This essay based on a case study (Appendix 1) will aim to analyse alternative styles and approaches in effectively managing the workforce. It will discuss how management strategies are viewed by other staff members and how the realignment of management has affected the daily working ethos. Analysing alternative management styles and approaches that may benefit the enhancement of the setting. This will be completed by comparing the management strategies closely linking to McClelland (1961) and Lewin’s (1951) theory of motivation and change alongside performance enhancement approaches. In order to achieve these outcomes, it will reflect on the case study, the roles of colleagues alongside professional judgments. Reflection according to Smith and Craft (2011) is central for professionals, and is essential for progress. Finally, it will focus upon current issues such as the impending Ofsted inspection within the setting and work load, it will then draw together a conclusion. To ensure confidentiality of my setting, children and colleagues, the essay will not refer to their names or name my setting.
There is a female owner whom is also the manager within the case study. The deputy manager is also a female. Storey and Holti (2013) draw attention to any organisation regardless of size, in order to operate effectively it requires a recognised element of leadership or hierarchy. They continue stating how this is implemented and accepted will determine the success alongside that of overall job satisfaction of the workforce, which will permeate down to the children and their families. Heller and Van (1982) propose leadership structures the theory of both practice and organisation.
Stevenson (2014) suggests the terms of leadership and management as being closely associated to sectors mainly of industry and business. She continues that the principles do apply to early childhood practice’s and are used, yet as practitioners at some level or another there is an aspect of leadership and management skills being applied throughout the setting. Savage and Dunkin (2004) affirms this stating Leadership and management within early years’ settings are extremely complex. It could be seen that within the setting many of the staff are leaders as they have key children and are continually leading in practice. The Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM, 2016) states that leadership and management are both inextricably linked, at a personal and organisational level. However, it is important to consider the difference between a leader and a manager, Koontz (2008) proposes management is getting things done thoroughly and with people in formally organised groups. Managers are the people who make sure day to day activities are implemented and have the leaders and employees strive to complete them. Nevertheless, it is important the manager possess leadership skills to ensure the team implement strategies to work towards the vision and lead it to success.
The work place in question is a communal used scout hut which has been designed at a good standard for both the children and the staff. Staff have car parking spaces, good toilet facilities and the office, which are all at a good standard. According to Maslow’s (1943) hierarchy of needs which outlines the importance of basic needs being met. This framework sets out five tiers of an individual’s life. The lowest level is physiological needs; the very basic needs that are being met in the work place. The second tier is safety and security which is more intricate as it’s a sense of security and safety from harm. In the case study setting it is important that the deputy manager keeps up to date with the health and safety alongside legislations, policies, daily checks, passwords and security. This appears to link closely to Herzberg’s (1974:18) hygiene and motivation theory he states the factors leading to job satisfaction as “separate and distinct from those that lead to job dissatisfaction.” Therefore, if leaders eliminate dissatisfying job factors, they may create harmony, however this may not enhance performance. This he suggests placates your workforce instead of motivating them to improve performance. Stead (1972) applied the two-factor theory in a person communication model. He found that this resulted in a communication breakdown because messages were coded as intrinsic by the manager but decoded as extrinsic by the employee.
Rodd (2006) draws attention to individuals being social beings with a need to belong and have a place within society. This suggests the way society shape’s and understands the nature of organised social action, and the possibilities of its progress could be seen that the concept and practice of leadership, alongside its variant forms of direction and control, are strongly recognised and needed that the absence of leadership may be seen as an absence of organisation. The setting according to Maslow could be seen as a safe environment as there are locks on the doors and gates which could be seen to make staff and children feel safe and secure. All these attributes ensure staff come to work knowing that their basic needs are being met, however does this inspire them and motivate them to excel in their position. By providing these basic needs does it help to reach the goals and visions.
Clarke (2012) notes this as a cause of concern as many people equate leadership with being in charge yet are not themselves in position of authority. Rodd (2013) suggests that understanding leadership in early years’ setting’s has been plagued by its confusion with the concept of management. Poole (2011) points out the differences between leadership and management. He explains that leaders empower and develop others whereas managers manage functions, processes and people. This could be seen that although efficient strategies are being applied they do not maximise the full potential of people. Schon (2000) states you can be a leader without being a manager and you can be a manager without leading. Within practice staff recognise other members of the setting as ‘leaders’ and ‘managers’.
The ILM (2016) identify five separate dimensions of great leadership, they describe these as ownership, achievement, collaboration and vision, with authenticity at the centre of the framework. The focus on authenticity is to recognise the importance of relationships for leaders and managers.
Different leadership styles may have diverse effects on the dynamics of organizations. Lewin (1947) suggests these different styles are authoritarian these leaders give their cohorts little to no control of their setting. Democratic leaders give limited control over tasks and decision-making process and laissez-faire leadership give their followers almost total control. These styles vary in ways including the functions of leadership, the roles of followers, the setting most appropriate for each leadership style, and the leadership styles\’ relationship to authority and control.
Rodd (2006) points out the factors that work against effective communication in early childhood settings such as staff working in different rooms and information being received second-hand which can lead to conflict. She believes early childhood services are specifically ‘people’ services, where communication and interpersonal relationships are building blocks on which pedagogical activity is based. I feel because of the lack of communication the children are not getting the consistency they need from all members of staff and staff could also feel devalued.
Anderson (2010) believes the feedback approach will generate a review of your own skills. Clarke (2012) believes to be a leader it is necessary to engage in critical reflection through consciously interrogating your own experiences and pre consumptions. By researching different leadership styles Rodd (2013) believes the advantage is that you find what type you aspire to be and formal leaders are alerted to significant features of effective leadership, thus avoiding a trial-and-error approach to preparing for how to be an effective leader.
Golemoan (2000) suggests the weaknesses of this style may affect change as ideas can be mulled over with no end decision made. Northouse (2012) describes good relationship and interpersonal skills as being life skills we use every day to communicate and interact with other people. Rodd (2013) believes one of the most critical elements in effective leadership is that of interpersonal skills as Goleman (2000) agrees when speaking about emotional intelligence he suggests social skills are a crucial element to leadership. Aubrey (2011) argues this is not the most effective leadership style as different leadership and management strategies are needed for different circumstances. Blake and Mouton’s (1964) theory conflicts Rodd’s (2013) description of effective leadership as they believe a leader is someone who is able to achieve a high work performance, focusing purely on the task with little emphasis on relationships. Employees working in this environment may find it to be an unhappy place to work.
The manager in the case study should undertake many tasks in the work place as well as decision making. It is her duty to make sure that the preschool is run correctly and complies to policies and procedures on a day to day basis. She then delegates duties to the deputy manager where she will then support the manager as well as staff. The deputy manager’s duties involve ensuring that staff training is up to date alongside her own. Other requirements of the deputy manager include but are not limited to ensuring the policies and procedures are kept up to date and that the setting’s daily health and safety alongside fire regulations are being adhered to.
Taylor (2014) proposes that anyone can tell others what to do, but effective leadership requires much more than simply the capability to allocate tasks to a group. There are many methods and styles of management theories surrounding the focus of management.
(Training & Development solutions, 2016)
The management team are assigned as the two safeguarding officers, however with the Manager becoming less involved the new staff promotion would include another safeguarding lead to be on the site as the deputy manager has to leave the setting daily to attend meetings. A member of staff has handed in their notice in and the Manager and Deputy Manger have now to delegate key children this employee had to other staff members alongside delegating the work load whilst they find a replacement. Kotter (2008) suggests leadership is dealing with change, while management is about dealing with complexity. Kotter explained that leaders set directions while managers plan and budget; leaders align people while managers organize and hire staff, and leaders motivate people while managers control and problem solve. This indicates that even though there is a difference between a leader and a manager they both require similar skills to be able to engage the staff to get to the vision. The Manager decided to approach the next most senior staff member after the deputy manager to discuss the possibility of them taking on more hours and responsibility within the setting. They did this in a manner which appears friendly and accommodating.
Lewin (1997) suggests democratic leadership relies upon group decision making, active involvement of members and honest practice, these are also traits of an ethical leader. The owner/manager is not very hands on in a managerial way, however the deputy manager is very hands on in all aspects of the setting. Reflecting the deputy manager’s approach here according to Northouse (2012) she is described as democratic. She works with the team and supports them to consider how to approach tasks and get them completed. Rodd (2013) believes this style of leadership is likely to result in issues being addressed before they develop into greater issues. although using efficient strategies they do not maximise the full potential of people. Schon (2000) affirms that you can be a leader without being a manager as you can be a manager without leading this could be seen to link to the deputy manager.
Step one of Lewin’s () theory could be seen in the case study when the staff member is replaced this is where ‘unfreeze’ is implemented, the staff member was anxious to conduct the change and introduce them self as a leader, they lacked confidence and alongside the manager worrying that some members of staff would resist the change and it could cause conflict. However, Northouse (2012) believes conflict is inevitable in groups as it presents both challenge and an opportunity for every leader. Taking this into account the manager, deputy manager and new senior staff member will help staff perceive the change as a new challenge rather than a threat affirms Rodd (2006).
The manager and the deputy managers are accountable for ensuring that all standards are met and sustained to meet the requirements of the Ofsted registration. In order to maintain and achieve the standards of the last Ofsted report of good with some room for improvement. With the impending Ofsted inspection due the deputy manager and the next team member in charge need to ensure that everything is correct and running in accordance with the guidelines. As a result, it has been highlighted that there has been issues with supervision meetings appraisals alongside a heavy work load on the deputy manager. It has been noted that this occurs due to work overload and the owner manager taking a step away from the daily running of the setting. Communication has not been thorough which causes concern over lack of shared, accurate information between staff which then leads to different approach’s being used within the setting.
McClelland (1961) established his motivational theory of need shortly after Hertzberg’s theory. He emphasised three types of needs that everybody should have as seen in leaders and managers. The need of affiliation (N-affil) is the need for friendly relationship and human interaction. This need could be seen as to feel liked and accepted by others. This person is generally best as a team player and they need friendly relationships and are motivated by interaction with others. The second type was the need of power (N-Pow), this need can exhibit in two ways, and this person may feel the need to have power over others and are driven by status and importance and feel the need to impact and be influenced. The second type of “need of power” is the need for institutional power. People with the need for institutional power; want to direct the efforts of their team, to further the objectives of their organisation. And lastly the third type of need is the need to achieve (N-Arch), excel and succeed. A person with this type of need, will set goals that are challenging but realistic. The goals should be challenging so that the person can feel a sense of achievement. However, the goals also have to be realistic as the person believes that when a goal is unrealistic, its achievement is dependent on chance rather than personal skill or contribution.
From looking at (appendix 1) how the Manager and deputy manager approached and managed the staffing situation to resolved concerns, they both mainly showed a need of N-affil with some qualities of an N-Arch. This is might illustrate to staff that the manager comes over friendly and approachable but also sets realistic goals that the staff will meet. However, the manager may need to show signs of N-Pow, so that there is a sense of power, impact and strong leader as the deputy manager appears more diverse in decisions needing to be implemented. The deputy manager appears to use the John Adair theory. Adair (2009) found that effective leaders need to concentrate on three specific areas of their business at any one time and these are the task in hand, the group’s needs and the needs of the individual. Adair (1973) believes that the task needs a team because one person alone cannot accomplish, if the team needs are not met the task will suffer and the individual will not be satisfied and if the individual needs are not met the team will suffer and performance of the task will be impaired. McCelland (1961) affirms that within my case study there is a clear team below the deputy, the needs were met as the staff members had a chance to express their opinion and concerns their individuals needs were also met as the manager provided a comfortable environment for the discussion.
This then takes us onto the third level, love and belonging. Building friendships within the staff team and trusting each other. This can also be linked to Adair’s theory the first stage of N-affil seeking friendly relationships and human interaction. This could be seen that staff motivation could reflect on practice and the children. Therefore, this needs to be met so that the individual feels comfortable and confident around their team so that they can obtain a sense of group identity and continuity when working with children. The forth level concentrates on self-esteem. As mentioned earlier the manager is working towards an N-affil approach with staff this it is believed to give self-esteem so the staff will then feel confident to engage in discussions. However, this method could cause concern for the manager as there may not be a clear barrier between staff and management team and there may be a lack of respect.
Maslow’s fifth and highest level is ‘Self-Actualization’. Maslow (1970) suggests that individuals are capable of self-actualization that most will never do so. Within the setting the deputy manager sacrifice’s her basic needs, for example she will work through break times, she does not work for financial gain as wages are poor, she works over her hours to get work completed. This could be seen that staff do their job to try and reach self-actualization and strive to better results. Stevenson (2014) argues that early year’s leaders work with others to initiate and react to crises in a way that equilibrium is restored.
This is where it seems regular appraisals would be beneficial for all staff member within the setting. Not only do they allow staff, who have low self-esteem, get their concerns across, but it also enables managers to report any issues that may arise and conduct a plan of action where needed. It gives them both some privacy and a chance to engage on a more personal level. An appraisal is a tool to measure a team member’s strengths and weaknesses and develop an action plan with realistic targets. Generally, appraisals are emphasised as a good motivation technique as they help the workforce feel valued and delegate work to more senior staff Thomas (2003).
Highlighted throughout the case study there appears to be work overload for the deputy manager and sometimes the manager seems to lack vision and dive where decisions need to be made. Therefore, this could lead to confusion within the work force as the manager does not appear to have vision. The employees then have to make their own judgement and carry out the task, this suggests the staff may feel frustrated and unmotivated. Isles-Buck and Newstead (2003:10) suggest that ‘managers need to be able to hold and progress a vision so that the rest of the team are regularly aware of what their work is about and why it is important to change and deliver their practice. Having vision improves the service the setting delivers as well as keeping individual team members focused and motivated’. Goleman (1995) suggests leaders direct where a group is going, yet not how it will get there this indicates employees are free to innovate and take calculated risks. This suggests that in the case study the manager does not always have vision, she does explain where the team needs to aim for, however it may seem she is leaving it up to the staff to know how to get there.
CONCLUSION
The reality has shown that a majority of early years’ professionals use both management and leadership skills. Although commonly assumed as different the terms leadership and management have equally important purposes and possess many traits. Within early years as practitioner’s leadership and management responsibilities are required of practitioners, most of whom manage their own routines their work with children and their families. Almost most of the theories and approaches indicate that motivation is a vital influence for a healthy productive workforce. Which it became apparent that the deputy manager holds more vision than the settings manager, however as the deputy processes many types of leadership and management traits the theories could be seen throughout the case study as she used many different forms of the motivation and management techniques.