Chapter 6 contingency theories of leadership

1. They are theories rather than someones assumptions.
2. they implicitly assume that leaders are able to accurately diagnose or assess key aspects of the followers or the leadership situation.
3. Leaders are assumed to be able to act in flexible manner
4. Correct match between situational and follower characteristics and leaders behaviors is assumed to have positive effect on group or organizational outcomes

1. Leader member exchange theory
2. Normative Decision Model
3. Situational leadership model
4. Contingency model
5. Path goal theory

Leaders do not treat all followed it they were a uniform group of equals. Specific linkages which each subordinate, creating dyadic relationships.

out group: low quality relationships. strict contractual obligations

In group: high quality exchange, go beyond what the job requires

1. Role-taking: early in position
2. Role-making: role is created on basis of trust building (fragile stage, betrayal can lead to drop out of in-group)
3. Routinization: happens when relations becomes well-established. Phase where things get cemented.

Leaders goals should be that the whole organization becomes the in-group.

Does not describe the specific behaviors that lead to high quality relationship exchanges

Directly solely determine how much input subordinates should have in the decision making process. more input could improve group performance

Ranging from completely autocratic to completely democratic. Autocratic – Group

After establishing continuum of D/M process – criteria to evaluate the adequacy of the decision made.

if decision has rational or objectively determinable better or worse alternative the leader should select the better alternative

followers accept the decision as if it were their own and not merely comply with the decision. Acceptance is important, particularly if the followers will bear the principal responsibility for the implementation

Makes teaser for leaders to determine how much participation subordinates should have to optimize decision quality and acceptance. Go from left to right – eventually all paths lead to a set of decision processes which will lead to a decision that protects both quality and acceptance.

Leader is interested in implementing a high quality decision that is acceptable for followers. No evidence that it works

single point in time; leaders are equally skilled

Leaders do not interact with all followers in the same manner. is there an optimum way for leaders to adjust their behavior with different followers and thereby in- crease their likelihood of success? The models helps to select the most appropriate behavior given the current level of follower readiness. Je trekt een streep van follower readiness naar de lijn – dat is wat je moet doen.

Vertical: relationship behavior
Horizontal: task behavior

refers to a followers ability and willingness to accomplish a task

Curve line which represents that leadership behavior that will most likely be effective given a particular level of follower readiness. First assess readiness > draws line .

delegating (lo task, lo rel)
participating (lo task, high rel)
selling (high task, high rel)
telling (high task, low rel)

Leader may have dominant behavioral tendencies. This model recognizes that leaders have these general behavioral tendencies and specifics situations leaders may be more effective than others. Opposite of Situational Leadership Model > leaders are no flexible but consistent in their behavior.

SLT maintains that leaders who correctly base their behaviors on follower maturity will be more effective, whereas the contingency model suggest that leader effectiveness is primarily determined by selecting the right kind of leader for a certain situation or changing the situations tot fir the particulars leaders style.

Je lult over iemand met wie je het minst graag samenwerkt op basis van tegenstelling. Dit wordt een score die iets zegt over de leider en niet de subordinate. > leaders motivation hierarchy.

Low LPC leaders
High LPC leaders

motivated by task accomplishment. when taks is accomplished they move to second motivation > relationship with followers

Motivated by relationships > then go to task accomplishment. Similar to ohio state.

Intermediate scores cannot accurately identify the motivation hierarchy for individuals.

the more control the leader has, the more favorable the situation is.

1. Leader-member relations
2. Task structure
3. Position power

if situational favorability is moderate, then those groups led by leaders concerned with establishing and maintaining relations seem to do the best. If the situation is either very unfavorable or highly favorable, then those groups led by task-motivated (low plc) leaders seem to do the best.

Deals with expectancy, can be used to predict what tasks people will put their energies into, geven some finite number of options. Uses same basic assumptions as expectancy theory. At the most fundamental level the effective leader will or ensure that availability of values rewards for followers (goal) and then help them find the best way of getting there (path). The leader action should strengthen followers beliefs that if they exert a certain level of effort, they will be more likely to accomplish a tast and if they accomplish the task they will be more likely to achieve some valued outcome.

Directive
Supportive
Participative
Achievement oriented

Path goals theory: differing styles with same/differing situations.

2 groups:
satisfaction of followers
followers perception of their won abilities

The task
The formal authority system
The primary work group

leaders > first assess the situation > select leadership behaviour appropriate of situational demands. By manifesting appropriate behaviors leaders can increase followers effort-to-performace expectancies, performance-to-reward expectancies or valences of the outcomes.

They all specify that leaders should make their behaviors contingent on certain aspects of the followers to improve leadership effectiveness.