0. Basic Approaches to Leadership12
Basic Approaches to Leadership
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1. Chapter Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter, you should be able to:
Define leadership and contrast leadership and management.
Summarize the conclusions of trait theories.
Identify the central tenets and main limitations of behavioral theories.
Assess contingency theories of leadership by their level of support.
Contrast the interactive theories (path-goal and leader-member exchange).
Identify the situational variables in the leader-participation model.
Show how U.S. managers might need to adjust their leadership approaches in Brazil, France, Egypt, and China.
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2. What Is Leadership? Leadership Management
The ability to influence a group toward the achievement of goals
Management
Use of authority inherent in designated formal rank to obtain compliance from organizational members
Both are necessary for organizational success
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3. Trait Theories of Leadership
Theories that consider personality, social, physical, or intellectual traits to differentiate leaders from nonleaders
Not very useful until matched with the Big Five Personality Framework
Leadership Traits
Extroversion
Conscientiousness
Openness
Emotional Intelligence (Qualified)
Traits can predict leadership, but they are better at predicting leader emergence than effectiveness.
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4. Behavioral Theories of Leadership
Theories proposing that specific behaviors differentiate leaders from nonleaders
Differences between theories of leadership:
Trait theory: leadership is inherent, so we must identify the leader based on his or her traits
Behavioral theory: leadership is a skill set and can be taught to anyone, so we must identify the proper behaviors to teach potential leaders
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5. Important Behavioral Studies
Ohio State University
Found two key dimensions of leader behavior:
Initiating structure – the defining and structuring of roles
Consideration – job relationships that reflect trust and respect
Both are important
University of Michigan
Also found two key dimensions of leader behavior:
Employee-oriented – emphasizes interpersonal relationships and is the most powerful dimension
Production-oriented – emphasizes the technical aspects of the job
The dimensions of the two studies are very similar
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6. Blake and Mouton’s Managerial Grid®
Draws on both studies to assess leadership style
“Concern for People” is Consideration and Employee-Orientation
“Concern for Production” is Initiating Structure and Production-Orientation
Style is determined by position on the graph
E X H I B I T 12-1
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7. Contingency Theories
While trait and behavior theories do help us understand leadership, an important component is missing: the environment in which the leader exists
Contingency Theory deals with this additional aspect of leadership effectiveness studies
Three key theories:
Fielder’s Model
Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Theory
Path-Goal Theory
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8. Fiedler Model
Effective group performance depends on the proper match between leadership style and the situation
Assumes that leadership style (based on orientation revealed in LPC questionnaire) is fixed
Considers Three Situational Factors:
Leader-member relations: degree of confidence and trust in the leader
Task structure: degree of structure in the jobs
Position power: leader’s ability to hire, fire, and reward
For effective leadership: must change to a leader who fits the situation or change the situational variables to fit the current leader
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9. Graphic Representation of Fiedler’s Model
Used to determine which type of leader to use in a given situation
E X H I B I T 12-2
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10. Assessment of Fiedler’s Model
Positives:
Considerable evidence supports the model, especially if the original eight situations are grouped into three
Problems:
The logic behind the LPC scale is not well understood
LPC scores are not stable
Contingency variables are complex and hard to determine
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11. Fiedler’s Cognitive Resource Theory
A refinement of Fiedler’s original model:
Focuses on stress as the enemy of rationality and creator of unfavorable conditions
A leader’s intelligence and experience influence his or her reaction to that stress
Research is supporting the theory.
Stress Level
Low
High
Intellectual Abilities
Effective
Ineffective
Leader’s Experience
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12. Hersey & Blanchard’s Situational Leadership
A model that focuses on follower “readiness”
Followers can accept or reject the leader
Effectiveness depends on the followers’ response to the leader’s actions
“Readiness” is the extent to which people have the ability and willingness to accomplish a specific task
A paternal model:
As the child matures, the adult releases more and more control over the situation
As the workers become more ready, the leader becomes more laissez-faire
An intuitive model that does not get much support from the research findings
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13. House’s Path-Goal Theory
Builds from the Ohio State studies and the expectancy theory of motivation
The Theory:
Leaders provide followers with information, support, and resources to help them achieve their goals
Leaders help clarify the “path” to the worker’s goals
Leaders can display multiple leadership types
Four types of leaders:
Directive: focuses on the work to be done
Supportive: focuses on the well-being of the worker
Participative: consults with employees in decision-making
Achievement-Oriented: sets challenging goals
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14. Path-Goal Model Two classes of contingency variables:
Environmental are outside of employee control
Subordinate factors are internal to employee
Mixed support in the research findings
E X H I B I T 12-4
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15. Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) Theory
A response to the failing of contingency theories to account for followers and heterogeneous leadership approaches to individual workers
LMX Premise:
Because of time pressures, leaders form a special relationship with a small group of followers: the “in-group”
This in-group is trusted and gets more time and attention from the leader (more “exchanges”)
All other followers are in the “out-group” and get less of the leader’s attention and tend to have formal relationships with the leader (fewer “exchanges”)
Leaders pick group members early in the relationship
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16. LMX Model How groups are assigned is unclear
Follower characteristics determine group membership
Leaders control by keeping favorites close
Research has been generally supportive
E X H I B I T 12-3
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17. Yroom and Yetton’s Leader-Participation Model
How a leader makes decisions is as important as what is decided
Premise:
Leader behaviors must adjust to reflect task structure
“Normative” model: tells leaders how participative to be in their decision-making of a decision tree
Five leadership styles
Twelve contingency variables
Research testing for both original and modified models has not been encouraging
Model is overly complex
E X H I B I T 12-5
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18. Global Implications
These leadership theories are primarily studied in English-speaking countries
GLOBE does have some country-specific insights
Brazilian teams prefer leaders who are high in consideration, participative, and have high LPC scores
French workers want a leader who is high on initiating structure and task-oriented
Egyptian employees value team-oriented, participative leadership, while keeping a high-power distance
Chinese workers may favor a moderately participative style
Leaders should take culture into account
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19. Summary and Managerial Implications
Leadership is central to understanding group behavior as the leader provides the direction
Extroversion, conscientiousness, and openness all show consistent relationships to leadership
Behavioral approaches have narrowed leadership down into two usable dimensions
Need to take into account the situational variables, especially the impact of followers
© 2009 Prentice-Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

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