Chapter 7: Leading the fire company

Question 1

Equity Theory

Answer 1

Motivational theory in which people evaluate the outcomes they receive for their inputs and compare them with the outcomes others receive for their inputs.

Question 2

Expectancy Theory

Answer 2

Motivational theory in which people act in a manner that they believe will lead to an outcome they value.

Question 3

Followership

Answer 3

The characteristic that leaders can be effective only to the extent that followers ate willing to accept their leadership.

Question 4

Hygiene Factors

Answer 4

Conditions external to the individual, such as pay and work conditions.

Question 5

Leadership

Answer 5

A complex process by which a person influences others to accomplish a mission, task, or objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent.

Question 6

Motivation factors

Answer 6

An individuals internal desire for recognition, achievement, responsibility, and advancement.

Question 7

Power

Answer 7

The capacity of one party to influence another party.

Question 8

Reinforcement Theory

Answer 8

Motivational theory in which behavior is a function of its consequences.

Question 9

What is the difference between a leader and a boss?

Answer 9

Bosses tell people to accomplish a task or objective, whereas leaders make them want to achieve high goals and objectives. The goal is to lead, not just to be a boss.

Question 10

A five step approach to decision making as a leader.

Answer 10

1. Clear your mind.
2. List options.
3. Weigh the options.
4. Make a choice. Have a plan B
5. Evaluate decision

Question 11

The three major leadership styles.

Answer 11

Autocratic, Democratic, and laissez-faire.

Question 12

Autocratic leadership

Answer 12

An iron-hand approach where the officer is telling subordinates what to do and is expecting immediate and compliant adherence to the issued instructions.

Question 13

Two situations that require an autocratic style of leadership.

Answer 13

1. When the crew is involved in a high-risk, emergency scene activity.
2. When the officer needs to take immediate corrective supervisory activity, such as during a “control, neutralize, command” response to a confrontation.

Question 14

Democratic leadership

Answer 14

A consultative approach that takes advantage of all of the ingenuity and resourcefulness of the group in determining how to meet an objective or complete a task.

Question 15

The democratic style of leadership should be used when…

Answer 15

Planning a project or developing the daily work plan of the company. This approach can also be used in some low-risk emergency scene operations. Specialized and highly technical fire companies will also use this type of approach to develop the IAP for complex or unusual incidents. But authoritative command is used in the execution of these emergencies.

Question 16

Laissez-Faire leadership

Answer 16

A free-rein style of leadership moves the decision making from the fire officer to the individual fire fighters. This type of leadership is effective when working with experienced fire fighters and when handling routine duties that pose little personal hazard.

Question 17

Legitimate power

Answer 17

The target person believes that the agent has the right to make the request and the target person has the obligation to comply.

Question 18

Reward power

Answer 18

The target person complies to obtain rewards believed to be controlled by the agent.

Question 19

Expert power

Answer 19

The target person complies due to a belief that the agent has special knowledge.

Question 20

Referent power

Answer 20

The target complies due to admiration of or identification with the agent and seeks approval.

Question 21

Coercive power

Answer 21

The target person complies to avoid punishment believed to be controlled by the agent.

Question 22

The types of power, as described by French and Raven in their 1959 Studies of Social Power.

Answer 22

Legitimate power
Reward power
Expert power
Referent power
Coercive power

Question 23

The types of power defines by Professor Gary A. Yukl

Answer 23

Personal power and Positional power

Question 24

Personal power

Answer 24

Includes expert and referent power, and reflects the effectiveness of the individual.

Question 25

Positional power

Answer 25

Includes legitimate, reward, and coercive, and is defined by the role and individual has within an organization. Yukl’s Informational and Ecological power are also included in this category.

Question 26

Additional additional position based power descriptions described by Yukl.

Answer 26

Informational power

Ecological power

Question 27

Informational power

Answer 27

Control over information. Unlike expert power, informational power is based on the target persons assessment of the agent’s ability to discover or obtain relevant information rapidly and efficiently, usually through a cultivated network of sources.

Question 28

Ecological power

Answer 28

Control over the physical environment, technology, or organization of work. the target person’s behavior is based on perceptions of opportunities and constraints.

Question 29

Initial report communications should include the following information.

Answer 29

• Identification of the company arriving at the scene.
• A brief description of the incident situation. eg. building size, occupancy, haz-mats released, or multiple vehicle accident.
• Obvious conditions
• Brief description of action to be taken
• Declaration of strategy to be used
• Any obvious safety concerns
• Assumption, identification, and location of command.
• Request or release resources as required

Question 30

Unique challenges where basic leadership concepts prevail.

Answer 30

Fire station as a work location

Leading volunteer fire companies.

Question 31

General rules for non-emergency activities around the fire station.

Answer 31

1. Do not compromise the ability of the fire company to respond to emergencies in its district.
2. Do not jeopardize the public’s trust in the fire department.

Question 32

Principles to motivate subordinates to achieve their maximum potential.

Answer 32

• Recognize individual differences
• Use goals
• Ensure goals are perceived as attainable
• individualize rewards
• Check for system equality

Question 33

Positive reinforcement

Answer 33

Giving a reward for good behavior

Question 34

Negative reinforcement

Answer 34

Removing an undesirable consequence of good behavior

Question 35

Extinction

Answer 35

Ignoring bad behavior

Question 36

Punishment

Answer 36

Punishing bad behavior

Question 37

Four types of reinforcement behavior.

Answer 37

Positive, Negative, Extinction, and Punishment.

Question 38

Three considerations the fire officer must address to motivate the individual according to the expectancy theory.

Answer 38

• The employee’s belief that his or her effort will achieve the goal
• The employee’s belief that meeting the goal will lead to the reward.
• The employee’s desire for the reward or the reward’s value to the employee.