APPLIED RESEARCH METHODS

Applied Research methods



Applied Research Methods

Introduction

In today's dynamic business environment, there exists a critical need for adaptive leaders at all levels in the organisation. Without leaders at multiple structural levels there is an enhanced potential for diminishing effectiveness and efficiency within the organisation. This shortcoming in performance can take many forms such as poor communication of the company's mission and vision at the operational levels, a lack of clarity concerning the organisation's strategic objectives and a disconnect from the customer. Additionally, essential information flows poorly from the top down in the organisation's structure, and critical feedback from the customer is erratic at best as it flows from the bottom up within the organisational structure. Much of this disconnect is the result of poor leadership in middle management. Thus, in today's business environment, management at all structural levels must possess adaptive leadership abilities and qualities in which they are able to establish a delicate balance between the positive outcomes associated with stress verses the negative outcomes affiliated with too much stress. The dynamic business environment requires that an adaptive leader deals with the dilemma of establishing a delicate balance between having employees feel the need to change and having them feel overwhelmed by change.' Hence, leadership in a change-driven business environment becomes a dichotomy of sorts, or what Heifetz and Laurie' call a "razor's edge". Consistent change in a dynamic business environment creates stress which tremendously affects employees and consequently, they are highly resistant to its inevitability. Adaptive leaders are able to successfully implement change in a work environment by providing direction, protection, orientation, conflict control and the shaping of norms. In addition, adaptive leaders take proactive steps to help mitigate the resistance to change by maintaining disciplined attention to the various all organisational constituents, giving the work back to the people as manageable, incremental tasks, re-scaling the voice of management to protect employees and practicing leadership as learning in order to maintain an edge. If the workforce is not committed to the organisation, then Job insecurity, low trust, high stress and uncertainty will increase in the organisation, which have ultimately negative effect on the performance of the organisations. Organisation commitment can also increase the creativity in the organisations. Organisation's vision has also impacted on the leadership style of the management so that the leadership style in the organisation may vary from society to society. For the better performance of the organisation, organisational commitment is one of strong determinant of success which is highlighted various times in the recent literature. Leadership and its effectiveness are the primary focus for profit organisation to achieve the organisational goals and to create organisation commitment in their employees, for their organisations. Various past studies cover different aspects of leadership and its relationship with organisational commitment. Swanepoel, Eramus, Van Wyk and Scheck (2007) describe the organisational commitment is encouraged with the leadership style for the successful implementation of business strategies to achieve the organisational goal. Research conducted on the leadership style and its relationship ...