Leadership Chapter 5 - Situational Approach Northouse, 4 th edition
Overview Situational Approach Perspective Leadership Styles Developmental Levels How Does the Situational Approach Work?
Situational Approach Description (Hersey & Blanchard, 1969) Leaders match their style to the competence and commitment of subordinates Perspective Focuses on leadership in situations Emphasizes adapting style - different situations demand different kinds of leadership Used extensively in organizational leadership training and development
Situational Approach Description, cont d (Hersey & Blanchard, 1969) Definition Comprised of both a Directive dimension & Supportive dimension: Each dimension must be applied appropriately in a given situation Leaders evaluate employees to assess their competence and commitment to perform a given task
Leadership Styles Definition Leadership style - the behavior pattern of an individual who attempts to influence others It includes both: Directive (task) behaviors Supportive (relationship) behaviors
Leadership Styles, cont d. Dimension Definitions Directive behaviors - Help group members in goal achievement via one-way communication through: Giving directions Establishing goals & how to achieve them Methods of evaluation & time lines Defining roles
Leadership Styles, cont d. Dimension Definitions Supportive behaviors - Assist group members via two-way communication in feeling comfortable with themselves, coworkers, and situation Asking for input Problem solving Praising; listening
S1 - Directing Style S 1 Directing High Directive Low Supportive Leader focuses communication on goal achievement Spends LESS time using supportive behaviors
S2 - Coaching Style S 2 Coaching High Directive High Supportive Leader focuses communication on BOTH goal achievement and supporting subordinates socioemotional needs Requires leader involvement through encouragement and soliciting subordinate input
S3 - Supporting Style S 3 Supporting High Supportive Low Directive Leader does NOT focus solely on goals; rather the leader uses supportive behaviors to bring out employee skills in accomplishing the task Leader delegates day-to-day decision-making control, but is available to facilitate problem solving
S4 - Delegating Style S 4 Delegating Low Supportive Low Directive Leader offers LESS task input and social support; facilitates subordinates confidence and motivation in relation to the task Leader lessens involvement in planning, control of details, and goal clarification Gives subordinates control and refrains from intervention and unneeded social support
Development Levels Definition The degree to which subordinates have the competence and commitment necessary to accomplish a given task or activity Dimension Definitions D1 D2 D3 D4 Low Competence High Commitment Some Competence Low Commitment Mod-High Competence Low Commitment High Competence High Commitment High Moderate Low D4 D3 D2 D1 Developed Developing Developmental Level Of Followers
How Does the Situational Approach Work? Focus of Situational Approach Strengths Criticisms Application
Situational Approach Focus Centered on the idea subordinates vacillate along the developmental continuum of competence and commitment Leader effectiveness depends on - assessing subordinate s developmental position, and adapting his/her leadership style to match subordinate developmental level The Situational approach requires leaders to demonstrate a strong degree of flexibility.
How Does The Situational Approach Work? Using the SLII model In any given situation the Leader has 2 tasks: 1 st Task Diagnose the Situation Identify the developmental level of employee Ask questions like: -What is the task subordinates are being asked to perform? - How complicated is it? -What is their skill set? - Do they have the desire to complete the job? 2 nd Task Adapt their Style To prescribed Leadership style in the SLII model Leadership style must correspond to the employees development level
How Does The Situational Approach Work? How Does The Situational Approach Work? Employees Developmental level Leaders Leadership style S1 Directing High Directive-Low Supportive D1 Low Competence High Commitment S2 Coaching High Directive-High Supportive D2 Some Competence Low Commitment S3 Supporting High Supportive-Low Directive D3 Mod-High Competence Low Commitment S4 Delegating Low Supportive-Low Directive D4 High Competence High Commitment
Strengths Marketplace approval. Situational leadership is perceived as providing a credible model for training employees to become effective leaders. Practicality. Situational leadership is a straightforward approach that is easily understood and applied in a variety of settings. Prescriptive value. Situational leadership clearly outlines what you should and should not do in various settings.
Strengths, cont d. Leader flexibility. Situational leadership stresses that effective leaders are those who can change their style based on task requirements and subordinate needs. Differential treatment. Situational leadership is based on the premise that leaders need to treat each subordinate according to his/her unique needs.
Criticisms Lack of an empirical foundation raises theoretical considerations regarding the validity of the approach Further research is required to determine how commitment and competence are conceptualized for each developmental level Conceptualization of commitment itself is very unclear Replication studies fail to support basic prescriptions of situational leadership model
Criticisms, cont d. Does not account for how particular demographics influence the leadersubordinate prescriptions of the model Fails to adequately address the issue of oneto-one versus group leadership in an organizational setting Questionnaires are biased in favor of situational leadership
Application Often used in consulting because it s easy to conceptualize and apply Straightforward nature makes it practical for managers to apply Breadth of situational approach facilitates its applicability in virtually all types of organizations and levels of management in organizations
Leadership Chapter 6 - Contingency Theory Northouse, 4 th edition
Overview Contingency Theory Approach Perspective Leadership Styles Situational Variables Research Findings of Leader Style Effectiveness How Does the Contingency Theory Approach Work?
Contingency Theory Approach Description Perspective Contingency theory is a leader-match theory (Fiedler & Chemers, 1974) Tries to match leaders to appropriate situations Leader s effectiveness depends on how well the leader s style fits the context Fiedler s generalizations about which styles of leadership are best and worst are based on empirically grounded generalizations
Contingency Theory Approach Description Definition Effective leadership is contingent on matching a leader s style to the right setting Assessment based on: Leadership Styles Situational Variables
Leadership Styles Leadership styles are described as: Task-motivated (Low LPCs) Leaders are concerned primarily with reaching a goal Relationship-motivated (High LPCs) Leaders are concerned with developing close interpersonal relationships Leader Style Measurement Scale (Fiedler) Least Preferred Co-Worker (LPC) Scale High LPCs = Relationship-motivated Low LPCs = Task-motivated
Situational Variables/3 Factors Leader-Member Relations - Refers to the group atmosphere and the degree of confidence, loyalty, and attraction of followers for leader Group atmosphere Good high degree of subordinate trust, liking, positive relationship Poor little or no subordinate trust, friction exists, unfriendly
Situational Variables/3 Factors Task Structure Concerns the degree to which requirements of a task are clear and spelled out High Structure requirements/rules - are clearly stated/known path to accomplish - has few alternatives task completion - can be clearly demonstrated limited number - correct solutions exist
Situational Variables/3 Factors Task Structure, cont d. Concerns the degree to which requirements of a task are clear and spelled out Low Structure requirements/rules - not clearly stated/known path to accomplish - has many alternatives task completion - cannot be clearly demonstrated/verified unlimited number - correct solutions exist
Situational Variables/3 Factors Position Power Designates the amount of authority a leader has to reward or punish followers Strong Power authority to hire or fire, give raises in rank or pay Weak Power noauthority to hire or fire, give raises in rank or pay
Situational Variables/3 Factors 3 Factors - determine the favorableness of various situations in organizations Situations that are rated: Most Favorable - good leader-follower relations, defined tasks (high structure), & strong leader position power
Situational Variables/3 Factors 3 Factors - determine the favorableness of various situations in organizations Situations that are rated: Least Favorable - Poor leader-follower relations, unstructured tasks (low structure), & Weak leader position power Moderately Favorable Fall in between these extremes
Contingency Model
Research Findings of Leader Style Effectiveness LPC Score Low High Favorableness of Situation Very Favorable Very Unfavorable Moderately Favorable Definition Situations going smoothly Situations out of control Situations with some degree of certainty; not completely in or out of leader s control
Research Findings of Leader Style Effectiveness Reasons for leader mismatch ineffectiveness: LPC style doesn t match a particular situation; stress and anxiety result Under stress, leader reverts to less mature coping style learned in earlier development Leader s less mature coping style results in poor decision making and consequently negative work outcomes
How Does the Contingency Theory Approach Work? Focus of Contingency Theory Strengths Criticisms Application
Contingency Theory Approach Focus By assessing the 3 situational variables, any organizational context can be placed in one of the 8 categories represented in the Contingency Theory Model After the nature of a situation is determined, the fit between leader s style and the situation can be evaluated Overall Scope By measuring Leader s LPC score and the 3 situational variables, it is possible to predict whether a leader will be effective in a particular setting
How Does Contingency Theory Work? Low LPCs Task-Oriented High LPCs Relationship-Oriented Effective in Categories 1, 2, 3, & 8 Effective in Categories 4, 5, 6, & 7 Middle LPCs Effective in Categories 1, 2, & 3 If individuals style matches appropriate category in the model, leader will be effective If individuals style does not match appropriate category in the model, leader will not be effective
How Does Contingency Theory Work? How Does it Work? Example: Situation Leader Member Relation Good Task Structure High Position Power High Category 1 Low LPC (Individual who is task-oriented will be effective) By measuring Leader s LPC score and the 3 situational variables, it is possible to predict whether a leader will be effective in a particular setting
Strengths Empirical support. Contingency theory has been tested by many researchers and found to be a valid and reliable approach to explaining how to achieve effective leadership. Broadened understanding. Contingency theory has broadened the scope of leadership understanding from a focus on a single, best type of leadership (e.g., trait approach) to emphasizing the importance of a leader s style and the demands of different situations. Predictive. Because Contingency theory is predictive, it provides relevant information regarding the type of leadership that is most likely to be effective in particular contexts.
Strengths Not an all-or-nothing approach. Contingency theory contends that leaders should not expect to be effective in every situation; thus companies should strive to place leaders in optimal situations according to their leadership style. Leadership profiles. Contingency theory supplies data on leadership styles that could be useful to organizations in developing leadership profiles for human resource planning.
Criticisms Fails to fully explain why leaders with particular leadership styles are more effective in some situations than others Criticism of LPC scale validity as it does not correlate well with other standard leadership measures Cumbersome to use in real-world settings Fails to adequately explain what should be done about a leader/situation mismatch in the workplace
Application Useful in answering a multitude of questions about the leadership of individuals in various types of organizations Helpful tool to assist upper management in making changes to lower level positions to ensure a good fit between an existing manager and a certain work context