115. Administrative Behaviour: Leadership, Communication, Morale — Full Notes

CORE Key Points at a Glance

1. 1

   Administrative behaviour (Herbert Simon, 1947): The actual decision-making patterns of administrators, as distinct from formally prescribed procedures. Simon argued that organisations should be studied as decision-making systems, not mechanical hierarchies.

2. 2

   Leadership in PA: The ability to influence, motivate, and guide others toward organisational goals. Chester Barnard (1938): Leadership is the most universal quality required of an executive. The leader must communicate the organisation's purpose and persuade members to accept it.

3. 3

   Trait Theory of Leadership (early 20th century): Leaders are born with certain traits — physical energy, intelligence, initiative, confidence, integrity. Key traits identified by Stogdill (1948) and Mann (1959). Limitation: No universal trait set predicts leadership in all contexts.

4. 4

   Behavioral Theories of Leadership — Ohio State Studies (1945–50): Two dimensions — Initiating Structure (task-orientation: defines roles, organises, directs) and Consideration (relationship-orientation: mutual respect, trust, concern for subordinates). Michigan Studies (Likert, 1947–50): Employee-centred vs production-centred supervision.

5. 5

   Situational / Contingency Theories: Leadership style must match the situation. Fred Fiedler (1967): Three situational factors — leader-member relations, task structure, position power. House's Path-Goal Theory (1971): Leaders adjust style (directive, supportive, participative, achievement-oriented) based on followers' needs and task characteristics. Hersey and Blanchard (1969): Situational Leadership — match style to subordinate's maturity (readiness).

6. 6

   Communication in PA: The process of transmitting information, ideas, and directives within and between organisations. Two-way communication is essential: downward (orders, policies) and upward (feedback, grievances). Informal channels (grapevine) are powerful and often faster than formal channels.

7. 7

   Communication Networks (Alex Bavelas, 1950): Five types — Wheel (centralised; fastest for simple tasks), Chain (hierarchical), Y (modified wheel), Circle (each linked to two), All-channel (everyone linked to everyone — best for complex tasks).

8. 8

   Barriers to Communication in Government: Semantic barriers (jargon, technical language); organisational barriers (hierarchy distorts messages); physical barriers (geographic dispersion); psychological barriers (fear of superior, selective perception); cultural barriers (regional/caste differences).

9. 9

   Morale in administration: The collective attitude, spirit, and level of confidence of a group or organisation. High morale = motivation, productivity, low absenteeism, team cohesion. Factors affecting morale: leadership quality, working conditions, equity in treatment, communication transparency, recognition, and job security.

10. 10

    Morale vs Motivation vs Esprit de Corps: Morale is a group phenomenon (collective feeling); motivation is individual (internal drives). Esprit de corps (Fayol's 14th principle) — team spirit, solidarity, and pride in the organisation — is both a symptom and a cause of high morale.