Showing papers on "Management styles published in 2009"

A model of knowledge‐sharing motivation

Abstract: In this article, I present a model of knowledge-sharing motivation based on a combination of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and self-determination theory (SDT), along with a review of research supporting the model and suggestions for future research and methodologies to study knowledgesharing behavior. I also give suggestions for designing five important human resource management (HRM) practices, including staffing, job design, performance and compensation systems, managerial styles, and training. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Leadership Styles as Predictors of Self-reported and Observed Workplace Bullying

Abstract: The connection between leadership or management style, on the one hand, and perceptions of bullying, on the other, has received little attention within bullying research. Hence, the aim of this study is to examine the relationship between subordinates' ratings of their immediate superiors' behaviours, and both perceived exposure and claims of observations of bullying at work. Based on a sampling process which emphasized randomness and representativeness, the responses from 5288 respondents in Great Britain taking part in a nationwide study on psychosocial issues at work were included in the analysis. Bullying correlated with all four leadership styles measured. Yet, ‘non-contingent punishment’ emerged as the strongest predictor of self-perceived exposure to bullying, while autocratic leadership was the strongest predictor of observed bullying. Hence, while observers particularly associate bullying with autocratic or tyrannical leader behaviour, targets relate bullying more to non-contingent punishment, i.e. an unpredictable style of leadership, where punishment is meted out or delivered on leaders' own terms, independent of the behaviour of subordinates. In addition, laissez-faire leadership emerged as a predictor of self-reported as well as observed bullying. Thus, leadership styles seem to play an important but complex role in the bullying process.

Co‐operative social enterprises: company rules, access to finance and management practice

Abstract: Objectives: In light of the faster than expected take up of the Community Interest Company (CIC) in the UK, this paper revisits findings from a study undertaken in 2000 on the impact of asset-locks on the longevity, growth and management styles in co-operative social enterprises. Prior Work: The co-operative and employee-ownership movements played a leading role in the establishment of Social Enterprise London and the Social Enterprise Coalition. The heritage of the UK co-operative movement, however, differs from its continental counterpart in placing a much stronger emphasis on common ownership that inhibits the transfer of capital and assets to private interests. Approach: This paper is both conceptual and empirical. It examines different worker co-operative traditions and develops a meta-theory that explains underlying assumptions in different forms of co-operative social enterprise. Using empirical data from 5 common ownership co-operatives and 5 equity-based co-operatives, this exploratory study found differences in management style, access to finance and growth prospects both within and between the two groups. Implications: Devolution of management responsibilities was more prevalent in co-operatives permitting both individual and collective ownership, as opposed to common ownership. Access to external finance was less problematic for organisations where individuals had made investments. Despite this, it was not established that organisations with external equity or loan finance grew quicker or faired better over the longer term. Value: The value of the paper lies both in the development of a meta-theoretical framework for differentiating forms of worker co-operative, as well as empirical evidence on the impact of asset-locks in the management and development of social enterprises. The study suggests that the CLS version of the CIC, or abandonment of the CIC in favour of an appropriately structured CLS or IPS model, may be appropriate for social enterprises wishing to grow, but makes little difference in small service oriented social enterprises.

Conflict management styles of Turkish managers

Abstract: Purpose – The aim of this study is to determine Turkish managers' conflict styles in different sectors, namely durable consumer goods, aviation, automotive and banking.Design/methodology/approach – A total of 130 managers' conflict management styles were assessed by applying the Rahim's 1983 Organizational Conflict Inventory‐II.Findings – First, integrating and, second, compromising are found to be the most preferred conflict styles of Turkish managers. The other important finding is that preferring obliging styles of conflict management changes according to the status of managers. Obliging is mostly used when the conflict partner has an upper level status.Research limitations/implications – Additional data from cross‐cultural studies are needed to form a comprehensive understanding of conflict management styles. Also, the number of respondents in the study is not enough to generalize the findings; additional data from different sectors could make the findings more valid.Practical implications – There see...

Influence of information and communication technologies on decentralization of organizational structure

Abstract: This paper presents research on influence of information and communication technologies on decentralization of organizational structure. An empirical research was conducted, in which decentralization was described by dominant management style was compared to the level of composite index of ICT adoption. Also, consulting experience in four major Serbian companies was used to further elaborate and explain the results in the context of modern literature and practice. Conclusions were that ICT adoption is more frequently expressed in decentralized companies, empirically described by dominant liberal style of management, although ICT adoption can also lead to centralization in some cases, depending on other factors in the organization.

Management styles and innovation in women-owned enterprises

Abstract: Studies suggest that management style affects organizational innovation. However, not much is known about innovation in women-owned enterprises, especially in a developing society such as Malaysia. The current study, therefore aims to examine how Malaysian women entrepreneurs perceive and manage innovation. Due to the exploratory nature of the analysis, a qualitative approach is adopted. 10 women entrepreneurs are interviewed regarding their perception and implementation of innovation, as well as the problems they face and their solutions to those problems, based on the responses, 4 distinct management styles are identified. The study has several theoretical and practical implications. In particular they provide direction on women’s development issues to policy-makers and managers, as well as researchers in the areas of culture, gender and innovation. Key words: Women entrepreneurs, management style, innovation, Malaysia

The rise of the Japanese multinational enterprise: then and now

Abstract: Japanese multinational enterprises (MNEs) have evolved since the1980s when they first came to prominence. The rise and degree of their success are not uniform stories and Japanese MNEs vary greatly by size, sector and administrative heritage. Their degree of integration with world capital markets is low and management styles and innovation systems are idiosyncratic. Pressures on Japanese MNEs to increase flexibility and openness have resulted in unusual hybrid structures.

Organizational Culture in the Restaurant Industry: Implications for Change

Abstract: INTRODUCTION Employee perspective with regard to organizations has been shown to have effects on the success of the organizations. Having employees with appropriate attitudes will enhance the probability for success in any company in any industry (Davidson, 2003). Organizations with a strong sense of customer orientation have also shown greater levels of customer satisfaction (Schneider & Bowen, 1993). The restaurant industry has a greater likelihood of being influenced by employee actions than other industries, because of its labor-intensive nature and the high level of interaction between the employees and customers (Davidson, 2003; Seidman, 2001). The purpose of the paper was to research findings in the existing literature for suggesting directions restaurant leaders could follow with regard to cultural development. Their implementation could have a significant impact on many aspects of their operations, including increasing productivity, reducing turnover and building commitment. For the transformational change to be achieved, organizations must first understand and manage the complexities of their respective organizational cultures (Goodman, Zammuto, & Gifford, 2001) and build stronger levels of organizational commitment. The manuscript reports the findings of a study to determine how organizational culture influences full-service restaurants. The purpose of the study was to determine the most suitable cultural model for full-service restaurants among the four presented. Restaurant Industry Challenges Although individual restaurant entities are usually considered small businesses, the restaurant industry has been traditionally known for having a highly bureaucratic management style (Tracey & Hinkin, 1994). Classical management styles are that of highly defined, routine practices, which have strict adherence to specific rules and regulations (Smucker, 2001). The traditional management philosophy (i.e., Theory X management) in the hospitality industry does not take into effect the person or individual doing the job, but focuses more on the job itself. Identifying what the specific tasks and requirements of the job are and then training the employees to perform these duties has been and remains the norm in the food and beverage industry (Tracey & Hinkin, 1994). Generally, the restaurant industry is almost autocratic in nature. It is hence a difficult and demanding industry within which to be employed. Theory X management style works when there is little competition and local unemployment figures are high. The realities of the industry depict a different story. Industry statistics show that competition among operators is fierce and that a lack of a large labor pool has plagued the industry for a long time, which continues to be a major concern for restaurant owners and managers (Crook, Ketchen, & Snow, 2003; Enz, 2004). Ultimately, harsh organizational climates tend to discourage employees from continuing employment with foodservice operators and cause people to "job-hop." The restaurant industry is notorious for having high employee turnover rates. An industry-wide study of restaurants concluded that restaurant managers should do a better job of being an employer of choice if they are to satisfy customers and produce financial results (Koys, 2006). ORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE AND ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE DEFINED Before Pettigrew's (1979) landmark organizational culture study, research centered on the construct of organizational climate (Obenchain, 2002). Organizational climate emphasizes the importance of shared perceptions as underpinning the notion of climate (Anderson & West, 1998; Mathisen & Einarsen 2004). Reichers and Schneider (1990) defined organizational climate as "the shared perception of the way things are around here" (p. 22). According to Schein (1990), the main differences between organizational climate and organizational culture are the levels of complexity of the two constructs. …

Managing the Long Term Prisoner: A Report on an Australian Innovation in Unit Management

Abstract: Bathurst Gaol in New South Wales has carried out changes in managerial styles. The physical and social environment provided for prisoners in a ‘Unit Management’ scheme has been found to be conducive to efficient management; it is also cost effective. This article describes and assesses both the ‘unit living’ and the ‘participatory management’ style involved.

A comparative study for employee job satisfaction in aydin municipality and nazilli municipality

Abstract: This study was composed of a conceptual analysis of job satisfaction and an empirical research for the relationships between job satisfaction and a set of variables; pay, promotion, positive affectivity/encouragement, job involvement, potential of rest-day/off-day, relations with co-workers, health facilities, relations with supervisor, training and education facilities, autonomy, physical facilities, reconciliation role of supervisor, procedural justice, tangible aids, office tools, level of role clearness, participation in decisions, management style of supervisor. The results, based on a sample of 220 employees from Aydin Municipality and Nazilli Municipality, indicated that 59% of the variance in job satisfaction was explained by the variables included in the regression test. The variable of management/democratic style of supervisor had the greatest effect on job satisfaction, followed by the variables of “level of role clearness”, “health facilities”, “autonomy”, “participation in decision”, “job involvement”, and “training and educational facilities”. The study found that satisfaction level for “tangible aids” and “potential of rest-day” was significantly higher for employees working in Aydin Municipality than those working in Nazilli Municipality. But, satisfaction level for “health facilities”, “physical facilities” and “relations with supervisor” was significantly higher for employees working in Nazilli Municipality than those working in Aydin Municipality. So, it is suggested that managers should apply additional/further researches in their organizations to investigate the underpinning variables of job satisfaction and commitment of employees

The two faces of Nordic management? Nordic firms and their employee relations in the Baltic States

Abstract: This study examines Nordic management styles in union and non-union industrial enterprises in the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) through case studies of nine Nordic subsidiary companies, based on on-site interviews with management and employees.1 This analysis construes the ‘Nordic model’ of management style as ‘bargained constitutional’ or ‘sophisticated consultative’, following Purcell and Ahlstrand's (1994) matrix of management styles in the highly unionized countries of origin, characterized as coordinated market economies. The case studies reveal that in the Baltic liberal-market environment, Nordic employers exhibit a variety of management styles, ranging from sophisticated human relations or paternalistic relations styles in non-union contexts, to an adversarial bargained style or modern paternalistic style in unionized subsidiary firms. The Nordic model's ‘bargained constitutionalism’ only occurs in those cases in the sample in which Soviet-era trade union structures survive, or where ...

An Examination between the Relationship of Conflict Management Styles and Employees’ Satisfaction with Supervision

Abstract: This study examined the relationships between conflict handling styles and subordinates’ satisfaction with supervision. Data from 139 respondents from major industries in Malaysia including service, manufacturing, mining and construction demonstrated that subordinates were more satisfied with their superiors’ supervision through their exercise of integrating, compromising, and obliging styles. On the other hand, subordinates who perceived their superiors as primarily utilizing dominating and avoiding style viewed them as incompetent in supervision and thus lowering their level of job satisfaction.

Country-Compatible Incentive Design

Abstract: Today’s management faces the challenge of employing workforces in different countries. Institutional frameworks, both formal and informal, in various countries influence employees’ preferences related to performance rewards and management styles. We conduct an empirical study to examine employees of a German multinational corporation at its locations in China, Germany, Japan, and the U.S. We find that employees from these countries have different preferences on incentives and management styles. Therefore, motivational mechanisms designed for one country might not work in others. We also find that the logic of diminishing marginal utility applies to most performance rewards.

Russian female entrepreneurs

Abstract: The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and subsequent transition of the Russian Federation from a command economy to a free market economy changed the economic, political and social landscapes in the country enormously, opening the way to legalized entrepreneurship in the form of private business ownership. Women took an active role in this process, increasing the number of female-owned enterprises, expanding into new fields of business and contributing to wealth and jobs. This study aims to undertake qualitative research on female entrepreneurs in Russia, notably amongst women owner-managers of small and medium sized firms in Moscow, and to examine what motivated Russian women entrepreneurs to launch and manage their own businesses as they themselves understand it. The focus of this study is on women entrepreneurs and their entrepreneurial experience, rather than on their businesses. The research is based on 30 in-depth phenomenological interviews, which give rich descriptions of the women’s entrepreneurial experiences from the participants’ point of view. The study provides insights into Russian women entrepreneurs’ motivation, personal traits and management styles, which have been relatively under-researched in the literature. It also affirms the importance of the institutional context affirmed by other researchers (Aidis et al, 2005; Estrin et al, 2005; Peng, 2001; McMillan and Woodruff, 2002), who have undertaken research in former transition economies. The findings of the research confirmed that the women from the sample were motivated by external factors to start-up their businesses: they were either pushed into entrepreneurship by necessity, or drawn to it by favourable opportunities. When reflecting on their motivation, they identified intrinsic motives, such as the need for achievement and recognition, a desire to help others and to be a leader, to have an interesting job, fulfil their potential and realize their dreams. They attributed their success in business to their intuition, interpersonal and leadership skills, and stressed the importance of a strong personal drive, faith and the capacity to love humanity. In the context of an unstable business environment in Russia, the women were prudent when weighing risks, and relied on their personal informal networks to address complex situations in an effective way. The research makes a contribution to gender studies, proliferation of subjective qualitative methodological approaches in entrepreneurial research, and links motivation, trait, institutional, human and social capital theories, opening up interesting opportunities for further research on the intersections of these theoretical perspectives.

A Comparison of Management Style for Mexican Firms in Mexico and the United States

Abstract: The literature indicates that managers of Mexican firms use an "authoritative" management style when compared to U.S. Firms which utilize a "consultative style". In this study, the management style for managers in Mexican firms in Mexico and comparable Mexican owned firms in the U.S. are compared using Likert's System 4 survey instrument. The results indicate a different finding from the literature in that managers' management style for Mexican firms in both locations is consultative. Keywords: Management style; Culture; International location; International culture I. INTRODUCTION The literature indicates that culture influences the way firms are managed. Mexico and the U.S., although very close neighbors, have different cultures and the literature reports that the management style of managers in each country is different. The literature further notes that location of foreign firms and their proximity to their central firm may influence managers to amend their management style to the culture prevailing where the firm is located. Important work has been done to understand the culture of different countries and its impact on the management style used in enterprises. The work of Likert (1967) in establishing a measurement system to assess the degree of employee participation in management has been crucial and his approach is widely used to compare the management style of managers operating across countries. Likert (1967) characterizes an organization's management system on a continuum ranging from exploitive autocratic (System 1) to participative (System 4). Later in his experimental work, Likert and Likert (1976) reported that in the most highly industrialized nations, management styles tend to be concentrated more on the System 4 of the continuum and away from System 1 while the reverse is true for less industrialized nations. This paper seeks to determine if managers in Mexican firms located in Mexico continue to use the authoritative management style as indicated in the literature and to determine if Mexican managers in firms located in the U.S. have similar management style as their counterparts in Mexico or because of their U.S. location Mexican managers have amended their management style to more closely conform to the U.S. culture. This work adds to the literature in two ways: (1) the research compares Mexican managers operating in their own country and operating in the United States while most of the research in the literature compares American managers operating in two different countries or compares Mexican managers to American managers and (2) the management style of Mexican managers using the Likert questionnaire was last completed in the work of Morris and Pavett (1992), so this research will provide a current insight as to how Mexican managers are today managing their firms. The importance of this study relates to the bilateral commercial relationship between the U.S. and Mexico and their proximate geographic location. In addition, in 1994, both countries signed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) which has increased their mutual trade and foreign direct investment. Between1994 and 2005, the US-Mexico foreign direct investment flows increased substantially from $16,968 billion to $71,423 billion. By 2007, the Mexican commercial relationship with the U.S. almost tripled from $297 billion to $930 billion (Secretaria de Economia, 2005 and Office of the United States Trade Representative, 2008). This mutual increase in business inherently has had an attendant growth for the number of foreign enterprises who have situated in each country. The growth of trade between the U.S. and Mexico and the increase in the number of Mexican firms who have established locations in the U.S. has created a need for understanding the way Mexican firms in the U.S. are managed and how they might differ from their counterparts in Mexico. This study reviews the management factors relating to goal setting, decision making, communication, leadership, motivation, and control that influence the management style of managers of Mexican firms located in Mexico and the U. …

Styles of Leadership

Abstract: In the BS2 session What is leadership? you learnt about the different theories of leadership that have been developed over the years. You also learnt that the combination of trait theory and the idea that leadership involves developing certain behaviours seems to make the most sense. You need a personality that allows you to be an effective leader and you need to develop certain skills that enable to you be an effective leader. Most people have the right sort of personality; all you need to do is to develop the right behaviours.

Does organising matter? Tracing connections to environmental impacts in different housing estates.

Abstract: Much of the research on buildings and the environment is of a technical-economic nature. But so far, this has not led to any great changes in practice. This article brings organising into the research agenda: Does organising matter for the environmental performance of buildings? If so, how? This question is investigated by a comparative analysis based on an empirical approach. Two housing management practices and their buildings' energy and water performances are analysed relative to each other. It is possible to trace energy and water consumption levels to characteristic management styles (e.g., metaphors of 'caring' and 'emergency-driven'). The analysis shows that organising concepts, more specifically, characteristic management styles, matter for the environment. Copyright © 2009 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

Employee Resourcing in the Construction Industry: Strategic Considerations and Operational Practice

Abstract: Construction is one of the most challenging industrial environments for effective people management. It is characterised by geographically dispersed projects, production-oriented management styles, long working hours, high levels of staff turnover and employment practices grounded in the traditional 'personnel' paradigm. The employee resourcing function - recruitment, selection and deployment - is largely reactive and intuitive, and fails to draw on the longer-term benefits of strategic human resource management (SHRM). This book explores the challenges inherent in employee resourcing in-depth. It provides insights into the strategic considerations and operational approaches adopted by large construction organisations in deploying their human resources. It presents an improved framework for informed SHRM-style decision-making derived from an extensive study conducted within eight major construction organisations. This book provides a valuable resource for both students and practitioners interested in evaluating and improving current organisational practice.

The influence of total quality management practices on the transformation of how organisations work

Abstract: This paper examines the influence of total quality management practices on the transformation of how organisations work, by conducting both a quantitative analysis with data collected from a survey of government employees and a content analysis with data collected from the same source using open-ended questions. This study investigated the differences between the total quality management participants and non-participants, and the pre-test and post-test, using five analytic lenses: understanding the total quality management philosophies, transforming individual attitudes, promoting knowledge of total quality management through collective learning, transforming management style toward system-oriented approaches, and transforming the existing culture into a new organisational culture. This study showed that the total quality management practices have let government employees change their attitudes at work from a rule-of-thumb estimate to a rational judgment style on the basis of analysis, their learning mech...

Management styles of lumber mill managers in the northern United States.

Abstract: The management styles of chief executives largely determine how firms react to a myriad of challenges and opportunities that arise in the marketplace. The management style of a chief executive can influence a firm's ability to successfully compete in an increasingly globalized world. To better understand management styles and practices, a survey of chief executives at 32 sawmills operating in the northern United States was conducted. Five management styles were synthesized from the literature―autocratic, bureaucratic, authoritarian, democratic, and participative. The frequency with which these management styles were used by chief executives was based on their responses to a series of questions related to five key areas of management. Three-quarters of the managers surveyed used a combination of between two and four management styles and just 25 percent exhibited a single style. Management styles were found to be largely independent of demographic profiles and mill characteristics such as product type and mill capacity.

Exploring academic leadership in medical schools and universities in Iran

Abstract: Background: Medical education in Iran has been integrated into the health care system through a complex organizational change that included the formation of a single government division called the Ministry of Health and Medical Education. This division is responsible for both medical education and health services at the national level, whereas health care at the provincial level is provided by medical universities. Due to this restructuring, medical academic leadership in the country has been facing extensive tasks and responsibilities, as well as managerial, organizational, and cultural challenges. In general, it is difficult to manage a large organization comprising many medical universities and schools, hospitals, clinics, and health centers as is the case in Iran. The aim of the present research project was to study faculty members, academic leaders, and medical education experts in Iranian medical schools and universities with regard to their views on the requirement dimensions, challenges, organizational culture, values, and routines related to effective academic leadership. Methods: We used methodological and data triangulation, and performed two qualitative and quantitative studies. In the former we had an expert panel of 24 key informants in medical education and 18 in-depth interviews with academic leaders, and in the latter 125 academic leaders and 344 faculty members participated in two nationwide surveys. Findings: The requirements of effective academic leadership in Iranian medical schools and universities could be grouped into six themes: 1) shared vision, goals, and strategies; 2) teaching and research leadership; 3) transformational and collaborative leadership; 4) development and recognition performance; 5) fair and efficient management; 6) climate of mutual trust and respect. There are some barriers to effective academic leadership, for example politicization, instability, paradoxical management, lack of meritocracy, centralization, bureaucracy, and belief in misconceptions. Administrative management had a negative impact on academic leadership, indicated as lack of fair and efficient supervision, a climate not conducive to creativity and innovation, low motivation, and the absence of an efficient evaluation system. Results revealed that academic leadership is confronted with major multifaceted challenges, including the following: inefficacy of governmental academic leadership, an extensive set of missions and responsibilities, lack of concern about selection of managers, inappropriate management styles, mismatch between authorities and responsibilities and leadership capabilities, a tendency towards governmental management, boss-centered management, and low motivation. Discussion: Effective academic leadership in Iranian medical schools is hampered by politicization, centralization, conservativeness, lack of meritocracy, and instability of management. Consequently, medical school management needs to create a balance between academic freedom and authority in order to reconstruct its organizational culture and values. The most important factor that can promote effective academic supervision of Iranian medical schools is to ensure that appropriate managerial skills exist to tackle the tension between management, academic leaders, and faculty members. Iranian academic leadership needs to restructure itself into a department-based system that decreases the multiple levels of decision making, while increasing each department’s autonomy in favor of participatory decision making and networking. The academic leaders have overwhelming tasks and responsibilities, and they are not sufficiently prepared to lead. Moreover, medical universities do not offer appropriate practical support for scientific endeavors and efforts that can result in international ranking. There is a need for development of academic leadership, including training and legislation regarding the prerequisites for managerial and teaching positions. Our research also suggests that it would be wise to have a more proportionate set of missions, responsibilities, and tasks. The Ministry should evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of its restructuring in order to support health care and move towards solving the critical need for leaders and leadership development. Conclusions: The requirements of academic leadership in a developing country like Iran can be considered to be the same as those existing in any Western country, with the addition of many negative effects of governmental management. Therefore, to achieve changes in Iran, it will be necessary to take into account more than the previous effects of organizational culture, values, and routines on effective leadership, especially during substantial restructuring. The academic leaders will have to contemplate altering the restructuring to focus on departmentbased and participative management, academic autonomy, and improvement of scientific culture in medical universities.

Superior-subordinate Conflict Management Styles an Empirical Study of Malaysian Companies

Abstract: This study examined the relationships between organizational context, conflict handling styles and subordinates’ satisfaction with supervision. Data from 139 respondents from major industries in Malaysia including service, manufacturing, mining and construction demonstrated that subordinates were more satisfied with their superiors’ supervision through their exercise of integrating, compromising, and obliging styles. On the other hand, subordinates who perceived their superiors as primarily utilizing dominating and avoiding style viewed them as incompetent in supervision and thus lowering their level of satisfaction with supervision. Among the conflict handling styles, integrating was most correlated with organic structure. The organic structure was found to be positively correlated with the satisfaction with supervision. These results implied that organic structure can be a potent force in maintaining organizational stability, although not unambiguously, the present results also seemed to suggest that subordinates tend to be less satisfied with superiors with wider span of control.

Your favourite manager is an organisational disaster.

Abstract: Purpose – When subordinates are asked what kind of manager they prefer, the answers are virtually the same. Subordinates have a different focus than managers, as the latter focus on organisational ...

Doctors and leadership of healthcare organizations

Abstract: C facing healthcare organization in the twenty-first century are unprecedented: rising customers’ expectations, financial crisis, high cost care, new sets of diseases, crisis of equity, accessibility, and leadership of healthcare systems.1 Management of healthcare needs to respond efficiently and effectively to these challenges in order to meet the expectations, and survive current turmoil. It has been recognized that “commonality and interaction between medicine and management dictates more involvement of doctors in management, and scientific evidence supports the need for more involvement of doctors in managing healthcare systems.”2 In fact, doctors “ought to be playing a central role in making the changes in the health care system that will allow the system to offer better outcomes, greater ease of use, lower cost, and more social justice in health status.”3 For doctors to respond well to the above challenges they have to be leaders.2-4 This paper addresses leadership in health care systems: meanings, types, and how to be a leader. The aim is to share and initiate scientific debate on the subject with interested parties particularly doctors in healthcare management. In addition to being care providers, doctors occupy many senior management positions in healthcare organizations. Some administrators may argue that doctors must be reserved for care provision only, and leave management to administrators. This argument does not take into consideration the ground reality, and the fact that “ in the context of clinical practice, management forms part of the basic structure of the medical consultation, and doctors in management role will ensure that patients care is provided and supervised by staff with appropriate skills.”2 The existing trend of appointing doctors to senior positions in many healthcare organizations, both in developed and developing countries has to be welcomed. But, also it has to be acknowledged that most of doctors in these senior positions exhibit management style more than leadership style. This explains, at least partly, why most health care organizations stuck in day-to-day business, and fail to survey the horizon for opportunities, and anticipation of change. Looking into the dynamic of existing health care systems, one would say with confidence that healthcare organizations are over managed, and under led. Doctors particularly those occupying senior positions in their organizations need to be leaders rather than managers. Leaders innovate, while managers administer; leaders do the right things, while managers do things right; leaders’ eyes is on the horizon, while managers’ eyes is on the bottom line; and leaders challenge the status quo, while managers accept the status quo.5-7 Managers concentrate on daily businesses, subjects, and materials, while leaders concentrate on developing people and creating change.5-7 Change is perhaps the keyword of the twenty-first century, for example, USA President-elect Barrack Obama emphasized the need for change in his campaign. Globalization and world financial crisis called for change at all levels of management, and for all type of organizations. Healthcare organizations in its existing way of management are costly and ineffective. This has to change into a more cost-effective healthcare organizations that addresses the expectations of both customers and governments. This is a difficult task without doctors playing leadership role in introducing and managing change. Leadership is the cure for the degenerative arthritis that affects healthcare organizations at an early age, and makes them stiff and inflexible to change. So what is leadership? Many definitions are found in literature, but the definition of Northouse6 seems more relevant to our purpose: leadership is “a process whereby an individual