Directions: For this assignment, you are to fully answer the following questions and support your answers with resources. This assignment must be 5-6 pages in length excluding a cover and reference page.
After reading “Lewin’s Leadership Styles”, discuss which type of leader you think that you are according to the article.
Discuss five ways that your identified leadership style would benefit prison employees and prisoners if you were the head of the facility.
Discuss five ways that your identified leadership style could be a detriment to prison employees and prisoners if you were the head of the facility.
Pretend that you are the head of a prison facility. Develop a brief strategic plan taking into consideration your leadership style and weeks 1 and 2 readings. Discuss how this plan will enable you to make effective decisions for the facility, keeping in mind your leadership style and the importance of good management.
Format Directions:
You must use APA format (this includes in text citations, references, cover page, etc..)
Questions should be answered in a 1, 2, 3, etc.. format
Double spaced, 12 pt font, 1” margins
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Correctional Administration- Leadership Style
The Type of Leader I Think I Am
In the article, Cherry (2020) argues that democratic leaders encourage their subjects or group members to be part of the decision-making process, although they have the final say. As a consequence, group members often feel engaged more engaged in the decision-making process, which makes the motivated and creative. As such, I admire this type of leadership because it will allow my followers to feel appreciated and important members of my team, thus encouraging them to commit to the goals or objectives we seek to achieve.
Cherry (2020) argues that although democratic leaders offer guidance as a leader in key specific areas, they also get involved in the group activities while allowing other group members to give their input. As evidenced by Lewin’s study, although the democratic type of leadership is less productive compared to authoritarian leadership, their contribution tends to be higher in quality. As such, I believe in democratic leadership because it helps achieve or realize group goals and objectives more effectively and efficiently.
Moreover, given the fact that maintaining a strong relationship has been established as an effective trait of any effective leadership process, I believe that the ideals of democracy are the best-suited type of leadership to ascribe to. By adopting this type of leadership style, it will allow me to get on well with my subjects, thus allowing us to support and consult one another during our decision-making process. Moreover, I also believe that this type of leadership is easier to handle because it creates a conducive environment for collaboration and teamwork, which ensure that group goals are achieved more effectively and efficiently
How Democratic Leadership Style Benefit Prison Employees and Prisoners
Democratic leadership style is beneficial to both prison employees and prisoners in several ways. First, the type of leadership offers guidance to prison employees and prisoners by allowing them to participate in group activities while also allowing input from group members. This implies that as a prison administrator, applying democratic leadership will allow prison employees to participate more in contributing to the formulation of key decisions in prison. Similarly, prisoners also feel appreciated because they are engaged in group activities, which works well. After all, it makes them more creative and motivated, which is good for them to reform quickly.
Studies have shown that good and competent leadership is very important for the success of any prison facility. According to Akers (2017), when prison officials are incompetent or hostile, it becomes very hard to reform inmates, while human rights violations in these facilities become a common occurrence. This outcome can be avoided by adopting democratic leadership because it creates a conducive environment for collaboration and teamwork.
Another benefit of adopting a democratic style of leadership in prison is that it protects the prison employee’s interests. This is the case because these employees have a chance to contribute or vote on key issues affecting a given prison facility (Akers, 2017). Moreover, they also have raised concerns about issues affecting them, which bring about understanding while eliminating conflict.
A democratic style of leadership prevents the abuse of power. The fact that most decisions in this type of leadership are done through deliberation and consensus ensures that there is no monopoly of opinion or judgment, which works well to safeguard against power abuse (Akers, 2017). As such, both prisoners and prison employees stand to benefit from this type of leadership.
Finally, democracy type of leadership benefits prisoners and prison employees because it creates stability in prison facilities while also protecting human rights. Akers (2017) argues that the well-established rules or legislation ensures that there is a clear process on how certain situations are handled, a factor that works well to prevent human rights violations, particularly against prisoners.
How Democratic Leadership Is Detriment to Prison Employees and Prisoners
Although democratic leadership is seen to be a very effective style, it has its limitations. Cherry (2020) argues that it often leads to communication failures, which can affect prisoners and prison employees negatively. For instance, in situations where the prison administrators have failed to provide clear roles, communication breakdown tends to occur, thus leading to disagreements and can be a source of conflict in prison facilities.
Another criticism of this type of leadership is that sometimes the decision process can be time-consuming since the decision-making process often involves various processes and stages that ensure there is consensus among all stakeholders (Carlson & Garrett, 2009). As such, these long processes can be time-consuming and can be deterrents to finding a quick solution, especially in situations where there are pressing issues.
Cherry (2020) also suggests that in some cases, democracy can prevent group members from having the right expertise or knowledge required to make the best or quality contributions in a decision-making process. As a consequence, the decisions made from such a process may also tend to be of a low quality, which can hurt prison employers and prisoners.
Finally, individual or minority opinions can easily be overridden during the decision making process by the views of the majority. As a consequence, some employees or prisoners may feel that their contributions are being ignored, a factor that lowers employees’ morale and satisfaction (Carlson & Garrett, 2009).
Strategic Plan
This strategic plan is crucial to managing the objectives of the prison facility. The plan is driven by the company’s mission and supported by broad correctional goals that aim to achieve specific objectives. The executive staff of this prison facility is expected to hold regular consultative and planning meetings to ensure that the facility’s strategic goals are met. At the same time, the arising challenges are addressed both for today and in the future.
Mission
The mission of this prison facility is to protect the public by confining the offenders in a controlled environment that offers them safety, dignity, and correctional services for them to be responsible members of the society in the future.
Correctional Goals and Objectives
The key correctional goals and objectives that this strategic plan aims to achieve include the following;
1. Human Resource Management
The aim is to have a competent and diverse workforce with the ability to operate within professional work environments that are prepared to meet current and future objectives of the prison facility.
2. Correctional Leadership
The aim is to manage the resources and operations of this facility effectively and competently, which promotes innovation and creativity in the development of unique and quality programs.
3. Building Partnerships
The goal is to seek opportunities that will allow for the expansion and involvement of the community and all stakeholders of the facility in helping to improve the effectiveness of services offered to offenders and staff at the facility.
How This Plan Allow for the Making of Effective Decisions for the Facility
One of the challenges of a democratic style of leadership is that sometimes it can prevent group members from having the right expertise or knowledge required to make the best or quality contributions in a decision-making process. As a consequence, the decisions made from such a process may also tend to be of a low quality, which can hurt prison employers and prisoners. This strategic plan is vital because it aims to have a competent and diverse workforce with the ability to operate within professional work environments that are prepared to meet current and future objectives of the prison facility. Another significant contribution is the ability of this plan to contribute to disciplinary leadership. The plan will offer guidance to prison employees and prisoners by allowing them to participate in group activities while also allowing input from group members. This implies that as a prison administrator, applying democratic leadership will allow prison employees to participate more in contributing to the formulation of key decisions in prison. Similarly, prisoners also feel appreciated because they are engaged in group activities, which works well because it makes them more creative and motivated, which is good for them to reform quickly. As such, this plan will allow for the making of an effective decision within the prison facility through the hiring of competent staff who can complement each other also give sound and quality contributions.
References
Akers, R. L. (2017). Type of leadership in prison: A structural approach to testing the functional and importation models. The Sociological Quarterly, 18(3), 378-383. doi:10.1111/j.1533-8525.1977.tb01422.x
Cherry, K. (2020). What are the prominent leadership styles and frameworks you should know? Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/leadership-styles-2795312
Carlson, P.M. & Garrett, J. S. (2009). Prison and jail administration: Practice and theory. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
