problem 3 - leadership Flashcards
great man leadership theories
developed by historians who examined the life of a respected leader for clues leading to that person’s greatness
- Often focused on a galvanizing experience (e.g., overcoming a near-fatal illness) or an admirable trait (e.g., persistence, optimism or intelligence) that a leader possesses to singular degree
- found that the relationship between intelligence & leadership effectiveness is modest at best
the trait approach to leadership
attempted to show that leaders possessed certain characteristics that non-leaders did not
- proved to be a dead end – no consistent relationships were found between traits and leadership effectiveness
- Emphasized productivity as a criterion – recently became clear that leadership has to do with much more than productivity
the power approach to leadership
A manager has a certain amount of power which employees do not have – the higher the manager’s position within the company, the more power or authority
5 different types of power - the more bases of power someone possesses, the more influence they can exert over the group
what are the 5 power bases in the power approach?
- Reward power: the potential of a supervisor to dispense valued rewards
- Coercive power: the potential of a supervisor to dispense punishments
- Legitimate power: the ‘right’ of a supervisor to influence a subordinate + the obligation of the subordinate to accept that influence
- Referent power: the identification of the subordinate with the supervisor; the desire of the subordinate to be like & act like the supervisor; the power of example
- Expert power: the knowledge or expertise that a supervisor has is a special area
The behavioral approach to leadership
focuses on the kinds of behavior engaged in by people in leadership roles
2 perspectives: Ohio state & UoM
ohio state university studies (leadership)
classified leader behavior into 2 basic dimensions: consideration & initiating structure
Consideration = behavior indicating mutual trust, respect & rapport between the supervisor & the group – focuses more on people rather than tasks
- Emphasizes a concern for group members needs & includes behavior like allowing subordinates more participation in decision making
Initiating structure = behavior in which the supervisor organizes & defines group activities and their relationship to the group
- Emphasizes overt attempts to achieve organizational goals
university of michigan studies (leadership)
focuses on the dynamics of how leaders & groups interacted – identified 3 types of important behavior:
- Task-oriented behavior = similar to initiating structure
- Relations-oriented behavior = similar to consideration
- Participative behavior = key to group effectiveness – allows subordinates more participation in decision making & encourages more two-way communication
Fiedler’s contingency model
The style adopted by a leader interacted with the characteristics of the situation to determine effectiveness
The desired leader depends on 3 factors:
- Leader-member relation = whether subordinated trust & like leader
- Task structure = whether group tasks, goals & performance are clear
- Position power = the amount of power possessed by the leader
task motivated leaders are most effective in some situations, and relationship motivated in others
Fiedler believed that leaders had a fixed style which could not be altered = problem w theory bcuz it states that one has to change the leader to switch the situation
Hersey & Blanchard’s situational leadership theory
the success of various leadership approaches depends in part on the maturity of the subordinate
Maturity has 2 different facets to it:
- Job maturity = the subordinates job-related ability, skills & knowledge
- Psychological maturity = the self-confidence & self-respect of the subordinate
A subordinate high in maturity would have both ability & confidence, low would have neither
- For subordinates w low maturity, structuring styles would work best
– As they increase in maturity, the leader decreases their structuring behavior & increase considerate behavior
4 types of leadership
what are the 4 types of leadership in H&B’s situational leadership theory?
- Telling: mostly task-oriented behavior – little focus on relationships
- Selling = both a lot of task & people oriented behavior
- Participating = little task behavior – mostly people-oriented behavior & support
- Delegating = little task & people-oriented behavior
House’s path-goal theory
Assumes that the leader’s responsibility is to show the subordinate the path to valued subordinate goals
- Subordinate JP & S are consequences of interplay between situational charac, subordinate charac & leadership style
- 4 leadership styles
what are the 4 leadership styles in H’s path-goal theory
- Participative leadership = engaging followers in decision-making & inviting feedback
- Supportive leadership = demonstrating concern for the needs of followers
- Directive leadership = providing task structure, clear goals & contingent feedback
- Achievement-oriented leadership = setting high standards for performance & challenging followers to achieve these standards
Suggests that the effectiveness of these 4 leadership styles varies according to the situation
Leader-member exchange
Suggests that leaders adopt different behaviors w individual subordinates + the particular behavior pattern of the leader develops over time & depends on the quality of leader-subordinate relationship
- Subordinates fall into 2 groups: in-group & out-group members
- differentiates between high and low quality relationships
in-group vs out-group members (LMX)
IG = people who have high-quality relationships with their leader & high latitude for negotiating their work roles
OG = people who have low-quality relationships with their leader & little latitude for negotiating their work roles
Leader tends to deal with IG members without resorting to the use of formal power or authority, but is more likely to rely on this with OG members
high vs low quality relationships (LMX)
High-quality: leaders discuss performance, initiate discussions about personal matters & appear interested
Low quality: higher turnover & tendency to view the exchange w their leader as a contractual agreement – leaders barely talk about effectiveness or provide help
