CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The problem of
management in effectiveness and bad attitude to work among Nigerians is
widespread in government owned companies. There has been growing concern among
Nigerians on the poor organisational performance and managerial ineffectiveness
recorded in these organisations. This concern perhaps is a result of the size
of economic and social influence of these government institutions on Nigerian
development. (Akpala, 1990:193).
In spite of the huge
capital investments in these companies, the results have been extremely poor.
As a result of government, as trustees for the ultimate owners of public
enterprises have appointed tribunals, commissions and panels to find ways and
means to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the enterprises (CMD,
1985:5).
At the managerial and
operative performance levels, the problem is also a general one. In an attempt
to explain and subsequently liniment government owned companies, two schools of
thought emerge. One is of the opinion that the problem is from ill implication
of the known theories and principles of management in government owned companies. The
other holds that the problem stems from not applying management philosophy that
is based on Nigerian culture.
This takes us to the
meaning of management. Management can be defined as the art or science of
working in an organisation through being directed by and by directing and co-ordinating
the activities of people’s goals in the context of the goal(Ejiofor,1985:3).
Management involves the
performance of all the management functions which include planning, organizing,
staffing, directing, controlling and co-ordinating of activities to attain
optimum result with organisation resources. Management is concerned with the
achievement of objectives, performances result, success, efficiency and
effectiveness.
The survival of any
company in realizing its objectives, depend among other things in proper
management of its human and material resources.
No company or
organisation can have its activities moving on without a manager. Managers and
company goes hand in hand. The need for managers arises because companies
exist. One cannot exist without the other.
Managers
have to perform many roles in an organisation and how they handle various
situations will depend on their style of management. A management style is an
overall method of leadership used by a manager.
There are two sharply
contrasting styles that will be broken down into smaller subsets later.
Autocratic
Permissive
Each style has its own
characteristics
Autocratic: leaders make all decisions
unilaterally.
Permissive: leader permits subordinate to take
part in decision making and also gives them a considerable degree of autonomy
in completing routine work activities combining those categories with
democratic (subordinates are allowed to participate in decision making) and
directive (subordinates are told exactly how to do their jobs) styles gives us
four distinctive ways to manage (IEBM, 1998:201).
Directive democrat: makes decisions
participatively i.e. closely supervises subordinates.
Directive
autocratic: makes decisions
unilaterally; closely supervises
subordinates.
Permissive
democrat: makes decisions participatively gives subordinates latitude in
carrying out their work.
Permissive autocrat: makes decisions
unilaterally gives subordinates latitude in carrying out their work.
Managers must also
adjust their styles according to the situation that they are presented with.
Below are four quadrats of situational leadership that depend on the amount of
support and guidance needed.
Telling: work best when
employees are neither willing nor able to do the job (high need of support and
high need of guidance).
Delegating: works best
when the employers are willing to do the job and know how to get about it (low
need of guidance and low need of support).
Participating: works
best when employers have the ability to do the job, but need high amount of
support (low need of guidance but high need of support).
Selling: works best
when employees are willing to do the job, but don’t know how to do it (low need
guidance).
The effect of
management style on the efficiency of government owned companies cannot be
discussed without looking into the problems militating against these management
styles. These upsetting difficulties and problems are:
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