Introduction
Emotional trauma represents the damage to the psyche following a greatly distressing or terrifying occurrence and might lead to problems in coping or operating normally after the incident. Emotional trauma affects the brain and could be caused by the psychological reaction to distressful events such as natural calamities or rape. After a traumatic experience, denial and stupor are common.
Long-term reactions include erratic feelings, reminiscence, physical effects such as prolonged headache and restlessness, and broken relationships. Although some of the sentiments may appear normal for some time, when prolonged, most of the victims find it challenging to proceed with their ordinary lives. Psychologists and counselors have a fundamental role to play in establishing positive ways of dealing with emotional trauma affecting the brain.
Neurobiology and Emotional Trauma
The signs and symptoms of emotional trauma seem to reflect a constant, anomalous variation of neurobiological systems to the strain of experienced traumatic occurrences. The neurobiological systems which regulate stress management encompass some neurotransmitter and endocrine tracts in addition to a meshwork of parts of the brain that are identified to control the occurrence of fear at both conscious and unconscious phases.
It is not surprising that most of the current studies have centered on the exploration of such systems in depth, in addition to trying to explain the pathological transformations that occur in people who experience emotional trauma (Arnsten, Raskind, Taylor, & Connor, 2015). In particular, there have been and still are continued endeavors to connect neurobiological variations witnessed in people experiencing emotional trauma to the particular medical aspects that result in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They encompass altered learning, intensified provocation, and sporadic dissociative conduct as instances pertinent to the main domains.
Attempts to establish neurobiological markers for emotional trauma originally presumed that abnormalities were developed “downstream” from experience, as an effect of the traumatic event. Nonetheless, it could be that some abnormalities in the people experiencing emotional trauma just signify preexisting or “upstream” health problem, which is functionally inactive till recognized by the exposure of emotional trauma comprising of genetic vulnerability and discovered afterward upon investigation. On the same note, recent concerns have centered on facets that appear to alter outcome disparity in neurobiological systems after traumatic experiences (Burke, Finn, McGuire, & Roche, 2017).
The aspects encompass earlier trauma, female gender, the early developmental phase at the period of traumatic experience, and physical harm (which includes traumatic brain injury) in the course of emotional trauma. Such factors possibly result in susceptibility to, vs. resilience against, developing the posttraumatic stress disorder.
Any scars emanating from physical injury in the course of the traumatic event heal but the resultant emotional wound lives within the victims until they are addressed effectively. For instance, some victims fear to go near other people or to develop new affiliations. Change frightens such victims, and they stay forever shy of articulating their needs and desires to realize their resourceful potential (Grupe, Wielgosz, Davidson, & Nitschke, 2016). It might not at all times be evident, but emotional trauma stifles the vitality out of the victims. Telling the victims to overcome it does not help them because emotional trauma essentially modifies the structure of the brain and changes its functionalities.
Emotional trauma results in psychological torture of the victims. The recollections of the occurrence keeps recurring, and the victims usually get striking flashbacks. Traumatized and panicky, the victims are almost all the time on the periphery, and the least of signals drives them back into their protective cocoons (Krishnan, 2014). Normally, victims attempt to avoid other individuals, places, circumstances, and objects that make them recall the experiences of hurtful events; such conduct is debilitating and bars them from having a meaningful life. Most of the victims attempt to forget the details of the traumatic event, presumptively in an effort of reducing the effect.
However, such coping strategies have negative repercussions too because, without an effective means of making the victims accept and settle with the status quo, there can never be lasting peace and solution.
Comprehensive neuroimaging research on the brain of patients with emotional trauma demonstrates that numerous regions vary structurally and in their operation from the ones of healthy people. Particularly, the amygdala, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and the hippocampus have a great task of eliciting the characteristic symptoms of emotional trauma (Liberzon & Abelson, 2016). These parts of the brain jointly influence the stress reaction approach in human beings to the extent that the victims, even many days after the traumatic event, continue to perceive and react to stress differently when judged against other people not experiencing the after-effects of trauma.
The most noteworthy neurological effect of emotional trauma is evident in the hippocampus. Emotional trauma has been found to result in a significant decrease in the hippocampus’ volume. This part of the brain deals with memory functions and assists people to register fresh memories to later regain them in reaction to particular and related environment stimuli. Moreover, it enables people to differentiate between current and past memories. Due to the lessened hippocampal volume, the people experiencing emotional trauma lose the capacity to distinguish past occurrences from the present ones or suitably interpreting environmental perspectives. The specific neural approaches entailed prompt excessive stress reaction when faced with environmental conditions that just slightly look like something from the disturbing past (Mandelli, Petrelli, & Serretti, 2015).
For instance, victims of sexual assault might be horrified of parking areas because they were at one time raped in a comparable place. Another example is of war veterans who find trouble watching violent films since they make them remember their trench days. In such instances, the victims’ hippocampi fail to minimize the disturbance of past memories successfully.
Life-threatening emotional trauma results in lasting variations in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex part of the brain, which is accountable for the regulation of emotional reactions elicited by the amygdala. In particular, this part controls negative sentiments, for instance, fear, which arises when a person is facing a given stimulus. The people experiencing emotional trauma have a considerable reduction in the level of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and the operational capability of this part (Samuelson, Bartel, Valadez, & Jordan, 2017). This explains why victims of emotional trauma have a tendency of exhibiting fear, anxiety, and excessive stress reactions even when encountering stimuli not related, or just slightly associated with past events.
Emotional trauma seems to boost activities in the amygdala, the part of the brain that is responsible for the processing of emotions and that is connected to fear reactions. The people experiencing emotional trauma show hyperactivity in response to stimuli that are in a way related to the traumatic occurrence (Felmingham, 2017).
This could bring about excessive stress, anxiety, and dread when they come across photos of or are given accounts of other trauma victims whose encounters resemble theirs and when they hear sounds or conversations associated with their traumatic events. What is fascinating is that the amygdala in the victims of emotional trauma might be extremely hyperactive to the point that such individuals portray distress and fear even when they are faced with stimuli not linked to the particular trauma, for example, whenever they find pictures of people showing signs of fear.
The Source of Neurobiological Abnormalities in Emotional Trauma
Many research studies have focused on the basic issue as to whether the neurobiological variations recognized in people with emotional trauma characterize indicators of the neural threat to the development of posttraumatic stress disorder upon being exposed to excessive stress rather than problems emanating from traumatic experiences. One instance is the occurrence of low Cortisol intensity at the emergence of trauma, which foretells consequent incidence of PTSD (Sinclair, Wallston, & Strachan, 2016).
In this regard, low rates of Cortisol may be a preexisting risk aspect that stimulates the development of emotional trauma. Reduced levels may disinhibit corticotropin-releasing hormone/norepinephrine pathways hence encouraging unconstrained autonomic and neuroendocrine reactions to stress, in addition to increased dread conditioning and traumatic memory integration. In the same way, the decreased volume of the hippocampus in emotional trauma has been an unsettled issue for a long time. There have been arguments as to whether the shrinkage of the hippocampus emanates from traumatic experiences or if it may be generally small in such people even before the incidence of trauma.
Research based on twin discordant for traumatic experiences have offered an approach to addressing the issue of the size of the hippocampus in the victims of emotional trauma although devoid of comprehensive resolution. Many studies in this field have been directed towards identical twins, encompassing Vietnam Veteran soldiers who were supposed to deal with trauma alongside their twins who did not work in Vietnam and the measurement of the volume of the hippocampus in every participant. As anticipated, amid Vietnam Veteran soldiers, the hippocampal volume was lesser in the ones diagnosed with emotional trauma when judged against those who did not have the condition (Felmingham, 2017).
Nevertheless, this part of the brain has been established to have an excessively low volume in twins, who do not experience emotional trauma, in spite of being exposed to trauma or diagnosis. Such outcomes imply that low hippocampal volume may be a preexisting, possibly genetic, neurodevelopmental, and almost surely a multifactorial susceptibility aspect that predisposes to the advancement of emotional trauma (and possibly other disorders associated with stress). Recent research from similar studies demonstrates that gray substance loss in the anterior cingulate cortex appears in contrast to be an acquired aspect. Further research is required to establish the timing and etiology of other major neurobiological factors of emotional trauma.
The Impact of Traumatic Experiences
The rising rates of people who continue to develop mental problems or death emanating from emotional trauma show that traumatic events are highly widespread. Such events encompass refugees fleeing in search of safety, occurrences of severe family violence, sexual abuse, and brutal killing of a loved one to mention a few (Felmingham, 2017). If not urgently addressed, emotional trauma could go a long way to distressing the integration of the victim’s system, emotions, and psychological and physical aspects (brain and body functions).
Moreover, emotional trauma might have effects on people’s spiritual and interpersonal welfare. Some impacts of psychological and physical effects of emotional trauma encompass the inducement of stress-associated hormone and neurobiological activity with influence on cognitive, behavioral, and mental coping.
Though occurrences of emotional trauma have neurobiological effects at every age, they are especially harmful to children since they can influence the progress of their growth and development negatively. The brain functions are enhanced in the course of growth through genetic stances and experiences in life (Sinclair et al., 2016). As emotional trauma brings about sensitization in people’s brains, it at times affects the operating ability over and above growth and development.
Moreover, it has also been established that children who have encountered emotional trauma for long have a poorer academic performance and are easily scared when judged against their other counterparts. In this regard, even in situations where the children are not encountering emotional trauma anymore, the stress reaction capacity in their brains is persistently triggered.
Owing to the reality that the human brain has a fundamental role in a person’s daily life, its functioning may be easily adjusted and controlled with the resultant effect of motor hyperactivity, in addition to nervousness (Felmingham, 2017). Such circumstances are vividly illustrated in children who have suffered prolonged emotional trauma being easily sensitized, existing in a situation of extreme fear, distrusting other individuals (especially following experiences of sexual abuse), and overly responding to common stressing issues. A wide pool of studies affirms that changes in the brain function may sway the effects of emotional trauma through influencing the cognitive synthesis that controls remembrance thus creating problems in the articulation of personal encounters in an expressible emotion.
Emotional trauma affects the fundamental presumptions of the importance of the life of the victim, the positive insight of self, and feelings toward other people (Sinclair et al., 2016). The majority of the reflections and ideas that could be provoked by emotional trauma encompass viewing the world to be an unlivable place, decreased sense of worth, perceiving God to be unfair, and loss of confidence to mention a few. Other negative perceptions in the victims of emotional trauma include lack of self-respect, the existence of self-blame (finding as though they are guilty and deserved such maltreatment or punishment), loss of memory, and problems in handling the traumatic experience logically.
Coping With the Effects of Emotional Trauma
Effective interventions for the emotional trauma emanating from such experiences as sexual assault and sexual abuse affect the victim, parents (especially in cases where the victims are children), and at times the culprits if they are brought to book with the aim of thwarting future negative occurrences. On this note, both the perpetrator and victim of such vices as sexual abuse and sexual assault ought to go through counseling aimed at inculcating insights on the most excellent manner of managing their frustrations, animosity, insatiable craving, and psychological health problems. In situations where the perpetrators are alcoholics, the therapy offered ought to focus on assisting them to stop the consumption of alcohol (Brewer-Smyth & Koenig, 2014).
In severe occurrences, for example, the death of the victim subsequent to sexual assault, sexual abuse, or other forms of crime, imprisonment, and other strict legal measures ought to be put into effect alongside counseling.
It is useful for the counselor or psychologist to inquire about the incidences of sexual abuse or sexual assault from the victim. However, such conversations with the victim could draw negative recollections, and the therapist should be concerned that such memories could result in the victim engaging in such behaviors as alcohol consumption in an effort of forgetting the awful experiences. Nevertheless, to ensure success in counseling, the therapist must get as many details as possible in order to devise an effective approach to therapy (Sinclair et al., 2016). The therapist has to mull over both the present and past incidences and issues behind the emotional trauma, for example, sexual assault or sexual abuse.
Constructive spiritual coping methods encompass seeking solace from the Bible to make sure that the victims establish a strong relationship with God via practices such as prayer and forgiveness. Understanding the unconditional love and pardon of God and godly people could offer spiritual support that will assist the survivors/victims realize quick recovery and relinquish fury and bitterness. Such an approach will also enable the perpetrator to steer clear of wickedness and center on God for forgiveness (Brewer-Smyth & Koenig, 2014).
Consequently, the Bible does not just center on the victims but the criminals as well hence creating a comprehensive remedy to the problem. On this note, spirituality enhances pastoral counseling for the benefit of both the victim and the perpetrator by the elimination of fear, emotional trauma, and guilt through biblical assurances of the unfailing love of the creator. Pastoral counseling offers reprieve and hope, which eliminate the chance of helplessness following emotional trauma and remembrance of the occurrences that arose. Getting the sense of living through pastoral counseling provides strength beyond oneself and may lead to the development of optimism.
Positive coping methods in Christianity instilled through pastoral counseling by offering lessons on the significance of praying, reading the Bible, and the encouragement given by other believers apply spirituality and the power of God in dealing with emotional trauma. Such approaches create divine strength and develop sufficient coping practices to overcome the sense of weakness, susceptibility, and guilt effectively.
Conclusion
Emotional trauma denotes the psychological response to a dreadful incidence such as a natural disaster, adversity, or sexual abuse. The occurrence of emotional trauma hurts the fundamental suppositions of the insinuation of existence in the victims, the optimistic perception of the self, and the perspective of others. Most perpetrators of sexual abuse and sexual assault are male and normally the ones whom the victim knows. While suffering emotional trauma, the victims may sometimes seek safety and refuge from God, parents, and other people in whom they can confide, mainly pastors. If the sought refuge and support is not forthcoming, the victims of emotional trauma may start feeling devastated.
Spiritual aspects offer vital elements for deliberation regarding one’s experiences, practices, and beliefs. Learning of the unconditional love and forgiveness of God could offer spiritual support to assist both the victim and the perpetrator in recovering, avoiding criminal activities, and turning down wrath and resentment. Successful coping mechanisms could be offered in pastoral counseling through teaching the victim and the perpetrator the importance of praying, studying the Bible, and support from other believers, which employ spirituality and the power of God in addressing emotional trauma.
References
Arnsten, A. F., Raskind, M. A., Taylor, F. B., & Connor, D. F. (2015). The effects of stress exposure on prefrontal cortex: Translating basic research into successful treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder. Neurobiology of Stress, 1, 89-99.
Brewer-Smyth, K., & Koenig, H. G. (2014). Could spirituality and religion promote stress resilience in survivors of childhood trauma? Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 35(4), 251-256.
Burke, N. N., Finn, D. P., McGuire, B. E., & Roche, M. (2017). Psychological stress in early life as a predisposing factor for the development of chronic pain: Clinical and preclinical evidence and neurobiological mechanisms. Journal of Neuroscience Research, 95(6), 1257-1270.
Felmingham, K. L. (2017). The neurobiology of posttraumatic stress disorder: Recent advances and clinical implications. Australian Clinical Psychologist, 3(1), 31-46.
Grupe, D. W., Wielgosz, J., Davidson, R. J., & Nitschke, J. B. (2016). Neurobiological correlates of distinct post-traumatic stress disorder symptom profiles during threat anticipation in combat veterans. Psychological Medicine, 46(9), 1885-1895.
Krishnan, V. (2014). Defeating the fear: New insights into the neurobiology of stress susceptibility. Experimental Neurology, 261, 412-416.
Liberzon, I., & Abelson, J. L. (2016). Context processing and the neurobiology of post-traumatic stress disorder. Neuron, 92(1), 14-30.
Mandelli, L., Petrelli, C., & Serretti, A. (2015). The role of specific early trauma in adult depression: A meta-analysis of published literature. Childhood trauma and adult depression. European Psychiatry, 30(6), 665-680.
Samuelson, K. W., Bartel, A., Valadez, R., & Jordan, J. T. (2017). PTSD symptoms and perception of cognitive problems: The roles of posttraumatic cognitions and trauma coping self-efficacy. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 9(5), 537-540.
Sinclair, V. G., Wallston, K. A., & Strachan, E. (2016). Resilient coping moderates the effect of trauma exposure on depression. Research in Nursing & Health, 39(4), 244-252.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease In Evidence-Based Practice
Chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD) is a serious chronic condition among millions of Americans that is characterized by airflow blockage and various breathing-related problems. In the majority of cases, patients who are diagnosed with COPD have to be hospitalized in order to receive appropriate treatment and management of the disease (Overington et al., 2014). According to the Global Burden of Disease Study, COPD is the third leading cause of death worldwide (Welte, Vogelmeier, & Papi, 2015).
To avoid complications or predict its progression, a variety of interventions may be offered to the population. In this paper, COPD, its pathophysiology, and etiology will be discussed as a part of evidence-based practice (EBP) to understand better the effects of its alternative therapies such as acupuncture and herbal medicine.
Description of COPD
COPD is a condition that may threaten human life in a variety of ways. The pathophysiology of this disease begins with the damage of the airways and develops as a cough with or without mucus that prevents normal breathing. Emphysema (alveoli’s damage because of the fibers) and chronic bronchitis (bronchioles’ inflammation and associated mucus) are the two well-known phenotypes of COPD (Overington et al., 2014). The speed of chronic inflammation and the level of damage vary among COPD patients and are closely connected with human genetics and disease etiology.
The main causes of COPD as a chronic condition include tobacco smoking, occupational exposure to dust or some dangerous chemicals, and oxidative stress because of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. Lung tissue damage is easy to achieve when a person lives in a harmful environment. It is not enough to avoid danger, and people should be ready to protect their bodies and strengthen the immune system. People who neglect precautions and continue smoking or using drugs put themselves under threat of being undiagnosed at the early stage and suffer from more severe stages of COPD (Welte et al., 2015). Such signs as shortness of breath or chest pain are hardly recognizable as a part of COPD, and many people receive treatment at the later stage.
Treatment Options
To diagnose COPD, therapists usually use special lung function tests, chest X-ray, and CT scans. These practices help detect lung damage and check the ability of the lungs to hold air. As soon as COPD is approved, patients have to receive appropriate treatment and quit smoking. Pharmacological options are considered the main part of the first-line therapy for COPD patients. Bronchodilators are frequently supported as the main medication due to their ability to relax muscles and improve airways. Short-acting beta-agonists like albuterol, salmeterol, or formoterol have to be taken from 1-2 puffs to 8 puffs per day (Fan et al., 2016).
Regarding the results of EBP guidelines and pharmacotherapy, about 27% of patients reported the cases of overuse of this type of drugs (Fan et al., 2016). Antibiotics are recommended to 70% of patients with mild or moderate COPD (Welte et al., 2015). Finally, inhaled corticosteroids aim to reduce inflammation and control exacerbations among patients (Overington et al., 2014). These medications can be used for treating rather than preventing purposes.
Alternative Therapies’ Research
The global burden of COPD is one of the reasons for increased investigations and multiple analyses of current research studies. The authors from different countries offer a variety of new and alternative ways to deal with COPD. For example, in many Oriental countries, herbal products are frequently used as therapeutic agents for COPD patients (Liao, Hu, Chen, & Hung, 2017). Different formulas of herbs are offered by doctors.
In the study by Liao et al. (2017), a random sample choice was made to identify 26,448 patients among one million individuals with COPD. With the help of such exclusion criteria as missing data, patients’ age, and the year of the diagnosis, the participants were divided as follows: users of traditional Chinese medicine (n=9,948) and nonusers of traditional Chinese medicine (n=9,194) (Liao et al., 2017). For example, it was proved that some herbs like Dan Shen could be used to potentiate the anticoagulation effect of warfarin.
Chinese medicine also introduces acupuncture as one of the possible non-pharmacological techniques for COPD patients. Feng, Wang, Li, Zhao, and Xu (2016) suggested this method as a chance to reduce dyspnea that is observed in COPD patients. Seventy-two patients were randomly divided into 2 groups with one group really receiving needling 3 times during 8 weeks, and another group fictitiously receiving needling during the same time (Feng et al., 2016). Acupuncture was explained as an effective means to improve the health-related quality of COPD patient’s life.
Non-Pharmacological Treatment
Regarding the information gathered from research studies and the results demonstrated by the participants from different countries, alternative therapy in the form of herbal medicine and acupuncture may be offered to COPD patients. COPD is a chronic condition with which many people have to live (Welte et al., 2015). Pharmacological treatment cannot be neglected, and there is a chance to improve the quality of life with non-pharmacological approaches. As a nurse practitioner treating a patient with COPD, I would like to recommend acupuncture and herbal medicine. These approaches can hardly be harmful to adult patients. The results show that certain improvements are observed within the next few weeks. This approach is an opportunity to recover and influence COPD complications among different patients.
Lessons and Conclusion
Doing this paper, I got a chance to improve my knowledge about COPD and the complications that many people have because of tobacco smoking and the necessity to live in the harmful environment. Human progress has its effects on health, and COPD is one of the harms that change the style of life. Alternative interventions should never be chosen for granted. Deep research and evidence-based practice are required to make sure positive results may be achieved.
This work shows that alternative medicine like herbs or acupuncture has already been used by different nations. People of various occupations, ages, and both genders have their pros and cons to support alternative treatment. After the research conducted, I believe that alternative medicine is appropriate for COPD patients under certain conditions and thorough observations.
To conclude, it is necessary to admit that COPD is a dangerous chronic condition that is characterized by a number of signs and complications. The analysis of its pathophysiology and etiology proves that not many people are aware of effective preventive methods even though they know that COPD may kill. Treatment for COPD patients can vary, depending on people’s preferences, health conditions, and other issues. Alternative medicine is a chance to look at treatment from a new angle, and it is recommended not to neglect this step in modern medicine.
References
Fan, V. S., Gylys-Colwell, I., Locke, E., Sumino, K., Nguyen, H. Q., Thomas, R. M., & Magzamen, S. (2016). Overuse of short-acting beta-agonist bronchodilators in COPD during periods of clinical stability. Respiratory Medicine, 116, 100-106. Web.
Feng, J., Wang, X., Li, X., Zhao, D., & Xu, J. (2016). Acupuncture for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): A multicenter, randomized, sham-controlled trial. Medicine, 95(40). Web.
Liao, Y. N., Hu, W. L., Chen, H. J., & Hung, Y. C. (2017). The use of Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The American Journal of Chinese Medicine, 45(2), 225-238. Web.
Overington, J. D., Huang, Y. C., Abramson, M. J., Brown, J. L., Goddard, J. R., Bowman, R. V.,… Yang, I. A. (2014). Implementing clinical guidelines for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Barriers and solutions. Journal of Thoracic Disease, 6(11), 1586-1596. Web.
Welte, T., Vogelmeier, C., & Papi, A. (2015). COPD: Early diagnosis and treatment to slow disease progression. International Journal of Clinical Practice, 69(3), 336-349. Web.
Leader-Member Exchange Model And Its Effects
Unarguably, the contemporary business environment is extremely challenging due to the rapid changes in technology, consumer preferences, and other external factors. Multiple qualitative and quantitative studies emprise the need to use different models and styles for organizational leadership (OL), although most of the contemporary businesses use transformational and transactional methods. Leaders have to develop and adopt strategies that would help them foster an appropriate environment within their organizations to ensure success.
Article Analysis
Both business ventures and non-profit organizations depend on proper leadership in their work because it determines the efficiency and outcomes of daily tasks. The title of the article by Hassan and Hassan (2015) is appropriate for the focus of the study because it provides an understanding of the scope of research. The problem is clearly stated in the paper and is connected to a need for motivating employees in the changing business environment.
A theoretical rationale for the problem is based on the leader-member exchange model (LMX) according to which attitudes towards one’s job are affected by the unique relationship that each person has with his or her manager (Hassan & Hassan, 2015). It can be argued that the problem studied in this article is significant because companies depend on the productivity of their personnel.
The article in question contains a review of relevant literature. In general, Hassan and Hassan (2015) use studies that explain the theoretical implications of their argument. Thus, this section of the paper provides an explanation of prior research on LMX, which suggests that the significant leadership implications consist of communicating role expectations to subordinates and providing them with incentives, both material and intangible, that help ensure successful work.
For this research, the approach of the survey was chosen by the authors. Therefore, the questioner was created and distributed among the sample of 355 employees working in the manufacturing businesses (Hassan & Hassan, 2015). Additionally, Hassan developed a scale that contains 17 items to evaluate the results; thus, the approach is quantitative. The tools include Bentler and Chou’s formula for determining the reliability of findings, Janssen and Yperen’s questioners (Hassan & Hassan, 2015). The population was selected by choosing organizations from the Karachi Stock Exchange and selecting companies based on their size and sales.
The hypothesis of the paper is that LMX, together with perceived organizational support, empowering leadership, and organizational justice have an essential role in determining the efficiency of an organization’s work. The objective is to determine the exact effect of these factors on the success of a company by using data from a Pakistan manufacturing industry (Hassan & Hassan, 2015). Both the objective and hypothesis were stated clearly in the paper.
One source of error that could have affected the results of this study is the number of answers that are required to receive correct data. Hassan and Hassan (2015) used ratio method developed by Bentler and Chou that involves obtaining at least five responses per each parameter that is being studied. The statistical technique of regression analysis and mediation were used to analyze data, which is appropriate considering the implications.
The results of the study suggest that there is a significant connection between LMX and positive employee attitude and improves productivity. The results were presented clearly through several tables that illustrate that quantitative data and textual explanations of the findings. Hassan and Hassan (2015) state that the limitations include a connection to a particular time frame and model of analysis that uses one scale. The conclusions for the paper include the acknowledgment of the impact that leadership styles and approaches have on employees and their work, which is supported by the data that shows a connection between different components of leadership and perception of workers.
The researchers do not over generalize the findings because they make summaries findings and make recommendations for Pakistan manufacturing only. The results and conclusions of this study can be applied in my work because as a leader, I can use the results of this research, as well as its theoretical implications to create an efficient work environment.
Leadership in Organizations
Organizational leadership (OL) can be defined as an approach to managing a business or non-profit ventures that allows reaching specific goals and objectives by fulfilling daily tasks. Thus, leadership has a direct impact on the employees and specific models that the executives use can affect the outcomes of their work. The primary goal of any executive is to establish a proper environment within a company and an adequate relationship with employees, which will allow a business to operate successfully.
Implications of Leadership
Firstly, it is necessary to clearly define the role of a leader in a company and the impact he or she has on the work performed by employees. Pirouz (2017) states that executives “need to take tough decisions and act quickly,” which requires them to have superior knowledge of both their organizations and people working in it (para. 2). Thus, the primary implication of leadership is the trust that employees have that should be sufficient in order for them to follow the direction set by this executive.
Organizational leadership is achieved through proper management of internal processes that requires one to set strategic goals and develop plans for reaching them. Next, OL predefines the level of engagement that employees have within a firm. Research by Popli and Rizvi (2016) provides an understanding of the connection between strategies that executives apply and attitudes towards tasks that need to be performed. In general, this impacts the productivity of work and thus has a significant meaning for any organization.
Fostering creativity can be especially crucial for companies that operate in challenging environments and strive to achieve an advantage, which can be obtained through OL. Odoardi, Montani, Boudrias, and Battistelli (2015) state that companies “relied on employees’ innovative contributions to preserve or enhance competitiveness, effectiveness, and continuous improvement in uncertain and dynamic environments” (p. 545).
The primary aspects that affect the component in question are objectives of work, reward systems that a venture uses, exchange of information, and training practices. In addition, Odoardi et al. (2015) argue that a shared vision that a specific department or team have can significantly impact the process of work. Thus, it is the responsibility of leaders to analyze the components described above and formulate a strategy that would contribute to the success of a business.
Motivation and retention of employees is another aspect of proper leadership within a company. Shanafelt et al. (2015) conducted a study in which they evaluated the approaches to leadership and its impact on the burnout of employees. The objective was to determine whether executives can have a positive effect on their staff members and ensure that they are satisfied with their work. The findings of the research by Shanafelt et al. (2015) suggest that organizational leadership has an impact on the well-being of its workforce, which is a critical success factor. Companies that are unable to manage their human resources adequately cannot achieve full productivity.
Thus, they lose their competitive advantage as well as financial resources, when compared to their competitors that apply appropriate strategies. Based on these implications, it can be concluded that the concept of OL helps define goals that would align with the strategic planning of a company and development plans of people working for it.
Achieving OL
Proper leadership can help companies achieve sustainability and grow continuously. Niphadkar (2016) argues that it is impossible without an appropriate culture, which would encourage both managers and subordinates. The concept is based on the assumption that business ventures have developed specific social structures within them, in which people interact, exchange information, and perform tasks. According to Niphadkar (2016), it is “a pattern of shared basic assumptions that was learned by a group and it’s solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration” (p. 24). A leader of an organization has a significant impact on the culture; thus, he or she can shape it depending on the goals that need to be achieved.
One aspect of this is the concept of leader-member exchange (LMX). This model defines the specific relationship of an executive and his personnel, which predetermines the attitudes towards work and outcomes of it. From this perspective, it is the responsibility of executives to clearly define the roles of each individual, which will provide them with an understanding of expectations (Hassan & Hassan, 2015). It is evident that a leader should perform an assessment of skills and abilities to define the roles. Next, it is crucial to work on developing the capabilities of individuals that are a part of a particular company, in accordance with LMX (Hassan & Hassan, 2015). From the perspective of LMX, leaders are vital to organizations because they guide individuals and help them achieve their goals.
Additionally, different styles of leadership exist that help creates a specific structure and culture within a business. This can help an executive choose a model of behavior, depending on the external and internal environment of operations. For instance, a newly established company that hires employees without prior experience will benefit from supportive leadership that can guide people. However, in other cases, when individuals can work independently, such approach will restrict their creativity and lead to adverse outcomes.
Various Approaches to OL
Different styles of leadership exist and can be adopted by managers in different fields of work. Regardless of a specific approach, it is crucial such person to have a clear objective and understanding of the vision and values that exist in a particular setting. For instance, Odoardi et al. (2015) describe a participative framework, in which managers allow their subordinates to freely voice their opinion or vision of a specific task and support them in their work. Collaboration is the primary feature that enables the success of this method and ensures that personnel can enhance their creativity.
Another approach is transformational leadership, in which executives work together with their employees on achieving strategic objectives, which helps improve motivation and collaboration. Additionally, this model involves “setting an example at the executive level through a strong sense of corporate culture, employee ownership and independence in the workplace” (White, 2018). However, OL in this approach does not constrain employees, on the contrary, they are encouraged to be responsible for their assignments and goal achievement. Company culture, which was discussed in the previous paragraph is especially important for this concept.
González-Cruz, Botella-Carrubi, Martínez-Fuentes (2019), state that based on the regulatory focus approach one can argue each of the models described above would have a different impact on the organization and outcomes of its work. The concept is based on the assumption that individuals focus on various components of behavior and its interpretation. Thus, some styles of leadership may not have a significant impact on individuals due to the fact that they are not subjected to the effects of specific models. Thus, contextual factors, such as the personality of employees or external environment of an industry can affect the outcomes of work significantly.
Finally, it is necessary to acknowledge that OL determines the systems used by a company that helps track performance and measures strategic objectives. Nguyen, Mia, Winata, and Chong (2017) state that “leadership style can influence a firm’s strategic priorities and implementation of formal control systems” (p. 202). Therefore, an evaluation of decisions that a company makes should consider the leadership approach that is used because it predetermines the major factors described above.
Styles of Leadership
As was mentioned above, transformational leadership is widely applied by contemporary organizations because it results in better work performance, while, transactional style is also standard as it focuses on the relationship between executives and their employees. However, the theory of OL distinguishes other approaches as well. For instance, autocratic leadership is characterized by Niphadkar (2016) as the one in which managers present clear guidelines of work tasks to individuals and control their subordinates.
Unarguably, with this model, creativity, and ability to work independently is limited due to the nature of it and the decision-making process depends solely on the executives, without input from other members. This approach is the opposite of the participative style that was previously discussed because such leaders help their followers achieve goals.
The laissez-faire style is another concept that characterizes a leader as a person who does not participate in teamwork. Thus, the person receives no guidance in their work, which is the main downside of this style. Niphadkar (2016) states that in most cases this method is not practical because most individuals struggle with performing tasks without having clearly defined goals and objectives.
It should be noted that in companies with highly trained professionals that are experts in their fields this approach can be beneficial. Finally, situational leadership model is consistent with the research that was presented in this paper in regards to the impact of circumstances on the OL. From this perspective, individuals should choose a specific model based on the context of internal and external environments.
Conclusion
Overall, this paper provides an understanding of organizational leadership and its impact on the performance of companies. This concept has an effect on the performance of companies because through appropriate strategies executives can affect the productivity of the individuals and their motivation, as well as prevent burnout. A proper OL results in the development of a culture that enables sustainable growth. Additionally, in such environment roles are clearly defined, and individuals are able to improve their skills and knowledge, which contributes to operational outcomes.
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