Impacts of Female Managers’ Leadership on Teamwork and Organisational Performance in Food Service Industries in Ghana ()
1. Introduction
The expansion of the social economy has sped up the shift to the information era, changed corporate cultures, and raised the proportion of highly educated women. In particular, women are more likely than males to participate in the labor force, and soon, they will be able to collaborate with men and compete with them. Due to the increasing proportion of women in the workforce and the progress of female leadership, there is a demand for more women to serve as managers in the twenty-first century ( Lin, Yang, & Zheng, 2014 ). Women’s efforts are important, but so are the communities and businesses that need fresh recipes and female perspectives. Female managers can develop unique management philosophies in corporate management according to the particular personality traits that distinguish females. Female organizations have also evolved into a significant influence in social development. As a result, concerns involving female employees are given priority. Additional thought should be given to the essential skills, leadership qualities, and efficacy of the increasing number of female leaders during the era of gender equality. Leadership is evolving in the knowledge worker age of the twenty-first century, where more women are working. Because to rising educational levels and increased awareness of female independence, women may now compete in the labor market. As a result of modifications in social order and structural changes, Ghanaian societies move away from conventional manufacturing and toward hi-tech, the information industry, and the food service sector. In the catering industry, women make up the majority of managers, experts, and technical employees who work in regular or contract positions. Due to the different demands on human resources, there are now much more working opportunities for women than were available in the past. For an organization to expand sustainably in a variety of communities and environments that are rapidly changing, an individual or a group has to be aware of the trends and know how to react appropriately. When an organization is exposed to abrupt and swift changes in its surrounding networks, a variety of internal and external factors play a role in its administration’s performance. A “team” might provide a diversity of talent pairings, keep the company from having a large number of individuals who do not participate in organizational activities, give back to the community, and generate strong organizational performance within a given time period. While workplaces move toward job specialization, many initiatives are completed with the help of the collective strength. Teamwork is demonstrated through establishing harmonious connections, appreciating the ideas and contributions of others, working actively to accomplish team goals, and actively exchanging information with team members who are experiencing difficulties. Because of this, collaboration is seen by up to 90% of firms as the most important core ability of employees. Teamwork is listed as one of the top three important abilities in both the services and technology industries ( Belinskaja & Paulien, 2014 ).
2. Literature Review
2.1. Leadership
An organization’s leadership is crucial. Effective leadership may impact how effectively an organization operates, yet it is not the sole one ( Farzin et al., 2012 ). While it cannot be easily developed or changed, leadership is the exhibition of a leader’s actions and does show a leader’s traits ( Groves & LaRocca, 2011 ). A leader’s top priorities include establishing corporate directions, reaffirming the organisation’s objectives, assisting followers in understanding the goal, and inspiring people to pursue it. Judeh (2012) asserts that the interaction between a leader and their followers is leadership. In times of limited resources, advocacy and persuasion are used to foster consensus among participants so they may cooperate and have faith in one another in order to achieve certain objectives. According to Liu et al. (2013) , management is defined as directing someone’s or a group’s behavior toward a goal set by a specific organization through interpersonal contact activities ( Belinskaja & Paulien, 2014 ). The differences between an a leader and a manager may be noticed on the models of supporting and behavior and thinking according to Robbins and Judge (2011) , who define leadership as an influencing action. Therefore, a director would not automatically be a successful manager, although a manager would be a leader as leadership only connected to the process to persuade others into achieving the goals.
This study makes use of the five essential elements of leadership listed by Pinho et al (2014) . 1) Be a role model. Leaders must be authentic, present their actual selves, and integrate them with business principles and procedures in order to provide a good example for their followers. 2) Promote a shared vision. A leader must be able to inspire others, communicate a clear corporate vision, be knowledgeable of what the present will demand, and try to win over the organization’s workforce with the notion and prospect of a shared future. 3) Challenge the process. A leader actively seeks out opportunities, is prepared to take risks, and has an adventurous mindset in order to grow the business. Let others do the work. To achieve organizational goals cooperatively, a leader cultivates a culture of cooperation, completely empowers the followers, builds self-assurance and competence and creates a trusting atmosphere inside the business. 4) Encourage the spirit. Examples of this include setting clear guidelines for performance evaluation, accepting the unique contributions of subordinates, fostering the spirit of social groups, and publicly praising accomplishment.
2.2. Teamwork
Bowler et al. (2010) defined a team as two or more people who collaborate to achieve a common objective. A team should encourage member reliability and dedication to one another, as well as the achievement of overall goals, according to Ferreira and Armagan (2011) . A team, according to Hartnell et al. (2011) , is made up of a small group of people with complementing talents who have agreed upon a shared objective and the method by which they will perform out their obligations. Teamwork was described as the organization, engagement, purpose, collaboration, and information of a team, and cooperation was defined as collaborative efforts toward a common objective. Team members were able to achieve the needed performance and outcomes by cooperating as a team ( Kaufman, 2011 ). According to McShane and Von Glinow (2013) , it is essential to share information, satisfy all sides, and include the personal viewpoints of others in order to develop solution ideas that are profitable to both parties. In this case, collaboration meant that both parties depended on each other and had common interests, objectives, and beliefs. Peterson et al. (2012) claim that two individuals collaborate when they establish and maintain a relationship based on expectancy and cognition in order to work together toward a common objective. Cooperation, as described by Robbins and Judge (2014) , is when two or more individuals work together to achieve a goal in order to enhance results that are advantageous to each individual and the others. The polar opposite of collaboration was competition. The organization was able to display high competitiveness since competition functioned as an incentive to enhance teamwork among members and to incorporate individual capabilities into the aggregate cooperation of a team. Focusing on similar values and interests, encouraging social connection, and hoping to strengthen collaboration and increase the possibilities for cooperation by planning various rituals and ceremonies are among Yuki’s (2006) list of the elements of teamwork. In addition, the main objective was to raise the level of collaboration. In this study, the sympathy and sympathy, cooperation and collaboration and aid for cooperation characteristics from Shanker and Sayeed (2012) are applied.
2.3. Organizational Performance
Organizational performance, according to Dessler (2010) , is defined as a person’s contribution to the business survival in accomplishing its goals in addition to how they act to uphold their official responsibilities. According to Gary (2011) , employee effectiveness is the quantity and quality of tasks carried out by a person or organization, including those carried out by a management in their official capacity. Hinson and Abdulai (2011) addressed all three aspects of organizational performance: efficiency, profitability, and member satisfaction. Most national and international researchers agreed that a full definition of organizational success was the degree to which a company fulfills its objectives ( Kefela, 2012 ). However, according to the characteristics of the study, evaluating performance of the organization did seem to have certain principles and differences. Mohamed and Anisa (2012) incorporated organizational efficiency, business results, and financial success in their 2012 conceptualization of performance. In 2011, Valencia et al. presented balanced score cards (BSC), which included financial, customer, internal business processes, and growth and learning categories to quantify overall success. Trifan et al. (2012) proposed Job Performance, Organizational Goal, and Job Satisfaction as the measuring factors of Performance Of the organization.
3. Design of Research Methods
The research methods emphasize on the various techniques used to conduct the study. The study used quantitative method to analyse the data. The used of descriptive statistics helped in performing analysis of the key variables in the study. Also, the study used simple sampling technique to sample the data. The study took place at Anita Hotel in Kumasi, Ghana. The respondents who took part in the study were the staff of Anita Hotel which comprised of the top level management, middle level management and the lower level management. The researcher adopted 650 questionnaires but 73% retrieval rate was achieved out of the total questionnaire distributed to the respondents, which led to 477 legitimate copies. The formation mechanisms of the variables of the study comprised of leadership, teamwork and organizational performance.
3.1. Operational Definition of Variable and the Measurement
Aspects of leadership include setting an example, sparking a shared vision, upending the status quo, motivating followers to take action, and stirring the soul. The scale is described by Pinho et al (2014) . The overall reliability coefficients are 0.82, 0.80, 0.88, 0.90, and 0.83, respectively, for modeling the route, igniting a shared vision, pushing the process, empowering others to act, and encouraging the heart. Shanker and Sayeed (2012) are mentioned on the scale of teamwork. The overall dependability ratings for interaction and cooperation help and care, and assistance were 0.85, 0.81, and 0.89, respectively. Job happiness, organizational aim, and job performance are the components of organizational performance, according to Trifan et al. (2012) . According to the overall dependability coefficients, organizational aim is 0.78, work performance is 0.87, and job satisfaction is 0.91.
3.2. Reliability and Validity Analyses
The good dependability of the research dimensions is shown by their reliability of up to 0.7. Table 1 displays the positive convergent validation and construct validity as determined by Confirmatory Factor Analysis.
4. Analysis Result
Correlation Analysis
A remarkable correlation between organizational performance, leadership, and cooperation can be shown in Table 2. The result illustrates the possibility of multicollinearity. Niehoff and Moorman (1993) suggested nested model analysis as a possible strategy in 1993. Additionally demonstrating that the data supports the research hypothesis are significant relationships among the parameters.
Note: *Stands for p < 0.05, **Stands for p < 0.01.
5. Conclusion
The results of the study show that cooperation, leadership, and organizational success are closely related. Along with the effects of female managers’ management on collaboration cognition and perception in the catering industry, the effect of teamwork on organizational performance is also looked at. The study’s conclusions could act as a manual for future academics and management in the catering industry. Human resources are essential in the catering sector. The ideal organizational aim will presumably be accomplished when great personnel have been hired, and excellence will be maintained. In environments of fierce rivalry, employee behaviors are essential to an organization’s organizational effectiveness and competitive advantages. The support of other group members for mature and stable organization goals could particularly help to shape the culture of the organization and high levels when group members encounter frustration and a sticking point in the sophistication of their tasks or in their human relationship. Women in leadership positions in the catering industry should be clear about their beliefs and goals in order to encourage staff members to uphold them, build a feeling of cooperation, appeal to a common vision, and work together to accomplish their objectives. In order to improve their self-worth and inspire them to work hard for the success of the firm, employees are also encouraged to express their opinions and ideas, voice their complaints about the workplace, and get public acknowledgment.
6. Suggestion
From the research results and findings, practical suggestions are further proposed.
1) A key component of human resources planning has been the choice of potential personnel. The future performance of a company or organization might be improved by selecting the proper personnel. When the leader is actively carrying out the position, great leadership motivation is there. Female leaders without great leadership excitement might passively accept the position or act on the part with particular stimulation. A strong desire to “do things well” is a sign of strong leadership drive. In this situation, female leaders with strong leadership drive would aggressively chase opportunities, whereas those without such a desire would wait for contextual or social cues. The idea that selecting people with motivation and attributes is important is implicitly, uncomfortably molded into self-concept, personality traits, and motivation (i.e., attitudes).
2) Companies that offer food services could put a lot of focus on educating female executives to become effective leaders. Additionally, resources might be made available to promote the desire of female leaders to continue their education and assist them in acquiring the information they want. To assist female leaders in the catering industry in advancing their professional capabilities and developing their competence, approaches to development could be established in colleges, such as those focused on the sector, round table executive coaching, interaction coordination mentoring, and promotion schooling.
3) In order to become stronger, female leaders must always move forward and put in effort. Making an attempt is a part of lifelong learning. Employees might be successfully motivated to perform their duties by a manager who can actively search out issues and try to address them as well as one who can carefully make judgments depending on the situation at hand. Given the importance of job engagement, female leaders in the catering industry are advised to show a genuine interest in the workforce, change employees’ attitudes and behaviors through leadership and management, establish unity and exchange of information for personal relations and knowledge environments, boost employee trust, and use various forms of encouraging words to motivate workers at work.