Authoritative Management Style: Best Leadership Approach

Introduction

Leadership and talent retention are important HR-related aspects in today's business environment given the increased changes and competitiveness of the modern business landscape (Zhang et al., 2015). Despite the lack of a single universally appropriate management style, the authoritative style is arguably the best management style. An authoritative manager tends to communicate an organization's mission and vision effectively, provides organizational direction, and clearly articulates expectations. While considered an authority, an authoritative leader encourages subordinates or followers to utilize suitable approaches towards accomplishing organizational goals. The authoritative style is the best management style with regard to providing organizational direction through effective communication, showing sensitivity to employees, and ensuring perfect execution of tasks.

Need for the Best Management Style

Today's business environment is increasingly changing and characterized by heightened competition between companies. In light of rapid technological advances, business organizations are increasingly operating in a challenging and evolving environment (Gonos & Gallo, 2013). Therefore, improved business performance has become more important in the modern business environment. For managers, the ability to achieve desired performance depends on a variety of factors, including the use of a suitable management or leadership style (Dixon, 2003). A suitable management or leadership style helps in the effective management of business practices and operations, which contributes to the constant improvement of organizational performance in relation to established business objectives and goals. One of the major ways through which a suitable management style contributes to improved business performance is by linking corporate strategy to operational objectives (Gonos & Gallo, 2013).

Throughout the years, the issue of the best management style has attracted considerable attention in management studies. Yu, Fang, and Wang (2015) observed that the effectiveness of management styles has become a major issue in management studies over the past few decades. This increased focus is fueled by the correlation between management style and employee contributions towards the achievement of organizational goals and objectives. Management styles have a significant impact on organizational culture — including employee attitudes, organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and employee behavior. Additionally, the need to identify the best management style in relation to improved business performance is fueled by the lack of a single universally appropriate management style. Nonetheless, managers need to identify the most suitable leadership style in order to establish organizational cultures that help in gaining competitive advantage in the relatively challenging and evolving business environment.

Authoritative Leadership as the Best Management Style

Whereas there is no single universally appropriate management style, the authoritative style is arguably the best. A review of existing management styles demonstrates that authoritative management style is the best leadership approach in relation to the changing conditions and competitiveness of today's business environment. Authoritative management style is one of the predominant active leadership styles that influence individual and organizational effectiveness (Chapman, Johnson & Kilner, 2014). Zhang, Lin, and Foo (2012) contend that while servant leadership is a more widely accepted management approach, authoritative leadership style continues to exist as one of the most effective leadership styles for managers.

Gonos and Gallo (2013) define authoritative management style as a leadership approach characterized by execution of the will and wishes of the leader with little to no consideration of the opinions of subordinates. In this management style, leaders make independent decisions, give orders and instructions to subordinates, and expect those subordinates to implement them (Cenkci & Ozcelik, 2015). Additionally, this management approach is characterized by unilateral, top-down communication, while leaders utilize their discretion to determine suitable remuneration for their subordinates. In light of its definition, authoritative management style comprises three major characteristics: structure, control, and sensitivity (Bielous, 1994). Under structure, authoritative managers use their understanding of — and belief in — the significance of a suitable departmental structure to enforce company policy consistently. In relation to control, these managers do not give subordinates so much freedom that it would result in failure to accomplish organizational goals or objectives. With regard to sensitivity, authoritative managers listen to their subordinates in a genuine way that contributes to individual and organizational growth.

Conclusion

The need for a suitable and effective management style has become a major issue in today's changing and challenging business environment. While this issue has dominated management studies in the past few decades, there is no universally appropriate management style for all situations. However, a review of existing leadership approaches shows that authoritative leadership style is the best management style because it helps in providing organizational direction, ensuring execution of tasks, and showing sensitivity to subordinates. These factors are crucial components that make authoritative leadership the most suitable management style, especially in dealing with the increased competitiveness and challenging nature of the modern business environment.

References

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