Worldcall Telecom Limited (WTL) is the most reliable and unique telecom and multimedia service provider in Pakistan. Worldcall started its operations in 1996 with payphone services. The first payphone was installed in June 1996. Now Worldcall has over 100,000 payphones all over the country and the company has become one of the largest fixed line payphone operator and pioneers of payphone business model in Pakistan. Due to rapid change in technology Worldcall has crossed a number of milestones by providing services from cable broadband to wireless broadband, from cable TV to video on demand, from LDI services and fibre optic network to wireless local loop telephony. Worldcall offers a range of services under three major service categories i.e. Data, Entertainment and Voice.
Worldcall Telecom Ltd became the associate company of Omantel after acquisition of major share holding by Omantel in 2008. Today Worldcall Telecom has become synonymous with innovation, dedication and reliability in Pakistan.
Worldcall started its operations from Lahore and now it is covering all the major cities and towns of Pakistan. Worldcall is having the largest sales outlets across Pakistan. From time to time the company has noticed an organizational change which helps to improve the organization both in long-term and in short-term as it is a designed process to transform a culture by utilizing behavioral technology and research and theory (Burke 2002), which according to (White and Lippitt 1960) brings change in the leadership approach of the organization in which a leader has a strong hold or control over its subordinates and to a participative leadership in which the subordinates can participate in the decision making process(White and Lippitt 1960, Aioanei 2006). This change plays an important role in the development of the organization.
The company main strength is that it has so many services to provide to its customers like Data, Entertainment and Voice among its competitors and it has the largest number of outlets across Pakistan, it delivers the product to the doorstep of the customers, provides a range of services like high speed internet, introducing third generation technology like EVDO, lowest international and national call rates even they offer free on net local, national and international calls. Besides having so many strengths it has some weaknesses as well like they provide after sales service free of cost and even free of cost accessories but they don't guarantee the repairing of their product, fluctuation and weak signals in some parts, some handsets or desktop sets are not compatible with internet.
But opportunities are still available if they want to boost up like they should concentrate on their services by providing innovative coverage, signals should increase where they are facing weak signals they should install base transceiver station (BTS) to boost up the signals and internet services. The company main threat is obviously its competitors as they are trying to adopt market penetration strategy by decreasing the prices all of the sudden to grab the customers which affects the sales up to some extent because due to poor economical condition peoples use to prefer cheap items.
CULTURE OF THE ORGANISATION
Culture of the organisation has been defined by (Jaques 1952) as it a usual way through which the work is done in an organisation and it is shared by all the staff which includes new members as well who learn from others to keep themselves in the organisation. It is also explained as the values, standards, language, myth and value held by staff of an organisation (Bloisi et al. 2003, Baird et al, 2007) about its struggles, objective and problems, goal, and practices (Bresnen and Marshall 2000) which is helpful to get to know about what can be expected from the staff of an organisation (Pascale et al., 1981). Culture is the most important part of an organisation and it has an impact on the growth of the company (Bliss 1999). Organisational culture leaves an impact on organisation's financial growth, its staff and their behaviour and the factors which motivates them(Holmes and Marsden 1996).
Developments in Worldcall Telecom Limited was due to competent management and the principles and morals of the company's chairman was received as culture of the organisation. It has been recognised by (Burke 2002 and Gagliardi 1986) as establishment of culture by accepting its head principles. Organisational changes leaves an impact on the structure of the organisation and on its growth and development as it can boost up the performance of the organisation.
Hofstede (1980) refers the authority as the understanding the level of command over subordinates. The organisational change brings about the change from high level management who has authority or command over their subordinates to low level management which minimize the gap or distance (Lee et al. 2000). An organisation can be categorised as a system which is open to all against the one which is closed cultural (Hofstede et al. 1990). An organisation is then insecure and the culture is employee oriented rather than job oriented and the organisation seems to have process oriented culture rather than result oriented which is more practical as compared to normative culture.
Furthermore, the organisation reviewed the human resource orientation, which have has to do with how the management relates and handles the affairs of the employees (Van der Post et al., 1997). The employees are now viewed as a valuable resources and contributor to the success of the organisation. They receive an on-the-job training and development, which is aimed at helping them achieved there full potential. One of the major challenges currently facing the organization in human resources is that only five of its eighteen direct employees had a formal education, only two of which had a previous working experience before joining the company. As noted by Hornsby et al. (1999), the practice of effective human resource management in small businesses still needs to develop and improve as they expand.
LEADERSHIP ROLE
The role of a leader is relevant to the success of any organisational change (Buch and Rivers, 2001, Schein, 2004), management and decision making (Sheard and Kakabadse, 2007, Darling, 1992), and is integral to the creation and maintenance of cultural values and norms of an organisation (Klein et al., 1995). At the inception of the writer to the leadership position of the company in 2007, he started to exhibit certain leadership role in the administration of the organisation. One of such role is the development and formulation of winning business and people strategies to achieve the organisational goal (Vroom and Yetton, 1973, Sheard and Kakabadse, 2007) and the means that will be employed to achieve the set out goals of the organisation (Drucker, 2004). This includes the executions of the company's goals and strategies as brilliant as possible, and making certain that the each strategy and its execution can be adjusted easily as the situation arises (Murray and Greenes, 2006).
Another leadership role displayed is understanding and interpreting the environment, both internal and external, that the organisation is operating within (Nalore-Winter and Kleiner, 1993). This is a continuous process, considering the dynamic nature of any organisational environment. The company is piloted to concentrate on customer responsiveness and creating a suitable market, employees are encouraged and empowered to develop innovativeness in the organisation (Marcketti and Kozar, 2007). Knowledge management of the employees and resources in the company are enabled by introducing an environment that encourages independence in collectivism, commitment, respect, focus, hard work and unity (Von Krogh et al., 2000). Furthermore, there has been meaningful effort in forming a cordial and close relationship between the management and the subordinates, in other to create employees effectiveness as well as improve the organisational performance (Hunt and Dodge, 2001). Other roles include, handling conflicts, measuring skills of employees, building team spirit, coordinating work, and motivating employees (Dew, 1995).
LEADERSHIP APPROACH
Organisational Leaders, as individuals, displays a degree of difference in the style and ways they behave at work (Oshagbemi and Ocholi, 2006). Their approaches to plan implementation, provision of direction, and motivation of people is known as their leadership style or approach (Oshagbemi and Ocholi, 2006).
Vroom and Yetton (1973) suggested that different situations would warrant the use of different leadership style in an organisation. They identified autocratic and democratic leadership as the most commonly used leadership style in the organisations they studied. Oshagbemi and Ocholi (2006) went further to identify several other leadership styles, which includes, consultative leadership, delegative leadership, laissez-faire, inspirational motivation and others. Finally, Balle, (1999) and Weber (1905) identified the bureaucratic leadership, which they described as a leadership style that requires the employees to follow and obey close-set standards and procedures.
The prevalent leadership approaches in Samsco-Iyke Nig. Ltd. are participative leadership, autocratic leadership and delegative leadership. However, delegative and autocratic leadership styles are used less often than participative approach. Participative leadership, also known as democratic leadership, is a leadership approach that involves zone or more subordinates in the decision making process of the organisation (Oshagbemi and Ocholi, 2006). It involves collaboration and team building between the leaders and the employees (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2004), which results in the employees acceptance of the decisions reached with their help as legitimate, as well as trusting the leader, who finally implements the decision reached (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2004).
Participative approach to leadership has been considered as a sign of weakness on the part of the leader (Cranwell-Ward et al., 2002). When the leader fails to manage his team control properly, it could affect the performance of the employees adversely (Cranwell-Ward et al., 2002). In addition, most of the employees who have been given the privilege to participate in administration are simply not yet ready for the empowerment. This could be due to some factors, which include, lack of leadership training, undeveloped leadership style, insecurity (Buchanan and huczynski, 2004), while some others just prefer to be told what to do (Hersey and Blanchard, 1988). Participative leadership therefore can best be practiced in a knowledgeable organisation (Lewin, et al., 1939).
On the other hand, autocratic leadership approach is a situation where the leader exercises a high degree of control over his employees. The leader tells the subordinates what he wants them to do, how he wants them to go about it (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2004, Aioanei, 2006), when the work should be done and how their works fits into the work of others in the organisation (Hickman, 1998). Autocratic leadership works better in a situation where the leader has all the needed information, is the most knowledgeable person and he is in short of time (Lewin, et al., 1939). However, Buchanan and Huczynski, 2004 revealed that this style of leadership can damage working atmosphere, reduce the employee commitment and flexibility Autocratic leadership also impairs creativity, ignores knowledgeable employee, and suppresses commitment and motivation (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2004). Though not considered the most appropriate leadership style, autocratic leadership approach is still assumed to be the most fitting in situations where a quick decision is required (Marques, 2008).
Delegative leadership, sometimes referred to as laissez faire, is a leadership style that allows the employee to make decisions (Cranwell-Ward et al., 2002), while the leader refrain from active participation (Bass 1981) and most times, abdicate their leadership function (Stoner, 1982). This is mostly applicable when the employee has the ability to analyze the situation in question and determine the right course of action to be taken (Lewin, et al., 1939). Because the employees are given significant freedom of action, they seem very much likely to maximize their power, potential, and influence (Deluga, 1990). However the leader remains responsible for decisions made the employee, and so must be sure that the employee is trust worthy, as delegation of duty is prone to mismanagement and subordinate's in-fighting (Deluga, 1990).
In the light of the above, it should be recalled that the writer's leadership styles exhibited in the organisation, as stated above, are Participative leadership, autocratic leadership and delegative leadership. Although, these three styles are used interchangeably, depending on the situation, however, the participative leadership approach is predominantly applied. The reason behind the habitual use of the participative style in the company is based on the believe that the best in the employees can better be explored when the organisation share its managerial information and problems with them, solicit for their opinion and recommendation, empower, trust, and allow them to be responsible to what they do (Hickman, 1998, Vroom and Yetton, 1973). Therefore, when dealing with an employee or team of employees who have been in the organisation and knows how to get their work done with little or no supervision, the participative style is mostly adopted. Considering the fact that these employees have been on the job for sometime, they are exposed to the day-to-day operation of the business, and probably have some solutions to the organisation's problems (Hickman, 1998).
Nevertheless, certain situation makes other leadership approach more appropriate. For instance, autocratic approach is used when the company employs a new staff that is just learning the job. He receives orders on what to do, how to do it, and when it should be done (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2004). Autocratic approach is used in this situation, because it is assumed that the new employee does not know how things are done in the organisation, and therefore should be given instructions as to what is required of him, so as to motivate him to learn. The delegative leadership style occurs naturally when dealing with an employee who is an expert in the job he is doing. An example is one of the company's employees who acquired experience while working with another firm as a marketer of the firm's product to different government ministries. Because of such exposure, he is allowed to embark on marketing for the company without interference. According to Hickman, (1998) and Deluga, (1990), such delegation could give the management time to focus on other pressing issues.
Apart from the above stated circumstance that instigates the use of a particular leadership approach, there are also other factors that can influence the approach to be used in the organisation (Vroom and Yetton, 1973). This includes the availability of time (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2004). Autocratic style comes as a smart choice when the management needs to make a quick decision due to time constrain. The person who has the information also plays a role in determining the appropriate leadership style to be used (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2004). Autocratic is mostly used when the leadership has all the information, participative when the information is possessed by both the employer and employee, and delegative when the employee holds the information. In addition, the level of training an employee has had in handling task can influence the choice of leadership approach (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2004).
Furthermore, the personal relationship with the employee, which is based on trust, respect and understanding, also determine the style to adopt (Graen, 1976). Delegative approach is used at times, not just because the employee is more experienced, but because the employee is trusted. Sometimes, autocratic approach is employed due to lack of trust. The level of understanding that currently exist in the company contributed to the use of participative approach in the day to day running of the company. During internal conflict, all players are involved using the participative approach in resolving the problem. Participative style is strictly used when dealing with the issue of rewards and penalties. Using participative approach for reward and penalty has yielded a great positive result as the employees work to be productive, in order not to face a penalty they set by themselves.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE LEADERSHIP PRACTICE
Just before postgraduate education, the writer, who was raised by an autocratic father and grew up in a country that was experiencing military rule at the time, did not enjoy being commanded to do things, and so stated wondering why coercion must be applied to get people do what they could have done better when given freedom. The need for an answer led the writer to start reading the accessible books in library about governance and leadership. The findings at the time, further confirmed the idea that people can actually be more motivated and productive when not forced. The need to try this out led to involvement in leadership positions during the undergraduate years, such as in the department, faculty and finally the student union. Everyone was involved in his administration as much as possible. Even though challenges came along the way, but it proved successful as most students were made to participate in making decision and therefore naturally get involved in the implementation.
In 2007, the writers joined a family business, which has been based on autocratic leadership approach. Because of his believe in participative leadership approach, it was introduced into the company, which lead to the need for organisational change. However, this did not take place without resistance to the change, which was identified by Coch and French, 1948, as one of the challenges to change in an organisation. However, when the change started to yield good result, it was accepted, but not absolutely.
LEADERSHIP SUCCESSES
The leadership approaches currently employed in Samsco-Iyke Nig. LTD, gives room for the involvement of employees in such issues as decision making, setting of strategies and how they should be implemented. The organisational goals and mission has been established in a way it has never been accomplished before, problems are now solved through innovative and creative means (Collins, 2001), while growth and development of members of the company has been encouraging. The leadership approach has also enhanced the interpersonal relationship in the company by creating an environment that develops autonomy, commitment, understanding, respect and self-control (von Krogh et al., 2000, Marchetti and Kozar, 2007) It has further enhanced the company's competitive advantage and its performance across the value chain (Danskin et al., 2005).
Because of the cordial relationship with the employees, their problems in most cases are easily identified and solved (Graen, 1976). The effect is that they in return want to help the organisation meet its objective and goals. The company now has happy employees who are devoted to what they do and enjoy the career with the company (Marcketti et al., 2006). In addition, because the leadership has placed responsibility on majority of its employees, the company, in a short period, has become broader and stronger. This is because the organisation is no longer built around one individual, but around a group of people (Horner, 1997). There has also been a shift from the more traditional hierarchical structure to a team based structure (Horner, 1997), which has placed more ownership and responsibility on all members of the company.
The writer has also improved on his strength, which includes purposefulness, integrity, self-control, openness, self-belief, and believe in shared leadership.
LEADERSHIP CONCERNS
The write has been considered as a vulnerable person, as a result of his leadership approaches. Display of vulnerability by a leader in some culture, can have a motivational effect on the subordinates (Cranwell-Ward et al., 2002). Contrary, vulnerability is seen as a sign of weakness in the writer's culture as well as the organisation. In addition, too much of trust has been given to the employees because of the writer's believe that employee needs to perceive trust before they give their very best. However, this trust have been betrayed at one time or another.
MEANS OF ADDRESSING
Considering the fact that the current leadership approach being used has been yielding tremendous results, there is no intention to discontinue its application in the organisation. However, the writer intend establishing a little form of command where his leniency has been taken for weakness. This may be necessary in order to establish absolute control and not give room for rebel by any employee.
