Management
Bisciglia’s leadership style is autonomous in nature. Its leaders do not exercise a total control on their juniors. Instead, this leadership style involves the issuance of guidelines, which are not clearly defined, and it is up to the subjects to come up with strategies that will suit the leaders’ expectations. The workers/employees are left to observe and study what others are doing as they take note of the level of innovations expected from them. The leaders offer instant questions though the subject has to personally look for more information in order to accomplish set goals or objectives. This form of leadership is, therefore, more autonomous since it give subjects some level of freedom in regards to the performance of their duties and operations.
For this leadership style to work in an organization or a governing group, the subjects being led have to be very intelligent and they must also have the ability to cope with the rapid changes that may occur within their work environments. This is because slow learners would not be able to meet their leaders’ expectations. Their philosophy also discourages people who do not like to work, learn or discover new things on their own. The employees have to have a diverse knowledge so as to formulate projects that can prove viable to their leaders.
The Google Company has adopted the 20 percent time program. This system and philosophy allows an employee to spend 20 percent of his/her work time on innovative projects that do not necessarily align with their work within the organization. The leaders allow diversity and individuals who think ‘outside the box’. This leadership style encourages innovation and creativity. Over time, it has proven to be productive since the company has been able to commence simple projects that have been developed to a point where they outgrow the leader’s expectations.
Analyze how situational leadership is relevant to the case study
Situational leadership was developed by Kenneth Blanchard and Paul Hersey. They were able to come up with a style that incorporates this distinct leadership style. This style allows the leader to craft his leadership style in a manner that would suit the individual or group being governed. The leadership style that is adopted has to be one that they people can easily adapt. It does not state any preferred distinct style. Instead, the leader incorporates several styles just to fit in with the group he/she will lead.
The case study outlines how the leaders are able to encourage the subjects they lead by offering them avenues and opportunities to exercise their creativity and innovation. Once their projects are considered viable, their projects are implemented and offered the support they require. This acts as a non-monetary incentive to the employees of an organization hence resulting into cordial relationship between the leadership and the subjects. This leadership style also changes with the dynamic nature of the employees.
Google has realized that employee’s need to explore their talents and creativity without regulations and deadlines through the 20 percent program. In addition, the company has realized that when employees are offered freedom, they can initiate worthwhile projects that can be beneficial to both employees and the company. This program creates a two-way benefit spectrum whereby the company not only benefits from an improved working morale from its employees but also from deals and agreements that assure employees of the ownership rights of these projects. The adjustment of the leadership program is carried out in a manner that suits employees as well as managers in order to ensure that they are able to improve their performance when carrying out their duties and obligations.
Examine Google 20 percent time program and its impact on employees and organizational performance
This is a philosophy adopted by Google Company that allows employees to have 20 percent of their work time dedicated into other projects that do not necessarily have to be in line with their job descriptions. The projects, if found viable, are supported and engineered to greater levels. Many of their employees have come up with innovations which have been adopted by the company. Such include projects include the incorporation of shortcuts in the keyboard.
The morale of the company’s employees has also been boosted through this program since the leaders offer their subjects a platform to showcase their ideas and creativity regardless of their job descriptions. This acts as a form of incentive, though not monetary nature, since employees will concentrate on something they enjoy doing without being forced by their leaders. It has been realized that employees enjoy and have a positive outlook once the leaders recognize projects that they have initiated.
While other companies offer perks which are monetary in nature in order to maintain their employees, Google offers creativity enhancement and the freedom of choice for their employees to concentrate on things they feel passionate about. These have been able to create competitiveness in the companies recruitment drive. The overall organizational performance is also likely to increase due to such perks.
It may be considered non valuable, but it has been proven that, most employees who have been able to see their pilot or small projects advanced and adopted by Google as part of their applications, are more eager to perform their tasks efficiently and effectively while at the work place.
Determination of whether Google has a preferred leadership and its impact on organizational performance
Google’s style of leadership creates a competitive appeal to the labor force that is available in their industry hence making its recruitment process attract large numbers of applicants. Their leadership style creates options for the completion of strenuous workloads and it is is most preferred especially by the company’s employees. The human resource is the most important resource to companies that require human output and any effort made to boost their morale when performing their tasks should be encouraged. Google has been able to use preferred leadership to make employees feel part and parcel of the company as well as removing the enmity found between the leaders and their subjects.
The leadership styles adopted by Google have been found to enhance organizational performance as employees are encouraged to work on something that is in their personal interest. Performance increases mainly due to the freedom granted by their leaders to pursue the completion of projects that they are passionate about. Decision making authority, in this case, does not exist, and there are no guidelines and expectations mounted on the projects one pursues. Great ideas and innovations have been developed through this approach and this has earned supplementary income for the company after they support such projects into mega programs.
Companies and leaders should try and emulate the 20 percent program as it concurs to the situational leadership style that has been able to overcome most challenges posed by other forms of leadership. More, the organization’s performance will be bound to increases as well as employee’s dedication to their individual work within the organization.
References
Google's 20 Percent Factor. (n.d.). Retrieved from ABC News:
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=4839327&page=1
Kelchner, L. (2008). Situational Leadership and Its Effectiveness in Leading an Organization.
Retrieved from Small Business: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/situational-leadership-its
-effectiveness-leading-organization-26324.html
Mediratta, B. (2007, 10 21). The Google Way: Give Engineers Room. Retrieved from NY Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/21/jobs/21pre.html?_r=0
Strickland, J. (2008). How the Googleplex Works. Retrieved from How stuff works:
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/googleplex3.htm
