Leadership Recommendations
LDR 535
Georgianna Swain
University of Phoenix

Change Initiative
Kudler Fine Foods has solicited the help of GZS consulting firm to assist with the upcoming changes revolving around a new software system. The organization has made a decision to implement a new automated software system to increase operational efficiency. This new system will encompass the current databases from personnel files to vacation requests and merge them into one unified identifiable system. The GZS consulting firm is recommending some potential changes in management style to assist with the transitions going forward.
A change management initiative is essential that Kudler exemplifies effective leadership in order to minimize the impact on the business doing this change. The impact of this software on the company demands a leadership style that will accompany this change. There are four options of styles that GZS recommends.
Leadership Styles
The first style is the autocratic style of leadership. This is a leadership style that uses no employee influence. Management disregards the opinions, suggestions and thoughts of employees, decisions are made by management. There is no input from the employees on how things will be done unless there is firm employee opposition, at which time management may reconsider its options. This type of leadership style may be appealing to management. It is a style that allows the management team total control. Barring strong push back from the team, all decisions are made and executed as management wants. On the other hand, it is a style that is disruptive for the organizational culture that already exist at Kudler . Organizational culture is defined as “a set of processes that binds together members of an organization based on the shared pattern of basic values, beliefs, and assumptions in an organization.” This culture can have two levels. The first level describes how people act, dress, and communicate within the business. The other level is how they think, and feel about the business they are working for. Kudler is a place where the employees must take on a personal sense of responsibility to please the customer. Being able to cater to the every desire of a person takes a certain type of attitude, autonomy is necessary. This type of business is successful because the employees are free to make their own decisions and give their professional opinions when serving the customers needs. That type of freedom would be stifled in an environment where every move is dictated by management. There are times when the front line staff must be able to make decisions based on customer interactions. An instance in which an autocratic leadership style is most useful when restructuring accurate time reporting and payroll procedures. Time reporting should be nonnegotiable. It involves integrity, honesty, uniformity, and consistency.
Another style of leadership is the consultation style. The consultation style a participation style of leadership. Here the manager gathers with the team to get their feelings, opinions, questions and concerns and then makes the final decision based on the information gathered from the team needs of the business. This style may be more suitable for Kudler. The team members interact with the customers every day. Therefore, they are more in touch with their customers needs and wants. Allowing them to participate in the decision making will also heighten their sense of ownership in the business and allows the team to inject their opinions based on their perceptions on what the needs of the business are. This type of style is most useful product ordering in the new system. The teams perspective is most valuable here because they are most aware of what products are needed to operate Kudler daily.
The third type of leadership style is joint decision. Here the manager meets with the team and identifies the business issues. There is full participation by