In the bureaucratic leadership, the insistence was on a top-down paradigm where physical production was consider as a key element of the organization. In this case, the knowledge structures and the decision-making process would trickle down from the top management and filter through the hierarchy levels of management. However, with the post-bureaucratic era of organizations and business, the dynamism of the environment along which businesses operate means that there is a need to allow models that can help manage knowledge irrespective of the hierarchy level from where originate (Uhl-Bien, Marion, & McKelvey, 2007). The workers at lower levels of management or technical levels have thus become a more important component of the decision-making structure especially where changes are required in response to a change business environment. As such, current models have been designed to facilitate the development, management and integration of knowledge and innovation skills that cut across the hierarchies of staff within organizations (Gallos, 2014). These models take into consideration the role of the workers at technical level as the key to ensuring the continued dominance of the organization in its area of production.
The post-bureaucratic leadership admits that there is a need to develop systems that adapt well to the interactive, dynamic and complex where adaptive outcomes of innovation, learning and adaptability are incorporated and managed simultaneously with the physical production process (Uhl-Bien, Marion, & McKelvey, 2007). Thus, an overarching framework that focuses on developing an environment to support or facilitate learning, creativity and adaptability is just but a requirement to survive the overheads that come with a changing environment. The creation of such an enabling environment is regarded as interplay between the administrative functions, bureaucratic functions of the organization as well as the emerging informal dynamics of new model organizations.
Josserand, Teo, & Clegg (2006) assert that the new model organizations are developed on the basis of creating connectivity between the individual and the organization. This connectivity is designed to create relationships that are not just based on commonality of history or membership, but one whose primary focus is to create a platform for data and information exchange (Handel, 2014). These exchange-platforms them facilitates the process of acquaintance which subsequently leads to integration and disintegration in response to the emerging trends on the business environment (Uhl-Bien, Marion, & McKelvey, 2007). As such, if at all these exchanges are to be productive; the organization must invest in creating a culture that nurtures the knowledge skills and experience at all levels.
This investment must be visible at policy and material level. At policy level, it involves replacing the old methods of imposing rules to govern the work environment with a more realistic approach where consensus and dialogue are enhanced (Josserand, Teo, & Clegg, 2006). Within these dialogue and consensus platforms, informal leadership skills are nurtured so that the individual’s value at their level of service delivery impacts directly on the production or output. Similarly, responsibilities are granted on the basis of merit as opposed to hierarchy and previous levels of experience or influence. This approach and attitude offers the lower level hierarchy the motivation to implement their ideologies which if deemed effective could see them rise through the ranks to higher levels of governance (Uhl-Bien, Marion, & McKelvey, 2007). This is, usually, a form of intrinsic motivation that has been regarded as crucial in facilitating innovation and learning across all levels. On the other hand, the policies in the post-bureaucratic era insist on the need to focus on each person as an individual rather than as a remote figure within the subsystems of the organization.
On the material aspect, the role of management is designed to offer the financial support through a negotiated budgetary process without the employees at lower hierarchy. As such, the employees do not act just as recipients of the materials necessary for the production. They also as the auditors of the implementation of the organizations strategic plan (Uhl-Bien, Marion, & McKelvey, 2007). In this essence, the responsibility of the employees is extended to impact on the administrative and financial aspect which essentially promotes accountability across the hierarchy.
The level of dynamism currently witnessed in business is occasioned by rampant changes in terms of technology and businesses practices. Admittedly, unlike the last century, the 21st century is quite dynamic and volatile. As such, it takes the involvement of management to ensure that the organizations that they lead are insulated from the risks associated with the ever-changing business environment (Handel, 2014). Therefore, organizational culture is an important angle from which this problem can be addressed. Learning is an integral part of accommodating change. The management is a crucial component in relation to influencing organizational culture. In the post-bureaucratic business setting, the management is the central influencing factor and the type of management and environment provided by the managers hugely influence the level of adaptability to change.
Learning organizational cultures have traditionally been used by successful organizations to insulate their organizations from the impacts of the volatile business environment in the contemporary. As such, the management has a hand in fostering a learning culture within an organization. Characteristics of learning organizations include strong R&D departments and offering enough space to try out new things (innovativeness) without punishment in the event of failure. Every organizational endeavor relies on the good will and support from its leadership. Inculcating a learning culture means that the leadership should avail adequate financial resources to support research and development.
The modern market has become very dynamic, and changes in consumer preferences and tastes are rampant. Therefore, the success of a business organization depends on how much, market information is available. To stay updated about changes in marketing trends and the level of rivalry staged by the competitors it imperative to have the ear on the ground (Gallos, 2014). Understanding of the market trends is dependent on the financial endowment of the research and development department. In the post-bureaucratic system of leadership, business leaders should avail funds to support the activities of the R&D department. Research and development departments are not only used in diagnosing the external environment but also the internal environment. The concept of learning is the engine behind the R&D department. Business leadership should inculcate a learning culture whereby organizational problems can be identified by the R&D department without fear. Apart from the research and development department, other members of the organization benefit from learning.
Leadership should thus acknowledge the need for fostering a learning environment since there are numerous benefits that can be realized through a learning environment. Most organizational problems can be solved through learning. A learning culture provides an ample environment for team work due to high levels of collective decision making and consultations (Jauch et al., 2014). Furthermore, learning cultures encourage motivation among workers and thus improves productivity. Therefore in the modern post-bureaucratic age, business leadership should give workers a degree of freedom and liberty to add to the management strategies and influence leadership. It is through such freedom that earning can be achieved. One of the leadership practices that facilitate learning is the delegation of roles.
Delegation of roles implies that the management or the leadership team forfeits some of their responsibilities to junior organizational members. This equips the junior workers with the knowledge of business management and leadership-a prudent strategy for the future. Business leadership is not stagnant, and aged leaders, or retired leaders are replaced with new blood. Failure to expose younger junior workers to leadership and management roles can be equated to time-bombs that can lead to business failure. Delegation ensures that junior workers are exposed to leadership challenges and with time; they develop competent skills who can sufficiently manage huge organizations (Gallos, 2014).
Business communication is another strategy that is used by modern post-bureaucratic business to foster learning. Business communication strategies in the bureaucratic epoch amassed the decision-making powers to the leadership only, where other organizational members outside the management core were mere instruction receivers. However, in the post-bureaucratic era, this has changed; this era has seen decision-making powers being vested in the hands of all organizational members with less or no regard to their levels. This has been achieved through horizontal and vertical communication strategies. Horizontal communication channels ensure that the consultation between various department and units is alive. On the other hand, vertical communication channels take care of the up-down exchange of ideas between the top level management and other junior levels within the organization. This practice ensures that learning is an overall endeavor and not confined to the leadership only. It is through exchange of ideas that innovation and hence learning can be achieved. As such, the post-bureaucratic leadership has a role to enhance movement of ideas from one organizational member to another without necessarily imposing hierarchical barriers characteristic to the bureaucratic age.
Technological advancements in the post-bureaucratic era, especially in the in the field of information technology has offered a new learning platform for business organizations. Modern day business leadership has adopted information technology as a strategy to make organizational learning easier (North & Kumta, 2014). For instance, the social media have become a hot point for businesses to interact with the public and their customers. Through the social media and analysis of reactions within the social media, platforms can be a vital source of clues pertaining the consumer tastes and preferences.
The post-bureaucratic era leadership is one that seeks to place more responsibility on the employees and to shun the role of the bureaucratic-all-controlling manager. The employee is regarded as one who is capable of self-managing their schedule and activities to influence the organizational production line (Josserand, Teo, & Clegg, 2006). In this case, the employee is given the upper hand to pursue the organizational goals without necessarily requiring any form of supervision. Rather it is a collaborative and engaging platform with other employees and the administrative entity of the organization. Realistically, this would seem like an aspect of taking away the role of management within organizations. However, the aspect is to have a management team that offers the support to engage employees as a component that directly influences the production process. In essence, it is to create a role that allows the management to impact on the employee in an equal measure as the employee impacts on the management and with both impacting on the production line (Josserand, Teo, & Clegg, 2006).
References
Gallos, J. V. (Ed.). (2014). Business leadership: a Jossey-Bass reader. John Wiley & Sons.
Handel, M. J. (2014). Theories of lean management: An empirical evaluation.Social science research, 44, 86-102.
Jauch, L. R., Luse, D., Mcconkey, W., Parker, M., Rettenmayer, J., & Roshto, P. (2014). The wheel of learning: An integrative business curriculum experiment.Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning, 27.
Josserand, E., Teo, S., & Clegg, S. (2006). From bureaucratic to post-bureaucratic: the difficulties of transition. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 19(1), 54-64.
North, K., & Kumta, G. (2014). Knowledge Management: Value Creation Through Organizational Learning. Springer.
Uhl-Bien, M., Marion, R., & McKelvey, B. (2007). Complexity leadership theory: Shifting leadership from the industrial age to the knowledge era. The leadership quarterly, 18(4), 298-318.
