Leadership Styles: Task-Oriented vs. People-Oriented
Jonh Dawson employs the task-oriented leadership style, while Snawn Williams uses the people-oriented leadership approach. In a behavioral approach known as a people-oriented leadership style, the leader prioritizes the relationship with the team members by encouraging and addressing their individual needs. They feel like a part of the organization since they participate in important decision-making. Because of this circumstance, the staff members feel that they are a part of the company and are therefore motivated to increase production. However, task-oriented leadership is a behavioral strategy where a leader focuses primarily on completing the duties or tasks to attain particular organizational goals (Tabernero, Chambel, Curral, & Arana, 2009).
Advantages of People-Oriented Leadership Style
It focuses on fixed structures, schedules, strict deadlines, and the achievement of the desired results rather than the people who perform the task. This situation makes the employee feel obligated which lowers the feeling of ownership to the organization, hence do little to improve on productivity.
Some of the advantages of the people-oriented style of leadership are:
- The leader promotes the well-being of the team members by providing any support required to deal with work and personal problems.
- The employees are motivated and innovative as the leaders offer them the support needed to implement their ideas.
- The leaders build trust with their subordinates by creating transparent leadership.
- The leaders enhance the organizational productivity by encouraging employees' suggestions and creativity.
- Minimizes employee turnover as they are satisfied and experience personal growth under such leadership (Tabernero, Chambel, Curral, & Arana, 2009).
However, this leadership style is time-consuming as leaders take a lot of time to build and maintain a personal relationship, and the organization may experience low productivity as they focus more on employee relations rather than productivity.
Advantages of Task-Oriented Leadership Style
The advantages of the task-oriented leadership are:
- It ensures that tasks are completed at the right time because deadlines are clearly defined.
- There is a good workflow because leaders create a detailed structure, schedule, and periods.
- The leader can easily delegate work to meet deadlines because they make the necessary procedures clearly understood by their subordinates.
However, team members lack creativity as structures are clearly defined, leaving little or no room for their suggestions. Also, the team members lack motivation because their leaders are not concerned about their well-being, as well as a feeling of alienation as their ideas are not needed (Tabernero, Chambel, Curral, & Arana, 2009). Working under strict deadlines may also result in employee burnout, while dissatisfaction leads to a high employee turnover as employees.
My Leadership Style
My leadership style is the people-oriented leadership style. I will use this to illustrate the intrinsic value of human capital by highlighting the advantages of this method to the performance of AGC. This style is concerned with the well-being of the team members as well as encouraging them to be creative. As a result, the employees will be motivated, hence increasing their productivity, which leads to the achievement of the organization's goal.
Human Capital Management Strategies
The human capital management strategies I would recommend to John and the board of directors are:
- Adopting global talent management
- Offering technical, managerial, and communications training
- Transforming the delivery of service
- Moving their technology to the cloud
Mediolanum International Funds Limited (MIFL) is an example of an organization applying strategies like talent management, training of its employees, and advanced technology.
References
Tabernero, C., Chambel, M. J., Curral, L., & Arana, J. M. (2009). The role of task-oriented versus relationship-oriented leadership on normative contract and group performance. Social Behavior and Personality: an international journal, 37(10), 1391-1404.
Tichy, N. M. (1981). Strategic human resource management.
