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    Contingency Theory

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    Neha Gupta
    The document discusses several theories of leadership, including Fiedler's Contingency Theory and House and Mitchell's Path-Goal Theory. Fiedler's theory proposes that leadership effectiveness depends on the interaction between a leader's style and the favorability of the situation. A leader's style is assessed using the Least Preferred Coworker scale. Path-Goal Theory suggests that effective leadership involves supporting employee motivation by clarifying work goals, offering rewards for performance, and providing the competencies and support needed for employees to be successful. Both theories analyze how leadership style should be adapted based on situational and employee characteristics.

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    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Contingency Theory

    Uploaded by

    Neha Gupta
    158 views26 pages
    The document discusses several theories of leadership, including Fiedler's Contingency Theory and House and Mitchell's Path-Goal Theory. Fiedler's theory proposes that leadership effectiveness depends on the interaction between a leader's style and the favorability of the situation. A leader's style is assessed using the Least Preferred Coworker scale. Path-Goal Theory suggests that effective leadership involves supporting employee motivation by clarifying work goals, offering rewards for performance, and providing the competencies and support needed for employees to be successful. Both theories analyze how leadership style should be adapted based on situational and employee characteristics.

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    The document discusses several theories of leadership, including Fiedler's Contingency Theory and House and Mitchell's Path-Goal Theory. Fiedler's theory proposes that leadership effectiveness depends on the interaction between a leader's style and the favorability of the situation. A leader's style is assessed using the Least Preferred Coworker scale. Path-Goal Theory suggests that effective leadership involves supporting employee motivation by clarifying work goals, offering rewards for performance, and providing the competencies and support needed for employees to be successful. Both theories analyze how leadership style should be adapted based on situational and employee characteristics.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    158 views26 pages

    Contingency Theory

    Uploaded by

    Neha Gupta
    The document discusses several theories of leadership, including Fiedler's Contingency Theory and House and Mitchell's Path-Goal Theory. Fiedler's theory proposes that leadership effectiveness depends on the interaction between a leader's style and the favorability of the situation. A leader's style is assessed using the Least Preferred Coworker scale. Path-Goal Theory suggests that effective leadership involves supporting employee motivation by clarifying work goals, offering rewards for performance, and providing the competencies and support needed for employees to be successful. Both theories analyze how leadership style should be adapted based on situational and employee characteristics.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    of 26

    Leadership 201

    Foundations of Leadership Studies

    Theoretical Perspectives on Leadership:


    The Contingency/Situational Approaches

    Contingency Model

    PathGoal Theory

    Situational Theory

    Where Are We Now?


    Trait theories

    Behavioral theories
    Situational/contingency theories Fiedler's Contingency Model Path-Goal Theory Hersey-Blanchard Situational Theory (next class)

    Fiedler's Contingency Theory of Leadership


    Leader Effectiveness = f (leader style, situation favorability)

    Group performance is a result of interaction of two factors.

    Leadership style
    Situational favorableness

    Leadership Style
    Leadership Style

    This is the consistent system of interactions that takes place between a leader and work group.
    An individual's leadership style depends upon his or her personality and is, thus, fixed

    Least Preferred Coworker (LPC)


    The least-preferred coworker (LPC) scale classifies leadership styles. Describe the one person with whom he or she worked the least well with. From a scale of 1 through 8, describe this person on a series of bipolar scales:

    Unfriendly 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Friendly

    Uncooperative 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Cooperative
    Hostile 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Supportive Guarded 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Open

    Leadership Styles
    Relationship oriented: A high LPC score suggests that the leader has a human relations orientation

    Task oriented: A low LPC score indicates a task orientation.

    Fiedler's logic: Individuals who rate their least preferred coworker in a favorable light derive satisfaction out of interpersonal relationship; those who rate the coworker unfavorably get satisfaction out of successful task performance
    7

    Situation Favorability
    Situation Favorability

    The degree a situation enables a leader to exert influence over a group


    The focus is on three key situational factors
    Leader-member relations
    Task structure Position power

    Situation Favorability
    1. Leader-member relations: The degree to which the employees accept the leader

    2. Task structure: The degree to which the subordinates jobs are described in detail 3. Position power: The amount of formal authority the leader possesses by virtue of his or her position in the organization.

    When to Use Which Style??

    Contingency Model

    Leader-Member Relations
    Task

    Good High Strong Weak Low Strong Weak High Strong Weak

    Poor Low Strong Weak

    Structure

    Position Power

    Preferred Leadership Style

    Low LPCs

    High LPCs

    Low LPCs
    10

    Fielders Contingency Model

    11

    Implications
    1. The favorableness of leadership situations should be assessed 2. Candidates for leadership positions should be evaluated using the LPC scale 3. If a leader is being sought for a particular leadership position, a leader with the appropriate LPC profile should be chosen 4. If a leadership situation is being chosen for a particular candidate, a situation should be chosen which matches his/her LPC profile

    12

    House & Mitchells PathGoal Theory


    Leadership style is effective on the basis of how successfully leaders support their subordinates perceptions of:

    Goals that need to be achieved Rewards for successful performance Behaviors that lead to successful performance

    13

    House & Mitchells PathGoal Theory


    Leaders can influence subordinates motivation by:

    1. Teaching employees competencies needed 2. Tailoring rewards to meet employees needs 3. Acting to support subordinates efforts

    14

    Assumptions of PathGoal Theory


    1. A leaders behavior is acceptable and satisfying to subordinates to the extent that they view it as either an immediate source of satisfaction or as an instrument to some future satisfaction.

    2. A leaders behavior will increase subordinates efforts if it links satisfaction of their needs to effective performance and supports their efforts to achieve goals.

    15

    PathGoal Theory Leadership Behavior


    Instrumental behavior (task-oriented) Supportive behavior (employee-oriented)

    Participative behavior (employee-oriented)


    Achievement-oriented behavior (employee-oriented)

    16

    PathGoal Theory Situational Factors

    Personal characteristics of subordinates

    Work environment

    17

    PathGoal Theory Situational Factors


    Personal Characteristics of Subordinates

    Abilities Self-Confidence Personal Needs and Motivations Perception of Leaders

    18

    PathGoal Theory Situational Factors


    Work Environment

    Culture and Subculture Policies and Rules

    Management Philosophy

    Exercise of Power Structure of Tasks

    19

    Choosing a Leadership Style

    Leaders need to choose a leadership style that best fits the needs of subordinates and the task they are doing.

    20

    Path-Goal Theory

    Leader Behaviors
    Directive, Supportive Participative, Achievement Oriented

    Subordinate Characteristics

    Task Characteristics

    Subordinates

    Motivation

    Goals/Productivity
    21

    Applying Fiedlers Contingency Theory


    Fill out the LPC Determine whether you are task or relationship oriented. Think of a leadership situation in which you were not optimally effective and/or one in which you excelled Evaluate the situation(s) Does your experience support Fiedlers theory?

    22

    Contingency theory: Strengths


    Supported by a lot of empirical research

    Looks at the impact of the situation on leaders


    It is predictive It does not require that people be effective in all situations It provides a way to assess leader style that could be useful to an organization

    23

    Contingency Theory: Weaknesses


    Black box: Why?

    There is some doubt whether the LPC is a true measure of leadership style
    It is cumbersome to use

    Doesn't explain what to do when there is a mismatch between style and situation
    Other situational variables, like training and experience, have an impact in a leader's effectiveness

    24

    Path Goal Theory: Strengths


    It specifies four conceptually distinct varieties of leadership Explains how task and subordinate characteristics affect the impact of leadership The framework provided in path-goal theory informs leaders about how to choose an appropriate leadership style. It attempts to integrate the motivation principles into a theory of leadership. Provides a practical model
    25

    Path Goal Theory: Weaknesses


    It is very complex.

    It has received only partial support from the many empirical research studies that have been conducted to test its validity.
    It fails to explain the relationship between leadership behavior and worker motivation. This approach treats leadership as a one-way event-the leader affects the subordinate.

    26

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