Introduction
Over the centuries, leadership styles have been evolving due to development of organizations and the need to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of management procedures. Management experts have come up with several leadership approaches and theories that have helped managers to propel their organizations to achieve the stipulated goals.
Behavioral approach is one of the approaches of studying and implementing leadership policies and decisions and has proved to be an effective way of management as it is consistent with theory Y. According to McGinnis (2006), organizations are social institutions with a group of people that need mobilization to work interdependently for organizations to achieve their purposes (p.42).
Hence, given that an organization is a social institution, it means that organizational behavior reflects the capacity of management to offer leadership.
During early19th century, the theory of management emerged as a cooperative integration of various functions in an organization in order to achieve organizational goals; nevertheless, in early 20th century, management became an art of mobilizing people to perform specific tasks that translate into organizational goals.
Therefore, since organizational behavior is central in leadership study and management of organizations, this essay explores behavioral approach as one of the approaches of studying leadership.
Behavioral Approach
Behavioral approach of leadership study focuses on abilities of leaders or managers to mobilize human resources to achieve organizational goals. Perspective of behavioral approach in leadership is that individual behaviors cumulatively determine organizational behaviors, which ultimately determine the organization’s capacity to meet its goals.
McGlone (2005) affirms that effective leadership depends on behavioral influence of leaders on individuals or groups in an organization (p.3). Hence, the ability of leaders or managers to influence employees through supervision and motivation shapes organizational behavior, which is essential in achieving desired goals.
Since organizations are social institutions and that human resources are very critical in the 21st century, study of human behavior becomes imperative as it gives an insight into management issues that play a critical role in organizational behavior.
Leaders who utilize behavioral approach in their management have effective communication and relationship skills, which are essential in engaging employees to work coordinately. The University of Michigan has employed behavioral approach of leadership and has proved to be quite effective in motivating and satisfying employees.
The strength of behavioral approach of leadership is that it is consistent with theory Y, which focuses on motivating employees. Theory Y elucidates participative style of management that is very effective in the management of modern mega organizations.
The assumptions of this theory deal with human behaviors by presuming that employees are invaluable resources, they effectively work concertedly, and that delegation of responsibilities is essential in achieving organizational goals. According to the first assumption, human resources are invaluable resources in an organization because such resources need development and motivation.
According to theory Y, proper motivation of the employees enhances their self-esteem and creates conducive environment where working becomes a leisure activity. In the second assumption, theory Y holds that cooperative working of workers needs effective leadership that can influence organizational behavior and direct workers towards a common objective.
Thus, coordination of activities and tasks in a manner that enhances concerted efforts significantly enable organizations to achieve their objectives expediently. The fourth assumption is that delegation of responsibilities by the top management to the lower management levels improves productivity in an organization.
Therefore, behavioral approach of leadership recognizes that employees are crucial resources that need mobilization as well as motivation of behavior to shape organizational behavior and consequently achieve organizational goals.
The weakness of behavioral approach of leadership is that it focuses too much on general interests of employees while neglecting development of individual and infrastructural capacity of an organization. Behavioral approach of leadership assumes that organizational behavior and employee motivation are the only critical factors that are essential for an organization to achieve its objectives.
Furthermore, behavioral approach of leadership presumes that leadership skills emanate from organizational behavior and not inherent in individual abilities. In this perspective, the behavioral approach of leadership fails to recognize the inherent skills and talents that an individual can contribute towards an organization.
McGlone (2005) argues that, although organizational behavior can motivate employees, they still need technical skills and infrastructure to optimize their potential (p.9). Thus, for an organization to achieve its objectives comprehensively, it must consider both individual capacities and infrastructural needs.
Conclusion
Leadership is a complex phenomenon that is gradually evolving as organizations develop and technology expands. Growth of organizations and technology has compelled managers to formulate effective leadership styles and strategies that have evolved with time due to development of more leadership and development theories.
Behavioral approach of leadership holds that an organization is a social institution that needs effective management and shaping of organizational behavior. Since behavioral approach of leadership aims at motivating behaviors of employees, it is consistent with theory Y, which postulates that employees are integral resources that organizations should always optimize through motivation.
Motivation entails satisfaction of highest human needs, self-esteem, and self-actualization as classified in the Maslow’s theory of hierarchy of needs. The behavioral approach of leadership and Y theory are relevant to the 21st century managers for these approaches are integral in assessing levels of management, predicting organization behavior, and forecasting performance of organizations.
References
McGinnis, S. (2006). Organizational Behavior and Management Thinking. Organization Management Journal, 6(2), 37-57.
McGlone, J. (2005). Major Approaches to the Study of Leadership. Academic Exchange Quarterly, 1-12.