Chapter 6 - Contingency
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Transcript Chapter 6 - Contingency
Leadership
Chapter 6 - Contingency Theory
Contingency Theory Approach Description
Perspective
Contingency theory is a leader-match
theory (Fiedler & Chemers, 1974)
◦ Tries to match leaders to appropriate
situations
Leader’s effectiveness depends on how
well the leader’s style fits the context
Fiedler’s generalizations about which
styles of leadership are best and worst
are based on empirically grounded
generalizations
Contingency Theory Approach
Description
Definition
Effective leadership is contingent on
matching a leader’s style to the right
setting
Assessment based on:
◦ Leadership Styles
◦ Situational Variables
Leadership Styles
Leadership styles are described as:
Task-motivated (Low LPCs)
◦ Leaders are concerned primarily with reaching
a goal
Relationship-motivated (High LPCs)
◦ Leaders are concerned with developing close
interpersonal relationships
Leader Style Measurement Scale (Fiedler)
Least Preferred Co-Worker (LPC) Scale
High LPCs = Relationship-motivated
Low LPCs = Task-motivated
Situational Variables/3 Factors
1. Leader-Member Relations
- Refers to the group atmosphere and the
degree of confidence, loyalty, and attraction of
followers for leader
Group atmosphere –
Good – high degree of subordinate
trust, liking, positive relationship
Poor – little or no subordinate trust,
friction exists, unfriendly
Situational Variables/3 Factors
2.
Task Structure
◦ Concerns the degree to which
requirements of a task are clear and
spelled out
High Structure –
◦ requirements/rules - are clearly
stated/known
◦ path to accomplish - has few alternatives
◦ task completion - can be clearly
demonstrated
◦ limited number - correct solutions exist
Situational Variables/3 Factors
2.
Task Structure, cont’d.
◦ Concerns the degree to which
requirements of a task are clear
and spelled out
Low Structure –
◦ requirements/rules - not clearly
stated/known
◦ path to accomplish - has many
alternatives
◦ task completion - cannot be clearly
demonstrated/verified
◦ unlimited number - correct solutions exist
Situational Variables/3 Factors
3. Position Power
–Designates the amount of authority
a leader has to reward or punish
followers
Strong Power –
◦ authority to hire or fire, give raises in
rank or pay
Weak Power –
◦ no authority to hire or fire, give raises
in rank or pay
Situational Variables/3 Factors
3
Factors - determine the
favorableness of various situations in
organizations
Situations that are rated:
–Most Favorable good leader-follower relations,
defined tasks (high structure), &
strong leader position power
Situational Variables/3 Factors
3
Factors - determine the
favorableness of various situations in
organizations
Situations that are rated:
–Least Favorable Poor leader-follower relations,
unstructured tasks (low structure), &
Weak leader position power
–Moderately Favorable –
Fall in between these extremes
Research Findings of Leader
Style Effectiveness
Reasons for leader mismatch
ineffectiveness:
Leader style doesn’t match a particular
situation; stress and anxiety result
Under stress, leader reverts to less mature
coping style learned in earlier development
Leader’s less mature coping style results in poor
decision making and consequently negative
work outcomes
How Does the Contingency
Theory Approach Work?
Focus of Contingency Theory
Strengths
Criticisms
Application
Contingency Theory Approach
Focus
By assessing the 3 situational variables.
After the nature of a situation is determined, the
fit between leader’s style and the situation can be
evaluated
Overall Scope
By measuring Leader’s LPC score and the 3
situational variables, it is possible to predict
whether a leader will be effective in a particular
setting
Criticisms
Fails to fully explain why leaders with
particular leadership styles are more
effective in some situations than others
Criticism of LPC scale validity as it does
not correlate well with other standard
leadership measures
Cumbersome to use in real-world
settings
Fails to adequately explain what should
be done about a leader/situation
mismatch in the workplace
Based on the SLII and the Contingency
Theory of Leadership, how should the
following leaders behave to be most
effective, what is your justification?
Assigned by pairs. 20 minutes prep.
Roger Goodell in with owners in the NFL
labor dispute
Jeff Saturday with players in the same
dispute
Think, Pair, Share
Continued…
Pete Caroll as a coach of the Seahawks
Bubu Stewart as a leader in the motorcross circuit
Lebron James as a leader of the defeated
Miami Heat
Think, Pair, Share
Continued…
Tim Tebow on the field as the second
string quarterback fighting for first
position.
Manager Eric Wedge of the Seattle
Mariners
Dr. Jeff Stinson as the coach of his 7 year
old son’s soccer team.
Think, Pair, Share