Management styles

Management styles are characteristic ways of making decisions and relating to subordinates.

Depending on the author, management styles have been categorized into two main contrasting styles: autocratic and permissive. or the main categories of autocratic, paternalistic, and democratic.

An management style is one where the manager makes decisions unilaterally, and without much regard for subordinates. As a result, decisions will reflect the opinions and personality of the manager, which in turn can project an image of a confident, well-managed business. On the other hand, strong and competent subordinates may chafe because of limits on decision-making freedom, the organization will get limited initiatives from those "on the front lines", and turnover among the best subordinates will be higher.

There are two types of autocratic leaders:

This style is used in times of crisis where the time for discussion is unavailable and the managers are responsible to give orders only. These orders need to be obeyed immediately by the staff so that further problems are not caused. It is also used in the military and police forces where instruction are given and need to be taken seriously without hesitation.

A more paternalistic form is also essentially dictatorial. However, decisions do take into account the best interests of the employees as well as the business. Communication is again generally downward, but feedback to the management is encouraged to maintain morale. This style can be highly advantageous when it engenders loyalty from the employees, leading to a lower labor turnover, thanks to the emphasis on social needs. On the other hand, for a consultative management style the lack of worker motivation can be typical if no loyal connection is established between the manager and the people who are managed. It shares disadvantages with an autocratic style, such as employees becoming dependent on the leader. However, by having an open door policy helps minimize conflicts among employees and empowers them to set standards to improve job performance.

A persuasive management style involves the manager sharing some characteristics with that of an autocratic manager. The most important aspect of a persuasive manager is that they maintain control over the entire decision-making process. The most prominent difference here is that the persuasive manager will spend more time working with their subordinates in order to try to convince them of the benefits of the decisions that have been made. A persuasive manager is more aware of their employees, but it would be incorrect to say that the persuasive style of management is more inclusive of employees.

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Wikipedia