Issue Identification
Leaders play a pivotal role in organizations' success as the individuals who set the pace for other employees. However, for a leader to succeed, they must adopt a leadership style that resonates with employees without making them feel insignificant. Jack Barns, the leader in the case study style, does not resonate with 11 employees who feel that he shows favoritism to Eileen. Jack considers Eileen to be an invaluable member of the team despite her possessing the same skills that the other employees have. Eileen is the main decision-maker in this organization, something that overshadows other employees who have potential. The remaining employees are demotivated, but Jack cannot see that it is his undoing since he does not accord them the same treatment.
Review/Analysis of the Case
Teams in organizations are crucial since they allow the members to contribute to the decision-making process. Effective teams thrive on the ability to value the input of all members without showing prejudice or favoritism. The case study paints a different picture in that this organization cannot be said to value teamwork, something that threatens its objectives. Jack is responsible for creating a cohesive workforce by bringing the employees together to achieve a common goal. However, he has not managed to do so, considering that he openly shows that he prefers Eileen to other employees. The company is a small one meaning that it is possible to assign all the employees tasks instead of piling them on Eileen. Eileen is responsible for tracking the inventory, answering phones, updating client files, shopping, handling employee benefits and sales staff commission as well as entering orders in the system. By assigning Eileen with all these responsibilities, Jack does away with the concept of teamwork, thus jeopardizing organizational goals. Sanyal & Hisam (2018) note that effective leaders are those that can enhance teamwork among the employees to increase the level of productivity and thus gain a competitive advantage. Jack wonders why the other employees cannot be like Eileen without realizing that he has failed in creating a culture of teamwork.
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How could Jack’s Perception of Eileen’s performance affect his leader behaviors when interacting with her?
Jack thinks highly of Eileen's performance, and he considers her an invaluable member of the organization. He believes that Eileen is a very dedicated employee who would go to great lengths to complete tasks and make favorable decisions for the company's benefit. Perhaps it is for this reason that Eileen has so many responsibilities that could have been handled by other employees. Eileen is the main decision-maker, indicating that she completely influences Jack, and he would not hesitate to implement her desires. In as much as Jack heads the organization, he only deals with Eileen, thus eliminating the contribution of others. Jack's high perception of Eileen is evidenced by the fact that the two spend significant time discussing the personal matter. This personal interaction makes Jack more comfortable assigning tasks to her since he knows her. Gojny-Zbierowska (2018) establishes the need for a healthy employee-employer relationship, which ought to fulfill socio-emotional needs, enhancing employee well-being, and job satisfaction. Jack's perception of Eileen as an invaluable employee forms the basis of their relationship, and he does all he can to fulfill her socio-emotional needs. He has allowed Eileen to have a flexible schedule since she is a committed employee who advances organizational interests, which is a source of motivation.
How could her co-worker’s perception of Jack’s leader behaviors toward Eileen affect their performance?
Eileen's co-workers feel alienated in the organization's running since she handles all the tasks in as much as they have the same qualifications. The other employees believe that they, too, are as knowledgeable about the clients and the organization. In this case, they feel that they should be allowed more leeway so that they too, could give their input in the running of the organization instead of Jack consulting only with Eileen. The co-workers perceive Jack as showing favoritism to Eileen, and this perception could have either negative or positive effects on their performance. On the positive side, some employees could try to be more like Eileen by being more committed and taking the initiative to achieve organizational goals.
On the other hand, some employees may feel that Jack does not see potential in them, something that would demotivate them, rendering them unproductive. Fiedler's contingency model outlines that the task's structure, power of a position, and leader's relationship with the team determine one's performance level (Miner, 2015). In the case study, the 11 employees' positions are not powerful since they are not part of the decision-making process. Moreover, jack is not approachable by other employees, which creates a strained employer-employee relationship. This kind of skewed relationship is likely to demotivate the employees who may feel neglected and alienated.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Jack ought to change his leadership approach if he is to create a high-functioning team that will achieve organizational objectives. The decision to invest in Eileen when they are equally capable employees shows that he is a tasked oriented leader who only wants things done. Instead, he should become a people-oriented leader focused on developing and supporting the employees on his team. Jack appears to be an authoritarian leader who is unapproachable, something that creates resentment in other employees who feel that he favors Eileen. In this case, he ought to pave the way for open communication by taking the initiative with other employees instead of waiting for them to come to him. He needs to become a situational leader capable of clarifying organizational goals for all employees and empowering them to achieve them. These strategies will, in turn, motivate employees, which will reduce the chances of high employee turnover and lowered productivity.
References
Gojny-Zbierowska, M. (2018). Relationship between leaders' and followers' psychological capital and the mediating role of POS and authentic leadership. Journal of Positive Management 9 (2):89-104. DOI: 10.12775/JPM.2018.144
Miner, J.B. (2015). Organizational behavior 1: Essential theories of motivation and leadership . Routledge.
Sanyal, S., & Hisam, M. W. (2018). The impact of teamwork on work performance of employees. IOSR Journal of Business and Management, 20 (3), 15-22. DOI: 10.9790/487X-2003011522
