Leadership in Business: 968271

Introduction

In every business, their exits some leaders employed to help in controlling the aspects of the business activities. Though it is difficult but it keeps most of things very simple. This makes the owner of the firm not to worry about the leading or the managing employees. For the small business to grow well, owners are supposed to employ workers who assist with the increased workloads. One must understand the cons and the pros of the leader that knows limitations which come with the leadership thus acting with the limitations in mind. Advantage of leadership is that it increases the productivity of the company. This is because the tasks are delegated efficiently thus helping workers in productivity increase. Efficient labor division mostly results to high work output which means the sells will be high hence high profits. When their is inefficient leadership it reduces the productivity of the firm.

Leadership boosts the morale of the employees. Advantage of good leadership is not only about high productivity but also it is used to improve the morale of the employees making the workers more loyal to that firm. Most of the loyal employees put their employees in trust and also their managers and they are always willing and able to work harder and attached to the company even in harder times. Recruiting of new employees and training them is every expensive exercise thus pouring morale into employees can bring a lot of impact to the company. There are some of disadvantages attached with the leadership. The disadvantage includes fostering clash of personalities. In most cases subordinates and leaders may not see eye to eye. This is one thing which is supposed to be avoided because at workplace exits many people of different personalities.

Question (1)

Transformational leadership is a process where leaders and the followers raise one another to higher levels of morality and motivation. According to Bernard Mass Transformational leadership requires leaders to:

1. Set clear goals
2. Be a model of integrity and fairness
3. Encourage others
4. Provide support and recognition
5. Stir the emotions of the people
6. Inspire people to look beyond their self-interest.

In reference to the Vodafone’s case study there is quite a number of transformational leadership styles that Detlef Schultz needed to adopt in order to transform Vodafone’s global supply chain function. Schultz should have adopted the laissez-faire leadership style. This is a leadership style where the leader allows the members to make decisions (Wipf, 2016).In this type of leadership there is:

1. Very little guidance from the leaders
2. The followers have freedom to make decisions
3. Leaders provide the resources and the tools needed
4. Group members have the freedom to find solutions to their problems
5. Leadership is handed to the members although leaders take the full responsibility of the decisions and actions made by the groups.

In order to transform then global chain supply this mode of leadership was necessary in the today’s competitor concern universe because every company must maintain a high level of client satisfaction through quality networks and coordinated procedures to be successful (Senge, 2015). The laissez –faire style would be effective in realizing this coordination in the expansion of the Vodafone’s supply chain network across the globe, this is because it empowers the workers and gives them a free space to find out the effective strategies that could be employed in marking a good step of success. Providing support and recognitions to the employers would motivate them to be active to achieve the goals of the business (Ross & Offerman, 2015). Optimization of the orders and cost reduction in the global market requires a close functional network between the business and the customers therefore empowering various teams within the Vodafone business increases high levels of creativity in realizing a global supply chain function (Padllock, 2016). This gives the team a good chance to explore the global market with high level of passion and also collect   any vital information that can help in establishing effective supply chain (Mann L, 2016).

Consult style of leadership would also be effective in this case because of its task oriented nature .Looking at the complexity of the global market and its competitiveness, team agreement would be important in discussing different points of view (M.Bass & Riggio, 2017). Team agreement should be given the first priority (Stuart, 2017). Vodafone’s business requires a consultative framework because it is a specialized type of business therefore all the experts in the different fields of the operations need to be given chance to present their views regarding any direction that the business would like to take (Burns, p. 2012). It would also be effective because when all the key players in different fields are involved in the decision making. It shows them that their opinions are important in running the business.

The following are appropriate leadership skills that would be required by Schultz to make the supply chain transformational project at Vodafone a success

1. conflict management-This skill would be able to contain and solve conflicts in the Vodafone’s company to ensure  good relationships amongst the employees and a conducive working environment for  positive outcomes
2. Personal development management- This involves taking responsibility to expand oneself by acquisition of useful knowledge and skills that would be of benefit to the organization. Schultz could increase the level of his competence by reading books or doing research and grow at personal capacity.
3. Project management skills-confining all the skills in order to be able to offer services in respect to the agreed terms in a complex environment. This which may include the level of quality, time or cost. For example Vodafone should be able to offer its services within the acceptable business terms.
4. Managing processes- Ensuring that all the systems in the Vodafone business are controlled and work as required and also the necessarily procedures of operations are followed well.
5. Managing strategy-This is ensuring that any changes in the operations of the Vodafone’s business are in good alignment with its future objectives.
6. Managing processes-This skill involves ensuring that all the systems ,processes and procedures are well maintained and designed  and work as required
7. Leadership and flexibility-This is setting clear future goals and also being ready to adjust to the ever changing environment in the business .This may be in terms of innovations and changes in technology.

Question (2).

The stakeholders that Schultz came across with in this case are the customers, consultants, suppliers, retail stores and also shareholders. Robert Cialdinis six principles of influence would be effective in this case because optimization requires influence.

1. Reciprocity-this style involves doing something good for someone and also expecting something good to be done to you. This style would be effective to the Vodafone Company when dealing with the suppliers. If the suppliers bring the best products then the Vodafone Company returns back the favor by paying the best.
2. Commitment and consistency-This style suggests that people tend to convert to fit to whatever fits their self-image. If a certain action coheres with what they believe in then they are likely to   make commitments in order to fit in (Bruce K, 2016).Schultz should have identified the retailers and other business shareholders that believe in the same strategies and terms of business and create a close relationship with them. For example making good relationships with those who offer the same products.
3. Social reproof-this is influence created by what others around you are doing. If what is done by those around the Vodafone’s company would help achieve success in the company then Schultz should also borrow it and apply it the operations  of the business
4. Authority-Human being respect authority whether good or bad .in any organization the leader is very important in determining the direction of the business (Munoz, et al., 2017).in this cases Schultz should be able to make positive decisions for the company. This would determine how the business will grow. He should be very careful to use authority in matters that would result to positive results of the business only but he should use his position of authority to offer good leadership.
5. Liking-building relationships by creating a likeable personality. Schultz can create an online platform for the company and use beautiful images of the company products for marketing. Creating an active social medial presence through interaction would create a good workforce between the business and the external stakeholders (Joseph M, 2014).    

Question(3).

The external groups in this case study are the consumers, suppliers and the businesses. Vodafone and the supply chain management could adopt the Lewicki and Hiam’s Negotiation Matrix approach to be able to influence the external stake holders. According to Lewick and Hiam’s matrix strong negotiation skills are very important in a business. This matrix suggests that a good negotiator understands that one cannot take the same approach to each situation, but the right tool would be useful for the right purpose (Posner & Kouzes, 2014). The styles used in this approach that would be necessary in influencing the external stakeholders in the Vodafone Company include.

1. Accommodating-This  suggests that  when you engage in a negotiation where the relationship is of importance that the outcome you should focus on making the other person happy than you, therefore the supply chain management should have focused on making the consumers happy .This may involve providing the  services at a cheaper price to the customers in order to maintain them. This technique involves ‘losing in order to win’; it is very good to discourage the customers from taking the business to competition (Poole, 2017).
2. Avoiding-This technique is neither centered on the relationship or the outcome of the negotiation. In this case the Vodafone’s Company should not involve in any negotiation if nothing of value is going to come out of the process and therefore it should consider getting into a deal immediately before getting into a negotiation process that would take long.
3. Collaborative-The technique here involves negotiations that one cares about the relationships between the business and the other party and also the outcome of the deal. The supply chain management should use this negotiation approach when dealing with the big customers in order to ensure a good relationship with them and also gain a good price that would support the business (Walker & Poole, 2015). This means that the supply chain management should ensure that it is in the same level of losing or gaining with these customers.
4. Competitive-This negotiation happens when you get into a deal even at the expense of the relationship or the outcome .If the Vodafone Company is working out a price with one supplier there should be no worry about the relationship if there are other available suppliers of the same product it is easy to replace them, therefore the company should do its best to secure a low price.
5. Compromise-This is appropriate in where by the type of negotiation involved does not fit in the matrix, by taking this approach the supply chain management should be creative enough to join two of the approaches in the matrix in order to come up with a good appropriate method. The choice to be taken should depend on the nature of the deal, the history of the relationship between the two parties and also the personality of the second party (Kemp, 2016).

Other than using the above tactics the Vodafone business company could also apply the following techniques with the suppliers.

• Vodafone Business Company could Form service level agreements and also contracts that could be renewed after the expiry of the terms of agreement
• Having good close relationships with the suppliers will make the company to always get into good deals that are clean and profitable
• The Vodafone Company could implement penalty remedies in order to impose full responsibility of compliance to the terms of business or contract .This would force the suppliers to work within the lines of agreement
• The supply chain management   to conduct tendering exercises in order to ensure a fair market competition, this will also help the SCM to come up with the best supplier.
• The supply chain management can come up with a way of awarding the best performing suppliers in order to motivate them

The Vodafone business company or the supply chain management would also use the following tactics to influencer the customers.

• Forming a good advertising strategy and also maintaining good public relations .This can be done   by sponsoring events that would help to market the company’s products
• The company can have promotion services by offering discounts to the customers
• Providing high quality products and services, this will help the company to keep a good reputation
• Ensuring continuous supply of the goods and the services to the consumers. This means that there is no delay of supply in the market.

Question (4)

Success in an organization depends so much on one’s attitude towards change. This depends on whether people will perceive change pessimistically or optimistically. One of the major responsibilities of a leader is guide change in an organization change might involve technology, attitude, shareholders or the employees. Below are some of the theoretical approaches and methods that could help Schultz in managing change and ensuring that the supply chain transformational project overcame any barriers to be a success.

In examining the change management we need to look at the ways on how to overcome the barriers to change and how to manage issues thought the management process. Some of the barriers that needed to be managed in the Vodafone’s Company include

1. Conservative mentality-this involves refusing any positive change and always sticking to the old ways of operation.
2. Change of roles within the supply chain management-this involved assigning different duties to the employees other that the one they used to do
3. Lack kills required to fit in the changing systems in the company.
4. Inability to predict the success of the supply chain

The following are methods that Schultz could adopt to overcome the barriers:

1. Ensuring a good communication process in the company –this can be done by regularly updating the progress of the company.
2. Regular review of the systems operations within the company and also closely monitoring processes within the supply chain management.
3. Celebrating success in the company-This will motivate the employees to be determined.

In their book “The cultures of work organisations”Harrison trice and Janice Beyer provide key consideration that are important in managing change and that can also be effective in helping Schultz to manage change:

1. Capitalize on propitious moments-making sure people perceive the need for change this can be done by looking at the poor financial performance of the company. Looking at the weak areas in the will open the eyes of the employees to the see the great need for change.
2. Combine caution with optimism-This involves creating an optimistic look on what advantages the change in the business system would bring. Schultz could focus on the benefits that the change would bring in the supply chain and that could either lead to personal improvement or business improvement.
3. Understanding resistance to culture change-This involves being aware of disruptions that could affect the security of the company .These disruptions may include the fear of the unknown ,self-interest and also lack of trust.
4. Recognizing the importance of implementation-Shultz should have been aware of the benefits of the altering some of the processes in the supply chain transformational project that are not effective. For example adding use of technology in a place where human labor was used would increase the output.
5. Modifying socialization tactics-employees learn the corporate culture of an organization through socialization therefore in this case Schultz should have ensured that the interactions within the company do not result into change in the socialization process because this would lead to change of the organization culture hence fail the supply chain transformational project (Chritopher & Maresco, 2014).

Lewin’s change management model would also be effective in managing change in the Vodafone company (Lewin, 1951).The theory suggests that change is a common aspect that runs through all the  businesses regardless of the industry, size or age and so organizations that handle change well thrive .He  uses three  stage processes to describe change and management

Unfreeze-This stage involves preparing an organization to accept that change is inevitable and therefore you can build a new way of operating. In order to change an organization one needs to challenge the values, attitudes and also behaviors that currently define it (Lockhead, 2017).This could be effective in the case of Vodafone company, Schultz should build a strong motivation amongst the suppliers to create as balanced equilibrium.

Change-This stage involves resolving the uncertainties and looking for other new ways to do things. Employees start to do things in a way that support the new ways (Mullins, 2013). In this case it would be very important for the Vodafone’s supply chain management to understand how the change will benefit the company and also manage the situation.

Refreeze-This happens when the changes have taken place and people have adapted to the changes. The outward signs of refreeze are consistent job descriptions and stable organization chart (Burnes, 2015). It would be the responsibility of the Vodafone company to ensure that the suppliers feel confident with the new ways approach adopted by the company to ensure a good flow and a systematic chain of supply without interruption.

Conclusion

In conclusion, for a company to prosper it has to undertake all measures involved. Recruited new members are supposed to be trained well so as to follow every step well. Everybody is supposed to consult where he or she does not understand well. the employers are supposed to take the employers in the right manners, good salaries which are paid in time and also they should be given some off days to rest. This will ensure that leaders have good time in work. This is because the workers are able and willing to work under no supervision, the productivity is high and the sales are also high making the firm or company to have high profits. This is only possible when all workers, employers and leaders are united to work together.

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