MIDTERM

Instructions:

Find a hot topic and using your critical thinking skills write a brief report on why you agree, disagree it is a hot topic and a topic worth pursuing as an entrepreneur or a business leader. Use an argument that is defensible, logical and with references.  Consider the following references on critical reading and thinking. Review articles on hot topics in business

• http://www.criticalthinking.org/starting/index.cfm#2425
• http://www.criticalreading.com/criticalreadingthinkingtoc.htm
• http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/writingprocess/arguments2
• http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/writingprocess/logicalfallacies

 Hot Topics in Business

• http://www.ecommercetimes.com/perl/section/hot-topics/
• https://www.entrepreneur.com/topic/trends
• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gabriela-mueller-mendoza/hot-business-topics-in-20_b_8748618.html

Additional Instructions: 

•  Turn in the Paper to SMARTHINKING.com before submitting your final paper.
•  Turn in a final paper and the paper with the SMARTHINKING.com tutor comments.
•  Complete the project in APA format
•  Paper should include at least 3 references
•  Paper should be a minimum of 4 pages in length

 

 

Introduction

As the world is changing rapidly, organizations also change to coup with the ever-changing tastes and preferences, people’s wants, technological advances, ever-changing cultures and many more. Until now in the twenty-first century, several issues that either directly or indirectly affect organizations are yet to be solved categorized as the hot topics that entrepreneurs need to focus on. One of such issues that entrepreneurs should consider as critical for the success of their organizational and business ventures is encouraging leadership over management. Leadership implies to the act of leading an organization or a group of people while management refers to the process of controlling people or things. The question at hand is why entrepreneurs should encourage leadership over management?  This brief report provides supporting evidence and arguments why entrepreneurs should promote the evolution from management to leadership.

Justification why it is a hot topic and a topic worth pursuing as an entrepreneur

The issue of encouraging leadership over management is a hot topic as the success of an organization hugely depends on the type of administration the organization has. Additionally, these two terms have always had a role conflict. Such that organization’s corporate officials still face the dilemma of what is the main difference between business managers and business leaders? Between formulating new directions and executing existing tasks and many more. As Bolden (2016) indicates that, leadership mainly triggers employees inclusive of the marginalized members to actively participate as active team players contributing to the overall company’s synergy. This implies that leadership will always look for significance capabilities and effort of every employee. On the other hand, management will always tend to focus on already existing policies and principles targeting stability of the entire organization instead of harnessing the capabilities of everyone as well as focusing on growth and change. This implies that management will emphasize on rules, orders as well as a blueprint to follow while leadership will always welcome change, span beyond the set policies and conditions aiming at improving processes and systems.

Argument 1:

Every entrepreneur should aim at encouraging leadership in respective organizations as leaders will always look for new pathways and encourage disruptions that result into better change. Such that leaders do not strictly adhere to hierarchy and will still promote contribution and communication of ideas. This are the ideas which even leads to the growth of everyone irrespective of his or her rank. In contrast, management way of administration is hierarchical such that ideas follow a one-way direction. While performance may remain steady in a management context, innovative thinking may be absent which negatively affects informed decision making due to lack of sufficient support and ideas from various team players. This is because most of them are not involved in gathering thoughts and opinions and primarily depend on already set and structured guidelines.  Ali brings in a new idea that more than likely management and leadership are faces of one coin (Ali, 2004). His argument is based on the notion that both techniques are utilized by individuals in power, either assumed or appointed to get other individuals in action or accomplish specific tasks or goals. Therefore, it’s upon entrepreneurs to be specific concerning what their organization’s need does.

Argument 2:

The other reason why encouraging leadership over management is a hot topic is that there exists a dilemma whether managers can become leaders and vice versa? Analyzing the issue critically, the answer is yes. This is because the virtual of leadership can be learned and harnessed especially by an individual with a vision and open minded. At the same time, managers are acquainted with skills on how to lead and clearly understands the organization’s seniors and juniors and able to balance the organization’s current blueprint in injecting new concepts and ideas. A business leader must be on the look because the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably by various authors especially due to the similarity of their characteristics theoretically as well as in practical application. Additionally. Sometimes it appears like either management is a function of leadership or leadership is a function of management due to the overlapping characteristics of the two aspects. However, as Horwitch & Whipple indicates, a manager concentrates on issues related to management of materials, equipment, and money and more specifically in controlling, budgeting, organizing and planning (Horwitch & Whipple,2014) (2014).  While a leader will spend, much of his time inspiring and influencing people, discussing and sharing about organizations core beliefs, values, possibilities, potentials, teamwork in addition to coaching the junior staff and middle managers. An entrepreneur who conceptualizes and views leadership and management based on this viewpoints can help solve the role conflict that exists between the two.

Argument 3:

Bolden explains that Management of organizations in the twenty-first century tends to use the ability to learn and initiate change in an organization as one of the core elements that differentiate managements from leadership (Bolden, 2016). From a personal point of view, these two terms are inextricably linked, and both directly affect the effectiveness of an organization in its activities and processes. The question at hand is whether there exist managers who can inspire employees as well as motivate them. While this might be challenging to most of the managers, it still leaves room for managers to adopt the roles attributed to leadership. In such a situation, an opportunity exists for the evolution of managers to leaders. While leadership is highly advocated for and encouraged, George & Evanthia indicates that management is one of the necessary evils that keep the system going. Yet imposing a considerable threat especially in acting as hindrances to mission accomplishment based on managers characteristic to enforce compliance (George & Evanthia, 1999). This implies that managers will always tend to count value instead of creating value. This narrows down on the need to have leadership instead of management.

Conclusion

In conclusion, as per the arguments discussed above, it’s clear that there is the need for entrepreneurs as well as business leaders to encourage leadership over management. This inference is based on the fact that management will focus on controlling various entities to accomplish a goal. On the other hand, leadership influences and motivates people creating a conducive environment for every stakeholder in an organization to contribute towards the organizational success. A dilemma arises when entrepreneurs need individuals who can handle all tasks related to management, and at the same time influence and motivate other employees. This scenario infers that there is a possibility that management ought to be a function of leadership.

 

 

References

Ali, S. (2004). Leadership and management-are they alike?. Bulletin of Education & Research, 26(2).

Bolden, R. (2016). Leadership, management and organizational development. In Gower handbook of leadership and management development (pp. 143-158). Routledge.

George A.  & Evanthia P. V . (1999). Leadership vs. management. Management Review, 88(3), 5.

Horwitch, M., & Whipple, M. (2014). Leaders who inspire: A 21st-century approach to developing your talent. Bain & Company, Inc