BUSM 4177 / 4194Leading for Change

Topic 5: Participative Leadership

Sometimes called “empowering leadership”

Learning Objectives

Participative Leadership:

1. Understand different forms of participative leadership and empowerment.

2. Understand the major findings in research on consequences of participative leadership.

3. Understand the situations in which participative leadership is most likely to be effective.

4. Understand procedures for the effective use of consultation.

5. Understand the potential benefits and risks of delegation.

6. Understand when and how to use delegation effectively.

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Types of Participative Leadership

(a continuum of decision making involvement)

AUTOCRATIC• Weak (or no) input by other

people• Leader decides unilaterally

CONSULTATIVE• Leader seeks opinions

of others• Shares information

JOINT DECISION• Leader asks others to

help make decisions• Collaborative approach

to decisions

DELEGATION• Strong input by other

people• Leader is “hands-off”

leaving others to self-direct

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The “causal model” of participative leadership: Overview

Yukl suggests that there are three factors that determine just how beneficial participative leadership can be.

(see section in textbook for fuller description)

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Potential benefits of the consultative approach

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• Decision quality

• Decision acceptance

• Satisfaction with decision process

• Development of participant skills

Potential benefits of the consultative approach

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Benefit 1: Decision quality

“Involving other people in making a decision is likely to

increase the quality of a decision when participants have

information and knowledge lacked by the leader and are

willing to cooperate in finding a good solution”

Yukl (p113)

Potential benefits of the consultative approach

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Benefit 2 : Decision acceptance

“People who have considerable influence in making a

decision tend to identify with it and perceive it to be their

decision. This feeling of ownership increase their

motivation to implement it successfully”

Yukl (p113)

Potential benefits of the consultative approach

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Benefit 3 : Satisfaction with decision process

“Research on “procedural justice” found that the

opportunity to express opinions and preferences before a

decision is made (called voice) can have beneficial effects

regardless of the actual influence participants have over

the final decision (called choice)”

Yukl (p113)

Potential benefits of the consultative approach

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Benefit 4 : Development of participant skills

“…helping to make a complex decision can result in

more skills and confidence by participants….

…involvement in diagnosing the problem, generating

solutions and planning implementation builds skills…

…may require considerable coaching and

encouragement from leader..”

Yukl (p114)

Research evidence on participative leadership claims: Can we show that it really does result in better outcomes?

Research approach Researchers

Does research show participative leadership to be more effective?

Field researchExamine real situations in organisations

Coch & French (1948)Latham & Yukl (1975)

yes

Survey studiesQuestionnaires to leaders and followers

Kim & Yukl (1995) yes

Lit reviews and Meta-analysesSummarise all research papersCombine data from many studies

Cotton et al (1988)Leana et al (1990)

Mixed outcomes

“Laboratory” experiments Set up experiment where leaders vary participative leadership

Bragg & Andrews (1973)

no

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Research evidence on participative leadership claims: 2

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“Overall, the results from research on the effects of participative leadership are not sufficiently strong and consistent to draw any firm conclusions

Sometimes it results in higher satisfaction, effort and performance… at other times it does not!”

Yukl (p 116)

What additional factor(s) might help explain the difference in the outcome?

Situational variables may explain differences in outcomes seen

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Does the participative leadership approach only work when the “situation” or environment is right?

This idea is the basis of contingency theories which we’ll cover more fully in a separate topic.. We touch on it lightly here

Victor Vroom & Philip Yetton 1973

Model that helps you decide how “participative” to be when making decisions – hence called “decision model

Normative Decision model

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Decision Procedures in Normative Decision Model

Autocratic decision

Consultative decision

Group decision

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Normative Decision model – Autocratic, consultative and group decision approaches

Vroom & Yetton’s Normative Decision model – Summary or “contingency table” to determine approach

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Moving beyond consultation:Joint decision making

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Moving beyond consultation:Joint decision making

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Deciding whether to deeply involve staffin a decision depends on:

How important the decision is

Whether staff have the relevant knowledge or expertise

Whether staff are likely to cooperate

Whether staff would accept a decision made solely by the leader (autocratic)

Whether it is feasible to get staff together to make a joint decision

Moving beyond consultation:Joint decision making

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Encouraging staff to participate:

Ensure that staff have confidence / comfort to express concerns

Describe a proposal as “tentative”

Record staff ideas and suggestions

Look for ways to build on these ideas and suggestions

Be tactful in your feedback on suggestions

Listen to opposing views without getting defensive

Show appreciation for suggestions

Version Woodruff 2014 SIM

Delegation as the ultimate decision-making approach

RMIT University© School of Management 20

Delegation

Delegation (or passing down) is the partnership of authority and not responsibility to another person (normally from a

manager to a subordinate) to carry out specific activities. It is one of the core concepts of  leadership.

WikipediaDifferent forms and

degrees of power sharing with individual staff.

Your textbook

“Major aspects of delegation include the variety and magnitude of responsibilities, the

amount of discretion or range of choice allowed.. authority to take action and

implement decisions without prior approval…”

Your textbook

Defining delegation

X

entrust (a task or responsibility) to another person, typically one who is less senior than oneself

Oxford English Dictionary

Benefits of Delegation

Decision quality improvement

Subordinate implementation commitment

Enriched job

Time management

Management development

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Downside of Delegation

Power sharing

Mistakes

Competition

Personal achievement

Subordinate characteristics

Distrust

Leader authority

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What should we delegate?

Tasks that can be done better by a subordinate

Urgent but not high priority

Relevant to a subordinate’s career

Appropriate difficulty

Both pleasant and unpleasant tasks

Tasks not central to the manager’s role

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How should we delegate?

Specify responsibilities

Provide adequate authority limits

Specify reporting requirements

Ensure subordinate acceptance of responsibilities

Inform others who need to know

Monitor progress

Arrange for delegate to receive necessary information

Provide support ands assistance

Make “mistakes” a learning rather than a punishing experience

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Images included in this presentation are licenced under creative commons. Learn more about the creative commons scheme here.

RMIT is proud to partner with Pearson Australia in the development of the customised resources for this course.

This presentation draws on material from chapter five of the course textbook Sustainable Leadership people, technology and design – an RMIT Custom Publication, Pearson® Australia and is subject to copyright.

Presentation developed by Ian Woodruff, School of Management,RMIT University

Graphics used in this presentation were created using Presenter Media Software licenced to Ian Woodruff, RMIT University.Presenter Media retains copyright for these graphics.

Acknowledgements

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