CHAPTER 3 CONCEPTUAL AND THEORETICAL
3.5 HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT FOR PUBLIC
3.5.2 Leadership in the context of institutional administration 130
If organisations consisted of machines that could execute management‟s orders promptly, predictably and with mechanical precision, only the planning and organisational tasks of management would be necessary for its objectives to be attained (Smit & Cronjé 1999:361). Organisations are made up of machines and people. It is people who give life to the organisation, hence they are one of its most important resources. People are probably also the most complex resource in the organisation, because they are unpredictable and different. Each individual in an organisation has a different combination of interests, capabilities, habits, skills and objectives and is differently motivated (Collins & Porras 1994:97). Thus
each person has a personal agenda that does not necessarily put the interests of the business organisation first. An organisation‟s human resources are therefore extremely complex.
Directing this complex resource of the organisation, guiding the behaviour of or leading the employees of an organisation requires a complicated management activity, namely leadership. If an organisation is to attain its objectives, someone must set certain activities in motion and keep them going. Thus the management activities that are set in motion must also be kept in motion for the objectives to be attained. In leading, management gives direction to the organisation‟s activities so that all its resources are deployed as effectively as possible to realise its objectives. Leadership is the process of directing the behaviour of others towards the accomplishment of certain objectives (McKee & Pittari 2001:116). It involves taking the lead to bridge the gap between formulating plans and reaching objectives, in other words, translating plans into reality.
Leadership involves elements such as influencing people, giving orders, motivating people either as individuals or in groups, managing conflict and communicating with subordinates (Gardner 1995:109). Leadership is, therefore, the activity that infuses energy into the organisation to activate its members and resources to get things moving and keep them in motion (Gardner 1995:109).
The performance of any organisation, public or private, is directly related to the quality of its leadership. However, it is important to note that good managers are not necessarily good leaders (Kotter 1996:84). To increase the performance of the organisation, it is obviously desirable that all managers should also be good leaders, which is why organisations should seek and train people who are good managers and leaders. Because of the critical role that managers play in the successful management of organisations, leadership is one of the most important functions of the management process. The interdependence between management and leadership should be apparent if leadership is seen as follows
“The process of working with other people to identify and achieve common goals in a meaningful way. The one element that is absolutely necessary to any program involving people is leadership. Without the ability to lead, a manager cannot be effective even though he or she may be extremely erudite person”.
(Whitehead 1999 :54).
It is important that leaders do not just adopt the style and habits that have proved successful for traditional leaders but they should draw on the skills and attitudes they developed from their shared experience as democratic managers. Locke and Latham (1990:47) state that in Australia, there have been convulsions in established organisations such as the churches, police forces, public services, universities, health services and businesses. These organisations are being challenged as never before. Their management and leadership are no longer regarded as „sacrosanct‟ and are subject to increasing criticism. Included among the forces that have contributed to the complexity and turbulence of modern organisational environments are the expanding information society, discontinuous changes, a marked resurgence in probity and social justice issues of gender, access and equity as well as the increasing stranglehold of economic rationalism (Nevis, Lancourt & Vassallo 1996:91). Environmental complexities and turbulence have brought to the forefront fundamental issues and tensions relating to leadership, organisational structures, culture and management practices.
These challenges, which appear to be worldwide phenomena, have placed leadership, its basis and function, under critique. There is, especially, re- examination of the concepts of power and authority and how they are exercised and legitimised (Young & Dixon 1996:113). Bhindi and Duignan (1997:120) maintain that leadership and management are being redefined and there are increasing calls for a clear shift away from traditional hierarchical control mechanisms and processes as a basis for influence to notions of leadership as service and stewardship.
A major paradigm shift is occurring in the way we construe our world, work, relationships and leadership (Gunn 1995:36). According to Kets de Vries (1993:19), the current emphasis on corporate managerialism, the excesses of leadership expediency and obsession with self-interest and narcissistic behaviour, personal advantage and lust for power and privilege have contributed to a persistent feeling among the followers of being used, cheated and even demeaned. Murphy (1995:92) maintains that this disquiet about excessive managerialism has led to the call for the transformation of managers and administrators into leaders. Murphy (1995:92) argues that no matter whether in educational, religious, public service or business organisations, leaders encourage and support ways of thinking and doing that are ethical and people- centred. Murphy (1995:97) proposes that leaders in the new century will need to be more sensitive and caring in their attitudes and relationships and more adaptable and flexible in their practices if they are to release the potential, and tap the diversity of talents of those who work with them.