Topic: Task oriented manager Vs relationship oriented manager

According to the Anzalone (n.d.), task oriented (or task-focused) leadership is a

behavioural approach in which the leader focuses on the productivity of the employees to
meet the goals, objectives, or certain performing standards. In other words, task oriented
manager has critically less concern on the relationship with employees. Although the
employees of the task manager always get the job done before the deadline, they show no job
satisfaction toward their jobs. Eventually, this will lead to decrease in the incentives of
employees for working on the behalf of company. The reason is that the employees fear of
the power of manager rather than respect their manager. In contrast, relationship oriented (or
relationship-focused) leadership has more focus on the relationship with employees.
Relationship oriented manager tend to see employees as members of a big family. “When
employees feel that the company takes their interest to heart, and then the employees will take
company interests to heart,” says Dr. Nelson, a clinical psychologist, bestselling author and
business trial consultant (Cooper, 2012). Under relationship oriented leadership, employees
are happy and satisfy with their jobs. This is because employees feel driven with the positive
environment built by their managers. With high motivation from their manager, they are
willing to contribute more to the company in term of time and efforts. There are common
characteristics that are shared between task oriented manager and relationship oriented
manager. However, there are some differences in terms of sociability, personality and
management style.

There are similarities and differences between these two types of manager in terms of
sociability with others. Same as the relationship oriented manager, task oriented manager also
need to socialize with others in workplace. Managers need to form relationship with people
inside or outside the company. According to the Henry Mintzberg’s theory, a manager might
be a disseminator, spoke person or negotiator. (Mintzberg, 1989) As a disseminator, manager
needs to deliver potential useful information into the company by communicate with their
colleagues and members. Apart from the company, manager carries the role as a negotiator to
take part in the negotiation with other organizations or parties. Besides that, they are both
representing and speaking for the company as a spoke person. Thus, sociability is equivalent
important for both task oriented manager and relationship oriented manager. Relationship
oriented manager is friendlier when compared to task oriented manager. In order to create a
positive environment, relationship oriented managers appear to be supportive all the times.
Instead of giving punishment to create negative reinforcement, they will try to analyze and
interpret the occurrences of the problems. This makes their advices to be reasonable to the
employees. In other hands, task oriented managers realize there is a need of power to lead
their employees. They take power as a tool to control and monitor their employees. Also, it
helps managers to create a distance to separate themselves from employees. The difference in
position makes their followers to fear them. For these reasons, relationship oriented manager
is always friendlier than task oriented manager. Managers can create problems in the
workplace with sins of omission as well as negative acts. For these circumstances, task
oriented manager draws a boundary between home and workplace. They see workplace as a
place to perform their job. Any other matters that are unrelated to their works are to be
disregarded. This can help to prevent them from being dragged into unnecessary conflict and
misunderstand. However, relationship oriented manager does not distinctively categorized the
workplace and home. They are mostly the disturbance handler in the company. To study the
needs of the employees, they might be a counsellor that solving all the problems of the
employees in the workplace or in the home.

Secondly, the management styles of task oriented manager and relationship oriented
manager also carry similarity and differences. Both of the task oriented manager and
relationship oriented manager makes good leaderships. They carry the processes of planning,
organizing, controlling and leading. During the processes, task oriented manager or
relationship oriented manager use their own methods to influence others to succeed. At the
same time, they lead their employees to achieve organization’s goals. Task oriented manager
tend to use a more autocratic approach to leadership whereas relationship oriented manager
uses democratic way to influence others (Kokemuller, n.d.). Task oriented managers rely on
position power and they often keep track of their employees’ results. They will not share their
opinion and decision with their employees. Unlike task oriented managers who think and
make decision alone, relationship oriented managers are more likely to discuss and inspire
their employees with their guidance as they care about the employees. They will jointly set
the goals with employees and review their performance periodically. This can ensure the
growth of the performance of the employees. Task oriented manager create clear, easy-to-
follow work schedules with specific requirements and deadlines while relationship oriented
manager will spend individual time with employees to learn their strengths and weaknesses.
The advantage in task oriented management style is they always strict to the deadlines.
Employees who have problem managing their time will work more efficiently with the task
oriented manager. There is no distinct rule and regulation under the relationship oriented
management. Relationship oriented manager form culture instead of setting rule. They leave
their employees to judge the good or bad rather than tell them what are the “dos and don’ts”.
Task oriented manager can lead to a lack of employee autonomy and creativity while the
employees of a relationship oriented manager might sometimes feel that the responsibilities
they have been given is overwhelming. Employees who work under a relationship oriented
manager sometimes may make the wrong decision. This would happen if the main focus is
put in the relationship between manager and employees but not in the organization’s goal.

Furthermore, the differences between the psychology of task oriented manager and
relationship oriented manager can be clearly observed. Managers are not robot; they both
have their own emotions, personalities, beliefs and thoughts. Different leaders think
differently as they came from different background and culture. Some of them tend to focus
more on the task at hand while some of them tend to focus on developing relationships and
get the job done at the same time. Task oriented manager has a high locus of control while
relationship oriented manager has a low locus of control. Task oriented managers believe that
they can control their own fate. They are more likely to control their employees as they will
set rules and regulations for them to obey. Task oriented managers are always the one to
decide and want their employees to follow. On the contrary, relationship oriented managers
are more flexible to their employees and will listen or ask for their opinions when planning to
achieve company’s goal. Task oriented manager has low risk tolerance while relationship
oriented manager has high risk tolerance. Low risk tolerance indicates that change and
innovation are problems to task oriented managers. They may not able to react to the change
quickly. Conversely, relationship oriented managers can come up with a solution and lead
their employees step by step to structural and cultural changes. They are more tolerant leaders
who do not care about underperformers as task oriented manager do. However, social-minded
leaders tend to be better problem solvers; they are better in assimilating underperforming
workers in a team structure in order to maximize productive output (Dike, 2013). Task
oriented manager be concerned with productivity and efficiency whereas relationship
oriented manager be concerned with building relationships and keeping people happy. Task
oriented managers maintain a higher standard for performance. They expect employees to
submit their work in the allotted time to improve efficiency. Relationship oriented managers
will understand that productivity is essential in meeting goals and succeeding. They will try
to create or provide a comfortable environment for their employees to reduce boredom, stress
and personal conflicts. They will develop positive relationship with their employees such as
show empathy, provide medication welfare and spend individual time with employees to
learn their strengths and weaknesses, offering above-average financial compensation and
encourage them to voice out. These tend to emphasize on group harmony and culture
(Anzalone, n.d.).

All said and done, leadership approaches should not be clearly categorized in the workplace.
They should vary according to the situation change in the company. In our humble opinion, a
manager should pick up the responsibility to create job satisfaction to their employees. This
provides the incentives to the employees for working on the benefit of company. In other
words, it enhances the profitability and reduces conflicts in the workplace.