American Management Association Releases New Research on the Importance of Management Styles

 Effective management is always crucial to an organization’s success—but do managers use the “right” style at the right time, and does it get the desired results from their teams? American Management Association (AMA), a world leader in professional development, surveyed over 1,100 U.S. knowledge workers to better understand the role management styles play in performance and organizational success.

The research detailed the specifics of four main management styles—Democratic, Autocratic, Laissez-Faire and Facilitative. The results from survey respondents revealed significant disparities between how managers view their own styles and how their direct reports perceive them.

For example, 55% of managers say they use a democratic style, but only a third of their direct reports say they are managed in this way. In addition, 90% of managers who responded indicated that they flex between different styles, but only 60% of employees said their manager had the ability to do this.

In addition, the research found that just over half of staff respondents indicated they were managed in the style they preferred, leaving a large proportion dissatisfied with their manager’s style. Also notable is the finding that nearly one in five of staff respondents (17%) said their managers were autocratic, although no respondents indicated a preference for that style.

AMA President & Chief Executive Officer Manny Avramidis observes, “The style a manager uses when leading people is critical, because it has a profound impact on their motivation, performance and overall effectiveness. It has to be the most appropriate style for the circumstances, and both manager and employee have to be comfortable with the style used in order to get the best results.”

To address the concerns indicated by these disparities, AMA is introducing a new full-length instructor-led course, Flexing Your Management Style for Maximum Impact, which offers managers skills, behaviors and practice opportunities for recognizing and choosing the best style to achieve a desired outcome.

For over 100 years, American Management Association (AMA) has helped millions of people, through its world-class training and development programs, bring about positive change in their performance in order to improve business results. Learn more: www.amanet.org

Click here to read our complimentary Whitepaper, Management Styles: Are You the Manager You Think You Are?