*5.1.5 Women leadership theories*

The need to prioritise women in leadership is triggered by the gender discrimination and gender inequality across many sectors of our society, particularly in leadership positions [19]. Proponents of the women leadership theories believe that men and women should understand barriers that prejudice women from assuming leadership roles and free women to assume these roles as opposed to how they are perceived [5]. This means that leaders should enable the working environment to be effective and efficient for women to also occupy leadership positions. Women's effectiveness in leadership positions is determined by their attitudes and acceptance of their leadership style in a particular context [5].

Organisations that are more tolerant and open to women's contribution in leadership can result in prosperity in their duties as leaders. By virtue of their primary aim being the promotion of social justice to vulnerable and marginalised sections of populations of whom most are women, all welfare organisations should somehow consider promoting women into leadership positions, by adopting the women in leadership theories. Women leaders may even be in a better position to steer these organisations towards a desired direction in their quest to respond to the presenting issues because they may have lived through such presenting issues themselves and may know better on how to respond to them. An organisation which seeks to respond to gender-based violence for instance may benefit from a women leader, particularly one who has lived through such experiences because she/he can lead by also drawing from her/his own experiences.

#### **5.2 Relationship oriented leaderships**

Relationship oriented leadership seeks to address job satisfaction, motivation and work-life balance among the employees [20]. The objective of leaders who adopt relationship-oriented approach to leadership is to promote support, motivation and develop or grow their employees. Although their interests are on achieving the organisational mission and objectives, they do so by prioritising support, motivation and development of employees. Under this type of leadership, one finds transformational leadership approach, power-influence leadership approach, servant leadership, leader-member exchange leadership, shared leadership, diversity, multicultural

leadership and team leadership. These approaches are introduced below, with the central argument for their incorporation into welfare organisation as part of the integrated leadership approach.

#### *5.2.1 Transformational leadership*

Transformational leadership is better known as visionary or charismatic leadership and it is future oriented and involves risk taking [2]. One of the central features of transformational leadership is the leader's ability to significantly transform both subordinates and organisations, using three main features: being visionary, the ability to identify core values and guiding people by giving purpose and using integrity [5, 6]. A transformational leader is a leader who leads subordinates by being creative in inspiring them to try more than their abilities by inventing innovative ideas [21]. Transformation leadership is realised when leaders and their followers motivate each other for the higher motivation and morality. Subordinates are motivated to do more than what is stated in the contract by focusing on their higher-level needs [21].

A question to be posed here is whether this type of leadership find relevance in a welfare organisation. Clearly any welfare organisation has a vision, mission, objectives and values upon which it is founded. One would somehow expect a leader of this organisation to be fully acquainted with the values and objectives and to develop some kind of vision regarding where the organisation is to be taken. If she/he is to attain the organisational objectives, such a leader will have to influence the *subordinate*s to somehow share her/his vision so that their activities are also geared towards such a vision. Such a leader will also have to know each of her/his subordinates' needs, values and beliefs so that she/he can motivate and inspire them towards achieving the organisational objective based on such needs, values and beliefs. She/he must make an employment setting an attractive centre for employees who will then develop a stronger sense of belonging to an extent that they do not consider performing their duties to be part of their employment contract, rather some kind of a "calling" as we normally hear.

A welfare organisation will undoubtedly benefit from this type of a leader especially because they deal with clients who are not contributing any income to these organisations because of the poor backgrounds from which they come and also do not have much of a revenue to really satisfy the employees. A welfare organisation will benefit from motivating employees to passionately go all out in assisting these client systems. Some of these organisations function purely on personnel who volunteer their services and continuous motivation may be critical for their survival. An argument can therefore be put forward that welfare organisations cannot necessarily function without a leader who is inspired and influenced by the transformative leadership approach.

#### *5.2.2 Power-influence leadership approach*

Power is the ability to exert an influence on others. Great leaders possess a clear vision to achieve their envisaged large-scale ideas as well as personal power to enact such ideas. They make use of power to attain the organisational goals [22]. According to the power-influence leadership approach, a leader needs to adopt a pragmatic behaviour in order for an organisation to succeed. A leader who leads from a powerinfluence approach to leadership can develop sufficient resources of power and influence in order to secure their needed support from subordinates, peers and superiors [5]. One of the proponents of this approach Pfeffer, argues that leader should refrain

#### *DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.105586 Perspective Chapter: Leading Welfare Organisations from an Integrated Leadership Approach…*

from looking at the world as just and fair, and instead begin to actively develop the skills necessary to acquire and use power.

The manifestation of power in organisational leadership can take a form of legitimate power; reward power; coercive power; expert power and referent power. A legitimate power is a form of power through which a leader influences subordinates' behaviours by virtue of the position that she/he holds in an organisation. It derives from the position of authority from within the organisation. If subordinates consider the power used as legitimate, they would normally comply [22]. An instruction from a manager to a subordinate to attend an urgent case by removing a child from an environment which is considered abusive to a place of safety will for instance be considered the exercise of legitimate power and such a subordinate is likely to conform to such an instruction. A reward power manifest when a leader influence subordinates by providing them with rewards through things like pay increase or bonuses, promotions, favourable work assignments, more responsibility, new equipment, praise and recognition [22].

Regarding coercive power, a leader influences the subordinates by punishing them or creating a perceived threat of punishment. In organisational context, this form of force is used through things like reprimands, undesirable work assignments, withholding key information, demotion, suspension or even dismissal [22]. For expert power to manifest, a leader make use of her/his recognised knowledge, skills or abilities to influence subordinates into executing assigned responsibilities. Experts such as physicians, computer specialists, tax consultants, economists and others are considered knowledgeable and therefore have the capacity to exert power by virtue of their expertise [22].

Finally, referent power involves a leader's ability to influence her/his subordinates because she/he is liked, admired and respected by these subordinates. It may even be inspired by the subordinates 'desire to be like such a leader. In other words, a subordinate who may be inspired by a leader and maybe considers such a leader to be a role model is likely to execute assigned responsibilities allocated by this leader meticulously. Just like I did with all forms of leadership, the critical question to be posed is whether power-influence leadership is relevant for adoption in leading welfare organisations and in such instance I would argue that yes, it is important to consider this type of leadership in some instances of the welfare organisations and I will explain why. Firstly, the legitimate power is normally a reality in all organisations. It may even happen without the conscious knowledge of both a leader and the subordinates because by their nature, leaders are considered to possess authority and their instructions or requests are always honoured. Of course, that will depend on whether such an instruction is done within the context of the values and objectives of the organisation.

Secondly, power-influence theory finds application in welfare organisation though the reward power wherein some leaders in welfare organisations have through systems such as the performance management system, put measures for recognising positive performance through promotions which include reward by increasing the salary notch. In some instances, reward power is applied by offering an employee who executed a duty expeditiously a day-off or an equivalent kind of reward. Some elements of expert power may also have been observed particularly from leaders who specialises in specific programmes such as professors managing certain portfolios within the welfare organisations, whose instructions are often highly regarded by virtue of their expertise status.

The relevance of power-influence theory can also be supported by referent power by virtue of them merely liking such a leader either because they are inspired by such a leader as a mentor or merely out of respect. This practice is also relevant in welfare organisations wherein several employees, especially those who are newly graduated develop some kind of admiration and draw inspiration from seniors within the organisations. The power-influence leadership approach is therefore suitable approach for welfare organisations, depending on the specific circumstances at a particular time.

#### *5.2.3 Servant leadership*

Servant leadership is at the very heart of most welfare organisations. The meaning of a servant leader emanates from the overall purpose of this kind of a leader which is to serve as opposed to lead. A servant leader's approach is that of a selfless leader. She/he leads by listening and supporting with the ultimate aim of building community [5]. The selflessness of a leader is one of the central values of a welfare organisation, which are mostly the so called non-profit organisation (NPOs). Here the passion towards nation or community building is the main driver as opposed to generating profits or any form of benefits for the organisation. Servant leaders are driven by the natural desire to serve first as opposed to your ordinary leaders whose first desire is to lead [23].

Whether a servant leadership can be an appropriate leadership approach for a welfare organisation should be considered in the context of the overall aim of these organisations which is mostly to assist people who are for whatever reason, unable to assist themselves. Factors such as the non-profit making nature of these organisations as well as their composition of staff who are sometimes volunteers should also be considered in determining whether servant leadership can be relevant. One can argue that a leader who leads these kind of organisations will also have to possess selfless values such as doing it for the goodwill of the community because their very purpose of existence is such goodwill. Her/his expectation of a payment should be superseded by the overall need to serve and contribute to society. This makes the servant leadership approach to be the relevant approach for welfare organisations along with the preceding forms of leadership.

#### *5.2.4 Leader-member exchange theory*

The leader-member exchange theory is a process approach because it focuses on the importance of the dynamic relationship between a leader and subordinates during the process of organisational existence. In the leader-member exchange theory, both the leader and subordinates are active participants [24]. The six dimensions of leadermember exchange theory are trust, liking, latitude, attention, support and loyalty [24]. In other words, there has to be some level of mutual trust between the leader and her/ his subordinates and they must both like the activities that make them to interact with one another. The nature of their exchange should be voluntary and not be restrained by some kind of rules or procedures while both of their full attention and loyalty to this exchange or relationship is important and where necessary mutual support be provided.

In terms of the leader-member exchange theory, the relationship that leaders have with their *subordinate*s is critical to the success of their organisation. It is believed that if leaders and *subordinate*s develop effective relationships which in turn lead to progressive mutual influence [5]. Ideally in any organisation, leaders will from time to time engage their *subordinate*s either for the latter to be briefed on the latter's operations or for the former to guide the latter on other better ways for improving organisational practices in order to ultimately realise the vision. For welfare organisations, the leader-member exchange is particularly important because leaders need

#### *DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.105586 Perspective Chapter: Leading Welfare Organisations from an Integrated Leadership Approach…*

to continuously redefine their organisational visions in light of the societal developments and then in turn update and support *subordinate*s regarding such redefined visions. S*ubordinate*s themselves may also engage the leader on a particular issue such as briefing on how a reported case was managed or on presenting plans for intervening on a presenting issue. The nature of work dynamics also shapes this leaderexchange theory like for example in situations where a subordinate lost a loved one and as a result become emotionally overwhelmed to an extent that she/he is unable to optimally execute her/his responsibilities. In such instance a leader may step in by either directly render some psychological intervention services or by referring such a subordinate for such services. The same can happen with a leader whom a subordinate can step in to see how she/he can support in situations of distress.

#### *5.2.5 Shared leadership*

A shared leadership is a type of leadership emanating from the members of a team as opposed to the appointed leader. It often involves the active involvement of the team members in the process of leadership and their fulfilment of leadership functions [25]. The shared leadership approach holds the view that leadership should be based on team work [5]. In other words, a leader who is influenced by shared leadership approach will promote a collective leadership among her/his subordinates.

A question which is to be posed in the context of this chapter is whether this type of leadership will really be necessary for a welfare organisation. I would argue that yes, it is because all activities are undertaken within the organisation should ultimately build up to its overall vision. Shared leaderships will ensure that members share this vision and values so that their efforts become well-coordinated towards an envisaged vision. It will ensure that subordinates and leaders have a very clear understanding of the vision and how it is to be realised.

#### *5.2.6 Diversity and multicultural leadership*

Diversity and multicultural leadership involve an approach to leadership wherein a leader adopts a multicultural competency such as cultural intelligence, cross-cultural communication skills, cross-cultural management of ethical issues, global mindset, and cosmopolitanism or curiosity about other different countries and cultures in order to effectively function in diverse cultural contexts [5].

Diverse and multicultural orientations among the employees or subordinates is common in organisations and a leader should clearly strive to accommodate them. She/he should accommodate them by recognising the diversity of each subordinate and achieve unity of common values and directions without necessarily causing any destruction to the uniqueness of each subordinate [26]. Such a leader will also have to be mindful of the diverse society from which the client systems come and ensure that they are also accommodated by providing the necessary accommodating leadership to her/his organisation. This kind of approach is even more important for our modern societies because cross-border interactions have become common as a result of digital revolution and the expansion of cross-border or international organisations. All of these opened space for diversity of multicultural practices which all need to be accommodated within these modern society. Some countries such as South Africa, the US and others are by their very nature culturally diverse and therefore necessitates organisations that are located or operating either physically or online in these areas to adopt this kind of approach.
