Hierarchical structures
The organization is also faced with another challenge in the form of its hierarchical leadership. In this form of leadership, the chain of command in the organization cascades from the top. Communication in the organization is top-down, and hence less effective. This affects the decision making process at the departmental levels. Each department makes the decision with the best interests at heart as opposed to the interests of the entire organization. A hierarchical structure can also limit inter-department collaboration. It may also hinder organizational flexibility. Increased bureaucracy also limits change. For instance, the organization may take time to adopt advanced technologies or to adjusting quickly to new market demands. A hierarchical organizational structure is also associated with a high level of bureaucracy. This can hinder collaboration within the organization. This is because hierarchies discourage information sharing and collaboration amongst the employees from various departments. Hierarchical organizations are also more likely to encourage the development of cliques within teams, and this may be detrimental to the organization as these teams or groups of teams will often compete for power. Also, there is the risk of management turning very territorial where their departments are concerned. Additionally, there is the risk that the management may deal with issues that affect the organization from the perspective of their individual department. Another limitation of hierarchical organizations is that it stifles innovation. This is because such an organization is characterized by established channels of communication. Moreover, information reporting has to take place within defined reporting structures. This may limit innovation within an organization. Employees require being flexible enough to share innovative ideas with their co-workers. However, this is not possible with a hierarchical organization as the structure discourages such form of flexibility. Bureaucracy is also associated with wasted time in terms of consulting with the leader on what needs to be done. This is followed by further time wasted while awaiting the feedback on what the leaders feel should be done. Consequently, this affects organizational efficiency negatively.
Ethical challenges
The COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the importance of ethical leadership in business. The organization has to maintain ethical standards which includes being transparent and honest with employees and customers. The Corona-virus pandemic has led o loss of lives and jobs, while employees who are still working face an uncertain future. In the midst of all such chaos, an organization requires steady leadership. In other words, the leaderships must undertake an honest assessment of the situation reassure staffs and clients and also demonstrate trustworthiness and ethical behavior. When the leadership of an organization has high ethical standards, this adds to the confidence of employees and by extension, it boosts their morale. As employee morale increases, so does their productivity. A strong ethical culture and strong message from the leaders that all is well goes a long way in enabling the organization survive the current COVD-19 pandemic. There seems to be a lot of misinformation regarding the Corona-virus and its impact. Staying at home or working remotely adds to the confusion. Employees are more likely to work with confidence and renewed morale if they known that there is an ethical leadership in place. Ethical leadership hinges on four fundamental qualities. The first quality entails values that drive leaders and the organization. Such values influences all that the leaders do or say, both as a professional and personal level. Moreover, these values influence a leader’s decision-making and business practices. Some of the desirable values for ethical leadership include integrity, social responsibility and compassion (Jones, 2020). The second quality of ethical leadership is vision. These are the goals that the leader intends for an organization to achieve. My organization has the vision of becoming a world-class service provider of industrial zones and ports services. Additionally, a leader must be in a position to express their values and vision in a clear and authentic manner. Virtue is also another important quality of ethical leadership. It entails commitments to the principles and goals of an organization along with remaining sensitive to the relationship between employees, the management and customers.