Leadership Influence on Organizational Culture

The culture of an organization is very imperative and always stem from its leaders, or the organization may lack a normal system of functioning. Leaders usually create cultural development mechanisms; they also create the reinforcement of behaviors and norms expressed inside the boundaries of the organizational culture (Gadge, n.d.). A leader can cultivate the culture of an organization using leadership styles, ethics, and power bases. Many research carried out on organizational culture show empirical data showing a high relationship between leadership, leadership styles, and organizational outcomes. Other studies also define leadership roles in organizational development. Therefore, role and nature of leadership in culture advancement in an organization needs further research.

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Leadership remains a complex concept with no universal definition (Stanislavov & Ivanov, 2014). Traditionally, leaderships are depicted as a thing that creates respect, cooperation, and compliance (Anderson, Ford & Hamilton, 1998). Nonetheless, leadership responsibility in an organization functions to ensure that the objectives and visions of a company are realized for an organization to be successful. Thus, the formal responsibility of organizational leadership is to ensure the companys outcome is showing positive results, without such results all the charisma and style in the world wont retain the support of your followers for long (Gandz, 2005).

Therefore, leadership functions as an essential catalyst for an organizational culture. For it to develop a desirable culture in an organization, it is important to understand what is contained in the resources of leadership and the manner in which the resources are used to ensure a firm and solid organizational culture.

Pirraglia (n.d.) describes that leadership styles have an important effect on the culture of an organizational since they facilitate culture via influences on the performance of an organization. Business cultures should be rooted in principles, values, unwritten rules, and traditions. However, leadership styles need to have a strong effect on organizational culture as employees look to follow and emulate the things that their leaders do (Pirraglia, n.d.). Remember, there are many leadership styles and leadership theories in the different business environment but, the basis for all styles of leadership and theories can be characterized by four major styles; human relations leader, laissez-faire leaders, autocratic leaders and democratic leaders. The major concern for leaders in building an effective culture in an organization is the manner in which leadership style accentuate employees relationship.

The leadership styles that place an important regard to employees are considered democratic leaders and human relation leaders. The higher levels of interpersonal relationships stand-in an appropriate business culture; however, the contention is inconsistent. The leadership style of Human relation leads to uneasiness with keeping individuals happy, interferes with high achievement and causes workers to lose respect for their leader (Warrick, 1981). Democratic leadership styles enable employee commitment, productivity, and engagement, therefore uplifting morale and standards. The concern of employee relations within an organization is significant in creating an operational, organizational culture nonetheless is the only component worth assessing. The power bases used through different leadership styles also leads to organizational culture.

The relationships that exist between power and leadership a greater connection since leaders usually have the power to enable them encourage cooperation, compliance, and establish respect. In a companys environment, leaders must use power in order to achieve the company goals and success (Bal, Campbell, Steed & Meddings, 2008).The above-mentioned establishes the need for leaders to apply power bases. The five recognized bases of power were first recognized by John French, and Bertram Raven in 1960s when they carried out research on power and its relationship with leadership roles (Abudi, 2011). The bases of power include coercive, legitimate, reward, referent, and expert power. Each power base characterizes a way in which leaders can influence their employees and followers either positively or negatively in a particular setting. Every leader has power. However, some powers usually go unknown or not used at any point in ones life as a leader (Bal, Campbell, Steed & Meddings, 2008).

Leaders must use their powers bases as a way of promoting a common vision, purpose, values, philosophies in the organization that you are a part, which also assists in developing an organizational culture (Hollander & Offermann, 1990). However, it is the usefulness of every power base in an applicable mix that produces positive organizational culture.

Ethics in companies today are of the main focus and priority. In the past decades, ethics has been neither a luxury nor an option (Brimmer, 2007). It is influential in the expansion of a constructive and sustainable organizational culture. Many types of research have shown that ethics involves many different aspects that evaluate right and wrong founded on a constructed or formulated set of principles. Nevertheless, the recommended set of morals that an organization needs to follow is founded upon leadership.

An organization needs to develop their code of ethics that is to be the controlling principles the management and employees have to follow. A code of conduct should place importance on appreciating prescribed moral values, diversity, encouraging commitment, and responsibility to the organization. The code of conduct is intended to provide the company Incorporateds acquiescence with permissible requirements and its standards of ethical conduct for its staff members. It is the role of an employee to read and follow the code of ethics and adhere to all the rules set on it. All provisions are to be practical by the use of good judgment and common sense. All members of an organization have to observe the code of ethics to develop a company of accountability and integrity. Leaders may construct an ethical culture by displaying the kind of conduct they would like to see in employees (Kelchner, n.d.). In summary, a culture at work where diversity is esteemed arises from ethical values (Holme, 2008).

The culture of an organization is a situation where people share morals, standards, information, ideas, and directs their behaviors. Organization normally develops and maintains a unique culture that provides boundaries and guidelines for the performance of the employees in an organization (McLaughlin, n.d.). Culture in an organization is normally evolving and changing to provide a different input. Inputs that normally cultivate change are changes in diversity, leaders, economic change, and increasing competitors. These changes are altered by external and internal inputs. Cultural changes are basically the role of organizational culture way that aligns the ethics, objectives, and vision of an organization and the behaviors of its workers. Additionally, communication in leadership regardless of the style of leadership is the driving force that causes the changing cultures. An organizational culture is what delineates an organization eventually in the public opinion.

References

Abudi, G. (2011, August 26). The 5 Types of Power in Leadership. Retrieved from http://quickbase.intuit.com/blog/2011/08/26/the-5-types-of-power-in-leadership/

Anderson, T. D., Ford, R., & Hamilton, M. (1998). Transforming leadership: Equipping yourself and coaching others to build a leadership organization (6th ed.). London: St. Lucie Press.

Bal, V., Campbell, M., Steed, J., & Meddings, K. (2008). The Role of Power in Effective Leadership (Research Paper). Retrieved http://www.ccl.org/leadership/pdf/research/roleOfPower.pdf

Brimmer, S. E. (2007). The Role of Ethics in 21st Century Organizations - Leadership Advance Online, School of Business & Leadership, Regent University, Virginia Beach, Virginia. Retrieved from http://www.regent.edu/acad/global/publications/lao/issue_11/brimmer.htm

Gadge, S. (n.d.). Leaders role in shaping organizational culture. Retrieved from http://www.bvimsr.com/publcation%20pdf%20files/Vol%203%20No.%202%20pdf/Shalmali%20Org_culture_paper.pdf

Gandz, J. (2005, January/February). The Leadership Role - Ivey Business Journal. Retrieved from http://iveybusinessjournal.com/topics/leadership/the-leadership-role#.VEVw7rDF98G

Hollander, E. P., & Offermann, L. R. (1990). Power and leadership in organizations: Relationships in transition. American Psychologist, 45(2), 179-189. doi: 10.1037//0003-066X.45.2.179

Kelchner, L. (n.d.). The Importance of Ethics in Organizations. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/importance-ethics-organizations-20925.html

McLaughlin, J. (n.d.). What is Organizational Culture? - Definition & Characteristics. Retrieved from http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/what-is-organizational-culture-definition-characteristics.html

Pirraglia, W. (n.d.). The Effects of Leadership Styles on the Organization. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/effects-leadership-styles-organization-10387.html

Stanislavov, I., & Ivanov, S. (2014). The Role of Leadership for Shaping Organizational Culture and Building Employee Engagement in the Bulgarian Gaming Industry. Tourism, 62(1), 19-40.