Leadership Theories

Leadership

Leadership is a process of influencing a group or an individual toward the accomplishment of goal setting or goal achievement.

Leadership Theories

There are two theories of leadership based on contingency approaches that should be examined. These two approaches are Fiedler’s contingency theory and the path-goal theory.

I. Fiedler’s Contingency Theory

Fred E. Fiedler holds that the most appropriate style of leadership for a manager depends on the situation in which a manager works. The contingency model, which he developed, shows that the effectiveness of a leader is determined by the interaction of the manager’s orientation (task or employee) with three situational variables: leader-member relationships, task structure, and leader position power.

Leader-member relations refers to the degree to which the leader is or feels accepted by the group. It is measured by the degree of respect, confidence, and trust the subordinates feel toward the superior. This factor is rated on a scale from good to poor. If the relationship is rated as good, the leader should be able to exercise influence over the subordinates easily. On the other hand, if there is friction or distrust (a poor rating), the manager may have to resort to favors to get performance.

Task structure concerns the nature of the subordinate’s job or task. It reflects the degree of structure in the job: a structured job would be routine in nature with prescribed processes. An example would be the position of file clerk. An unstructured job would have complexity and variety and room for creativity.

Leader position power describes the organizational power base from which the individual manager for operates. To what degree can the leader punish or reward within the organization? The power can range from strong (vice-president of marketing) to weak (second staff assistant).

A close examination of Fiedler’s model will show us that task-oriented leaders perform best with either low or high concentrations of power and influence. Employee-oriented leaders perform best with moderate power, control, and influence over a situation. A further conclusion is that leaders may perform well in one job and not in another. The position in which an organization places a leader makes a difference.

One of the major points in this leadership approach is that the leadership style of the manager is assumed to be a constant. That is, some leaders favor one style or another and their style does not change.

Conclusion: Fiedler’s contingency theory states that the effectiveness of a leader is determined by the interaction of the manager’s orientation and three situational variables.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14