation criterion is considered. One-dimensional are authoritarian, corporate and other styles of management, and the first and second styles are diametrically opposed to each other.
Authoritarian management style. With this style of management, all production activities are organized by the head without the participation of subordinates. This style of management can be applied in solving current problems and involves about a greater distance in education between the leader and the subordinate, as well as the material motivation of employees.
Supervisor by virtue of his legitimate authority governs his subordinates and expects obedience from them. He makes decisions without justifying them to subordinates, while proceeding from the fact that, unlike his subordinates, he has about greater understanding and knowledge of the matter, which, of course, should not be. The decisions of the head have the character of orders that must be unconditionally carried out by subordinates, otherwise they may expect sanctions in relation to themselves;
The leader keeps a distance in relations with subordinates, informs them of the facts that they must know in order to fulfill their tasks. He controls whether his orders are followed and to what extent. Signs that emphasize the position of a person in the eyes of the people around him (for example, a car) support the reputation of a leader with power.
high awareness;
high self-control;
foresight;
good decision making ability;
penetration ability.
subordinates- addressees of orders. According to "theory x and xy:
the average person is lazy and, as far as possible, shirks from work;
workers are unambitious, afraid of responsibility and want to be led;
pressure on subordinates and sanctions against them are necessary to achieve the goals of the enterprise;
strict management of subordinates and private control over them are inevitable.
In this style of management, the motivation of subordinates is often limited because the leader separates socially, transfers, as a rule, less interesting work to subordinates and maintains in them the fear of threatening sanctions. Subordinates become indifferent to the leader, as well as to the enterprise. They get information because of the information barriers set by the head in unofficial ways.
recognition of the head by the sole authority;
recognition and implementation of orders of the head;
lack of desire to possess the right to control.
The disadvantages of the authoritarian style lie in the weak motivation for the independence and development of subordinates, as well as the danger of erroneous decisions through excessive demands from managers regarding the quantity and (or) quality of work.
Corporate management style. With a corporate style of management, production activities are organized in the interaction of a manager and a subordinate. This management style can be used when the creative content of the work prevails and assumes an approximately equal level of education of the manager and subordinates, as well as non-material incentives for the employee.
Typical signs of a corporate management style:
Supervisor manages subordinates, including them in the decision-making process for which he is responsible. He expects concrete help from his subordinates, makes decisions taking into account their suggestions and objections. He delegates his powers as far as possible, and orders only when necessary. At the same time, he recognizes the abilities of subordinates and realizes that he cannot know everything and foresee everything. Only the result of the work is controlled, self-control is allowed.
The manager not only informs in detail about the actual state of affairs, which must be known to complete the tasks, but also provides other information about the enterprise. Information serves as a means of control. The leader does not need signs that emphasize his position in the eyes of the people around him.
Requirements for a corporate managing director, according to Shtopp:
openness;
trust in employees;
waiver of individual privileges;
ability and willingness to delegate authority;
official supervision;
results control.
subordinates are seen as partners capable of doing the "day-to-day work" relatively independently. When evaluating subordinates with this leadership style, they most often proceed from the "theory at theories hu, according to which:
the unwillingness to work is not inborn in nature, but the result of poor working conditions, which reduce the natural desire to work;
employees take into account the target settings, have self-discipline and self-control;
the goals of the enterprise are achieved in the shortest way through monetary incentives and the provision of opportunities for individual development;
with a favorable experience, employees are not afraid of responsibility.
The active position of subordinates increases their motivation, which leads to improved work results.
Requirements for corporately managed subordinates, according to Shtopp:
desire and ability to bear personal responsibility;
self-control;
use of control rights.
The advantage of corporate style is the adoption of appropriate decisions, high motivation of employees and unloading of the manager. In addition, the development of employees is supported. Disadvantage - corporate management style can slow down decision making.
Managing the method of delegation of authority. Such management is a technique in which competences and responsibility for actions are transferred, as far as possible, to employees who make and implement decisions. Delegation can be directed to any field of activity of the enterprise. However, one should refuse to delegate typically managerial functions of leadership, as well as tasks with far-reaching consequences. When delegating authority, the burden is removed from the manager, the employees' own initiative is supported, their labor motivation and readiness to bear responsibility are strengthened. In addition, employees must be given the confidence to make decisions on their own responsibility.
In order to successfully apply delegation management, you must:
delegation of tasks to employees;
delegation of competencies to employees;
delegation of responsibility for actions to employees;
exclusion of the possibility of recalling delegated powers or transferring them from one employee to another;
establishing the procedure for regulating exceptional cases;
exclusion of the possibility of intervention by the manager with the correct actions of the employee;
obligatory intervention of the head in case of an error and obtaining results, settled in a special manner;
acceptance by the manager of responsibility for leadership;
creation of an appropriate information system.
The transferred tasks should correspond to the abilities of the employees, be predominantly homogeneous, complete in form. Delegated competences and responsibility for actions should correspond to each other in scope.
Advantages delegate method control:
leader unloading;
the ability to quickly make informed decisions; employees are transferred competences and responsibility for action;
promoting the development of one's own initiative, labor motivation among employees.
Disadvantages of managing the delegation method:
the leader delegates as few interesting tasks as possible;
hierarchical relationships can be asserted;
strong focus on tasks, not on employees;
establishment of hierarchical relations "horizontally".
Why do managers not delegate enough authority?
1. Fear that subordinates are not competent enough to carry out orders (make mistakes).
2. Distrust in relation to the competence of subordinates.
3. Fear that subordinates acquire high competence too quickly.
4. Fear of losing one's value and its attendant benefits.
5. Fear of losing one's own authority or status.
6. Fear that the manager himself will lose control over this issue.
7. Fear of risk.
8. Unwillingness to give away work that the manager himself is good at.
9. Inability to advise subordinates and manage them.
10. Lack of time to advise and manage subordinates.
Why are subordinates not ready to take responsibility?
1. Lack of self-confidence.
2. Lack of information.
3. Fear of possible criticism.
4. Insufficient positive response to successfully completed assignments.
5. Insufficient employee motivation.
6. Negative workplace atmosphere.
How to delegate?
1. Carefully select the tasks to be delegated.
2. Carefully choose the person to whom to delegate.
3. Delegate predominantly "final results" instead of the exact methods of completing the task.
4. Be prepared for the fact that mistakes will be made and that they need to be forgiven.
5. Give enough authority to complete the task to the end.
6. Inform others what is delegated and to whom.
7. Delegate gradually and complicate delegated tasks.
The application of a particular style, as well as its results, depend on many factors. This is, first of all, complete mastery of one of the leadership styles, the predisposition of the team to the perception of the style of management and leadership sometimes imposed on it from above. When mastering the science of management, it is very important to avoid mistakes. An analysis of the activities of managers at different levels and various enterprises allowed specialists to identify the most common mistakes made by managers. The ten main mistakes in personnel management in an enterprise can be formulated as follows;
1. The desire to do everything yourself.
2. The tendency to let things take their course.
3. Prejudice against certain workers.
4. Frozen, schematic or doctrinaire installations.
5. Excessive susceptibility to a different, including critical, opinion.
6. Self-satisfaction or arrogance.
7. Immunity to the suggestions of employees.
8. Obvious disrespect for the personality of the employee, for example, the permissibility of criticism in front of others.
9. Explicit distrust of employees.
10. Insufficient consistency in actions.
Conversely, the experience of successful enterprises has shown that the leaders of these enterprises to a much greater extent:
1. value knowledge of the matter;
2. treat people as equals;
3. reward fairly;
4. detect errors objectively;
5. reliable and loyal;
6. listen to opinions that differ from their own;
7. appreciate progress;
8. have the authority of experts in the field;
9. devoid of bias;
10. endure criticism;
11. are capable of change than the heads of low-success enterprises.
The style of management or leadership is the most important factor in the management of an enterprise. Correctly defined and successfully applied style allows the most successful use of the potential of all employees of the enterprise. That is why in recent years many firms have paid so much attention to this issue.
