1. Contingency Approaches
Chapter 3
Contingency Approaches

2. Ex. 3.1 Comparing the Universalistic and Contingency Approaches to Leadership
Outcomes
(Performance, satisfaction, etc.)
Universalistic Approach
Leadership Traits/behaviors
Leader
Style
Traits
Behavior
Position
Contingency Approach
Outcomes
(Performance, satisfaction, etc.)
Needs
Maturity
Training
Cohesion
Task
Structure
Systems
Env.
Followers
Situation

3. Ex. 3.2 Metacategories of Leader Behavior and Four Leader Styles
High
High Task-Low
Relationship
High Task-High
Relationship
BEHAVIOR
TASK
Low Task-Low
Relationship
High Relationship
-Low Task
Low
Low
RELATIONSHIP BEHAVIOR
High

4. Contingency Approaches
Contingency approaches: approaches that seek to delineate the characteristics of situations and followers and examine the leadership styles that can be used effectively
Fiedler’s contingency model: a model designed to diagnose whether a leader is task-oriented or relationship-oriented and match leader style to the situation

5. Fiedler’s Contingency Model
Least Preferred Co-Worker
Leader Situation has 3 dimensions:
Position Power
Task Structure
Leader-Member Relations
Leader effectiveness in a given situation is
effected by their LPC score.

6. Situational Theory
Hersey and Blanchard’s extension of the Leadership Grid focusing on the characteristics of followers as the important element of the situation, and consequently, of determining effective leader behavior

7. Ex. 3.4 Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Theory of Leadership
Follower Characteristics
Appropriate Leader Style
Low readiness level
Moderate readiness level
High readiness level
Very high readiness level
Telling (high task-low relationship)
Selling (high task-high relationship)
Participating (low task-high rel.)
Delegating (low task-low relationship)

8. Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Theory

9. Path-Goal Theory
A contingency approach to leadership in which the leader’s responsibility is to increase subordinates’ motivation by clarifying the behaviors necessary for task accomplishment and rewards

10. Ex. 3.5 Leader Roles in the Path-Goal Model
Path Clarification
Increase Rewards
Leader defines what follower
must do to attain work outcomes
Leader learns follower’s needs
Leader clarifies follower’s work role
Leader matches follower’s needs to rewards if work outcomes are accomplished
Follower has increased knowledge & confidence to accomplish outcomes
Leader increases value of work outcomes for follower
Follower displays increased effort and motivation
Organizational work outcomes are accomplished

11. Ex. 3.6 Path-Goal Situations and Preferred Leader Behaviors
Impact on Follower
Outcome
Followers lack self-confidence
Supportive Leadership
Increases confidence to achieve work outcomes
Directive Leadership
Increased effort; improved satisfaction and performance
Ambiguous job
Clarifies path to reward
Achievement-Oriented Leadership
Lack of job
challenge
Set and strive for high goals
Participative Leadership
Clarifies followers’ needs to change rewards
Incorrect
reward

12. The Vroom-Jago Contingency Model
A contingency model that focuses on varying degrees of participative leadership, and how each level of participation influences quality and accountability of decisions

13. Ex. 3.7 Five Leader Decision Styles
Area of Freedom for Group
Area of Influence by Leader
Decide
Consult Individually
Consult Group
Facilitate
Delegate

14. Diagnostic Questions Decision significance Importance of commitment
How significant is this decision for the project or organization?
Importance of commitment
How important is subordinate commitment to carrying out the decision?
Leader expertise
What is the level of the leader’s expertise in relation to the problem?
Likelihood of commitment
If the leader were to make the decision alone, would subordinates have high or low commitment?

15. Diagnostic Questions Group support for goals Goal expertise
What is the degree of subordinate support for the team’s or organization’s objectives at stake in this decision?
Goal expertise
What is the level of group members’ knowledge and expertise in relation to the problem?
Team Consequence
How skilled and committed are group members to working together as a team to solve problems?

16. Selecting the Decision Style
Time based
When time is critical
Development based
Assists with knowledge sharing and development
Not time constrained

17. Substitute and Neutralizer
Substitute: a situational variable that makes leadership unnecessary or redundant
Neutralizer: a situational characteristic that counteracts the leadership style and prevents the leader from displaying certain behaviors

18. Ex. 3.10 Substitutes and Neutralizers for Leadership
Variable
Task-Oriented Leadership
People-Oriented Leadership
Organizational variables
Group cohesiveness
Formalization
Inflexibility
Low positional power
Physical separation
Substitutes for
Neutralizes
No effect on
Task characteristics
Highly struct. task
Automatic feedback
Intrinsic satisfaction
Follower characteristics
Professionalism
Training/experience
Low value of rewards