Project Materials

THE EFFECTS OF DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP STYLE BY DEPARTMENTAL HEADS ON SECRETARIES

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study 

Different leadership styles can have a big impact on how happy and productive employees are, which is why leadership is so important for organisations. Democratic leadership has been more popular in recent years.

This type of leadership promotes teamwork and open communication by involving employees in decision-making (Van Knippenberg et al., 2015). Secretaries are frequently crucial to an organization’s success, but little is known about how a democratic leadership style affects them. This is in contrast to the extensive literature on the advantages of democratic leadership in other organisational contexts.

Secretaries play an essential role in any company because of the many administrative tasks, appointment scheduling, and communication management that fall within their purview.

They are the initial point of contact for a lot of customers, therefore how well they do their jobs can have a big influence on how people see the company (Pierce & Newstrom, 2011).

Therefore, in order to improve organisational performance and staff well-being, it is necessary to understand how department heads’ leadership styles impact secretaries.

This research aims to fill a gap in our understanding of how department heads’ democratic leadership styles impact secretaries in the workplace.

The purpose of this research is to draw conclusions about how a democratic leadership style affects secretaries’ contentment, motivation, and productivity on the work. Finding out what aspects of democratic leadership are most important for secretaries to succeed is another goal of the research.

A leader’s style is their approach to decision-making and the way they engage with their followers (Northouse, 2019). Autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire are some of the many kinds of leadership.

The present corporate climate, which places a premium on cooperation, open communication, and collaboration, has contributed to the rise of democratic leadership as one of these popular styles (Van Knippenberg et al., 2015).

According to Van Knippenberg et al. (2015), a democratic leadership style encourages team members to actively participate in decision-making, maintain open lines of communication, and share responsibilities. With this approach, the leader asks for and considers employee thoughts and comments before making decisions.

Contributions from employees are taken into account when decisions are being made, and they are encouraged to voice their opinions and ideas. According to Van Knippenberg et al. (2015), a good leader not only helps their team succeed but also plays to their strengths by allocating responsibilities accordingly.

The happiness and productivity of workers are both improved by adopting a more democratic style of leadership, according to studies (Van Knippenberg et al., 2015). Democratically led organisations, for instance, are associated with more contented and motivated workers (Van Knippenberg et al., 2015).

The reason behind this is that employees are more likely to feel invested in the company’s success when their opinions are heard and considered by democratic leaders (Van Knippenberg et al., 2015).

Furthermore, employees’ self-efficacy and job happiness can be enhanced by democratic leaders who typically offer assistance, direction, and acknowledgement (Van Knippenberg et al., 2015).

In addition, a more democratic style of leadership can have a favourable effect on how well employees do their jobs. Employees are more likely to dedicate themselves to the organization’s mission and values when they have a say in shaping its direction and see their input as valuable (Van Knippenberg et al., 2015).

When workers take pride in their work and are accountable for its success, they are more likely to put forth their best effort. Democratic leaders also have a tendency to assign work according to employees’ skills and interests, which can boost employee agency