Question One

"Gallup has found that one of the most important decisions companies make is simplywhom they name manager. Yet our analysis suggests that they usually get it wrong. In fact, Gallup finds that companies fail to choose the candidate with the right talent for the job 82% of the time.

Bad managers cost businesses billions of dollars each year and having too many of them can bring down a company. The only defense against this massive problem is a good offense, because when companies get these decisions wrong, nothing fixes it. Businesses that get it right, however, and hire managers based on talent will thrive and gain a significant competitive advantage.

Managers account for at least 70% of variance in employee engagement scores across business units, Gallup estimates. This variation is in turn responsible for severely low worldwide employee engagement. Gallup reported in two large-scale studies in 2012 that only 30% of U.S. employees are engaged at work, and a staggeringly low 13% worldwide are engaged. Worse, over the past 12 years these low numbers have barely budged, meaning that the vast majority of employees worldwide are failing to develop and contribute at work.

[...]companies should systematically demand that everygroupwithin their workforce have a great manager. After all, the root of performance variability lies within human nature itself. Teams are composed of individuals with diverging needs related to morale, motivation, and clarityall of which lead to varying degrees of performance.Nothing less than great managers can maximize them."

Beck, R. & Harter, J. (2014) Why good managers are so rare. Harvard Business Review-blog network. Published 13/3/14 http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/03/why-good- managers-are-so-rare/

Required(please keep your answers short and succinct-bullet points are allowed where necessary):

1. a)Beck & Harter (2014) argue that finding the right manager can be detrimental to the success of an organisation. McGregor (1959) argued that leaders base their style of management on two opposing assumptions. You are to discuss the two styles that McGregor refers to and explain what style of management each theory leads to.(7.5 marks per style; total 15 marks)
2. b)In the discussion, above, in Beck & Hart (2014) they state that each team within an organisation deserves a great manager. The wide range of organisational theoriesincludes 'Trait theory' -you are required i) to explain what trait theory is(3 marks), ii) to list five of the traits included within the theory(5 marks), and iii) to provide two criticisms of this theory(2 marks).(total 10 marks)

Total 25 Marks