Employee perceptions of leadership and management styles:A case study of Nile Breweries Limited

Abstract

Management practices have attracted much attention over the years. Organizations require many things in order to be effective: a method for producing a product or service (i.e. plant and equipment), financial resources, a way of marketing whatever product or service is created, and human resources (read employees). While all of these things are important to organizational effectiveness, the only factor that represents a potential competitive advantage ishuman resources and how these resources are managed. William Hanley, CEO of Galileo Electro-Optics Corporation was quoted as saying "Getting managers to care, really care, about helping people to improve their skills and to take risks and make mistakes and succeed andfail and grow in the process is the greatestJrustration in managing". What are the challenges facing organisations? The top three challenges identified by Chief Executive Officers in a previous study were global competition and globalizing the firm's operations, making sure that the human side of the enterprise works at all levels and keeping upwith technology and implementing it in the workplace. Other lesser challenges were identified as government relations, improving operations, transformational leadership, knowing customers and what they want and implementing participative leadership. Last on thelist was improving the ability to meet rapid and widespread change and increasing productivity for blue and white collar perso~e1. Onthe other hand, employees when asked what makes an organisation a great place to work statedthat fair pay and benefits, maximizing individual responsibility for how a job is done, reducing social and economic distinction between management and other employees and sharing rewards from productivity and improvements were paramount and should be included ina company's policies and procedures. Organisations must try and establish a win-win relationship with employees in order for them to succeed. It is important to examine employees perceptions of management within the IV organizational context as this clearly affects morale and productivity. Should employees perceive the style of management negatively, this will have a direct bearing on their work behaviour. Labour turnover, absenteeism, theft, and non-performance will be evident and this thwarts the aim of the employer to create a competitive business. An inside look at employee perceptions will go a long way in assisting the employer to creative a conducive workplace guided by principles and policies that support the basic employee culture. Such research may be difficult to conduct and many employers may not want to receive negative feedback. However, it is only in this way that progress in the arena of management can be made.