(D) The behavioral approach Flashcards
The behavioral approach
also called style approach, is solely focus on leader behavior
main purpose: explain how leaders combine task behavior and relationship behavior to influence their group to reach goals
only provides framework to asses the leaders, but does not offer prescription on the ideal effective leadership behavior. Describes actions of leaders toward other occur on 2 levels (task and relationship), and in some situations with certain people it is smart to focus more on one behavior than the other
2 kinds of behavioral approach
- task behaviors: goal accomplishment, so help the group to achieve their goals
- relationship behaviors: make people feel comfortable with themselves, the group in which they operate, and the situation they are in
Studies of Ohio State
analyzed individual persons acted when leading a group/organization. done by subordinates completing questionnaires about their leaders. Leader behavior description questionnaire (LBDQ), six years later shorter version LBDQ-XII showed clusters of behaviors typical to leaders
Through these surveys in LBDQ-XII Stogdill found
two general types of leader behaviors
- Initiation structure: task behaviors such as organizing work and defining role responsibilities
- Consideration : relationship behavior where respect and trust is built between leaders and followers
these both are core in style approach: ‘leaders provide structure for their followers, and nurture them”
Initiation structure and consideration are seen as
distinct and independent, thus the degree to which leaders portrays one behavior is not related to degree that the other behavior is portrayed
central task researches for style approach
determine how leader can optimally mix task adn relationship behavior
Studies of the University of Michigan
focuses more on the impact of the behavior of leaders on performance of small groups
Employee and production orientation seen as opposite ends of a single continuum. product-oriented leaders tend to be less oriented towards employees, however later re conceptualized as two independent leadership orientations where leaders can orient towards employee and production orientation at the same time
Studies of the University of Michigan found 2 kinds of leadership behavior
- Employee orientation, leaders approach their followers with emphasis on human relations, similar to consideration type of Ohio State
- Production orientation, behavior focuses on technical and production aspects of job. Similar to initiating structure of Ohio State studies
The managerial (leadership) grid of blake and mouton
Managerial grid/leadership grid explains how leaders help organization to reach goals through
- concern for production
- concern for people
Concern for production
how much leader concerned with achieving organizational tasks, including wide range of activities, not only limited to manufacturing
Concern for people
how leaders acts toward organization people who are trying to achieve organizational goals
Leadership Grid (concern for product, concern for people)
(9,1) Authority-Compliance: heavy emphasis on task and job requirements, little on people. leader is controlling, demanding, hard driving and overpowering
(1,9) Country-Club Management: Little emphasis on task accomplishment and high on interpersonal relationships. Leader viewed as agreeable, eager to help, comforting and uncontroversial
(1,1) Impoverished Management: Little emphasis on task and interpersonal relationships. Leader viewed as indifferent, noncommittal, resigned and apathetic.
(5,5) Middle-of-the-road Management: Balance between achieving results and caring for people. Leader viewed expedient, preferring middle ground, soft-pedal disagreement and avoiding conflict
(9,9) Team management: High emphasis on task and interpersonal relationships. Leader typically stimulating participation, acting determined, openly discussing issues, making priorities clear, following through, enjoy working
Most people have dominant grid style, and a back up style for when under pressure
two extra leadership styles besides the the Leadership grid
- paternalism vs materialism: leaders who uses both county-club management and Authority compliance, but does not integrate these styles. Also called benevolent dictator, where leader sees organization as family, makes most key decisions, rewards loyalty and punishes noncompliance
- Opportunism: leaders who uses any combination of the five major styles for self-advancement purpose. Leaders are ruthless and self-motivated, also adaptable and strategic
Behavioral/style approach strengths:
- important shift in focus leadership research
- wide range of studies on leadership style that gives validity and credibility to this approach
- found that leadership exists out of two major types of behavior: task and relationship. Which is extremely important, since key to effective leader depends on how leader can balance these two behaviors
- heuristic approach, gives broad conceptual map where leaders can asses their own actions, and determine how they could change to improve their leadership style
Behavioral/style approach criticism:
- First, research on this approach has not sufficiently shown how leadership styles are related to performance outcomes
- Second, approach has not found a universal leadership style that could be effective in most situations
- Approach implies that most effective leadership styles is the high-high style (task, relationship), this is not true since in certain situations can require different leadership styles
