Leadership
The major aim of any business organization is to be able to make profits while at the same time, sustains its existence in the market. One of the main aspects to achieve this is through positive leadership in order to steer the organization objectives ahead. According to Arslan (2013), there are two types of leadership theories. The first one is theory X which assumes that employees are lazy and prefer to be assigned responsibilities as well as just getting by. The second one is theory Y which assumes that employees are interested to take up tasks through self-motivation and a sense of belonging. In that regard, theory Y is considered an effective leadership theory because it aids the organization to improve and be able to adapt to the market changes through the provision of strategies in order to develop as well as stimulate transformations to the business. Erbil (2004) and her colleagues argue on the importance of the effectiveness of leaders in the growth of the organization through the implementation of theory Y in order to get positive results. However, implementation of theory Y does not always result in positive results because it needs a combination of other factors.
Motivation
The effort of employees in their respective roles is the main aspect that firms are seeking in order to maximize the value of the firm and that of the shareholder. Taking into consideration that the effort may decline in time, employees are motivated through the use of various forms in order to encourage them to improve their efforts in their roles towards achieving the stated goals. The theory of worker motivation, published by Fredrick Taylor in 1911, concluded that the purpose for people to work was wholly to earn money. Taylor’s theory put forward that every man’s concern is to make maximum gain in terms of money (Kanigel, 1997). Furthermore, the theory implied that instead of a group response, human beings have personalized response. It makes it conceivable handling individuals in a standard similar to machines. In addition, lack of incentives in a wage system causes a decline in productivity. However, Taylor believed that employees in the same department should be paid differently because each of them put different effort in their work. But, Taylor’s theory failed to take into consideration other factors motivating employees to work such as the work environment, passion, self-satisfaction and relationship with employer.
Meeting the needs of an individual
A case study conducted by Laura (2011) examined that there are physical as well as psychological factors that affect the academic success of students. Discussions show that the importance to meet Abraham Maslow’s five level of hierarchy of needs affects the ability of academic performance among the students (Laura, 2011). Therefore, one of the main aspects is being healthy and getting sufficient sleep in order to enable a student to attend lectures and take part in normal activities daily without any interruptions. Similarly, the feeling of belonging makes an employee to increase their potential which in turn results in increased productivity. According to Laura (2011), the highest prosperity for students involves both passing the modules as well as utmost improvement of grades. This shows the significance of a voice and establishing a conducive environment affects the academic performance.
Time management
Scholars argue that people cannot manage time, but they manage events in their life. It is important for students to keep a time log in order to determine how they make use of their time. Time management requires effective setting of priorities which requires a distinction between the activities that are important and what is urgent (Forsyth, 2013). According to experts, the most important tasks are typically not the most urgent tasks. However, people tend to let the urgent dominate their lives instead of the important. The use of a planning tool is always recommended by time management experts for the purpose of improving productivity of an individual. For instance, personal planning tools such as pocket diaries, electronic planners, calendars, computer programs, and notebooks are some of planning tools that can be used for time management. Time management entails being organized by using various methods such as event prioritization. Appropriate time scheduling is important especially for busy individuals (Forsyth, 2013). Time scheduling helps people to be committed to things they want to do using a particular time log. In addition, time management experts recommend people to avoid multi-tasking because research indicates that time is wasted when switching from one task to another resulting in lost productivity.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, leadership is an important aspect required for firms to achieve their aim of making profits and remaining in the market. The adoption of the right leadership theory, (theory Y), can help in ensuring that employees are motivated to take up responsibilities as well as belonging. Firms are using various forms of motivation to encourage them to be more productive which in turn increases the value of the firm and the shareholders. The needs of an individual such as sufficient sleep needs to be met in order for them to be more active and productive when executing their duties. In addition, experts recommend proper time management as one aspect for an individual to succeed.
- Forsyth, P. (2013). Successful Time Management. Kogan Page Publishers
- Kanigel, R., (1997). The one best way: Fredrick Winslow Taylor and the enigma of efficiency. New York, USA: Penguin-Viking
- Arslan, A., & Staub, S. (2013). Theory X and theory Y type leadership behavior and its impact on organizational performance: Small business owners in the Şishane lighting and chandelier district.Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 75, 102–111. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.04.012
- Laura, J. (2011). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and student academic success. Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 6(1), 9–13.
