#4: Leadership Theories

Question 1

What is Fiedler’s Contingency Theory?

Answer 1

-Good leadership depends on a match between leadership and situational demands
- Leadership style is determined by rating a leader’s least preferred co-worker scale (LPC scale)

Question 2

What are the 2 Types of Behaviour under Fiedler’s Theory?

Answer 2

-Task-oriented behaviour=leader focuses on the task
-Relationship-oriented behaviour=leader focuses on personal relationships

Question 3

3 conclusions of Fiedler’s Theory

Answer 3

-Believes leadership style is part of one’s personality
-Therefore, difficult to change
-Believes the key to success is finding the best “fit”

Question 4

When are task-oriented leaders most successful?

Answer 4

-In specific situations:
-Very favourable (high control) situations
-Very unfavourable (low control) situations)

Question 5

When are relationship-oriented leaders most successful?

Answer 5

Situations of moderate control

Question 6

What are the two dimensions of Blake & Mouton’s Leadership Grid?

Answer 6

1) Concern for Task
2) Concern for People

Question 7

What are the 5 squares in Blake and Mouton’s Leadership Grid?

Answer 7

-Team Manager
-Authority-Obedience Manager
-Country Club Manager
-Impoverished manager
-Middle of the Road Manager

Question 8

Which manager has high task concern and high people concern?

Answer 8

Team Manager
-Focuses on building participation and support for a shared purpose

Question 9

Which manager has a high task concern and low people concern?

Answer 9

Authority-Obedience Manager
-Focuses on efficiency of tasks and operations

Question 10

Which manager has high people concern and low task concern?

Answer 10

Country Club Manager
-Focuses on people’s needs, building relationships

Question 11

Which manager has low task concern and low people concern?

Answer 11

Impoverished Manager
-Focuses on minimum effort to get work done

Question 12

Which manager is non committal for both task concern and people concern?

Answer 12

Middle of the Road Manager
-Focuses on balancing work output and morale

Question 13

What is House’s Path-Goal Leadership Theory?

Answer 13

-Effective leadership deals with the paths through which followers can achieve goals
-Leader (to be effective) varies their behaviour depending on the personal goals of each follower

Question 14

What are the 4 behaviours leaders can exhibit in House’s Path-Goal Leadership Theory?

Answer 14

1. Directive leadership
2. Supportive leadership
3. Achievement-oriented leadership
4. Participative leadership

Question 15

What are the 3 follower contingencies in House’s Path-Goal Leadership Theory?

Answer 15

-Ability
-Experience
-Locus at control

Question 16

What are the 3 environmental contingencies in House’s Path-Goal Leadership Theory?

Answer 16

-Task structure
-Authority system
-Workgroup

Question 17

What happens when leader behaviours, follower contingencies, and environmental contingencies are evaluated together?

Answer 17

Leader effectiveness

Question 18

What is directive leadership and when should you use it?

Answer 18

-Communicate expectations
-Give directions
-Schedule work
-Maintain performance standards
-Clarify leader’s role

Use directive leadership when job assignments are ambiguous

Question 19

What is supportive leadership and when should you use it?

Answer 19

-Make work pleasant
-Treat group members as equals
-Be friendly and approachable
-Show concern for subordinate’s well-being

Use supportive leadership when worker self-confidence is low

Question 20

What is achievement-oriented leadership and when should you use it?

Answer 20

-Set challenging goals
-Expect high performance levels
-Emphasize continuous improvement
-Display confidence in meeting high standards

Use achievement-oriented leadership when task challenge is insufficient

Question 21

What is participative leadership and when should you use it?

Answer 21

-Involve subordinates in decision-making
-Consult with subordinates
-Ask for subordinate’s suggestions
-Use subordinates’ suggestions

Use participative leadership when performance incentives are poor

Question 22

What is the Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Model?

Answer 22

-Leaders adjust their styles depending on the readiness of their followers to perform in a given situation

Question 23

What does readiness mean in the Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Model?

Answer 23

-Readiness is how able, willing and confident followers are in performing tasks

Question 24

What style of leadership should be used when relationship (support required) and task behaviour (guidance required) are both low?

Answer 24

-Delegating (turnover decisions)
-Followers able, willing, confident

Question 25

What style of leadership should be used when relationship (support required) is high but task behaviour (guidance required) is low?

Answer 25

-Participating (share ideas)
-Followers able, unwilling, insecure

Question 26

What style of leadership should be used when relationship (support required) is low but task behaviour (guidance required) is high?

Answer 26

-Telling (give instructions)
-Followers unable, unwilling, insecure

Question 27

What style of leadership should be used when relationship (support required) is high and task behaviour (guidance required) is high?

Answer 27

-Selling (explain decisions)
-Followers unable, willing, confident

Question 28

What is the Vroom-Jago Leader-Participation model?

Answer 28

-Helps leaders choose the method of decision-making that best fits the nature of the problem situation
-Decision activity?

Question 29

What are the three basic decision making choices under the Vroom-Jago Leader-Participation Model?

Answer 29

1. Authority decision (decide alone)
2. Consultative decision (considers group suggestions)
3. Group decision

Question 30

What are the two possible answers for “who has information/expertise?”

Answer 30

-Leader (authority decision)
-Followers (group decisions)

Question 31

What are the two possible answers for “acceptance and commitment critical for implementation?”

Answer 31

-No (authority decision)
-Yes (group decision)

Question 32

What are the two possible answers for “time pressure for decision making?”

Answer 32

-High (authority decision)
-Low (group decisions)

Question 33

What are the three contingency factors in Vroom-Jago

Answer 33

-Decision Quality
-Decision Acceptance
-Decision Time

Question 34

What is decision quality?

Answer 34

Who has the information needed for problem solving

Question 35

What is decision acceptance?

Answer 35

-Importance of subordinate acceptance to eventual implementation

Question 36

What is decision time?

Answer 36

-Time available to make and implement the decision

Question 37

When should you use authority oriented decision methods?

Answer 37

-The leader has greater expertise to solve a problem
-The leader is confident and capable of acting alone
-Others are likely to accept and implement the decision
-Little or no time is available for discussion

Question 38

When should you use group-oriented and participative decision methods?

Answer 38

-The leader lacks sufficient information to solve a problem by themself
-The problem is unclear and help is needed to clarify the situation
-Acceptance of the decision and commitment by others is necessary for implementation
-Adequate time is available for true participation

Question 39

What are the benefits of participative decision methods?

Answer 39

-Help improve decision quality
-Help improve decision acceptance
-Helps develop leadership potential

Question 40

What are potential disadvantages of participative decision methods?

Answer 40

-Lost efficiency
-Not particularly useful when problems must be solved immediately