Week 1: Vroom & Jago (2007) The role of situation in leadership

Question 1

What are the two main purposes of Vroom and Jagos’ paper?

Answer 1

1) To review three models providing the basis for identifying three ways in which situational factors are relevant to both research on and practice of leadership
2) To explain what distinguishes leaders from non-leaders

Question 2

What are the three leadership theories Vroom and Jago review?

Answer 2

Heroic Concept: also called trait school

Pure Situational Theory: leaders as ‘puppets’ of social forces; real causes of effective leadership reside in structural rather than personal characteristics

Contingency Model: taking into account both leader behaviour/traits and contingency variables

Question 3

Vroom and Jago discuss the pure situational leadership theories of what other researchers?

Answer 3

Hegel and Spencer; Perrow

Question 4

In the Pure Situational Theory leaders are seen as merely ____ of social forces. Leader effectiveness stems from _____ instead of ______.

Answer 4

puppets
structural features
personal characteristics

Question 5

Hegel and Spencer argue that today, most researchers include situational variables either as ______ of leader behaviour or as _____ variables interacting with _____ or _____.

Answer 5

determinants
moderating
traits or behaviour

Question 6

In what way does Perrow agree with Hegel and Spencers hypothesis that great men were seen as only puppets of social forces?

Answer 6

Perrow argues that the traits of a leader only explain why he was selected while the behaviour of leaders is determined by the situations they are in

Question 7

In Fiedlers Contingency Model, group performance depends on ….

Answer 7

the optimal match between the leaders style and the situation

Question 8

In House and Dressler’s Path Goal Theory, effective leadership is achieved through…

Answer 8

ensuring high performance goals with valued rewards and helping employees walk their way towards them

Question 9

Vroom and Jago conclude that there are three distinct roles that situational variables play in leadership process. What are they?

Answer 9

1. leaning on pure situational theory: organisational effectiveness is affected by situational factors
2. leaning on heroic model: situations shape how a leader behaves
3. leaning on contingency model: situations influence the consequences of leader behaviour

Question 10

Vroom, V. H., & Jago, A. G. (2007). The role of the situation in leadership. American Psychologist, 62, 17-24.

Which conclusion is NOT drawn by Vroom and Jago (2007) about the role of situations for leadership?

a. Situations determine the readiness level of followers, and leaders should adjust their leadership style to this readiness level in order to be effective.
b. Situations influence the consequences of leader behavior.
c. Situations shape how leaders behave.
d. Organizational effectiveness is affected by situational factors and is thus not under the control of the leader.

Answer 10

a.