Unit 6: Principles of management
ACTIVITY 1
Your report must:
1. Show your understanding of the management and leadership issues at the given
business.
2. Show your understanding of the functions of management and leadership, and
the attributes and skills needed for the different roles in the given scenario.
3. Show your understanding of the leadership style issues facing the given business
and how this influences business performance.
4. Make recommendations on the actions that can be taken to improve the business
performance at the given business.
KPL’s troubles seem to have started after the reduction in order from Get Go Hydraulics,
KPL’s biggest client. Richard and John, the owners, scrapped through for a few years after
this setback by finding new clients to keep the sales and the revenue up as shown in table 1.
During this time, KPL also had a change of directors and Richard and John decided to recruit
from within the company. They decided to promote Production Manager promoted to the
Operations Director and Lead Design Engineer to the Product Design Director. Until the
reduction in orders from its biggest client, KPL believed in a democratic style of leadership.
They allowed their designers and engineers the freedom to be creative in their work. This
style took employees’ opinions into account and involved them in the decision making; and it
proved to be an effective method considering the KPL’s revenue. However, after the change
in management, it seems to have changed. Employees are unhappy about the decisions being
made. It seems that the freedom from the designers and the engineers has been taken away.
The new management has taken over the planning part by arranging extra meetings. This has
resulted in longer working hours and inefficient work practices. This can be seen through the
increased staff turnover in Table 2 and increase in the hiring of temporary staff. The staff has
complained about the different timetable that the design team is working to. This has caused a
breakdown in communication and put a massive time constraint on the engineering team to
work effectively.
Clearly, the issues have arisen at the top of the KPL’s hierarchy and has trickled down to
different department and its employees. Therefore, the type of leadership and management
approaches of KPL must be examined. To start with, there are many types of management
and leadership styles and democratic does not have to be the only type that KPL should stick
to. Thus, the fact that KPL changed its approach shows that KPL is willing to adopt.
Nonetheless, in this case, the change seems to have failed. The correct style depends on
various things. However, before discussing that, the difference between leadership and
management must be discussed.
Management and leadership overlap but there are key distinctions. These 2 are both ways to
motivate and influence employees to achieve a certain goal. However, management is
directed more towards promoting and achieving stability, day to day goals, and controlling
the different factors and employees to achieve a common goal. Leadership on the other hand
has the aim to motivate and influence employees to bring a positive change and introduce
ACTIVITY 1
Your report must:
1. Show your understanding of the management and leadership issues at the given
business.
2. Show your understanding of the functions of management and leadership, and
the attributes and skills needed for the different roles in the given scenario.
3. Show your understanding of the leadership style issues facing the given business
and how this influences business performance.
4. Make recommendations on the actions that can be taken to improve the business
performance at the given business.
KPL’s troubles seem to have started after the reduction in order from Get Go Hydraulics,
KPL’s biggest client. Richard and John, the owners, scrapped through for a few years after
this setback by finding new clients to keep the sales and the revenue up as shown in table 1.
During this time, KPL also had a change of directors and Richard and John decided to recruit
from within the company. They decided to promote Production Manager promoted to the
Operations Director and Lead Design Engineer to the Product Design Director. Until the
reduction in orders from its biggest client, KPL believed in a democratic style of leadership.
They allowed their designers and engineers the freedom to be creative in their work. This
style took employees’ opinions into account and involved them in the decision making; and it
proved to be an effective method considering the KPL’s revenue. However, after the change
in management, it seems to have changed. Employees are unhappy about the decisions being
made. It seems that the freedom from the designers and the engineers has been taken away.
The new management has taken over the planning part by arranging extra meetings. This has
resulted in longer working hours and inefficient work practices. This can be seen through the
increased staff turnover in Table 2 and increase in the hiring of temporary staff. The staff has
complained about the different timetable that the design team is working to. This has caused a
breakdown in communication and put a massive time constraint on the engineering team to
work effectively.
Clearly, the issues have arisen at the top of the KPL’s hierarchy and has trickled down to
different department and its employees. Therefore, the type of leadership and management
approaches of KPL must be examined. To start with, there are many types of management
and leadership styles and democratic does not have to be the only type that KPL should stick
to. Thus, the fact that KPL changed its approach shows that KPL is willing to adopt.
Nonetheless, in this case, the change seems to have failed. The correct style depends on
various things. However, before discussing that, the difference between leadership and
management must be discussed.
Management and leadership overlap but there are key distinctions. These 2 are both ways to
motivate and influence employees to achieve a certain goal. However, management is
directed more towards promoting and achieving stability, day to day goals, and controlling
the different factors and employees to achieve a common goal. Leadership on the other hand
has the aim to motivate and influence employees to bring a positive change and introduce
