Running Head: LEADERSHIP IN I.

Genisys Software, Inc.

Importance of Effective Leadership in an I.T. Organization

Nikhil Rai
Cardinal Stritch University

A Capstone Research Product submitted

in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of Master of Business
Administration
March 24, 2014

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Approval Page

I approve the Capstone Research Product of Nikhil Rai:

Creig R Kronstedt, Ph.D, Instructor

Date

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Abstract
This research paper addresses the leadership concerns of Genisys Software, Inc. and its
subsidiaries. The researcher has been employed at this organization for five years now and
works as a Quality Assurance Analyst in the testing department. The researchers intent for
this paper is to highlight the leadership issues that reside in his organization and many other
I.T. organizations. The research question focuses on the importance of having an effective
leadership for the overall growth and development of an organization and its employees. The
researcher made use of a case study research strategy in the form of close ended survery
questionnaires directed towards the employees and managers of the organization. Using the
data collected, the researcher was able to conclude by giving an overview of the impact of
leadership on employee satisfaction and job performace and provides recommendations on
how to improve leadership at Genisys Software, Inc.

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Table of Contents
Page
Approval Page2
Abstract..3
Table of Contents...4
List of Figures.7
Chapter 1

Introduction..8
Overview of the Research Project.8
Description of the Organization.........9
Description of the Unit..9
Research Goals and Objectives............9
Background of the Business Problem..........10
Scope and Limitations of Study.........11
Qualities of Effective Leadership...12
Organizational SWOT...........14
Leadership within Genisys Software15
Industry Summary16

Chapter 2

Literature Review18
Leadership..............18
Development of Leadership............19
Experience through practice.20
Analyze through reflection...........20
Leadership Theories..21
The trait approach .21
Behaviorist theories..........22

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Theory Y Managers and McGregors Theory X22

Moutons and Blake managerial grid..23
The Contingency or Situational School... 23
Transformational leadership theory 23
Leadership, Maxwells Laws, and Ethics 25
Relationship between Leadership and Management of Employee
Resistance 27
Law of Influence. 28
Law of Navigation....29
Law of Priorities...29
Chapter 3

Research Methodology..30
Introduction30
Research Approach...30
Research Philosophy.31
Research Design.32
Research Strategy...33
Research Population..34
Research Sampling.34
Data Collection35
Data Collection Method..36
Questionnaire Administration..36
Pilot Testing...37
Research Ethics.....38

Chapter 4

Data Analysis...40
Inductive Reasoning.............49

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Affective Events Theory49

Chapter 5

Conclusion and Recommendations...51

Conclusion51
Recommendations56

References..61

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List of Figures

Figure

Title

Page

Circle of needs in trait approach

22

Transformational Leadership Model

24

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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Overview of the Research Project
Leadership plays an effective role in determining which direction a company is
heading. Despite many studies conducted on leadership, most of them have not revealed
anything significant because they have neglected the various circumstances under which each
organization functions. Due to the different nature of each organization, these variable factors
play a vital role in determining the value of leadership. The researcher is a firm believer that
through effective leadership, an organization can certainly improve its processes and method
of functioning. Through inductive research, the researcher has been able to examine the role
of leadership at upper organization levels and using the researchers own organization as a
backdrop, he has been able to develop theories and analysis of how leaders function and
provide direction for the rest of the organization to follow.
The researcher has stressed on the influences a good leadership can have on the rest of
the organization while performing their tasks and responsibilities. By giving a broad view of
how leadership works at the researchers organization and how important it is to have the
right people at the top, the researcher will be able to inform the reader about the overall
subject of leadership. By following a standard pattern or outline laid out for a Capstone
Paper, the researcher will be able to demonstrate every facet of organizational leadership
which is useful. Leadership is present at all organizational levels and by researching this
topic, it can lead to different theories and models but the researcher will try to simplify the
data as much as he can. Leadership decisions, it should be mentioned has an impact on all the
different departments and levels of an organization and therefore makes it an important
research topic.
Description of the Organization

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The organization that the researcher works for is a subsidiary of Genisys Software, Inc.
and is located in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. The parent company was founded in 1989 with a
view to providing rental software to a unique set of industries. They operate as a midsize
company and have around 45-50 employees working as part of the subsidiary. The company
provides its clients with different types of software to meet their needs. They provide entire
packages including the licensing software, hardware, after sales service, data entry and
support (Genisys Software, 2013). Because they service a unique segment of customers, they
are one of the leaders and their clientele stretches to all parts of the country.
Description of the Unit
Because the topic deals with leadership, the researcher will primarily be focusing on the
executive level managers whose leadership roles are the debate of this study. The company
does have a formal organizational structure in place. Quite obviously, because of the medium
size of the company, they have a flat organizational structure that focuses on lean operations
and well defined reporting relationships that helps increase the efficiency. The Board of
Directors consists mainly of the CEO, CFO, shareholders and senior level managers.
Together, they have established strategic management policies and plans to take the company
forward. The researcher works as part of the software team as a QA Analyst overseeing the
software testing phase and production. The researcher is involved in business requirement
meetings and communicates with senior managers on an ongoing basis to report the status of
the projects. Through his working experience with this company, the researcher has been able
to identify how leadership works and feels that much more can be done by them to improve
the companys operations.
Research Goals and Objectives
We are aware that leadership involves the effective management of problems and
challenges that reside in every organization (Heskett, 2013, para. 1). The researcher

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sometimes gets the feeling that the leaders in his organization play a more managerial role
that is more intent on sustaining and controlling operations rather than taking initiatives and
inspiring employees. Many organizations initially take effective risks but sadly reach a
maturity point at which they just hold back and wait for things to happen. The researcher
feels that his organization might well be heading in this direction. His intent for this paper is
to highlight the problems with leadership that reside in his organization and in many other
organizations as well.
The aim of this paper is to put forward reasons why this lack of efficient leadership is
occurring and to understand the forces that have led to leadership becoming a difficult act to
perform. In spite of their built up image and impressive balance sheets, the last one year has
not been very fruitful mainly because of losing important clientele to our competitors who
have adopted a better structured approach and corporate strategy. We have had many projects
breaking down after the business requirements have been drawn and due to the lack of
collaboration, processes have not been put into place to meet deadlines. We as an
organization have not exactly kept up with the swift shifts in technology and still use aging
methods of software development to deliver.
Also, it is fair to say that some employees lack an understanding of how the projects
should flow and leadership is partly to blame because they havent taken steps to change this
approach. Since ours is a restricted size organization, our executive leadership has been
selected on the basis of prioritization. Along with the powers that come along with being a
leader, they have certainly neglected the basics such as motivating employees, following
policies and making adequate use of the human resources talent.
Background of the Business Problem
The main problem that lies within the researchers department is that because of the
growing process, specialization has increased and therefore the IT department has split up

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into different groups which make project execution complicated due to the communication
gap. Even so, the number of projects that are in different stages or life cycles makes it
difficult to plan accordingly and keep up with the completion deadlines. The blame for this
organizational strategy rests entirely on management and leadership who bring in work but
dont realize that resources can sometimes be scarce and most of us are working on many
projects simultaneously.
There have been situations when, due to budget constraints, some projects have been
prematurely terminated. This happens when leadership has to decide which projects bring in
higher revenues and which projects require larger resources. The leadership allocates budgets
and then when projects are past their deadline, abandon them because they cannot afford to
prolong them because of cost factors. Software development is an area where work goes back
and forth between departments to meet quality requirements and be error free. Therefore, a
lot of time goes in this and capital gets tied up as a result of this.
It occurs to the researcher that management uses the wrong indicators to judge
performance sometimes. For instance, there is no collaboration between the researchers
department and the upper management level because they report to their team leaders. They
are not aware of our stress levels because of the increasing amount of work we need to
perform and are handed down tasks which are not logical because of the backlog. Due to the
different departments that specialization has created, we mostly rely on input and output
criteria as a measure of efficiency. The researcher is sure that most organizations plan for
inefficiencies when laying out budgets and deadlines, but in his companys case, the scope for
a cushion or extended period is minimal.
Scope and Limitations of Study
There is a definite correlation between the leadership styles and employee satisfaction.
Also, to achieve organizational effectiveness, strategic decision making activities need to be

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undertaken by top leadership. It is important to understand the characteristics and thought

process of leaders when devising organizational strategy. By gaining an insight into executive
leadership, we are able to understand the role of the environmental and organizational forces
in shaping strategic decisions. It is true that if leaders possess the right attributes, it will
certainly guarantee success for the organization. In todays world, a good corporate image is
essential and can be guaranteed only through effective leaders.
It is not easy to lead an organization and it requires the right set of skills to do it.
Leaders should foresee what changes would be beneficial and plan accordingly. If they are
not establishing goals and implementing it, then they become ineffective. The scope of this
study is limitless because leaders differ across organizations and every organization is
different. But focusing on one organizations leadership helps us to make overall assumptions
at large. Every leader is impacted by political, social and industry factors by and large and
they are expected to do the balancing act to manage all of the processes to achieve company
goals. Employees such as the researcher want to find out if his superiors are aware of his role
within the company. They should be knowledgeable if not interacting directly with the lower
levels in the hierarchy.
There are limitations when doing a study or researching the leadership topic because of
the sensitivity issue. It is not plausible to approach your executives to get their perspectives
and opinions on how well they feel they are doing their job nor is it possible to get data on the
performance of each executive because it is always confidential. Therefore it leaves us to
make our own judgements about leadership and hope that it takes us in the right direction.
Qualities of Effective Leadership
Looking at the current software industry scenario, where globalization and fierce competition
are the norms, it is important for organizations to have the best leaders to take the company
forward. An effective leadership is the cornerstone of the company. The software industry is

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such that it is highly dependent on its leaders to bring certain elements or attributes which
will take the company forward. In the last few years peoples expectations from the IT
industry has changed significantly. IT has to perform multiple roles such as providing
technological advancements, build efficient client relationships, demonstrate business
knowledge, carry out projects to completion and deliver on time and within budget.
An IT leader has to manage and coordinate various activities between different
departments, communicate with clients and track progress of the workforce. Additionally,
he/she has to possess qualities that will lead to motivating and inspiring the workforce which
will ensure successful completion of projects. The main purpose of an IT leaders existence is
to ensure that profits are growing. Companies go all out to find the right individual who will
bear the responsibility of the entire company. While increasing the bottomline is the first and
foremost principle, an IT leader has to also raise investments and capital for the company to
progress. Keeping clients satisfied with the quality of output requires a coordinated effort
from the different department heads and executives.
Communication is very important to get the message to the entire organization. When
plans and business requirements are initially developed, the top management has to pass the
message through effective communication mechanisms to make sure that everybody
understands their role and what is expected of them (Walsh, 2008). Leadership is a
continuous process which does not have an end in sight. This is because it requires
continuous monitoring of work progress, execution of tasks, and analysing results garnered
from reports to lead to significant value.
An efficient leader is one who has a vision and develops plans and policies to work
towards achieving that vision. In the software industry, leaders have to manage tasks
strategically because of the interrelation between the different processes. Therefore, if one
process falls short, it can result in delays and costs. Leaders should employ an aggressive

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approach rather than a wait and see approach and decisions need to be made quickly. Because
of the software life cycles structure, until a process is completed, a new process cannot start.
A major responsibility of leaders is to keep clients happy at all times because clients can
always hire another firm to do their work. Due to the intense competition of the software
business, it is important to stay on top of proceedings at all times.
Clients will most often be dissatisfied until projects go into production and work well
during the initial phase. Leaders are trained over many years and know how to tackle
different situations. They work for the interests of the company and usually are required to
put in tremendous levels of effort and help the employees improve their skill set and level. In
every software company and in most projects, there will be some level of dissatisfaction from
the client side during the development phase and leaders have the task of convincing clients
and reassuring them that project development will go as planned.
Because leadership roles require focusing on various areas, it is important for leaders
to document the areas that require the most importance and balance their work time to have
everything covered. All leaders will have certain weaknesses. Due to the extensive nature of
the software business, leaders may be found lacking in certain areas and be more adept at
performing other roles. Due to the evolving nature of the software industry, leaders need to
support change. They should be able to identify, plan, and make changes to their setup.
Organizational SWOT
Strengths The competitive advantage of the company is enhanced because it offers software
and services to a unique set of clientele. Our workforce has relatively high skill levels in
information technology. We are currently in a strong financial position and we turned over
nearly $28 million in the year 2013. We do have the capital to expand operations and also the
basis to leverage potential investors. We also have a relatively lower receivable as compared
to the industry average. Because of our wide variety of software products, we are able to cater

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to the needs of medium and large size companies. Our sales activities are oriented towards
understanding each customers business better.
Weaknesses We are obviously a small player in the IT industry because of the services that
we offer. The company has not made any noteworthy acquisitions or investments since its
introduction. We have very limited R&D resources which restricts us somewhat from
innovating new software products. We do experience slowdowns in business at certain times
during the year because our clients do not have requirements throughout the year. We fall
short on experience when it comes to management consultancy because we primarily focus
on operational value creation.
Opportunities Like many other software companies, we do see an opportunity to grow in the
cloud computing based services segment and we could definitely expand our range of
services and software. As the researcher mentioned before, they are looking to continually
expand their client base to other parts of the country and set up offices based on the business
they derive. There has been considerable hiring of skilled employees who are competent in
new technologies and who can take on different roles.
Threats We are generally dependent on our client base and if we do not meet their
expectations, there is always a possibility that they might reach out to other software
providers. Also because of the evolving technology market, we need to stay updated or else
we could fall behind our competitors. Because of the nature of our customers businesses,
they might require us to provide or introduce new software products to meet their needs.
Therefore, it is essential that we recruit the best talent and have a proper company structure in
place to compete.
Leadership within Genisys Software
The researchers theory is that the leadership role plays a huge role in determining the
outcome of projects because through effective leadership, you can centralize work processes

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and maintain stability and control. A good leader will have control over the company and its
business and make decisions and judgements in agreement with others which can be referred
to an autocratic style of leadership. In IT, it is important to have a democratic leadership so
that different views can be taken into consideration when making important decisions. But, at
Genisys, the power or authority is limited to a few people.
In a software company, it is imperative for leaders to communicate at various levels
with IT specialists to understand the challenges facing them, to track the development of
software products in its different stages, to discuss industry standards and to plan accordingly.
Leadership involves making the best use of technological capability and talent and use capital
to expand into new products or services. Leadership also involves having the tendency to
innovate and commit to research and development of new products to be competitive in the
industry.
In the software industry, it is essential for leaders to set the course for the
development of new projects, and provide tasks and goals to the subordinates to carry out
which makes them accountable for the results of these projects. Leadership style and
characteristics have a direct bearing on the image of a company and they are a key
representation of the company.
Research Questions
1. What leadership style works best as perceived by stakeholders in the IT industry?
2. Does a coherent relationship exist in organizations between the style of leadership of a
leader and the level of job satisfaction of employees in the software industry?
3. What are the attributes of an effective leader in an organization?
4. Is effective leadership important for sustainable development of an organization?
5. Are leadership development and training programs necessary to groom leaders?
Industry Summary

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It is a fact that the U.S. requires around 60,000 new IT engineers annually to meet the
market needs. The inflow of IT talent from other countries, especially India and China has a
big impact on the U.S. labor market. Due to the growth in the number of people entering the
IT workforce, there is a surge in the number of new projects. Because of the phenomenal
growth in this industry, it presents a number of challenges for management and leadership. In
order to be effective, leaders need on focus on a vast array of competencies such as business
knowledge, vision for technology, cross functional strategies to train employees in different
roles, the handling of strategic partnerships, customer service and relationships, high level
performance and quality standards, market adaptability and focus, forming teams to work
together, enhancing knowledge and skill sets through employee development and training and
adopting a form of leadership that will deliver results.
Methodology
For this paper, the researcher has made use of inductive reasoning to collect and analyze data
from specific observations. Also, the researcher has adopted a qualitative approach towards
his paper to understand the purpose of the qualitative research and perform a data analysis.

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CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

Leadership
Leadership is the embodiment of organizational intelligence (Bonitto & Noriega,
2012). Because of this, leaders should be highly competent in the practice of implementing
regulations and positive norms to accomplish organizational success. Bonitto and Noriega
(2012) add that accomplishment of organizational success through leadership involves
influence of others and comprehension of the organizational abilities. This is in terms of vital
and human resources. Leadership in organizations involves interplay of procedures and their
outcomes resulting in the growth and accomplishment of organizational goals and objectives.
Equally, Goulet, Jefferson and Szwed (2012) agree that, leadership is use of skills by people
to influence others towards accomplishing common objects in an organizational background.
In this perspective, the basis of leadership is pre-defined practices in line with organizational
dynamics and procedures. Similarly, organizational leadership must be channeled and
multifaceted towards accomplishment of success for the organization and for all.
The common perception of leadership is the focus on growth of the leaders attributes
comprising of abilities, skills, knowledge and behaviors (Hunter, 2012). Furthermore,
behaviors and attributes help in growth of the leaders values and attitudes. Combined, this
guarantees configuration between being and doing. This is critical for organizational and
individual performance. Mentoring and reflection can create values and attitudes. These two
aspects offer leaders a chance to deliberate the effectiveness and impact of their behaviors
and characteristics by a feedback loop (Leadership is a function, 2009). Case in point is that a
firm may ascertain that it is significant for leaders to use compassion and apply it in relations
with others. However, the leader may be unsuccessful devoid of reflective feedback loop
(Goulet, Jefferson & Szwed, 2012).

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A leader who efficiently demonstrates compassion when handling people in most

circumstances may seem appealing to most people (Needle, 2010). However, in some
situations, people may take advantage of this compassion leading to inappropriate outcomes.
Leadership involves reflection whether there is assistance from a mentor or individually and
is a learning procedure to facilitate a leader to develop into better efficiency. To develop these
abilities fully, talent management is usually a dynamic vehicle. Talent management concerns
getting correct people in the correct jobs doing the correct things. According to McKinney
(2012), the relationship with leadership and talent management is that with the correct people
performing their jobs well, the organizational goals are achievable.
Leadership enables the creation of good strategies that involve application of talent
management as a form of organizational leadership (Goulet, Jefferson, & Szwed, 2012). The
organization has a responsibility to initiate leader development to guarantee that employees
have comprehension regarding leadership from many viewpoints. Perspectives of
comprehending leadership include reflective, practical and theoretical. Leader development
and talent management allow shifts in employee and leader conducts that are essential to
adjust to requirements of the unstable workplace (McKinney, 2012).
Development of Leadership
There are different methods effective for developing leaders in organizations or other
institutions. A study conducted by Quigley (2013) discovered that in organizations, there is
need to identify individuals who possess traits of influencing other people in order to create
better leaders out of them. Learning from theory is a significant feature in development of
leaders. This is because some people possess several preconceptions regarding leadership and
leaders. At times, these concepts are correct while sometimes they may be misguided. Goulet,
Jefferson and Szwed (2012) delineate that, one misconception is that leaders should be
completely responsible for the people under them. However, excessive development of

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interest on the affairs of the followers of the leader can be a source of problems for the teams.
McKinney (2012) and Needle (2010) agree that the excessive interest on the outside
life or activities of the followers may hinder the leader from achieving the set goals. Taking
care of followers while forgetting the organizational responsibilities, hardly ensures creation
of good leaders. Relatively, there is appropriate stability of caring for followers plus
responsibility of achieving organizational responsibilities (Akins et al. (2013). In this context,
learning by means of theory helps to provide a more comprehensive, thorough picture of
leadership and leaders. It means being open to learn from the examples of other people
whether it is by experience or study. Majority of people have methodically studied leadership
and leaders, and possess great discernments to impart.
Experience through practice: Even though various studies focus on leadership, there
is no better way to become an efficient leader than through practice. Klimoski and Amos
(2012) postulate that there should be creation of a framework that allows leaders to practice
the theory in order to learn from experience. The framework can offer developing leaders
prospects to practice leadership (Akins et al., 2013). Proficiencies that challenge leaders
usually are crucial for development into people that can handle a range of problems in the
organization. Furthermore, challenging experiences provide developing leaders prospects to
try their individual misconceptions and even preconceptions around leadership. Certainly,
these leadership capabilities come from role-plays through training sessions (Goulet,
Jefferson, & Szwed, 2012). The benefit in organizations is that most of them come with
prospects of leadership authority.
Analyze through reflection: A leadership framework that enables reflection offers
leaders techniques and procedures to think critically concerning capacities and capabilities
(Eisner, 2011). These capabilities help the development of the process of reflection as a
fundamental feature for true leader improvement. Reflection is trying to make sense of the

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experiences of leaders in terms of acquisition of theory and possible preconceptions. Without

the practice of sense making, concepts remain just abstractions; there is no examination of
preconceptions while experiences are just events. Mabey and Freeman (2010) identify that
true leadership reflection ensures analysis of theories, preconceptions and experiences of
leadership. Frequently, in challenging leadership experiences, the involved parties merely act.
Klimoski and Amos (2012) affirm that through reflection of the leadership experiences, there
is a possibility of developing leaders that initially think before commencing with an action.
This reflection ensures that they contemplate on failures and successes that are likely to
happen after that experience (Mabey & Freeman, 2010). If after the completion of a task
many things went according to expectations, the leader deliberates whether to continue with
such actions or not.
Leadership Theories
1. The trait approach
According to Parris and Peachey (2013), this theory arose as a method of recognizing
the main attributes of successful leaders. The early perception of this theory was that it could
identify and isolate people with vital leadership traits. Following their isolations,
organizations could recruit, choose and connect into leadership positions. The application of
this theory was mainly in the military, and its current use is to recruit candidates for
commissions (Parris and Peachey, 2013). The concern with the trait approach theory is that
over the years, there have been several studies to identify the best leadership traits. After a
while, it became clear that there is no uniformity with the results. Because of this reason, the
results are generally unsatisfying. Even though, certain leaders possess some attributes, it
does not outline that the lack of these attributes makes that person an inappropriate leader.

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Figure 1. Outline of the circle of needs in the trait approach (Leadership is a function,
2009)
2. Behaviorist theories
After the trait theories whereby the results were generally inconclusive, there was
proposition of behaviorist theories. The main driver for this is that, attributes such as
integrity, diligence, honesty, and loyalty were immeasurable through the trait approach. The
behavioral theories focus on the human associations along with performance and output
(Schyns et al., 2011). The proposal of these theories was an attempt to look at leadership in a
different perspective.
a. Theory Y Managers and McGregors Theory X
These theories suggest that the leadership assumptions regarding human nature
influences leadership strategies. According to Derue et al. (2011), this prompted managers
from the industry to create their own assumptions calling it theory Y while McGregor has his
theory X. In Theory X, managers consider that the regular human being has intrinsic dislike
of work. Because of this, he will attempt to avoid it as much as possible. This theory
demonstrates that there should be coercion, direction, punishment, threats and control of the
human to ensure that they work adequately to accomplish organizational objectives (Malo,
2012). On the other hand, in theory Y managers consider that the outflow of mental and
physical exertion in work is normal just like rest or play. In that case, the ordinary

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humanbeing under good circumstances learns to seek and accept responsibility (Schyns et al.,
2011). Because of this, there is possibility of people exercising self-control and self-direction
to accomplish the various goals.
b. Moutons and Blake managerial grid
The managerial grid by Jane Mouton and Robert Blake focuses on jobs and employee
placements by managers. It also focuses on mixtures of issues between the two limits. The
grid comprises of concern for jobs and people and has plots for five fundamental leadership
forms (Malos, 2012). The primary number represents the leaders task orientation or
production while the second represents employee or people orientation.
3. The Contingency or Situational School
This theory proposes that one advance to leadership happens to be superlative for
most circumstances. Additionally, it appreciates that circumstantial variables are a significant
component of leadership (da Cruz, Nunes & Pinheiro, 2011). The contingency or situational
approach elongates this stage more by proposing that leadership effectiveness and style may
be dependent upon the influences in the circumstance in which there is practice. Therefore,
this demonstrates struggle in fitting concepts into neat categories (Needle, 2010). The basis
for the development of this theory was that, even though development of behavioral theories
can assist managers to grow specific leadership conducts, they give inadequate guidance.
Malos (2012) adds that the guidance is mainly on the constitution of efficient leadership in
diverse circumstances. Indeed, almost all researchers currently settle that there is no
particular theory that can cover all leadership styles for all managers in all organizational
situations.
4. Transformational leadership theory
This theory is a source of inspiration for majority of research on transformational leadership.
In the earlier times, the focus of transformational leadership was on effects of leaders on

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majority of their followers (da Cruz, Nunes & Pinheiro, 2011). Even with the development of
organizations and business principles, current transformational leadership theories contrast
the earlier ones. The main difference is that presently, the theory does not possess the demand
for higher order values and needs of followers (Belle, 2014). Rather, the concern lies with
psychological association between followers and transformational leaders. The belief is that it
is possible to have both evil and good transformational leaders. For instance, according to the
transformational theory Hitler is a form of an evil transformational leader (Schuh, Zhang &
Tian, 2013). There are different explanations as to why different leaders have diverse leader
features. For some, they demonstrate selfishness at the followers expense. On the other hand,
some exhibit commitment and virtue attributable to genuine concern for their followers
(Bell, 2014).

Figure 2. Diagram outlining the Transformational leadership model (Transformational

Leadership theory, 2012)

Leadership, Maxwells Laws, and Ethics

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Leadership is a dynamic process which if devoid of a solid framework of ethics,

leaders may end up handicapping themselves through various ways (Russell & Nelson,
2009). Maxwell outlines that a persons influence is only a part of what good leadership
involves. The higher the leader desires to climb, is the continued necessity for leadership. If a
leader wants the effect to be great, they must exert more influence to make this happen (Derr,
2012). If guidance is about creating individuals, with the aim of assisting them accomplish
their complete prospective, someone has to demonstrate authority to perform with that person
to help them develop. Maxwells Irrefutable Laws of Leadership prove that most managers go
through the process of mentorship by other leaders in order to mature well. Most leaders that
have succeeded in leadership mostly practice ethical leadership to influence employees
positively (Belle, 2014). Maxwell further explains that the growth of management takes the
approach that, it requires a leader to identify one, display one, and grow one (Russell &
Nelson, 2009).
In ethical leadership, ethical conduct provides two consequences, which entails job
satisfaction and employee well-being. Definition of the different practices in ethical
leadership gives a richer comprehension of how it can be constructed (McKinney, 2012).
Ethical conduct provides two consequences, which entails job satisfaction and employee
well-being. Employees ownership is the feeling that mediates the dynamic association
between job satisfaction and ethical leadership. Ethical leadership demonstrates a rather
complicated pattern of impacts on key organizational results. More directly, Schuh, Zhang &
Tian (2013) outline that relying on the results of interests, organizational ethical leadership
may influence result through diverse and varying mechanisms. In this context, there seems to
be appreciation of the manner ethical leadership influences organizational criteria. These
results of the ethical criteria may rely largely on the consequence (da Cruz, Nunes &
Pinheiro, 2011).

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Maxwell outlines that those leaders who demonstrate good values engage their
employees. In addition, employee engagement is also an arbitrator between a distinct form of
organizational citizenship conduct and ethical leadership as well as counter-dynamic work
manners (Greer, 2013). With this context, analysts propose that acting in an ethical way is
less efficient if the organizational leaders are perceived to be inauthentic. Equally, authentic
organizational leaders have greater influence as ethical leaders. Maxwell also highlights that
for a leader to become efficient, they must demonstrate efficiency in their work. They also
have to make certain complex decisions (Greer, 2013). To increase their degree of
effectiveness, they have to contribute excellence and commitment in their work in order to
yield success.
Most leaders have the abilities to exercise their privileges of making organizational
choices. In this way, there can be an explanation of either ethical or unethical leadership
basing on the ultimate choice. According to Parris and Peachey (2013), through
implementation and application of Maxwells irrefutable laws of leadership, true leaders are
capable of grasping opportunities to improve other people in the organization. The value
congruence identifies the willingness to mentor other people in order to grasp opportunities
as a positive and ethical leadership aspect. Through the adherence to Maxwells laws,
managers in the organization eventually grow to be mentors (Parris & Peachey, 2013). The
relationship between mentors and leaders is that there is need for mentors to demonstrate
leadership in order to raise the individuals matured rightly.

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Figure 2.Maxwell's 5 Levels of Leadership (McKinney, 2012)

Relationship between Leadership and Management of Employee Resistance
Employee resistance results from change that may be implemented by managers in a
bid to enhance the organizational processes (Pihlak & Alas, 2012). When dealing with
organizational management and leadership, efficient leadership helps to enhance
effectiveness in the accomplishment of the general organizational success. Through effecting
change that assures positive organizational transformation, there is possibility of achievement
of a competitive edge. The accomplishment of the organizational realization through
leadership involves leadership as a public influence and comprehending organizational
abilities in terms of tangible and intangible resources. Resources include human capital while
other elements such as technology also play a major role in organizational success (Oreg &
Berson, 2011).
Oreg and Berson (2011) add that, different elements demonstrate the relationship
between organizational leadership and technology in curbing employee resistance. Through
public influence, the leader can motivate and support his/her followers or employees

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positively to enhance the achievement of a general task. Consequently, the leader can
influence organizational transformation through ensuring decreased employee resistance.
Employee resistance emanates from the fact that the employees feel threatened when certain
organizational routines or dimensions change (Russell & Nelson, 2009). Through use of
applicable technology and laws of leadership by leaders, there is possibility of reduction of
employee resistance in organizations.
1. Law of Influence
According to Maxwell (2007), if a leader does not influence employees, he cannot
lead efficiently. Leadership entails influencing employees and people generally to follow.
Through application of the law of influence, a leader is able to explore the positivity in
people. The very core of a persons power to influence is encouraging the other individual to
participate. If a leader cannot perform this, then they cannot influence and in turn, cannot lead
either. Without the law of influence, people cannot follow and the same case applies in the
organization. If a leader cannot influence and encourage employees to participate in
organizational change, he cannot be a leader (Mabey & Freeman, 2010).
In the case of employee resistance, the law of influence applies in a leader who can
apply different tools to effect organizational change while reducing employee resistance. The
leader can apply communication and Information Technology (IT) for interaction of
employees (Tompson & Jody, 2013). IT incorporation in organizations produces a
democratization factor. IT is a strategy of creating policies and mechanisms conducive for
knowledge acquisition and novel technology. This accelerates sharing of resolutions among
various degrees of organizational population and government. Employee resistance can act
as a hindrance to daily functioning of an organization (Mabey & Freeman, 2010). Through
application of IT and leadership influence, there can be management of employee resistance.
2. Law of Navigation

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According to Maxwell (2007), good leaders exhibit the attribute of perceiving the
future of organizations. They maintain their focus, calculating the directions of the
organizations rather than being controlled. However, for the leaders who show good skills,
they perform more actions than just navigation. They envision the entire organizational trip
prior to executing the strategies. They comprehend the vision and mission of the journey and
the elements involved in reaching there to accomplish their expectations (Akins et al., 2013).
A good leader realizes employee resistance could cost the organization its success or slacking
of employees. He envisages the detrimental effects of employee resistance on the
organizational performance. There are also difficulties that arise when the organization
decides to change any form of its operations for the benefit of the organization. As a
navigator, the leader finds a way to integrate IT, communication, and ethics in the
organization to reduce employee resistance (Eisner, 2011). There is vast knowledge available
for the employees when they learn to accept the fast, growing digital world. Not only does IT
provide them knowledge to explore, but also a platform they can socially interact with the
management through groups or individually and voice their concerns.
3. Law of Priorities
True organizational leaders comprehend that activity does not essentially point out to
achievement. There is constant need to prioritize over actions that do not bring the firm as
much benefit as others in the organization. Maxwell (2007) highlights that, the leader must
realize that apart from the organizations management, there are other people influenced by
the decisions he makes. For instance with employee resistance, comes the disadvantage or
organizational loss. This emanates from employee deviance, therefore affecting the
stakeholders of the organization. When he identifies that the organization needs to be on the
upward margin or performance, he does what is best for the stakeholders (Quigley, 2013).

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CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Introduction
In the research process, research methodology presents a technique of approaching a
research problem with the sole intention of seeking to answer it. A research methodology thus
incorporates the research activities that were carried out, the systematic means of measuring
the research success, and the research expectations. In the process of formulating the research
methodology to address the existing problem, it is significant to seek guidance from the
research objectives to ensure that the methodology solves the question at hand efficiently
(Saunders et al., 2007).
To this end, this chapter presents the research method that was used to establish the
impact of leadership in Genisys Software Inc. In the same way, there was determination of
the existence of a coherent between a leadership style exhibited by a leader and a job
satisfaction level of the employees in the software industry. This was represented by the study
conducted in Genisys Software Inc., as a technologically intensive organization. In
formulating this methodology, the research questions greatly influenced the choice of
procedures and techniques that was employed. This aided in promoting the validity and
reliability of the adopted methodology in addressing the research question.
Research Approach
During the initial stages of conducting a research study, it is always advisable to
figure out the most appropriate research approach to use in the study. Two main research
approaches can be used by researchers in the course of their research activities. These
approaches include the inductive and the deductive research approaches (Singmann&Klauer,
2011). When applying the deductive approach in the research process, the research hypothesis
is verified using theory. The researcher focuses on collecting data to either confirm or reject
the existing research hypothesis. On the other hand, the inductive approach is the reverse of

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the deductive approach. While using this approach, a researcher gathers data and after
analyzing it, he/she reaches a hypothesis or a theory that is related to the research problem
(Singmann&Klauer, 2011).
This research is focusing on establishing an imperative relationship between the
leadership style and employee satisfaction in Genisys Software Inc. This translates to
efficient performance characterized by a competitive edge and low staff turnover. To identify
these elements in relation to leadership, it is significant to investigate the importance of
leadership in the organizations sustainabilityfurther. In this vein, if a positive result were
identified, it would translate to implementation of training programs in Genisys Software Inc.
as a measure to improve the character of leaders. In the attainment of this aim, the study
utilized the inductive research approach.
The study thus commenced with collecting valid data. After collecting the data using
primary data collection method, the data was analyzed qualitatively to provide the basis for
drawing conclusions and making recommendations. The study findings will be used to later
justify or reject the existing research hypotheses in the next chapter. As noted by Cohen et al.
(2007), having pre-determined research questions, in this research study guided the study in
ensuring that the focus of the study was maintained throughout the research procedures.
Research Philosophy
According to Ketokivi and Mantere (2010), research philosophy entails the
establishment of the research background and the existing research knowledge on a certain
research topic or problem of concern. The main research philosophies available to researchers
include positivism, interpretivism, and realism. The positivism research philosophy enables a
researcher to focus on objectivity in the process of explaining the research phenomenon.
While utilizing the interpretivism research philosophy a researcher uses facts to establish the
reality on the particular research phenomenon under investigation. As the name suggests, the

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32

realism research philosophy guides a researcher in establishing the reality and the beliefs that
exist in the society (Mkansi&Acheampong, 2012).
This research study employed the interpretivism research philosophy in the process of
establishing the effectiveness of leadership in Genisys Software Inc. Additionally; the same
philosophy was applied to answer the research questions that were used to direct the research
study.Using this philosophy was a strategy to facilitate the study to establish efficient answers
to the study questions. The interpretivism research philosophy also facilitated the use of a
research sample, as a representative of the entire research population, to understand the views
of the entire research population regarding the research phenomenon.
Research Design
According to Gacenga et al. (2012), a research design is a roadmap utilized by
researchers to define the methods and the procedures that will guide the entire research
process. The main research designs utilized by researchers in the process of data analysis
include qualitative and quantitative research designs. Qualitative research design is an inquiry
process that constructs a holistic description of the research phenomenon to promote a deeper
understanding of the topic under investigation (McMahon, 2012). When utilizing qualitative
research design, a researcher employs a variety of research skills including interviews,
observation, and document reviews among others. The main advantage of qualitative research
design is that it enables a researcher to study the research phenomenon in its natural settings.
In this case, the definitions and descriptions of the research phenomenon are not imposed
(Gregor &Hevner, 2013).
On the other hand, quantitative research design entails the provision of numerical
manipulations and presentations of the research observations. It employs numerical
statements, empirical methods and numerical evaluations when answering the research
questions (Mingers, Mutch&Willcocks, 2013). To this end, qualitative research design was

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33

employed in the process of analyzing data to establish the impact of effective leadership in
the software industry by focusing on Genisys Software Inc. This will be translated to the
nature of employee satisfaction in the subsequent chapter. The qualitative research design was
appropriate in this study particularly because the research participants were interviewed in
their natural setting using a case study research strategy.
Research Strategy
In the process of establishing the concept of effective leadership and its impact in
Genisys Software Inc. and the software industry, this study employed a case study research
strategy. As a research strategy, the case study facilitated the studying of the research
phenomenon under its natural context hence promoting increased reliability and validity of
the research results. Furthermore, the descriptive analysis of data which is provided in case
studies does not only help in the investigation of the particular phenomenon under study, but
it also helps to explore other important life aspects which would not be captured while
utilizing other research methods (Loslever et al., 2012). A case study tool that was used to
collect the data was observation since the researcher is employed in the organization. This
provided a natural setting that would facilitate the achievement of quality data regarding the
daily occurrences of the organization in relation to the topic of the study.
The case study focused on employees and managers of Genisys Software Inc. There
are different levels of managers in organizations. Because of this, the case study employed
focused on department managers owing to their closeness with the IT company employees.
Out of the 10 departments, 5 departments were employed for the capstone project.
Combining the results obtained from these participants provided a comparative analysis of
the relationship between effective leadership and employee satisfaction. Additionally, it
helped to identify the effective leadership attributes as perceived by the participants. These
attributes affect the performance of the organization positively. The selected departments

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34

consisted of the human resource, marketing, Production, Maintenance, and Finance

departments. From the participating departments, 30 research participants (employees) were
selected to take part in the study. In each department, the manager and the supervisor were
selected to participate in the study. In total, there were 5 managers and 30 employees taking
part in the study.
Research population
A research population is the total number of subjects under investigation, by a
researcher, with the intention of answering the research questions (Castillo, 2009). On the
same note, Sydor (2013) describes a research population as the total number of elements that
the researcher intends to utilize in the process of answering the research questions. In this
study, all the departments of the Genisys Software Inc. constitute the research population.
However, not all the subjects in the research population participated in the research study due
to limitation of resources. Involving all the departments of Genisys Software Inc. in the
research process would be time consuming and would require additional resources in terms of
research assistants and funding. To overcome such challenges, this study employed a research
sample of 5 departments in Genisys Software Inc. From the 5 departments, 35 research
participants were selected to participate in the study including the managers.
Research sampling
According to Castillo (2009), a research sample is a sub-group of the entire research
population that is selected by a researcher as a representative of the entire research
population. When selecting a research population, a researcher should employ a scientific
technique to eliminate bias and to ensure that the obtained results represent the views of the
entire target population. In the selection of a research sample, bias leads to lack of efficient
representation of the target population in the research sample leading to results that do not
reflect the views of the entire target population. The method employed by researchers to

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35

select a research sample from the target population is referred to as a research sampling
technique (Francis, 1998).
In this study, simple stratified random sampling technique was used to select the
participating departments and the participants, from each department, that took part in the
study. The researcher familiarized himself with the participating departments in order to get a
deeper insight on how to carry out the research. He then grouped these participants into two
categories; the employees and the managers. Using simple stratified random sampling
technique, the researcher selected 6 participants from each department to participate in the
study. After selection, he had 30 participants and 5 managers from the departments. The
researcher sampled one manager from each department. In each department, the manager was
selected automatically to participate in the study.
However, the researcher employed simple stratified random sampling technique to
select 6 employees from each department to participate in the study. Using simple stratified
random sampling technique provided each subject in the research population an equal chance
of participating in the study hence eliminating bias. Equally, the information that was
gathered from the selected sample will be valid and reliable, as it represented the views of the
target research population.
Data Collection
The data collection process is the ultimate research procedure as it enables a
researcher to gather information with the intention of answering the pending research
questions (Sydor, 2013). There are two methods of data collection, namely primary and
secondary methods. While utilizing primary data collection, a researcher uses firsthand
experience to gather study data. Primary data collection is unique as the researcher collects
specific data in line with his/her research questions. The main methods employed in primary
data collection include interviews, focus groups, survey questionnaires, and case studies

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36

among others. Secondary data collection entails the collection of data from published
materials that contains information that has already been collected and published by other
researchers in the course of their studies. The main sources of secondary data for research
include journals, books, reports, web sources, periodicals, newspapers, and magazines among
others (McMahon, 2012).
This research employed primary data collection methods to gather data for
establishing effective leadership and its impact on the organizational performance and
employee satisfaction.
Data collection method
To establish the impact of effective leadership on the Genisys organizational
performance and employee satisfaction, this study used close-ended survey questionnaires.
One advantage of survey questionnaires is that they enable the researcher to collect the views
of a large number of research participants without the constraints of time and distance
(Kendrick, 2009). When using close-ended survey questionnaires, the respondents are
supposed to choose among the provided options in each questionnaire question when filling
the questionnaire. This creates uniformity in the responses thus saving time in the analysis
process. Similarly, survey questionnaires can be delivered through emails in cases when the
research respondents are far away. In the study, using close-ended survey questionnaires
prevented the respondents from drifting from the research subject. This promoted the
accuracy of the gathered information (Kendrick, 2009).
Questionnaire administration
For the purposes of establishing the impact effective leadership on the Genisys
Software Inc. performance and employee satisfaction, this study employed two different
close-ended survey questionnaires; Close ended questionnaire A and close-ended
questionnaire B. Questionnaire A was the managers questionnaire. It contained questions

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37

regarding how leadership affects the management and operations of the departments and
organization as a whole. It was seeking administrative information that only the managers can
provide. Questionnaire B was the employees questionnaire. It contained questions regarding
how leadership exhibited affects employee satisfaction, and different ways to make it better.
The questions were designed to collect information on the efficiency of the leadership process
in Genisys Software Inc.
The study sought the services of 5 research assistants to help in administering the
questionnaires to the participants and collecting the already filled questionnaires. Before they
embarked on distributing the questionnaires to the respondents, the research assistants were
briefly trained to ensure that they understood what was expected in the study. The research
assistants were expected to explain all the questionnaire instructions to the respondents before
allowing them to commence filling the questionnaires. Every respondent had two hours to
respond to the questionnaire questions before handing it back to the research assistants. The
respondents were allowed to consult with their colleagues when answering the questions to
ensure collection of accurate and valid research data.
Pilot Testing
Saunders et al. (2007) associate pilot testing with effective checks on the planned
analytical procedures and as such enabling the researcher to evaluate the immediate
significance of the research findings. According to Kendrick (2009), conducting a pilot study
also enables a researcher to save research resources that would have been wasted in the
research process.This is because a great research idea may be highly promising but end up
frustrating the researcher when the entire research study is concluded. As such, the pilot study
saves the researcher of all such frustrations by providing reliable findings, which enable the
researcher to decide on whether to cancel or proceed with the research study.

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A pilot study was conducted to test the efficiency of the close-ended survey
questionnaires as data collection tools for the study. Conducting the pilot study enabled the
researcher to make an effective analysis on whether the research respondents would be in a
position to comprehend and provide correct answers to the questions posed in the close-ended
survey questionnaires. Sydor (2013) asserts that some details end up being ignored or totally
forgotten in the process of planning a research study. In this case, the pilot testing study
enabled the researcher to formulate new ideas and approaches that might have been forgotten
or ignored in the initial research planning processes. Such new ideas increase the probability
of getting more accurate and reliable research findings.
In this study, pilot testing was carried out using 5 research respondents and 2
department managers. The 5 research respondents were selected randomly from the
participating departments of Genisys Software Inc. to assist in testing the reliability and
validity of the close-ended survey questionnaires. After the pilot study results were obtained,
the researcher adjusted the close-ended survey questionnaires accordingly to ensure that they
were efficient in collecting accurate research data.
Research Ethics
In any research process, research ethics ensures that the conducted research
procedures are in line with the rules and regulations of research (Mingers, Mutch&Willcocks,
2013). Particularly, research ethics are significant when a researcher is employing
questionnaires to inquire about a certain research phenomenon from a research respondent
(Oliver, 2010). In such cases, the researcher should seek full consent of the respondent and at
the same time assure the respondent of maintaining his/her confidentiality through the entire
research process (Schicktanz&Dusche, 2011). In this study, research ethics were employed to
ensure that the research activities that were carried out were in line with the rules and
regulations that govern research procedures.

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39

Before the participants were selected from the research population, the research aim
and objectives were explained to ensure that the participants were fully aware of what the
study entailed. The research study also sought consent of the respondents before proceeding
with the process of data collection. On the same note, the respondents were assured of their
anonymity as well as the use of their responses for the purposes of research only. This
enabled the respondents to open up and share their genuine opinion without fear of being
implicated due to their views. The participants were also assured of their voluntary
participation in the research process. They were assured of the power and right to withdraw
their participation at any moment if they deemed it necessary.

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40

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS

This chapter will merge and analyze the data collected for the capstone project. And
making logic out of the collected data comprises of merging, reducing, and translating what
the participants outlined and what the researcher saw and read. Precisely, it is the practice of
making meaning of data. The process is also complicated because it entails back and forth
movement between concrete sections of abstract and data concepts between deductive and
inductive reasoning, between interpretation and description (Oliver, 2010). These
understandings and insights and meanings comprise the research study findings. Many
themes developed from the literature review. Another key data analysis element is that the
researcher must contrast all the information pieces that have been collected. The task is to
evaluate one information unit with the subsequent in searching for recurring data regularities.
The process focuses on disintegrating the data down into information bits and then
consigning these bits to classes or categories, which merges these bits once more in a novel
manner In the process, the research starts to distinguish more evidently between the
measures for data allocation to different categories (Gregor &Hevner,2013). Then, some
classes may be subdivided further, and others considered under more abstract classes.
Numerous themes have surfaced during this procedure that will result into a better
comprehension of the elements involved in leadership within the IT industry and particularly
Genisys Inc. During the research study process, each information piece was consigned to a
class and each class was structured into a theme. Subsequently, the researcher then integrated
the data in a manner that would exemplify the interrelationships existed between the
information categories.
Questionnaire Answer Analysis and Summary
Questionnaire questions for Employees

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41

1. What form of a relationship exists between the employee in your department and
your department manager?
Many of the participants outlined that the existent relationship between the
department managers and employees is characterized by command and control. This leaves
no room for flexibility in the organization. Additionally, the participants outlined that this
form of relationship was involved conventionally, therefore facilitating input of ideas from
the employees. According to the participants, a relationship between managers and
employees is a two-way street. In this case, when a manager adopts a needlesslycommanding or authoritative position with employees, they feel less revered. The participants
felt that this resulted to a reduced desire to contribute in the organizational performance.
However, four participants outlined that they found the existent nature of department
managers and employees reliable since without constant change, the running of the
departments becomes easier. On the other hand, these participants did not link this concept
with the continuous development and input of employee innovative ideas in the organization.
2. Does the transformational leadership style facilitate better organizational
performance when compared to command and control leadership style?
Of the 35 respondents, 30 stressed that the transformational leadership style presents
as more superlative and efficient in the organizational processes. A summary of the responses
derived from the participants focused on the ability of the transformational leadership style to
clearly communicate the organizational goals and set a good example for the employees. The
participants also outlined that if applied, transformational leadership would ensure that the
manager inspires the employees and facilitates teamwork for the organizations benefit. 30
respondents preferred transformational leadership style over command and control because,
the latter does not focus on the benefits of teamwork and concentrates on the power given to

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42

the managers. The remaining participants chose command and control because, according to
them, this style focuses on the overall interests of the organization.
3. What attributes make the most effective leader in an organization?
This question evoked different answers from the participants. However, the following
attributes summarizes the responses given. According to the participants, a leader should be
able to inspire action, communicate effectively, be decisive, optimistic, have integrity,
facilitate and support a team, be confident, visionary, risk-taking, sharp perception, and be
responsive to the teams needs. Moreover, the participants highlighted that with these
attributes, the organizational performance was bound to improve. Nevertheless, all the
participants explained that in their perception, communication was the most important
attribute of a leader.
4. To what extent are these attributes demonstrated by the organizational
managers?
The majority of the participants highlighted that most of the department managers had
different attributes. However, even though they practiced a conventional leadership style of
command and control, the participants outlined that the most wanting attributes expressed by
the managers were communication, risk-taking, facilitating team-work, and inspiring.
According to the participants these are qualities that most of the managers lacked, or did not
put into adequate practice. Nevertheless, the majority of participants agreed that the managers
were at a better position practicing these attributes in a bid to make the organizational
performance better. The participants added that for the organization to adjust to the
contemporary business environment there was need for a more visionary character of
managers.

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43

5. If sustainable organizational development is largely influenced by the form of

leadership organization, how can improvement on leadership help to solve the
existing organizational problems?
31 participants highlighted that through adapting different competent qualities, leaders
would be able to guide the organization to the right direction especially with the continuous
growth of the digital age. These participants highlighted that to improve the leadership, the
leaders needed to prioritize communication and learn to work with teams. In this vein,
communication should be two-way between the employees and managers. Therefore, it was
superlative for the managers to welcome ideas from the employees. The participants added
that the leadership should embrace problem-solving skills, an open mindset, and a solid
foundational strategy. The participants also proposed a change of leadership from command
and control to a transformational leadership style. They identified that the latter would be able
to accommodate the highlighted attributes, therefore steering the organization towards a
competitive edge.
6. What is the importance of communication between leaders and employees in
facilitating a competitive organizational performance?
All the participants agreed that communication between employees and leaders helps
to facilitate better organizational performance. The majority of the participants outlined that
managers who demonstrate good communication skills are able to express their thoughts,
expectations, and ideas clearly for the subordinates to comprehend what is needed from them.
As such, the employees can contribute to the organization positively. However, where
communication is present, the participants outlined that employees can get frustrated, leading
to lower organizational productivity, which finally results in employee turnover rate.
Moreover, three participants identified that communication is supported by other elements
such as inspiration and motivation to facilitate competitive organizational performance.

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44

7. To what extent are the ideas of the employees accommodated by the leadership
team?
27 participants revealed that with the centralized system of leadership existent in the
company, it is difficult for their ideas to be accommodated. They also revealed that even
though some of the ideas are received and implemented by the management, a lot has to be
done to accommodate more contemporary ideas. Eight participants felt that the leadership has
tried to accept their ideas the best way they could. However, the majority agree that the
organization could perform better if they engage their employees. The participants stated that
as stakeholders, the employees do have as much of a right to be engaged in certain decisions
and ideas regarding the organization.
8. What is the nature of the work environment created by the leadership team to
facilitate job performance by the employees?
According to 32 participants, a centralized leadership style does not create a
comfortable and relaxed environment for the employees to express their ideas freely. While
the employees are provided with the working requirements such as up to date tools and
equipment, all participants outlined that the work environment was one of the most important
elements. They added that it facilitates both intrinsic and extrinsic forms of motivation, which
helps in fostering innovation within the company. The work environment is largely influenced
by the attributes of the leaders. In this case, there is need to revisit the leader attributes
provided to create a better environment for employees. This would translate to better
organizational performance.
Questions for the Managers
This section outlines the survey questions and responses derived from the managers in
Genisys Software Inc.

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45

1. According to you, between transformational style and command and control

style, which leadership style influences the organizational performance better?
Why?
This question evoked varying responses from the participants. Three of five
participants outlined that transformational leadership was more favourable. However, they
outlined that it would be difficult to implement it in an organization that is entirely
centralized because this would mean that while the department managers practiced it, the toplevel management would not appreciate it. Nevertheless, two participants outlined that a
command and control style was superlative mainly because it was more focussed on the
organizational goals. They also added that if some employees are not provided meticulous
guidelines, they would not follow the rules required of them by the organization. This means
that there are distinctions in the managerial preferences of individuals for various reasons.
2. Does the organization exhibit a flexibility structure in the contemporary business
environment?
Two participants indicated that a flexibility structure is not exhibited by the
organization. When asked some of the indicators that showed flexibility in the organization,
they expressed that there should be openness between the management and the employees in
the daily organizational activities. Additionally, they outlined that the management should
readily adapt and accept changing methods, procedures, strategies, better ideas and priorities.
However, in this case, the participants identified that the organizational leadership was the
main barrier of the flexibility. The remaining participants exhibited differences in their
definitions of flexibility in the organizations. However, literature indicates that flexibility in
an organization is not only seen in the organizational processes, but also in the manner
through which the leadership connects with the employees.

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3. What kind of environment is provided to the employees by the managers?

Two of the five managers indicated that the environment provided to the employees
involves provision of the necessary working equipments and space. However, when asked
whether the element of positive team work from the top management level was considered in
the organization, they indicated that it has not been given the priority it deserved. The
remaining participants highlighted that different elements constitute a positive work
environment. According to them, the centralized form of management has been a main
hindrance in creating a better environment which accepts the complaints and ideas of the
employees openly. These responses however, exhibited that a lot needs to be done to facilitate
the creation of a better working environment.
4. To what extent are employees involved in the organizational decision making?
According to four of the five participants, the decision making process in the
organization is mainly inclined to the managerial positions. Literature identifies that this form
of decision making depicts that the leadership style is autocratic. It is employed when the
leaders direct the employees on the required expectations and goals that should be
accomplished. In this style, there is minimal engagement of employees in the process of
decision making. To be able to survive and compete in the current business environment, the
organization should create strategies through which the employees can be incorporated not
only in the organizational processes, but also decision making.
5. According to the employee turnover rates, what measures can be implemented to
facilitate employee satisfaction?
The majority of the participants emphasized that employee satisfaction translates to
customer satisfaction. In this vein, there is need to retain the talent available in the
organization through implementing different strategies. According to the listed strategies, the
participants mentioned talent retention, motivation, communication, engagement in decision

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47

making, participation in the research and development processes, creation of a positive work
environment, and career planning as the required strategies. All participants agree that even
with the direction of the organizational processes by the management, engagement of the
employees presents as a fundamental key to the success of the company.
6. To what extent does sustainable organizational development depend on effective
leadership?
All the participants indicated that sustainability and leadership go hand in hand.
According to them, lack of good and engaging leadership translates to lack of a sustainable
organizational development. With this said, the majority of the participants outlined that the
nature of the leadership in the organization does not signify a sustainable organizational
development. In this vein, they outlined that there are various steps that should be taken to
embrace strategic planning in relation to sustainability in organizational development.
Therefore, the participants postulated that sustainable organizational development requires
new types of leadership and organizing particularly when diverse stakeholders are involved.
7. How can training programs facilitate better leadership through grooming
leaders in the organization
All participants acknowledged that training programs are important in grooming the
organizational leaders. They also outlined that there are different ways in which the
leadership of the organization can be changed to cater for the needs of all the stakeholders.
The participants acknowledged that with changing business environments, the leaders
required to be engaged in seminars, workshops and conferences that would enhance their
skills. According to the participants, the training programs can guide managers on how to
stop managing and start leading the employees. This involves the aspect of positive influence
of the employees instead of giving them instruction. As highlighted in the literature review,

Leadership in I.T
48

the law of influence works better in the element of leadership as opposed to the authoritarian
concept.
Summary of the Data Analysis: Discussion
The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between leadership and
organizational performance. After a thorough assessment there was identification that the
leadership of the company is facing problems that trickle down to the inability of leaders to
engage the employees in imperative decision-making processes. In this vein, the current
leadership style in the Genisys Software Inc. has been identified as inefficient by the majority
of the study participants. The participants identify that adopting a more contemporary
approach to leadership is superlative and would facilitate better results in the organizational
performance.
In the same study, the participants revealed that a dynamic relationship exists between
the leadership style of an organization and the job satisfaction level among the employees. In
this case, there were different factors which were identified to influence job satisfaction.
Moreover, according to the responses of the participants, the organisation does not give
enough attention to the aspect of job satisfaction. Job satisfaction is connected to quality of
work, employee retention, productivity, and organizational strategic advantage. Conversely,
the element of job dissatisfaction is recognized to be detrimental to the organization. If
Genisys Software Inc. does not enhance job satisfaction inside the company, there is a risk of
decreased revenue, reduced productivity, and failure. Many factors, consisting of leadership
styles have been conveyed to result to job dissatisfaction or satisfaction.
It is imperative for Genisys Software Inc. to comprehend the association between job
satisfaction and leadership style to fully understand the fundamental causes of dissatisfaction
and satisfaction in the organization. This would aid in developing strategies intended to
enhance satisfaction among the employees. Additionally, the participants expressed the most

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49

important attributes of leaders. They identified that of all the listed traits, communication was
the basis of a dynamic working relationship between the leader and workers. The participants
both managers and employees identified that with communication, the employees can be
engaged. This could lead to more innovative ideas from employees, which translates to
enhanced organizational performance. Other attributes that are important in a leader include
risk-taking, inspiring and a sharp perception. The main reason is because, in the current
digital age, an organization is required to take risks while venturing in a novel environment.
Effective leadership and the integration of technology have been identified as two
areas that would facilitate sustainable organizational development. Leaders may face
challenges from the organizational teams created since there are constant changes in the
social framework. The primary degree of trust and cohesion among organizational team
members is low and leaders cannot obtain desirable results because of the lack of
communication. These circumstances make it tough for an organizational leader to sustain
cohesiveness, unity and encourage team members (Hickman, 2010). It also offers an
encroachment on the accomplishment of a common objective. The circumstances furthermore
show that even with different benefits of IT in the organization, there are certain challenges
that leaders face. It is therefore important for the organization to help the leaders to enhance
their capabilities through investing in training programs.
Inductive Reasoning
After assessment of the statement of the problem and the responses of the participants,
the researcher concluded that the affective events theory best describes the occurrences in the
organization. This theory aims at unveiling the problems experienced by the participants
causing them to react differently to conditions exposed to them (Ashkanasy, Hartel&Zerbe,
2012).
Affective Events Theory

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50

Comprehending emotions in an organization has been considerably aided through the

AET (Affective Events Theory). The theory reveals that employees respond emotionally to
conditions they are exposed to at work and that this influences the job satisfaction and
performance (Ping, 2013). The concept begins by identifying that emotions present as a
reaction to an occurrence in the work environment. This milieu consists of everything
involving job characteristics for instance, task variety, autonomy, demands, the nature of
leadership, and prerequisites for expressing emotional labor. This milieu develops work
occurrences that can be uplifts, hassles, or both. Classic paradigms that workers identify as
obstacles are conflicting bearings by different managers, colleagues who decline to perform
their share of duties, and extreme time pressures.
Uplifting events on the other hand, include being engaged by the management in
important decision making, being recognized for a job well done and receiving support from
both colleagues and the organization (Ashkanasy, Hartel&Zerbe, 2012). Therefore, work
events provoke either negative or positive emotional reactions. Employees function as
humans first, and workers second. As such, most of their work is greatly influenced by their
emotions. Therefore, emotions affect a number of satisfactions and performance factors, for
instance, the effort level, intentions to quit, organizational commitment, and organizational
citizenship behaviour. The theory proposes that job satisfaction is affected by the emotions
triggered by current working conditions during specified durations (Ping, 2013). For instance,
poor leadership triggers feelings of disapproval and un-appreciation by employees. Because
emotions and mood fluctuate with the organizational events, their influence on the employee
performance also fluctuates.

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51

CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

It is the researchers anticipation that this capstone project can become a basis for the
performance of further research studies for comprehension of the impact of leadership on the
organizational performance. Following a review of literature which applies to the subject of
the study, a population of participants answered questions that touched on the effect of
leadership on the organizational performance and its relationship to elements such as job
satisfaction. This chapter concludes through giving an overview of the whole study and
recommends measures that would help in the improvement of the Genisys Software in terms
of leadership and job performances.
Conclusion
In conclusion, leadership plays an imperative role in ascertaining the direction an
organization is heading. After review of literature, it was ascertained that regardless of the
performance of several research studies, the majority have not reflected anything important.
This is because they have neglected the different situations under which the company
operates. Owing to the distinct organizational nature, these variable elements play a crucial
role in ascertaining the leadership value. The organization that the researcher works for is a
subsidiary of Genisys Software, Inc. and is located in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. The parent
company was founded in 1989 with a view to providing rental software to a unique set of
industries. We operate as a midsize company and we have around 45-50 employees working
as part of the subsidiary. Because the researchers topic deals with leadership, he primarily
focused on the executive level managers whose leadership roles are the debate of this study.
Through the researchers working experience with this company, he identified how
leadership works and felt that much more can be done by them to improve the companys
operations. However, it is known that leadership entails the effective management of
challenges and problems that reside in every organization. In this vein, the research problem

Leadership in I.T
52

involved the role played by the organizational managers, which is authoritative and
controlling instead of inspiring and influential. The researchers intent for this paper was to
highlight the problems with leadership that resided in his organization and in many other
organizations as well. The main problem that lies within the researchers department is that
because of the growing process, specialization has increased and therefore the IT department
has split up into different groups which make project execution complicated due to the
communication gap.
According to the literature review, leadership is the embodiment of organizational
intelligence. Because of this, leaders should be highly competent in the practice of
implementing regulations and positive norms to accomplish organizational success.
Leadership in organizations involves interplay of procedures and their outcomes resulting in
the growth and accomplishment of organizational goals and objectives. The common
perception of leadership is the focus on growth of the leaders attributes comprising of
abilities, skills and knowledge and behaviors. Furthermore, behaviors and attributes help in
growth of the leaders values and attitudes.
Furthermore, leadership involves reflection whether there is assistance from a mentor
or individually and is a learning procedure to facilitate a leader to develop into better
efficiency. To develop these abilities fully, talent management is usually a dynamic vehicle.
Talent management concerns getting correct people in the correct jobs doing the correct
things. Leadership enables the creation of good strategies that involve application of talent
management as a form of organizational leadership. Leader development and talent
management allow shifts in employee and leader conducts that are essential to adjust to
requirements of the unstable workplace. Development of leadership involves different
processes.

Leadership in I.T
53

Learning from theory is a significant feature in development of leaders. This is

because some people possess several preconceptions regarding leadership and leaders. At
times, these concepts are correct while sometimes they may be misguided. The excessive
interest on the outside life or activities of the followers may hinder the leader from achieving
the set goals. Taking care of followers while forgetting the organizational responsibilities,
hardly ensures creation of good leaders. The different ways of developing leaders include
experience through practice and analyzing through reflection. In experience, even though
various studies that focus on leadership, there is no better way to become an efficient leader
than through practice. In this vein, leaders should create a framework that permits them to
practice theory to learn from experience.
In the concept of reflection, a leadership framework that enables reflection offers
leaders techniques and procedures to think critically concerning capacities and capabilities.
Reflection is trying to make sense of the experiences of leaders in terms of acquisition of
theory and possible preconceptions. Without the practice of sense making, concepts remain
just abstractions; there is no examination of preconceptions while experiences are just events.
The element of leadership has a range of theories that describe the nature and elements
attached to a specific leadership style.
Leadership theories include the trait approach, command and control, behaviorist
theories, theory Y managers and McGregors theory X, Moutons and Blake managerial grid,
the contingency or situational school, and transformational leadership theory. Leadership is a
dynamic process in which devoid of a solid framework of ethics, leaders may end up
handicapping themselves through various ways. Maxwell outlines that a persons influence is
only a part of what good leadership involves. The higher the leader desires to climb, is the
continued necessity for leadership. If a leader wants the effect to be great, they must exert
more influence to make this happen.

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54

In the research process, research methodology presents a technique of approaching a

research problem with the sole intention of seeking to answer it. A research methodology thus
incorporates the research activities that were carried out, the systematic means of measuring
the research success, and the research expectations. The research methodology process sought
to determine the existence of a coherent between a leadership style exhibited by a leader and
a job satisfaction level of the employees in the software industry. This was represented by the
study conducted in Genisys Software Inc., as a technologically intensive organization. This
research was focusing on establishing an imperative relationship between the leadership style
and employee satisfaction in Genisys Software Inc. In the attainment of this aim, the study
utilized the inductive research approach.
This research study employed the interpretivism research philosophy in the process of
establishing the effectiveness of leadership in Genisys Software Inc. Using this philosophy
was a strategy to facilitate the study to establish efficient answers to the study questions. A
qualitative research design was employed in the process of analysing data to establish the
impact of effective leadership in the software industry through focusing on Genisys Software
Inc. In the process of establishing the concept of effective leadership and its impact in
Genisys Software Inc. and the software industry, this study employed a case study research
strategy.
The case study focused on employees and managers of Genisys Software Inc. There
are different levels of managers in organizations. Because of this, the case study employed
focused on department managers owing to their closeness with the IT company employees.
Out of the 10 departments, 5 departments were employed for the capstone project.
Combining the results obtained from these participants provided a comparative analysis of
the relationship between effective leadership and employee satisfaction. Additionally, it
helped to identify the effective leadership attributes that affect the performance of the

Leadership in I.T
55

organization positively. The selected departments consisted of the human resource,

marketing, Production, Maintenance, and Finance departments. From the participating
departments, 30 research participants (employees) were selected to take part in the study. In
each department, the manager and the supervisor were selected to participate in the study. In
total, there were 5 managers and 30 employees taking part in the study.
This research employed primary data collection methods to gather data for
establishing effective leadership and its impact on the organizational performance and
employee satisfaction. To establish the impact of effective leadership on the Genisys
organizational performance and employee satisfaction, this study used close-ended survey
questionnaires. In this study, research ethics were employed to ensure that the research
activities that were carried out were in line with the rules and regulations that govern research
procedures.
The subsequent step was to analyze the collected data. Data analysis presents as the
practice of making logic of the data collected. After a thorough assessment there was
identification that the leadership of the company is facing problems that trickle down to the
inability to engage the employees in imperative decision processes such as decision making.
In this vein, the current leadership style in the Genisys Software Inc. has been identified as
inefficient by the majority of the study participants. In the same study, the participants
revealed that a dynamic relationship exists between the leadership style of an organization
and the job satisfaction level among the employees. In this case, there were different factors
which were identified to influence job satisfaction.
After assessment of the statement of the problem and the responses of the participants,
the researcher concluded that the theory fit to describe the occurrences in the organization is
the affective events theory. This theory aims at unveiling the problems experienced by the
participants causing them to react differently to conditions exposed to them.

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56

RECOMMENDATIONS
With the implementation of the subsequent recommendations, it is expected that the
organizations can experience a major shift from difficulties in the leadership style and job
satisfaction leading to better organizational performance.
1.

Focus on Strategic Planning in the Organization

The process of strategic planning aims to change the stakeholders, groups, employees and
organisation as a whole through undertaking planned and unplanned knowledge acquisition.
The aim of this is to develop the various proficiencies required to assist the organization
accomplish and maintain competitive advantage. Strategic planning acts as a tool by which
employees, operating managers and HR practitioners synchronize to attain strategic talent
development and retention. The strategic plans of the HR outline the approaches intended for
the process of attracting, recruiting and retaining talent in an organization. For businesses to
achieve efficient talent, management there needs to be Human Resource and strategic
planning. In Genisys Software Inc., the process strategic planning should embrace all these
aspects, together with that of leadership. This is because, leadership presents as the main
element that steers the organization towards the right or wrong direction.
Strategic leadership and planning, act as instruments for assisting in the
implementation of the talent management process that involves diagnosis, combination,
assessment and retaining. In addition, the value of a businesss competitive approach will
only present as superior as the leadership and talent demonstrated by the strategists who
devise and implement it. Strategic planning provides a doorway for implementation of the
plans through constructing proficiencies of employees in the organization or altering the
skills and knowledge of stakeholders outside the business. The process of strategic leadership
and talent development and management is an approach that guides, unifies and offers
guidelines to studying that takes place in the organization. It also focuses on more methods

Leadership in I.T
57

by which the leaders and employees can realize some of the hidden talents to exploit them for
the organizational success
2. Incorporate drivers in the talent management framework
The strategic planning and leadership created in the Genisys Software Inc. should oversee the
implementation of a talent management framework. This owes to the reduced job satisfaction
experienced among the employees. The Human Resource department should be granted the
mandate to manage this department. However, in order to ensure that the best talent is
recognized, there must be incorporation of drivers. These serious leaders specialize primarily
on identifying individuals and their abilities in the organization. They principally focus on
talent development and retention. However, before they undertake the process of talent
development, they create their individual research to ensure that they identify the best
capabilities out of different individuals. Talent management is a continuous process.
Therefore, having drivers who deal with the element of talent in an organization enables a
continuous identification of better skills and abilities useful to the organizational innovation
capabilities. These drivers (leaders) should possess shared values that make certain that the
organizations identified talent is crucial.
3. Promote input by employees in the organization
Input into the organization comprises of the physical and intellectual contribution
made by the employees. In a talent management framework, Genisys Software Inc. should
ensure that there is promotion of participation in all activities by the employees. This may
involve teamwork and team challenges created to evaluate the performance of groups against
others. In addition, the leaders can ensure that there is involvement of the employees in
decision-making exercises that concern them. Some decision-making processes can help to
identify different individuals with the best reflective and decision-making skills. Through
identification of these individuals, the organization should evaluate their performance in the

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58

organization to assess their level of leadership skills.

It is however, significant to realize that different individuals have different inputs for
the organization. Most of the input may prove to be practical, but this can only happen if the
drivers assess the level of their relevance to the organization. Moreover, participation allows
the organization to understand strengths, career and personal interests, areas for improvement
and executive talents contained in most of the employees. In order to avoid staff turnover,
there should be continuous exploitation of these areas to ensure that all the staff needs are
catered for. Facilitating employee input in the organization presents as a method of achieving
job satisfaction among the employees.
4. Implement a good system of communication between leaders and employees
Enhancing the quality of communication with the worker can influence Genisys
Software Inc. largely. In this vein, augmenting employee retention presents as a foremost
marker of profitability particularly, in businesses that possess high turnover rates. The process
of enhancing morale has a considerable effect on consumers and the organisations
profitability. Development of talent management not only ascertains the organisational
performance but also the talent management results. Organisations that possess high levels of
development of the process of talent management function and perform well in engagement
status, employee satisfaction retaining of good talent and leadership. Merging these elements
with communication on the leaders part is a superlative element in Genisys Inc.
These factors assist in driving higher effectiveness and better service and product
quality. Eventually, they also play as drivers for thriving organisational financial
performance. Organisations that have superior talent management systems usually ensure that
there is improvement of the process of hiring the best employees through elimination of
bureaucracy as well as decreasing the cycle time.

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59

5. Creation of a better motivational system for employees

While the concept of leadership largely influences job satisfaction among employees,
it is fundamental for Genisys to identify different methods of motivating employees. Rewards
are of great importance in the talent management practice. This is categorized as motivation,
a very significant practice in an organization. There needs to be an improvement in the
existing reward system of the organization. Motivation can be divided into intrinsic and
extrinsic motivation. Both forms of motivation are essential to ensure that employees
experience appreciation, recognition and satisfaction from their jobs. Without motivation, the
drivers cannot be able to identify the best abilities the employees possess. For instance, the
employees indicate that the work environment is not positive. In this vein, the work
environment presents as an element that fuels the emergence of intrinsic motivation among
employees. With motivation, the employees are satisfied with their jobs, a situation that leads
to low staff turnover.
6. Genisys Software Inc. should build a career management framework
It is noteworthy that, most employees in the organization aim to develop their careers.
A career management process goes alongside a talent management framework. Some
employees at the organization have worked in the organization below 5 years. These
employees look to improve their careers. In cases where they do not receive satisfaction from
their current work setting, they are likely to move under the employment of the organizations
competitors. The problems of development planning, leadership development, talent mobility
and succession management are currently linked to failure in career management. Therefore,
for a talent management process to thrive in Genisys Inc. there should be development of a
career management practice that enables employees in the organization to pursue different
interests. Through this, they can develop interest in learning the fundamentals of the
organization. This is the basis of a talent management framework.

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60

7. The NCC should also involve the management in workforce planning

Since Genisys Software Inc., is not currently energetically involved in the process of talent
management, they should also consider venturing into workforce planning that is businessdriven. In this form of process, the organization should require different managers of different
levels to construct a value model for each hire. With the existence of such a model, the
organization can be conscious of its performance and financial returns from the hired
individuals in diverse roles. This acts as a form of workforce planning that places different
goals in the workforce. With these goals, the organization can act on a talent management
model that considers the capability of the workforce according to the goals placed on them.

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61

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