Leadership and the Leadership Process

Murphy’s Perspective on Leadership

Murphy feels that leadership is a societal phenomenon rather than a psychological one. He also believes that leadership is a result of the circumstance as a whole, not only of a person’s attributes. Murphy also believes that leadership is based on the interaction of a circumstance and a person, with the situation being the context or obligation that they face, as well as the followers (Murphy 23).

Bass’s Perspective on Leadership

Bass, on the other hand, argues that leadership entails both a leader and a follower, rather than just a follower. He believes that leadership can be defined in various ways, with all definitions involving the influence of people in a group context. Bass further reviews leadership as a form of persuasion, as an interaction effect, as a personality attribute, as a way of achieving goals and as a focus of group process. Importantly, Bass further defines leadership as the ability to handle men in order to achieve the most with the least friction and greatest cooperation (Munson 12).

Question Two

Julian and Hollander view leadership in a different manner. Both of them perceive leadership as a social influence process that involves a relationship between two or more people who depend on one another for the achievement of mutual goals. Furthermore, they both believe that for effective leadership to be achieved, social exchange is necessary between the leader and the followers. Also, by giving something to the followers and getting something from the followers is an important characteristic of effective and good leadership (Munson 12). Such a transactional approach or social exchange in leadership helps in trading benefits among the leader and his followers. Leadership is also perceived as a relationship by Hollander and Julian whose strength and legitimacy is built over time.

Question Three

According to Dirks, trust is an important ingredient in leadership. Dirks believes that trust is a crucial phenomenon in leadership and is one of the values considered in determining effective leadership. The trust of a follower on the leader and the trust of a leader on the follower are crucial for effective leadership. According to Dirks, trust is a belief or exception that the team can always rely on the leader’s words and actions and that the leader has the best interest of the team at heart. Dirks goes ahead to discuss just how trust has been emphasized by various leadership theories (Murphy 23). There is a link between trust of the followers with conflict management, positive behavior, organizational justice and organizational relationships. In fact, trust is used to measure relationships between the followers and the leader.

Question Four

Organizational justice can be defined as the perception of fairness in the workplace among employees. Justice revolves around how two or more people interact and related with one another particularly during conflict or exchange processes (Munson 12). These processes can either be socio-emotional or economic and hence it is important to consider the perceptions of subordinates regarding as it affects work-related outcomes. Organization justice is also important in ensuring harmony among members of staff. It eliminates the feeling that some employees are treated better than others. As a result, employees feel they belong and in case of conflict, a fair and just solution can always be reached.

Works Cited

Munson, Loveland. He Management Of Men. 1st ed. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company’, 1921. Print.

Murphy, Albert. A Study Of The Leadership Process. 1st ed. 1941. Print.