Leadership Styles as Applied to JLB Enterprises - 857 Words

JLB Enterprises finds itself in a situation that will likely get worse if they don’t address it. Research by Murlis and Schubert for Hay Group (2001) concludes that organizations with less satisfied employees are much less productive. This dissatisfaction can lead to a loss in production and can negatively impact the long-term stability of the company. A company that has dissatisfied employees can have a hard time attracting and retaining good workers. It isn’t known for sure whether the drop in satisfaction and morale are the cause for the drop in productivity at JLB. There is a correlation in timing and, as mentioned, some research points to job satisfaction levels adversely impacting production. The possibility exists that there†¦show more content†¦Gathering and utilizing the input of the employees is a component of the Participative Leadership theory. By allowing the employees to give input on why the problem exists and how it can be improved, leadership can empower and motivate the workers. According to Coutts (n.d.): It is assumed that employees are more committed to actions where they have been involved in the relevant decision-making and that they are less competitive and more collaborative when working on joint goals. That is, when people make decisions together, the social commitment to one another is greater and thus increases their commitment to the decision. (Coutts, n.d., Para 4) By directly involving and communicating with the employees, management also has an avenue for promoting a culture change. This opportunity could then be leveraged to help cultivate the ingredients needed to address the underlying causes of the morale problem. Coutts (n.d.) posits that involving employees in this way cultivates other leaders who can help to establish and maintain the desired culture. By utilizing components of the Participative Leadership theory to search for the causes of the problems along with potential solutions, JLB may see an immediate impact on morale, if only by empowering the employees. Situational Leadership Components Until the causes of the problem are known, it is not known how to address them. It’s