Models of Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Models of Leadership - Essay Example & Angelo K., 2004). This factor is the key in leadership. There are a number of leadership styles that are proposed in various books journals, periodicals and the internet. In this paper, only some of them are discussed very briefly as it is not possible to discuss each and every leadership style also these are discussed briefly so that these can be applied to the selected organization in much more detail. But are these styles of leadership actually followed in the organizations today To look into the practical application of the various leadership styles, a company that specializes in the manufacturing of computer hardware components, Softech Company is selected and leadership styles followed at two different levels of management are discussed and analyzed. There is an in-depth analysis conducted on the style of leadership that these managers follow and the way they deal with their subordinates and what influence their subordinates have through their personalities. For the purpose of analyzing the application of leadership, Softech Company was selected. The company background and rationale for selection is discussed later in the paper. Two levels of the organization were focused for the analysis of the leadership style possessed by the leaders. One top level executive was chosen for the purpose of analysis and another middle level manager's leadership style was studied. The names and complete designations are kept confidential as the respondents didn't want to disclose this information. The styles of these managers vary broadly in terms of their approach to the tasks and subordinates. Models of Leadership Definitions The different models of leadership that will be discussed in this section are discussed under three theories of leadership, namely; 1. Trait Theory 2. Behavior Theory 3. Situational Theory The different models under these theories are discussed below: 1. Trait Theory This theory is based on the presumptions that leaders are born with some special traits. These traits are not possessed by those people who follow the leaders and are unique to the leaders only. Stogdill's & Mann's Research The specific traits that are possessed by the leaders (Stogdill R., 1948) that differentiate the leaders from others (Mann R., 1959) are five in number and are as follows: a. height of energy and activity b. intelligence c. self-confidence d. task relevant knowledge e. dominance Other Traits by Various Leaders Various famous leaders in the organizations have identified a number of traits that they think are possessed by the leaders. These traits are as in the table 1 in the appendix. Thus, these traits were identified by various leaders and all of them have different traits identified but the common element still remains the 'social influence'. 1. Behavior Theory Unlike the trait theory, the behavioral aspect of leadership focuses on the behaviors of the leaders

The role of women in the society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The role of women in the society - Essay Example The idea here is that even in deprived households, the issues that affect females may be very different from those that affect the males, thus sometimes making the consequences of such poverty harder for the woman (123). As a matter of fact, Sen writes that in developing countries, where poverty levels are high, the mortality rates for women are higher than those of women (124). In Sen’s opinion, most women faced with poverty find it hard to claim a personal identity and often refer to themselves in relation to their family. This lack of personal identity translates to low levels of personal welfare for the women (124). Accordingly, it is common to find households in which women get the least amount of food, medicine, and other kinds of services needed for survival (125). This means that most of the time, women sacrifice their wellbeing for the sake of the family’s welfare. In the end, women become less economically stable as compared to men. 2. Reexamining the role of women In as far as women redefining their role in the society, Pearson’s main point of argument is based on the relationship between women and economic empowerment. Concerning paid work, Pearson is of the opinion that most women seek employment in search of money needed to enable them fulfill their gendered functions in the society (201). Pearson, however, challenges the idea that women can only be empowered through paid labor, a system advocated for by capitalist ideologies. The contentious issue, here, is that the kind of paid labor that most women are incorporated into is often left out of the formal economy. This is to mean that most women in the paid workforce do not enjoy the associated benefits such as flexible working hours, social protection, fair pay, and protection... In as far as women redefining their role in the society, Pearson’s main point of the argument is based on the relationship between women and economic empowerment. Concerning paid work, Pearson is of the opinion that most women seek employment in search of money needed to enable them to fulfill their gendered functions in the society (201). Pearson, however, challenges the idea that women can only be empowered through paid labor, a system advocated for by capitalist ideologies. The contentious issue, here, is that the kind of paid labor that most women are incorporated into is often left out of the formal economy. This is to mean that most women in the paid workforce do not enjoy the associated benefits such as flexible working hours, social protection, fair pay, and protection of reproductive health, among others (202). Thus, many women end up falling in the informal employment bracket, where they are involved in numerous income-generating activities, as opposed to a particula r profession. It is also, according to Pearson, a common phenomenon to find micro-credit institutions that lend money to women to start up money-making activities, and then later repay the institutions at a small profit (206). However, when these women become empowered economically, it is often assumed that this translates to power shifts in the household (Pearson, 207). This assumption is flawed since, although the women become empowered, in most cases she bears the burden of the loans alone, while the husband remains the head of household operations.