The Correspondence in Styles of Leading and Following: Case Study of JG Summit’s Petrochemical Corporation

Abstract

Organizations are composed of people who have different duties and responsibilities but are bound to achieve a shared goal. These people are the leaders and followers of an organization who work hand in hand in order to fulfill a certain objective. Leadership cannot exist without followership and vice-versa because they are interdependent. A leader cannot be called a leader unless he/she has a legion of followers. Similarly, followers cannot be labeled as such without a leader. Moreover, the success of an organization lies upon these two, and most of the time, the burden lies even more on the followers since they compose the majority of the organization's population. Leaders and followers influence each other: hence this study explores the correspondence in the styles of leading and following in an organization. Trait, behavioral, situational, and cultural theories of leadership and followership were discussed in this study. It was evident from the discussion and comparison of leadership and followership, that there is a dearth of literature and studies on the latter and that more attention has been given to the former. In view of this situation, this research was intended to tread a new path, an avenue leading to the study of followership through the investigation of the pattern of correspondence of leadership and followership styles. Moreover, this research study resolved to determine how superiors and subordinates respond to each other's behaviors through the particular styles they exhibit. Identifying the leaders’ and followers’ styles would essentially show whether their corresponding styles help the organization achieve its purpose. This study also meant to verify whether the Western studies on leadership and followership styles were applicable in the Filipino organizational setting. The overall objective of this study was to identify the correspondence in the styles of leading and following of the members of JG Summit's Petrochemical Corporation (JGSPC) a Filipino organization. This research also aimed to determine the organizational nature of JGSPC through its history, mission, vision, goals, values, products, and organizational chart. In addition, this study was intended to identify the leadership styles practiced by its leaders based on their self-assessment and their respective subordinates’ general evaluation, and the followership styles practiced by its subordinates based on their self-assessment and their respective leaders’ evaluation. This study also meant to determine the overall leadership and followership styles of the leaders and subordinates. Lastly, this study also aimed to identify the leadership styles the leaders use in response to their subordinates’ followership styles, and the followership styles the subordinates use in response to their leaders’ style. To be able to gather all the data needed to accomplish the purpose of this study, the researcher employed exploratory survey. The study was conducted at the JG Summit's Petrochemical Corporation (JGSPC). The survey was done among 75 JGSPC employees, 14 of which were leaders, and 61 were followers. The respondents came from the Plant Operations, Supply Chain Management and Information Technology (SCM & IT), and Human Resource division. To be able to gather information regarding the organization's history, mission and vision, goals, values, products, and the organizational chart, an interview schedule for JGSPC's Vice President for SCM & IT was conducted. The researcher also conducted a survey by giving two sets of survey questionnaires to the respondents, one set for the leaders and another set for the followers. The leadership style questionnaire was adopted from the Manager Tendency Indicator Test (Hamilton 448-458). The sets of questions for the followership styles were borrowed from Robert Kelley's Followership Questionnaire (Kelley 90-92). For the data gathered for the interview, a qualitative method was used while a quantitative method was employed for the results of the survey questionnaires. The researcher used descriptive statistics for the study. Likert's scale was used since answers in the leadership questionnaire had to be ranked, with 5 being the highest, and 1 as the lowest. To identify the leadership styles of the leader-respondents, frequencies and the weighted-mean were used. The computation of the general weighted-mean was also employed to be able to evaluate the subordinates’ general assessment of their leaders. Percentages and frequencies were used to present the followership styles of the subordinates. The data gathered shows that JG Summit's Petrochemical Corporation (JGSPC) is the first integrated polyethylene and polypropylene plant in the Philippines. The company is committed to deliver in full, on time, products and services that meet or exceed all customer requirements while preserving the safety of its employees, its facilities, the community and the environment. In pursuing their objectives. JGSPC members value customer focus, safety, health and environment, teamwork, and integrity. The organization's structure is composed of five divisions: the Plant Operation, Sales and Marketing, Supply Chain Management and Information Technology, Administration, and Human Resources. Findings show that the emerging styles of the JGSPC leaders are the team, middle-of- the-road and country club styles. However, it is apparent that the overall leadership style of the JGSPC leaders is the team style. Only four leaders and their respective employees agreed that the latter were all exemplary followers, while the other leaders had different opinions regarding their subordinates, but it is evident that the overall followership style of the JGSPC subordinates, based on their self assessment and their leaders’ evaluation, is the exemplary style. The JGSPC leaders used the team style whether all of their subordinates were exemplary or were alienated, conformist or pragmatist. Apparently, most of their followers were exemplary. Results of this study show that team leaders prompt followers to be exemplary, although a follower can also be a pragmatist. On the other hand, middle-of-the-road leaders did not only attract pragmatist followers, but also exemplary and conformist subordinates. Lastly, results show that a country club leader also prompts followers to become exemplary.