Four management styles: Autocratic, Paternalistic, Democratic, Laissez-faire. Which do you prefer and would like to develop in your own organisation?

Thanks for the invitation Ms. Ghada. I agree with your answer and I also prefer the laissez-faire style when my team is both competent and willing and thus ready for delegation. But till they reach this point, I use the other styles depending on their degree of competence and willingness. 

I think it’s democratic will be my selection.

I will actually use each management style according to type of decision  making I have to make in a given situation.

1- Autocratic or Authoritarian management style

 I would like to be an authoritarian leader  typically make to decision  on my own and tell other group members what to do and how to do it. It can be beneficial when a decision needs to be made quickly or when a project or situation is particularly stressful.I will use this type if I have an international corporation.

2- Democratic or Participative management style

This style encourages group discussion and believe in decision-making through consensus. I would like to be a democratic leader  to make a final decision, but do so only after carefully considering what other group members have said to make decision goes with the majority to promote teamwork , loyalty to group and creativity.I will use if I have a Centralized organization.

3- The Laissez-faire or Free-rein or non-interfering style

I can passes on the responsibility for decision-making to my subordinates and takes a minimum of initiative in administration. I would like to be Free-rein leader  to avoid power and responsibility to allow the group to establish its own goals and work out its own problems where I would play only a minor role that each member of the group when left to himself will put forth his best effort and the maximum results can be achieved in this way but I act  as an umpire. I will use if I make decision making delegation in a decentralized organization.

4- Paternalistic management style

Under this management style my function would be fatherly or paternal so I would like to act as a guide and protects my subordinates as members of my family to provide them with good working conditions and fringe benefits but it more relevant if I have a  small business.

For me personally I prefer The Laissez-faire management style because it supports teams creativity , communication and problem solving.

Each and every style has its own Pros and con.

According to me, I will classify my sub-ordinates into 4 categories.

1) High performers, and for them we need to follow Laissez-faire style

2) Good performers, and for them democratic leadership

3) Average performers 

4) Poor performers

Here in average and poor performers depending upon the personality of the sub-ordinate I will use Authoritative and Paternal style accordingly since wrong use of the style will result in disaster

I think and from my Own experience the Paternalistic, is more suitable for managemnet as supervision and controll if mainly focused for the orginazation and person (employee) own good.

also Orginazation have some impacts on the enviroment which should be considered.

Thanks for invitation,

It depends on situation , internal and external environment, organization culture, etc...

sometimes forcing is the best option but my nature prefers to be a democrat.

The autocratic style shall very rarely be used. One shall seek the advice from as many as possible but as the responsibility lies with a single person the decision shall be of a single person. So while one shall delegate and monitor in a fatherly manner while keeping a laissez-faire style of management.

for me democratic is the preferred one as this create more leaders and team work at its best.

1. Autocratic or Authoritarian leadership

An autocratic leader centralizes power and decision-making in himself. He gives orders, assigns tasks and duties without consulting the employees. The leader takes full authority and assumes full responsibility.

Autocratic leadership is negative, based on threats and punishment. Subordinates act as he directs. He neither cares for their opinions nor permits them to influence the decision. He believes that because of his authority he alone can decide what is best in a given situation.

Autocratic leadership is based upon close supervision, clear-cut direction and commanding order of the superior. It facilitates quick decisions, prompt action and unity of direction. It depends on a lesser degree of delegation. But too much use of authority might result in strikes and industrial disputes. It is likely to produce frustration and retard the growth of the capacity of employees.

The employees work as hard as is necessary to avoid punishment. They will thus produce the minimum which will escape punishment.

This leadership style is less likely to be effective because (i) the new generation is more independent and less submissive and not amenable to rigid control; (ii) people look for ego satisfactions from their jobs and (iii) revolution of rising expectations changed the attitude of the people.

Autocratic leadership may be divided into three classes:

(A) The hard-boiled autocrat who relies mainly on negative influences uses the force of fear and punishment in directing his subordinates towards the organisational goals. This is likely to result in employees becoming resentful.

(B) The benevolent autocrat who relies mainly on positive influences uses the reward and incentives in directing his subordinates towards the organisational goals. By using praise and pats on the back he secures the loyalty of subordinates who accept his decisions.

(C) The manipulative autocrat who makes the employees feels that they are participating in decision-making though the manager himself has taken the decision. McGregor labels this style as Theory X.

2. Democratic or Participative leadership

Participative or democratic leaders decentralise authority. It is characterised by consultation with the subordinates and their participation in the formulation of plans and policies. He encourages participation in decision-making.

He leads the subordinates mainly through persuasion and example rather than fear and force. Sometimes the leader serves as a moderator of the ideas and suggestions from his group. McGregor labels this style as Theory Y.

Taylor’s scientific management was based on the inability of the ordinary employees to make effective decisions about their work. Hence the decision-making power was vested with the management. But recent studies indicate the need for participation by subordinates. The modern trend favours sharing the responsibility with the employees.

This will foster enthusiasm in them. The employees feel that management is interested in them as well as in their ideas and suggestions. They will, therefore, place their suggestions for improvement.

Advantages for democratic leadership are as follows: (i) higher motivation and improved morale; (ii) increased co-operation with the management; (iii) improved job performance; (iv) reduction of grievances and (v) reduction of absenteeism and employee turnover.

3. The Laissez-faire or Free-rein leadership

Free-rein leaders avoid power and responsibility. The laissez-faire or non-interfering type of leader passes on the responsibility for decision-making to his subordinates and takes a minimum of initiative in administration. He gives no direction and allows the group to establish its own goals and work out its own problems.

The leader plays only a minor role. His idea is that each member of the group when left to himself will put forth his best effort and the maximum results can be achieved in this way. The leader acts as an umpire. But as no direction or control is exercised over the people, the organisation is likely to flounder.

An experiment conducted among Boy Scout Clubs of the USA in 1940 shows autocratic leadership is likely to rouse antagonism in the group and produce hostility towards the leader. In democratic groups, the absence of the leader made little difference, while in autocratic groups productive work dropped to a minimum, when the leader was out of the room.

Democratic leadership is more likely to win the loyalty of the group. The laissez-faire groups also developed friendly approaches to the leader as in the democratic group. But suggestions from the groups were very low and they were also less productive.

4. Paternalistic leadership

Under this management style the leader assumes that his function is fatherly or paternal. Paternalism means papa knows best. The relationship between the leader and his group is the same as the relationship between the head of the family and the members of the family. The leader guides and protects his subordinates as members of his family.

As the head of the family he provides his subordinates with good working conditions and fringe benefits. It is assumed that workers will work harder out of gratitude. This leadership style was admirably successful in Japan with her peculiar social background.

This leadership style has still been widely prevalent in small firms in India. However, this paternalistic approach is unlikely to work with mature adult employees, many of whom do not like their interests to be looked after by a “godfather.” Instead of gratitude, it might generate antagonism and resentment in the subordinates.

Thanks for nice question.  

Type of organization must match with Company’s Mission. As per Company Mission, I would like to develop “Democratic Organization”