Management styles From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Management styles are characteristic ways of making decisions and

relating to su bordinates.This idea was further developed by Robert Tannenbaum and Warren H. Sc hmidt (1958, 1973), who argued that the style of leadership is dependent upon th e prevailing circumstance; therefore leaders should exercise a range of manageme nt styles and should deploy them as appropriate. Contents [hide] 1 Autocratic 2 Paternalistic 3 Democratic 4 Laissez-faire 5 MBWA 6 See also 7 References [edit]Autocratic An Autocratic style means that the manager makes decisions unilaterally, and wit hout much regard for subordinates. As a result, decisions will reflect the opini ons and personality of the manager; this in turn can project an image of a confi dent, well managed business. On the other hand, subordinates may become overly d ependent upon the leaders and more supervision may be needed. There are two types of autocratic leaders: the Directive Autocrat makes decisions unilaterally and closely supervises subor dinates; the Permissive Autocrat makes decisions unilaterally, but gives subordinates lat itude in carrying out their work.[1] [edit]Paternalistic A more Paternalistic form is also essentially dictatorial; however, decisions ta ke into account the best interests of the employees as well as the business. Com munication is again generally downward, but feedback to the management is encour aged to maintain morale. This style can be highly advantageous when it engenders loyalty from the employees, leading to a lower labour turnover, thanks to the e mphasis on social needs. On the other hand for an autocratic management style th e lack of worker motivation can by typical if no loyal connection is established between the manager and the people who are managed. It shares disadvantages wit h an autocratic style, such as employees becoming dependent on the leader. A good example of this would be David Brent or Michael Scott running the busines s in the fictional television show The Office [edit]Democratic In a Democratic style, the manager allows the employees to take part in decision -making: therefore everything is agreed by the majority. The communication is ex tensive in both directions (from subordinates to leaders and vice-versa). This s tyle can be particularly useful when complex decisions need to be made that requ ire a range of specialist skills: for example, when a new ICT system needs to be put in place, and the upper management of the business is computer-illiterate. From the overall business's point of view, job satisfaction and quality of work will improve. However, the decision-making process is severely slowed down, and the need of a consensus may avoid taking the 'best' decision for the business. I t can go against a better choice of action. As the autocratic leaders, democratic leaders are also two types i.e. permissive and directive.[1] [edit]Laissez-faire In a Laissez-faire leadership style, the leader's role is peripheral and staff m anage their own areas of the business; the leader therefore evades the duties of management and uncoordinated delegation occurs. The communication in this style is horizontal, meaning that it is equal in both directions, however very little

communication occurs in comparison with other styles. The style brings out the best in highly professional and creative groups of employees, however in many ca ses it is not deliberate and is simply a result of poor management. This leads t o a lack of staff focus and sense of direction, which in turn leads to much diss atisfaction, and a poor company image. We could perhaps include "accountable hierarchies" as a sub group here. Please s ee " Elliot Jacques" in reference to this. [edit]MBWA This article may be unbalanced towards certain viewpoints. Please improve the ar ticle by adding information on neglected viewpoints, or discuss the issue on the talk page. (January 2011) Management by Walking Around (MBWA) is a classic technique used by good managers [dubious discuss] who are proactive listeners. Managers using this style gather as much information as possible so that a challenging situation doesn't turn int o a bigger problem. Listening carefully to employees' suggestions and concerns w ill help evade potential crises. MBWA benefits managers by providing unfiltered, real-time information about processes and policies that is often left out of fo rmal communication channels. By walking around, management gets an idea of the l evel of morale in the organization and can offer help if there is trouble. A potential concern of MBWA is that the manager will second-guess employees' dec isions. The manager must maintain his or her role as coach and counselor, not di rector. By leaving decision-making responsibilities with the employees, managers can be assured of the fastest possible response time. [edit]