CHAPTER
ONE
1.0
INTRODUCTION
Before considering the relationship
between effective leadership and productivity in an organization one must take a vivid look at what an
organization is. An organization is an entity. This is true of all business
enterprises, churches, hospitals, or clubs. It can be seen as a process of
coordinating individual effort toward the achievement of a common goal or
objective an organization is a group of people bound together to provide unity
of action for the achievement of a predetermined objective. The purpose of the
organizing function is to make the best use of the organization’s resources by
some appointed members known as leaders to achieve organization goal.
For productivity to take place in an
organization, all human and materials resources must be coordinated toward
achieving the goals of the organization and the human resources available must
be motivated, integrated, coordinated by
some people or a group of people who the subordinates will have return to do so
as to compare performance with standard set, analyze the deviation and the
reasons for the deviation.
So as to take precautionary measure
known as controlling and make sure that the targeted objective is attended.
In any progressing organization there
must be a pleasant and friendly relationship between the leaders and the
subordinates. A wiling leader who wants success and want the subordinates to
play their role on achieving the goals of the organization must adopt the
appropriate styles, strategies and make proper utility of these and must never
neglect the function and duties of leader.
All organization either public or
private never joke with management directives at all level. Starting from the
top managing directive level to least line and supervising in the organization.
There is always someone at the head of
affairs of every level in the organization that the subordinates look up to
some people at the top administrative level. From same time till now, other has
been an increased global interest in the importance of leadership to
organization being it social, business, or political. The increased interest
may probably be due to the technological advancement which has impacted on
human testes and fashion such that must succeed organization which is aimed at
customer satisfaction must be flexible with changes in the environment. Due to
these leadership itself worth consideration.
Leadership is always after influencing
and directing subordinate action towards the achievement of company’s
objective. It is a process existing among the follower, the leader, and other
situational variable. Thus, leadership involves the leader and his subordinate.
The leader gives instruction on what his followers should do and how the
followers should perform the specified duties.
Essentially, leadership in his
capability lacks the use of force. The leader uses the combination of his
skills and intelligence quality of character and general acceptance by the
followership to exert influence so that objectives are achieved.
The capability of leaders to be followed
by the subordinate largely depends on his poise and charisma to leads. It
highly depends on his intellect, combination of skills, quality of character
and general acceptance by the followership to exerts influence so that
objectives are achieved. It is inevitable to state that all management function
is depend on leadership. This is because the approach of the leader and his ability
to ensure the subordinates flow with him, as he provides them to pursue.
Assiduously efficient accomplishment of corporate goals. The fashion out of the
planning process cannot but be affected by his perception of and the needs of
those who are to work for him. It must however be pointed out that while it is
generally believed that leadership is about persuasion and influence.
1.2
PURPOSE OF STUDY
The reasons why this topic is considered
for study is to shed light and educate all forms of organization be it a
business oriented or non business organization on the importance of leadership
in the management setup of an organization.
To have a proper orientation about
leadership. The style and ways they can adopt for the smooth and efficient
running of the organization.
More so, to know the contribution of
leaders to productivity in the
organization how they supervises and motivate the subordinates, how they gear
them towards the achievement of organizational goals of the organization which
is sometimes based on the level of productivity.
1.3
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
There
is a need for further research on motivation, therefore goals is to reveal what
it is that motives all employees to perform at their best and achieve optimal
business result at all time. The inherent problem I have identified is that
many employers have attempted several different incentive programmed to
motivate their employees, yet they have not worked for everyone in the company.
This is a major problems faced by employers these days due to the fact that
each employer’s company is founded on the strength of its employee’s
performance.
One of
the traditional components of management along with planning, organizing and
controlling is motivating. Many managers do different things for example:
contest, performance appraisals, production, sales quotas and commission pay.
All these systems are implemented in the belief that they drive performance.
Some researchers think it does the opposite instead of trying to use extrinsic
motivators (something outside of the work itself such as promised reward or
incentives) to get higher levels of performance from people, management will be
better served by studying the organization as a system. Employers demanded
results. Without result the organization will not survive. Managing motivation
is requirement for productivity.
1.4 SIGNIFICANT OF THE STUDY
Leadership
can be defined as a process by which one individual influence others toward the
attainment of group or organizational goals. Three point about the definition
of leadership should be emphasized first, leadership is the influence process.
Leadership con not exist without a leader and one or more followers. Secondly,
leadership elicits voluntary action on the part of followers. The voluntary
nature of compliance separates leadership from other types of influence based
on formal authority. Finally, leadership results in follower’s behavior that is
purposeful and goals directed in some sort of organized setting. Many, although
not all, studies of leadership focus on the nature of leadership in the
workplace.
Leadership
is probably the most frequently studies topic in the organizational science.
Thousands of leadership studies have been published and thousands of page on
leadership have been written in academic books and journals, business- oriented
publication, and general interest publications. Despite this, the precise
nature of leadership and its relationship to key criterion variable such as
subordinate satisfaction, commitment, and performance is still uncertain, to
the point where fred Luthans, in his book organizational (behavior(2005),said
that” it leadership) does remain pretty much of a ‘black box’ or unexplainable
concept.
1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
As indicated earlier, our major areas of concern
necessitate the examination of effective leadership in the organization. In
order to avoid going beyond the scope of this project, comprehensive technical
issue such as the organization environment, motivation and supervision among others
will not be presented in detail.
1.6
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
OF THE CASE
STUDY
Unilever Nigeria plc was established in 1923 as
lever brother west Africa by Lord leverhuline, as a soap manufacturing company.
After series of mergers and acquisition. The company diversified into
manufacturing and marketing of foods and person care products. These mergers
and acquisition and personal care products.
These mergers and acquisition brought in Lipton Nigeria
limited in (1985) Cheesehigh industries limited in 1988 and Unilever Nigeria
plc in 1996, the company change its name to unilever Nigeria Plc.in 2001, the
company was quoted on the Nigerian stock
exchange in 1973. Unilever Nigeria plc corporate purpose it meet the every day of people everywhere in
Nigeria,
with equity holdings of 50.04% Unilever. And 49.96% Nigerian investors, the
company is a truly multi-local – multination
outfit with very outstanding international brands and local jewel brand
in its portfolio.
These international brands include, close up,
toothpaste, lux, beauty soap, fresh and vase line, petroleum jelly in the
person care unit of the business. While blue band magarine, lipton yellow label
tea and Royco cubes from the major brands in the foods unit. Omo blue detergent
key laundry soap are the major players in the home care unit of the business.
Among the local jewels are pears baby product rage. Home Cuptea, reward soap,
and in washing powder. These brands manufactured in there factories in , Agbara and Oregun
have made Unilever a visible friend in every home through outstanding value
delivery for consumers. The company has about 2000 direct employees.
The company has been undergoing restructuring in the
last seven years under a code named project genesis. The vision of the project
is to make unilever Nigeria plc the biggest and most profitable consumer
products company in Nigeria and then aimed at doubling its turnover in
2003, the guiding principles have been we; accepted by all the employees and
other stakeholders of the company and the project is well on course.
The company subscribes to the highest standard of
corporate behavior by being transparent in its dealings. Fair in completion and
law abiding. Unilever Nigeria plc is a socially responsible organization which
takes strategic actions for these improvements of the communities and
environments in which it operate. The company is involved in the provision of
assistance in the field’s of health, education and portable water as art of its
social responsibility towards the Nigeria communities.
1.7
LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
Despite our interest in this research work, our
objective cannot all be attained due to some limitations over which we have no
control of; from financial constraint, time factor, and inability to obtain
necessary information, which is termed “confidential” by the organization.
Based on the scientism of leaders and subordinates on information dissemination
primary data are difficult to collect. However, such problem is encountered
reliable secondary collection method will be employed.
1.8 RESEARCH QUESTION
This helps in the study to know more about the
organization by asking the leaders and subordinates relevant questions to cover
out information. Some of these are the questions to ask.
i.
Specifically what is
the relationship between effective leadership and productivity in this
organization?
ii.
What are the means
adopted in supervising the level of productivity of the factory’s staff?
iii.
Does the supervision
have any positive impact in productivity?
iv.
Are there any reactions
from the workers when they are motivated to work?
v.
How do leaders react to
ineffectiveness in his section?
vi.
Does some environment
variable encourage employees?
vii.
Are there any impacts
when employees are given additional reward?
viii.
How suitable is it for
leaders to handle the motivation in his section?
ix.
Does the style adopted
affects subordinates handling production activity?
1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS
a.
An organization is an entity
comprising of a group of
people working together to provide unit of action
for the achievement of a predetermined objective.
b.
Leadership is that part
of management process,
which
seeks
to ensure that workers carry out assigned responsibilities willingly and
efficiency towards the optimum achievement of cooperate goal and objectives.
c. Leader is a person who leads a
group of people especially the lead of a country, an organization etc toward
the accomplishment to target goals.
d. Effective leadership is the
integration and coordination of work force or people so as to achieves the
desired goals successfully without deviation.
e. Productivity is the desired or
targeted goals which an organization is aiming at.
f. Supervision is the process of
monitoring workers or subordinates in ensuring that they works towards the
targeted standard.
g. Environment
is the physical conditions that affect behaviour and development of somebody.
h. Motivation is the process of giving a person a
reason for doing the things you want him or her to do.