An immature department is one that has great difficulty in reaching consensus or in developing and implementing a plan of action. Lack of visible strife may be its undoing. Leadership may be defined as the ability to influence or motivate an individual or a group of individuals to work willingly toward a given goal or objective under a specific set of circumstances. Directive behavior consists of one-way communication from the chairperson to the faculty members in which he or she explains what is to be done, when, where, and how. Supportive behavior consists of two-way communication between the chairperson and the faculty members.
Leadership styles consists of both directive and supportive behavior.
Conflict and Faculty Morale. Conflict happens in someone else's department. But should it occur in your department, it festers and grows. Conflict is a struggle for control of another person's behavior. Conflict can be reduced if the lines of communication are open, and the lines of authority and responsibility are clarified.