Research and case studies suggest that leadership styles have an impact on organizational effectiveness as they directly affect the behavioral norms and expectations of an organization. This observation has also been confirmed in practice. Leadership styles that emphasize interaction and open communication among employees (interaction facilitation), and the achievement of goals (goal emphasis) are positively associated with constructive norms and negatively associated with passive/defensive norms. In addition, leaders who demonstrate a concern for employee (supportiveness) and help them to identify ways to solve problems and complete their assignments (task facilitation) are also more likely to promote expectations for constructive behaviors than leaders who do not demonstrate these styles. Leaders who exhibit all four of these styles demonstrate a positive concern for both people and tasks.

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Studies and practical experience confirm that these leadership styles promote organizational effectiveness via their effect on culture. There are numerous examples that illustrate these relationships. For instance, to reduce competitive, power, and dependent norms as well as foster expectations for more collaborative behavior, managers can choose to delegate decisions to teams made up of people who held diverse views instead of taking over the problem and resolving it for them - an example of interaction facilitation.

 

Managers can also start one-on-one meetings with employees to talk about the issues that the employees wanted to discuss and to support them in identifying solutions - an example of supportiveness and task facilitation. This facilitation is one of the levers that can be used to create a more collaborative- and achievement-oriented environment.

 

Also, quarterly sessions can be held that focus on both accomplishment goals and setting new goals - an example of goal emphasis - can help leaders strengthen expectations for achievement behaviors and reduce the pervasiveness of passive/defensive norms.

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Bases of the power and influence:

Considering the impact of leadership styles on organizations and their culture, the bases or sources of power used by leaders to influence people, represent another dimension of leadership that is related to culture. For instance, reliance on organizational bases or sources of power and influence - such as the power inherent in one’s position, control of rewards, and ability to punish or coerce others - tends to promote passive/defensive and aggressive/defensive norms and expectations. Conversely, reliance on personal bases of power - such as expertise and the respect or admiration of others (referent power) - tends to be positively associated with constructive norms and negatively associated with passive/defensive and aggressive/defensive norms. Strong reliance organizational bases of power are one of the factors that sustained defensive thinking styles and norms in organizations.

 

As has been said, bases of power and influence are key part during a culture change journey. Leaders who build and use personal power bases, share, and exchange influence, and decrease their reliance on organizational resources also increase their influence the influence of others (including that of their employees and colleagues).

 

Communication skills and qualities:

Also, the communication skills and qualities of leaders have an impact on organizations and their culture. The quality of upward - and downward communication, as well as communication for learning purposes, is positively related to constructive cultures and negatively related to defensive cultures. Specifically, constructive norms and expectations are supported by communication that is multidirectional, clear, open, timely, forthcoming, credible, focused on the ‘big picture’, understood, accepted, and acted upon. In contrast, expectations for both passive/defensive and aggressive/defensive behaviors are reinforced by communication that is unclear, restricted, delayed, censored, distorted, focused on minutia and blame, misunderstood, questioned, and ignored. Thus, the nature of both sending and receiving is important when assessing communication and using it as a lever for change.

 

Communication seems to work both ways, in that cultural norms can support or inhibit effective communication, and communication can support or inhibit constructive cultural norms. Constructive cultures should be supported and encouraged by communication channels that keep employees informed of the ‘big picture,’ practices that maintain effective two-way communication, and reward systems that reinforce the actions of employees who raise concerns.

 

Various organizations use communication as lever for change. Having a shared language to redirect conversations and behavior is invaluable in improving the quality of interaction, as well as in reducing the frequency of power and perfectionistic behaviors.

 

Having a shared language allowed people to be more transparent and communicate about what they were doing and why, which also helped to generate support from others. Communication is also a critical part of the culture change process. When leaders leverage vertical - and lateral communication channels and networks, their efforts have a significant impact on behavioral norms.

 

Source: ‘Creating Constructive Cultures; Leading People and Organizations to Effectively Solve Problems and

achieve Goals, by J. L. Szumal and R.A. Cooke.