Assignment Brief
According to Rollinson (2010) p 519states “one of the major debates considering
organisational change relates to the role of those who lead it”.
Required:
Critically evaluate the characteristics of transactional versus transformational
leaders during an organisational change management process.
Assignment Considerations
General
It can be good practice in your preparations for this assignment to undertake a
number of activities. These include:
Establishing key issues/areas raised by the question
Defining fundamental terms
Describing contextual information e.g. background to topic and its significance
and/or interesting statistical data
Identifying, explaining in detail and cross-comparing relevant concepts, models
and theoretical approaches
Applying concepts to contemporary issues within business settings
Applying models/theories to workplace/organisation/industry examples and/or
evaluating the practical application of models/theories
Drawing parallels between theory and practice
Evaluating relative merits and drawbacks of opposing academic viewpoints with a
view to building independent opinions
Formulating balanced, persuasive independent arguments based on academic
evidence and judgement
Stating a clear, overall answer to the question
Particular consideration may be given to
Analyse the characteristics of transactional leaders.
Analyse the characteristics of transformational leaders.
Compare and contrast the characteristics of transactional and transformational
leaders.
Critically analyse the cultural characteristics (at National and Organisational level)
that should take into account when considering the process of organisational
change management.
It is important to draw a parallel between the theory and practice and use
appropriate references for the facts given; through application of the APA 6th Ed
Referencing system.
ANSWER:
Introduction
Leaders and managers inform the direction that organizations take. Leaders have various types of powers that place them at a position of spearheading and implementing change, which commanding respect and followership. Organizational changes face resistance from staff who perceive that they will be displaced or affected negatively. Leaders, thus, play a primary role in informing organizational change and its acceptance. Bagher (2010) argued that the role of the individuals who lead change is one of the primary considerations when instituting organizational change. Bagher (2010) also felt that while leadership is crucial in organizational change, there is no ‘one best way’ of leading. Leadership in the face of organizational change, thus, entails a combination of appropriate traits and styles that align with the culture of the organization in question.
Background
The business world is constantly changing, and organizations can only survive if their leaders understand the change and spearhead it within their firms. In that regard, leaders must appreciate the importance of the change process and implement the necessary measures to ensure that an organization will succeed through it. According to Reeves & Puschel (2015), who reported a study that was conducted by the Boston Consulting Group in 2015, at least a tenth of public companies fail each year because they do not succeed through the change processes. The Boston Consulting Group undertook a study involving 35,000 firms that were publicly listed within the United States of America since 1950 (Reeves & Puschel, 2015). The study reported that the failure rate has increased by four times since 1965. Importantly, the study points to an existing problem in organizational change and leadership…..To continue reading, click on the button below.