Observing Leadership at McDonald’s Essay Example
Observing Leadership at McDonald’s Essay Example

Observing Leadership at McDonald’s Essay Example

Available Only on StudyHippo
  • Pages: 2 (481 words)
  • Published: September 6, 2016
  • Type: Essay
View Entire Sample
Text preview

McDonald's, the world's largest and most renowned fast-food retailer, effectively motivates its employees through leadership skills. During my recent visit to a McDonald's store in Copenhagen, I observed that the line manager assumes leadership roles and responsibilities for most tasks.

For instance, he acts as a mentor to train new or inexperienced employees, patiently teaching them how to use the machine and fulfill orders. Additionally, the manager not only provides clear instructions to each employee for their tasks but also motivates them to work quickly without compromising quality during busy times. Moreover, despite being the manager, he genuinely cares for his employees, going beyond what is typically expected in a work environment. "Are you okay? Have you seen the doctor?" he asked when an employee coughed. This showcases leadership as it involves an interpersonal dynamic between an individual and a gr

...

oup (Jackson and Parry, 2011), with shared responsibilities and values.

McDonald's has a clear mission stated on their homepage - to be the preferred dining option for customers, offering top-notch food and service in a welcoming and clean environment. This shared goal encourages managers and employees to collaborate and deliver excellent service. The manager in this scenario provides specific guidance to different employees during busy times and demonstrates a focus on productivity and quality. This leadership approach reflects a task-oriented style that applies to all team members. Additionally, the manager uses their positional power to influence others.

In addition, frontline managers have a clear connection with their subordinates, such as cashiers and chiefs. This relationship goes beyond just work and is more like a family or friendship. One of the responsibilities of frontline managers is to coac

View entire sample
Join StudyHippo to see entire essay

and guide inexperienced employees. However, it is important for them to teach with patience and also show concern for the well-being of their employees, which this manager does.

His behavior can be categorized as transformational leadership. One key feature that sets transformational leadership apart from other styles is the leader's efforts to engage followers' self-esteem, self-efficacy, and self-confidence (Shamir et al., 1993). The leader's supportive approach creates a pleasant working environment for subordinates. Additionally, McDonald's demonstrates individualized consideration, which entails addressing followers' development needs (Bass, 1999) by providing training and development opportunities at all levels. This helps them enhance their skills, advance within their current position, or transition to a new role within the company McDonald's.

In conclusion, during peak times the managers displayed a coaching style of leadership, providing guidance and support to subordinates in order to achieve specific goals. These actions demonstrate both high directive and supportive behaviors. Therefore, there is evidence of transformational leadership, task-oriented style, and coaching style of leadership. However, it is challenging to identify other types of leadership, such as authentic leadership, spiritual leadership, and charismatic leadership, due to the limited observation period and lack of direct communication with the manager and other subordinates.

Get an explanation on any task
Get unstuck with the help of our AI assistant in seconds
New