Unit 14. Styles of leadership The Business of Management – Program 16 Test on the video film

A. Previewing task.

Task I. Before watching the film, make sure you know the following words and word combinations:

achievement of goals approach autocratic leader democratic leader free-reign style of leadership laissez-faire leader mature participative leader

to accomplish to adapt to continuing change to be flexible to be task-oriented to involve smb in doing smth to obey to possess managerial authority to retain authority

B. While watching.

Task II. State whether the following sentences are true or false. Make the false expressions sound true:

1. The leader mustn’t be flexible enough to adapt to continuing changes.

2. The leader will be influenced by such factors as the organization’s goals, the level of technology it has and the abilities of the subordinates.

3. J. P. Morgan and H. Ford employed the participative style of leadership.

4. In Japan a more autocratic form of business management has been used with considerable success.

5. Today most workers want to have autocratic work relationships.

Task III. Match the words with their definitions:

1) leader	a) the ability to influence a group of people to achieve certain goals;
2) leadership	b) a person who tells subordinates what to do and expects to be obeyed without questions;
3) autocratic leader	c) a person who involves subordinates in decision making but may retain the final authority
4) participative leader	d) a person who tries to do what the majority of subordinates desire;
5) democratic leader	e) a person who is uninvolved in the work of the unit;
6) laissez-faire leader	f) a person who is able to influence others and who possesses managerial authority.

Task IV. Translate the sentences into Russian:

1. A leader is someone who can get others to do what he or she wants them to do.

2. Managers make all kinds of decisions. They decide what is to be done, who will do it, in what way and when it is to be accomplished.

3. The discussion of leadership theories may seem to imply that managers merely decide which leadership style to adapt to this or that situation.

4. Some workers are mature in the way they approach their work, others may have to be watched quite closely to obtain even minimum performance.

5. It is a high-risk philosophy: the one that requires some time for the attachment between senior and junior people to grow and to be meaningful, the one that is bound to give more failures than success.

6. The traditional productivity measurement used to concern with the leader’s success, often measures only short-term performance.

C. Follow-up activities.

Task V. Having watched the film, complete the following sentences, using your own words and the information from the film:

1. To lead well, leaders must …

2. A participative leader may make the final decision, but …

3. Many autocratic leaders are really quite human, they simply want …

4. In recent years more and more companies have begun using …

5. The laissez-faire or free-reign style of leadership can be used with a considerable advantage where the workers are …

6. In today’s complex world an effective leader …

Task VI. Suppose you are a newly appointed leader in:

1. the planning department of an oil company;

2. the R&D department of an airline company;

3. the sales department of a manufacturing company.

What leadership styles would you apply in every situation?

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