Leaders influence micro-, meso-, and macro-level issues in an organization. For example, good leaders can motivate employees, improve the functioning of work teams, and help the organization evolve to remain competitive in the global marketplace.
In this Assignment, you will culminate your learning over the past three weeks by examining how leaders affect micro-, meso-, and macro-level phenomena. In doing so, you will revisit topics from previous weeks (i.e., leadership, motivation, and group dynamics) and explore new topics (i.e., organizational structure and culture).
To Prepare for this Assignment:
· Select an organization in which you currently work or have previously worked. You may also select a well-known organization (e.g., Amazon, Walmart, Facebook). Choose a leader in the organization for which you worked or a leader you are familiar with in the well-known organization.
· Read the article, “Leadership Style and Organizational Impact.” Focus on the strengths and limitations of different leadership styles. Think about which style your chosen leader embodies, and why.
· Reflect on your prior learning about employee motivation (Week 5) and group dynamics (Week 6). Consider how your chosen leader positively and/or negatively influences both.
· Review pages 368–388 in the e-book, General Systems Theory. Focus on different types of organizational structures (referred to as organizational designs in the book). Then consider the role of your chosen leader in determining and supporting organizational structure.
· Read Chapter 9 in The SAGE Handbook and the journal articles in the Learning Resources. Pay particular attention to definitions, components, and types of organizational culture. In addition, consider how your chosen leader’s actions influence the organization’s culture.
Required Reading:
Systems Theory
· Lalande, D., & Baumeister, R. F. (2013). Systems theories (psychology). Salem Press Encyclopedia of HealthLinks to an external site. .
· Time Estimate: 10 minutes
· Skyttner, L. (2005). Organizational theory and management cybernetics. In L. Skyttner, General systems theory: Problems, perspectives, practiceLinks to an external site. (2nd ed., pp. 352–389). Singapore: World Scientific.
· Note: Read pages 368–388 only
· Time Estimate: 40 minutes
Leadership and Organizations
· Ashkanasy, N., & Dorris, A. (2018). Organizational culture and climate. In D. S. Ones, N. Anderson, C. Viswesvaran, & H. K. Sinangil (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of industrial, work, and organizational psychologyLinks to an external site. (2nd ed., Vol. 3, pp. 187-205). London, UK: SAGE Publications, Ltd.
· Note: Chapter 9
· Time Estimate: 40 minutes
· Germano, M. (2010, June). Leadership style and organizational impactLinks to an external site. . Retrieved from http://ala-apa.org/newsletter/2010/06/08/spotlight
· Time Estimate: 15 minutes
INSTRUCTIONS: Submit a 2–3-page paper that addresses the following questions. Your paper should follow APA style, be double-spaced with one-inch margins, and include a title page and reference list.
· Describe the leadership style that your chosen leader embodies. Then explain how the leadership style affects the following, with one specific example for each:
· employee motivation;
· group dynamics;
· organizational structure;
· organizational culture.
· Explain any insights you gained about relationships among micro, meso, and macro-level topics of organizational psychology.