BASIC APPROACHES TO

LEADERSHIP
ABILITY TO INFLUENCE A GROUP
TOWARD ACHIEVEMENT OF
GOALS
 BEHAVIORAL THEORIES
•

• Ohio State Studies

• University of Michigan Studies

• The Managerial Grid

 Trait and Behavioral Theories
Together
• Leaders who display CONSIDERATION and
STRUCTURING BEHAVIORS, do appear to be
more Effective.

• Both types of theories should be Integrated:

- Conscientious( Trait) leaders are
more likely to be Structuring
(Behavior)
- Extraverted( Trait) leaders are
more likely to be Considerate
(Behavior)
 Trait and Behavioral Theories
Together
• Apart from both the Theories the
Missing factor is the Consideration of
Situational Factors that Influence
Success and Failure.

• Both the theories determine Effective

and Ineffective Leaders but they do not
Guarantee a leader’s Success.
 CONTIGENCY THEORIES
• LINDA WACHNER-
CEO of Warnaco- an apparel company-
she was a Tough boss
• Predicting a leader’s success is more complex.
-What worked in 1990 did not work
in 2000
• Leadership effectiveness is dependant on the
SITUATIONS
• Several Approaches to Identifying key
situational factors have proven more
successful.
 CONTIGENCY THEORIES
FEIDLER MODEL
• First contingency model for leadership
It proposes that Effective Group Performance
depend on the proper MATCH between
the leader’s STYLE and
Degree to which the SITUATION
gives control to the leader
 CONTIGENCY THEORIES
FEILDER MODEL
Identifying Leadership
Style
• Key factor in leadership success is individual’s
basic leadership style

• In order to find basic leadership style he created

LEAST PREFERRED COWORKER
QUESTIONNAIRE
-To know whether the person is Task-
oriented or Relationship-oriented
 CONTIGENCY THEORIES
FEIDLER MODEL
• LPC Questionnaire; contains sets of 16
contrasting Adjectives e.g.,
Efficient- Inefficient
Supported- Hostile

• It asks respondents to describe the one

person they least enjoyed working with by
Rating him/her on a scale of 1 to 8 for each of
the 16 sets of contrasting adjectives
 CONTIGENCY THEORIES
FEILDER MODEL
• High LPC- the coworker is described in
positive terms-
Respondent is Interested in personal
Relations-- Relationship-oriented
leader

• Low LPC- Negative terms-

Respondent is interested in Productivity--
Task-oriented leader
 CONTIGENCY THEORIES
FEIDLER MODEL
• Fiedler considers that an individual’s
leadership style is FIXED.
• Situations- If situation requires a Task-
oriented person but………..

DEFINING THE SITUATION

• TO MATCH THE LEADER WITH THE
SITUATION
 DEFINING THE SITUATION

Three Contingency Dimensions

that define the key situational factors
that determine leadership Effectiveness:

1. Leader-member relations
-The degree of Confidence, Trust,
and Respect
members have in their Leader
(Good or Poor)
 DEFINING THE SITUATION

2. Task Structure

The degree to which Job Assignments

are Structured
( High or Low)
 DEFINING THE SITUATION
3. Position Power
The degree of Influence a leader has
over power variables;
Hiring, Firing, Discipline, Promotions,
Salary increases
(Strong or Weak)
 DEFINING THE SITUATION
Next step is to Evaluate the Situation in terms
of these three contingency variables

A Leader has Highest level of control when

he enjoys;
Better leader-member relations
Highly Structured Job
Stronger Position Power
 CONTIGENCY THEORIES
FEILDER MODEL

• Information provided by LPC and the Assessment

of….
three contingency dimensions leadership
effectiveness
can be determined
• TASK-ORIENTED leader perform best in Situations
that are
very Favorable or Unfavorable
to them
(Situations of High and Low Control)
 CONTIGENCY THEORIES
FEILDER MODEL

RELATIONSHIP-ORIENTED perform
best in…
Moderately Favorable
Situations

(Moderate Control Situations)

 CONTIGENCY THEORIES
FEILDER MODEL
• Two ways to improve leader effectiveness

1. Change the leader to FIT the

Situation

2. Change the Situation to FIT

the leader
-Restructuring the Tasks
-Inc. or Decrease the Power
COGNITIVE RESOURSE THEORY
• They focused on the Role of Stress as a form
of Situational
Unfavorable ness and
HOW
A Leader’s Intelligence and Experience
Influence his/her Reaction to Stress

• The Core Concept of this theory is that

Stress is the Enemy of
RATIONALITY
COGNITIVE RESOURSE THEORY
• Joe Garcia along with Fiedler
Re conceptualized the original theory.

• Role of Stress
as a Form of Situational
Unfavorable ness
and HOW
• Intelligence and Experience
Influence his/her Reaction to Stress
COGNITIVE RESOURSE THEORY

• This theory describes that STRESS is

the Enemy of Rationally

• Importance of leader’s Intelligence and

Experience to Effectiveness Differs
under Low and High Stress Situations
COGNITIVE RESOURSE THEORY
• Leader’s Intellectual Abilities Correlate
Positively with Performance under Low
Stress but
Negatively under High Stress

-So it is Level of Stress that determine

whether Individual’s Intelligence or
Experience will Contribute to Leadership
Performance
COGNITIVE RESOURSE THEORY
• When the Stress Level is Low and the
Leader is Directive
-Intelligence is important for his
Effectiveness

• When the Stress Level is High and the

Leader is Non-directive
-Intelligence is of little help
 HERSEY and BLANCHARD’S
SITUATIONAL THEORY

• A Leadership model- Situational Leadership

Theory

• It is a Contingency Theory that focuses on

the FOLLOERS
 LEADER-MEMBER EXCHANGE
THEORY

• Because of Time Pressures leaders

establish a special relationship with a
small group of their FOLLOWERS;
IN-GROUP and OUTGROUP
 PATH-GOAL THEORY
• Robert House
• It is a leader’s job to provide followers
with the
INFORMATION
SUPPORT
or Other Resources necessary for
them to Achieve their Goals
 LEADER-PARTICIPATION
MODEL
• Victor Vroom and Philip Yetton

• This model Related Leadership

behavior and Participation in Decision
Making.