Is Management More Important Than Leadership in Today's Raaf
AN ESSAY ON
THE QUESTION IS MANAGEMENT MORE IMPORTANT THAN LEADERSHIP IN TODAY 'S RAAF? ' by Flight Lieutenant P.J. Noake, BA
It is the responsibility of the commander and the officers in the unit to provide the overall direction and to facilitate the motivation needed to move subordinates and peers in the organisation to the accomplishment of the mission. Colonel Mark Chapin, USAF.1
INTRODUCTION
1. In the pursuit of their objectives, all organisations rely on the efficiency and effectiveness of several kinds of resources. Some organisations emphasise their financial resources, others rely on the sophistication and might of their hardware and technology, while others depend heavily on the quality of their workforce and employees.2 The RAAF relies on a balance of all of its resources in order to meet its mission, but arguably, the most important resource of the RAAF is its people. People design, operate and repair technology, control and manage the financial resources, and manage other people in the organisation.3
2. Many texts have been published over the years dealing with the theory and application of human resource management, organisational behavior and leadership. Texts deal with such topics as motivation and morale, and a common area of debate concerns the relative importance of management and leadership in optimising the effectiveness and efficiency of an organisation 's human resources. In his article Back to Basics ', and in a subsequent Chief of Air Force 's Message to Commanders, Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Errol McCormack outlined some of the important things he intended to achieve for the members of the Air Force. In Back to Basics ', he wrote:
To conduct effective air operations we need well trained and motivated people with skills in all areas that support operations.4
3. In the message to commanders, AM McCormack wrote:
I view morale as the cornerstone of success for the achievement of our mission5 and
Our vision to be a
THE QUESTION IS MANAGEMENT MORE IMPORTANT THAN LEADERSHIP IN TODAY 'S RAAF? ' by Flight Lieutenant P.J. Noake, BA
It is the responsibility of the commander and the officers in the unit to provide the overall direction and to facilitate the motivation needed to move subordinates and peers in the organisation to the accomplishment of the mission. Colonel Mark Chapin, USAF.1
INTRODUCTION
1. In the pursuit of their objectives, all organisations rely on the efficiency and effectiveness of several kinds of resources. Some organisations emphasise their financial resources, others rely on the sophistication and might of their hardware and technology, while others depend heavily on the quality of their workforce and employees.2 The RAAF relies on a balance of all of its resources in order to meet its mission, but arguably, the most important resource of the RAAF is its people. People design, operate and repair technology, control and manage the financial resources, and manage other people in the organisation.3
2. Many texts have been published over the years dealing with the theory and application of human resource management, organisational behavior and leadership. Texts deal with such topics as motivation and morale, and a common area of debate concerns the relative importance of management and leadership in optimising the effectiveness and efficiency of an organisation 's human resources. In his article Back to Basics ', and in a subsequent Chief of Air Force 's Message to Commanders, Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Errol McCormack outlined some of the important things he intended to achieve for the members of the Air Force. In Back to Basics ', he wrote:
To conduct effective air operations we need well trained and motivated people with skills in all areas that support operations.4
3. In the message to commanders, AM McCormack wrote:
I view morale as the cornerstone of success for the achievement of our mission5 and
Our vision to be a
Bibliography: Chapin, Colonel M. 1999, Air Force Officers and Leadership, downloaded from internet 8 Nov 99. URL: http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Bunker/6513/cpjan1999.htm Chapin, Colonel M. 1999, Understanding Military Leadership, downloaded from internet 8 Nov 99. Farr, Dr J.N. 1997, Leadership Vs. Management: Do You Know the Difference?, downloaded from internet 7 Nov 99. McCormack, Air Marshal E.J. 1999, ‘Back to Basics ', An important message to all the Air Force team from the Chief of Air Force, in Air Force News, Volume 41, No. 11, Canberra, February 1999. McCormack, Air Marshal E.J. 1999, ‘Back to Basics ', Chief of Air Force 's Message to Commanders, Global email to Commanders on RAAFNET, February 1999. Nankervis, A.R. Compton, R.L. & McCarthy, T.E. 1999, Strategic Human Resource Management, 3rd edn, Nelson ITP, Melbourne. Robbins, S.P. Bergman, R. & Stagg, I. 1997, Management, Prentice Hall of Australia, Sydney. Rogers, Air Vice Marshal D.N. 1996, ‘Managing the RAAF Beyond 2000 ', New Era Security: The RAAF in the Next 25 Years, downloaded from internet 6 Nov 99.