Moller (1994) lists responsibility as the central element of employeeship without which a person cannot display loyalty and take initiative.
The employer employee relationship at its core, is a transaction. Burns (1979) describes this kind of leadership as transactional leadership. Transactional leadership is where an employee completes assigned tasks in exchange for rewards in the form of a paycheck, bonuses, and benefits. For years, transactional leadership was the norm--"If you do this, I will give you that." Transactional leadership is no longer thought of as the best way to run an organization (although many believe that it is a pipe dream to totally eliminate the transactional aspect of management). Leadership trends today advocates the benefits of self-leadership, shared leadership, and peer leadership. The focus is moving from the leader to the follower.
Employeeship is a leadership style in the fact that the leader (employer) and follower (employee) work together in tandem to accomplish the organizational mission. Responsibility has been identified as the most important aspect of employeeship. "Balance of responsibility" is a topic often discussed when considering employeeship. Consider the image above. Both employer and employee share the responsibility for the success of the company. In employeeship, it is no longer the employer's sole responsibility for the companies' success or failure. Leader's should advocate the importance of shared responsibility and authority and recognize the benefits and be willing to share the responsibility.
Employeeship attributes apply to everyone in an organization from the senior management to the most junior employee. Employees should receive proper support towards accepting responsibility and authority. Training should focus on questions of whom and how to share and accept responsibility. It is the employer's role to realize when to share leadership and how to follow. A employeeship culture is one where employer and employee work together to make and carry out decisions that affect the companies success. Himanshu (2012) writes that to develop a employeeship culture
Employeeship is a leadership style in the fact that the leader (employer) and follower (employee) work together in tandem to accomplish the organizational mission. Responsibility has been identified as the most important aspect of employeeship. "Balance of responsibility" is a topic often discussed when considering employeeship. Consider the image above. Both employer and employee share the responsibility for the success of the company. In employeeship, it is no longer the employer's sole responsibility for the companies' success or failure. Leader's should advocate the importance of shared responsibility and authority and recognize the benefits and be willing to share the responsibility.
Employeeship attributes apply to everyone in an organization from the senior management to the most junior employee. Employees should receive proper support towards accepting responsibility and authority. Training should focus on questions of whom and how to share and accept responsibility. It is the employer's role to realize when to share leadership and how to follow. A employeeship culture is one where employer and employee work together to make and carry out decisions that affect the companies success. Himanshu (2012) writes that to develop a employeeship culture
- there should be less focus on the role of manager.
- there should be an attitude change for managers toward employees.
- there should be an attitude change for all employees.
- there should be a change in how assignments and responsibilities are allocated.
PRACTICALLY SPEAKING
An employeeship culture can only be established if started by the leaders of the organization. However, it is possible for an employee to have an "employeeship" mentality even if the leaders do not have it. Employeeship is an attitude, not a behavior. Being employeeship minded is moving from blame to getting things done. It is knowing the vision and mission of the company and adopting them as your own. Employeeship is knowing your talents and abilities and utilizing them to accomplish the management's goals. An employee with an employeeship mentality proactively seeks to develop themselves personally and professionally.
An employee should understand that responsibility in an employeeship context means that the employee takes on the responsibility of company success. Therefore, responsibility for their daily tasks are the minimum. In other words, before an employee can take the initiative to make the company better, they must excel in their own daily responsibilities.
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Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. New York: Harper & Row.
Himanshu, S. (2012). Competitive advantage through employeeship: A conceptual perspective. International Journal of Management Sciences, 1(4), 16-25.
Moller, C. (1994). Employeeship: The necessary prerequisite for empowerment, Empowerment in Organizations, 2(2), 4-13.
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This blog is dedicated to development topics that will make you a better employee. Join the discussion. If you have a question, leave it in the comments section below. If you have a comment, leave it in the comment section below. If you have a suggestion for a topic, leave it in the comment section below.
Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. New York: Harper & Row.
Himanshu, S. (2012). Competitive advantage through employeeship: A conceptual perspective. International Journal of Management Sciences, 1(4), 16-25.
Moller, C. (1994). Employeeship: The necessary prerequisite for empowerment, Empowerment in Organizations, 2(2), 4-13.
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This blog is dedicated to development topics that will make you a better employee. Join the discussion. If you have a question, leave it in the comments section below. If you have a comment, leave it in the comment section below. If you have a suggestion for a topic, leave it in the comment section below.
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