JOSHUA M. RANGCAPAN
Divine Word College of Laoag
Abstract
This
paper seeks to study the effect of Power Tripping and its negative
outcome in the delivery of quality service to its stakeholders within the
concept of School-Based Management in Public Schools in the Philippines. School
Administrators are vested with authority, accountability, and responsibility
for ensuring access, promoting equality, and improving the quality of basic
education. An ethical challenge arises when School Administrators misuses their
authority for personal gain and interest. This could deter the actualization of
the objectives of the organization, hence, causing failure to achieve the
overall vision and mission. In spite of this, Transformational Leadership plays
a pivotal role for the reason that it emphasizes on inspiring and motivating employees
to perform in ways that create meaningful change.
Keywords: Leadership
and Governance, School-Based Management,
Accountability, Transformational Leadership
Introduction
In any organization, leaders have so many responsibilities
and some of the workload needed to be delegated to others. Delegation is an
advanced Leadership Skills. In delegation, it is implied that one member has
been empowered by one’s leader to take responsibility in completing a certain
activity or task. The International
Institute for Management Development (2024) gave emphasis to delegation in
leadership promotes individual employee growth. It encourages them to be
confident in their abilities and
recognize their contribution to the organization. Employees will identify their
strengths and weaknesses and can craft an effective strategy to improve in
areas lacking. Harvard Business Review (2017) also stressed that in delegation,
leaders inspire employees’ commitment. People get excited about what’s
possible, but they commit only when they understand their role in making it
happen.
In relation to this, Republic Act No. 9155 known as Governance
of Basic Education Act of 2001, School Administrators were provided the
mandate for decentralized system of school management. In public schools,
School Administrators is composed of a School Head and one or more
Administrative Officers. This allowed them the freedom to manage administrative
and instructional supervision of their respective designated school(s).
Being an Administrative Officer, I consider the act of Power
Tripping to be morally not right and hinders School Administrators to be an
efficient and effective Leader. Power
tripping occurs when Schools Administrators misuse their authority e.g., delegate
task for their personal benefit and interest to Administrative Staffs and/or
Teachers. Abuse of power can be defined as any excessive exercise of a power by
an individual, it’s when that individual uses their capabilities outside the
usual scope of action or, in simpler terms, they exceed the limit of their
rights (De Silans, 2020).
The
Effects of Power Tripping to the Organization and Employees
The misuse or abuse of authority for personal gain and
interest committed by leaders have detrimental effect to the organization as
well as to the employee. Wejinya, O. O., &
Agwoje, S. E. (2023) pointed up that the quality of an organization's
leadership has a significant impact on its growth, productivity, and success.
An organization's bottom line might take a serious hit if its leadership makes
certain bad choices.
The following are the effects of Power Tripping to the
Organization as a whole and its impact to the individual employees:
a)
Mission,
Vision, Goals and Objectives of the Organization are not satisfied. A Mission statement is important for an
organization because it defines the business, products or services, and
customers, thereby defining the primary objective. Vision on the other hand,
focuses on its goals and aspirations, which describes how the future will look
if the organization achieves its mission. The vision and mission statements
define the purpose of the organization and instill a sense of belonging and
identity to the employees (OpenGrowth, n.d.).
A
Power Tripping Leader derails from the achievement of the organization’s
mission and vision because resources will be channeled to his personal gain and
interest.
b)
Poor
Reputation. Leaders who
misuses their authority can severely harm an organization’s reputation. When
employees are unhappy and have lost trust in the leadership, they are more
likely to speak negatively about the organization. Whether it is communicated
internally within the organization or externally, both can have a damaging
impact on the organization’s image and brand. Additionally, there is a
possibility of attracting negative media attention which can further harm the
organization’s reputation.
c)
Increased
employee burnout, stress and anxiety. When
employees have to deal with critical behavior, it can lead to a lot of stress
and anxiety and negatively impacts their mental health. In addition, negative
leadership can result in a toxic work environment, which can make it difficult
for employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
d)
Diminished
Employee Morale. One of
the most immediate impacts is a decrease in employee morale as well as overall
job satisfaction. Leaders who power trip often engage in behaviors such as
micromanagement and aggressive criticism which can be both demoralizing and
damaging to an employee’s self-esteem and confidence which in turn directly
impacts their work performance. Employees will not go above and above if they
have no loyalty to the organization they work for. This might hinder the
organization's capacity to innovate and reach its objectives.
e)
Increased
Employee Turnover and Absenteeism. Leadership
that misuse/abuse their authority can also contribute to high employee turnover
rates. When employees have lost confidence in the leadership and are unhappy
with their working environment, they are likely to look for other job
opportunities or even avoid work altogether.
The
Pivotal Role of Transformational Leadership
The University of Massachusetts (n.d.) emphasized that
transformational leaders inspire employees in ways that go beyond exchanges and
rewards. This approach can increase a team’s intrinsic motivation by expressing
the value and purpose behind the organization’s goals.
The
following are the components of transformational leadership:
a)
Individualized
consideration. Transformational
leaders listen to employees’ concerns and needs so they can provide adequate
support. They operate from the understanding that what motivates one person may
not motivate someone else. As a result, they’re able to adapt their management
styles to accommodate various individuals on their team.
b)
Inspirational
motivation. Transformational
leaders are able to articulate a unified vision that encourages team members to
exceed expectations. They understand that the most motivated employees are the
ones who have a strong sense of purpose. These leaders are not afraid to challenge
employees. They remain optimistic about future goals and are skilled at giving
meaning to the tasks at hand.
c)
Idealized
influence.
Transformational leaders model ethical behavior. Their moral conduct earns a
necessary level of respect and trust. This can help leaders steer
decision-making that works to improve the entire organization.
d)
Intellectual
stimulation. Transformational
leaders regularly challenge assumptions, take risks and solicit team members'
input and ideas. They don't fear failure, and instead foster an environment
where it's safe to have conversations, be creative and voice diverse
perspectives. This empowers employees to ask questions, practice a greater
level of autonomy and ultimately determine more effective ways to execute their
tasks.
The
following are traits of successful transformational leaders:
a)
Good
transformational leaders practice self-awareness. Transformational leaders thrive on
personal growth and know their strengths and weaknesses. They often take time
to reflect and set daily or weekly goals. These leaders believe everyone,
including themselves, should be continually learning and improving.
b)
They remain open-minded. Remaining open to new ideas and fresh
perspectives is an important aspect of transformational leadership. Rather than
jumping to conclusions, these leaders regularly gather feedback and ideas from
a range of sources before making strategic decisions.
c)
The best transformational leaders are
adaptable and innovative. Good
transformational leaders understand changing business dynamics and
are always finding innovative ways to stay ahead of the curve. They’re unafraid
to alter traditional approaches that have worked in the past as they look
toward the future.
d)
Good transformational leaders are
proactive. Leaders cannot simply
sit around and wait for change to happen. Rather, they make proactive decisions
and bold choices that can set the tone for others to follow.
e) They lead with humility. Finally, transformational leaders take little issue with admitting they don’t have all the answers. While they can remain confident in their goals and abilities, they’re also able to keep their egos in check and do what’s right for their team or organization.
Conclusion
Misuse
of authority exhibits far-reaching consequences on an organization's
productivity. Bad management have a detrimental influence on employee
attitudes, output, and commitment to the organization. The cumulative
consequence of these issues is lower output and higher turnover.
The presence of ethical leadership, training and development
programs, promotion of ethical behavior, employee involvement, clear standards
of behavior, acknowledgment for good performance, and possibilities for growth
all contribute to a productive workplace. Incorporating this may boost morale,
teamwork, and decision-making effectiveness in the organization.
Trust, open communication, and mutual regard among workers
are the strongest defense against incompetent management. If leaders want to
gain followers' trust, they must be made to answer for their deeds. Providing
employees with opportunities for growth and development may enhance morale and
mitigate the effects of incompetent management. Weak leadership has systemic
consequences, which necessitate a systemic approach to coping with them.
A transformational leadership style inspires employees to
strive beyond required expectations to work toward a shared vision. Learning to
balance these can help leaders reach their full potential. In order to build
and maintain a performance-driven culture, it is crucial to set and monitor
specific performance targets, as well as provide regular feedback on success.
References
Department
of Education. (2012). DepEd Order No. 83, s. 2012. Implementing Guidelines
on the Revised School-Based Management (SBM) Framework, Assessment Process and
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Department
of Education. (2015). DepEd Order No. 44, s. 2015. Guidelines on the Enhance
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Silans, C. (2020). Power tripping: what to do when someone misuses their
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