Organizational Committment and Communication

Organizational Commitment and Communication at Nordstrom’s

Communications for Accountants/COM 530

October 3, 2011

Introduction

Organizations and personal relationships thrive and fail daily. Typically the difference between success and failure is communication amongst the parties involved. If communication is lacking or not clear then the parties don’t know if they are achieving the desired outcomes or not. Communication in an organization can be communicated through leadership styles, motivational theories, and power. If each of these elements is used properly to communicate to employees, followers or your mate, then success will usually follow. This paper looks at leadership styles, leadership power, motivational theories and communication at Nordstrom and how they are used to create a very successful organization.

Leadership Styles

Leadership is “the ability to influence a group toward the achievement of a vision or set of goals” (Robbins & Judge, 2011, p. 376). To achieve the vision or set of goals at Nordstrom’s the leadership and management use a variety of different leadership styles. Early researchers determined that leadership styles were based on behavioral theories (Autocratic, Democratic, and Laissez-Faire), trait theories where “leaders share a number of common personality traits and characteristics, and that leadership emerged from those traits” (mindtools.com, 2011), and influence theories, where leaders use power and influence to get things done. Some of the most common leadership styles are:

* Autocratic – a person with unlimited power or authority and tells people what to do, similar to the military.

* Bureaucratic - work “by the book”, ensuring that their staff follow procedures exactly.

* Charismatic - A rare personal quality attributed to leaders who arouse fervent popular devotion and enthusiasm

* Transformational – leaders inspire followers to transcend their self-interests for the good of the...