PARADIGM SHIFT

Paradigm Shift

Paradigm Shift

Introduction

The future of organizations lies in the shift of paradigms. These paradigms consist of leadership paradigm, communications paradigm and life's flow paradigm. There are a number of organizational theories that relate to shifts in paradigm. An important paradigm is the leadership paradigm. The way organizations are constantly faced with different and difficult situations, due to internal and external factors, shifts in paradigms are very important.

Discussion

There are four organizational theories linked with rational systems. The theories include scientific management, administrative theory, bureaucracy, and administrative behavior. All these theories are related to the leadership paradigm. Scientific management uses a scientific formalization process that rationalizes activities for both managers and employees (Scott & Davis, 2007). According to the scientific management theory, the team approach is adopted in a collaborative effort between the workers and managers in which workers are no longer held fully accountable for productivity. “We need a new way of thinking…We need new theories based on better values that show managers how to create value rather than squeeze value” (Tonkin, 1994, pp. 01).

Imagine the following scenario, the team being led is behind, and it is the last quarter of the financial year. The team is not producing according to the plan that was initially laid out. The leader of the team reviews the strategy in order to determine what the next move is going to be. The team and its leader are pressurized to win. If the team manages to win, they will exceed the goal and be ahead of the rest. The leader then calls the team for a change in the plan of action. It is the job of the leader to empower the team members in order to bag the win. At this crucial time, the team needs to hear inspirational words from their leader. That is when the leader stands up to lead the team in a new and improved way. This is the scenario of the shift in paradigm.

There is a shift in the leadership paradigm that can improve organizations in the future. “When the established rules of the game fail to provide effective solutions to problems, a shift must take place” (Tonkin, 1994, pp. 04). The shift is from the traditional views of leadership to a New Conditions approach. The new conditions involve coaching of employees, where the leaders have to become coaches.

The managers of today are following the traditional views of leadership that involve planning, organizing, controlling, and leading. This is insufficient for the future, because these traditional views will not reap the benefits an organization is going to be able to achieve in the future. The leaders lack the ability to empower their subordinates in order to produce results in the highly competitive global marketplace. Many companies in the Fortune 500 are struggling to survive, because they lack proper leadership. The shift in the leadership paradigm will result in a lot of good for organizations the world ...