Chapter 16.2 Generic Approaches to Leadership

Caleb manages the contract division of the largest property management company in New England. His division is full of high performers in terms of processing volume and speed. However, absenteeism is high among his employees. Many members of his department are openly dissatisfied with their jobs. According to the Leadership Grid, which leadership style is likely being used?

Authority-compliance management - Caleb's attention on efficiency to the detriment of human elements places him in the authority-compliance corner of the Leadership Grid.

Thoughtful attention to the needs of people for satisfying relationships leads to a comfortable, friendly organization atmosphere and work tempo. According to the Leadership Grid, when this is coupled with very low concern for production, which type of management results?

Country club management - Country club management gives thoughtful attention to the needs of people for satisfying relationships, which leads to a comfortable, friendly organization atmosphere and work tempo.

Sushil spends a lot of time with new employees, and uses employee-centered leader behaviors. She does this so that employees can perform at high levels as quickly as possible. What is Sushil likely to do when she has new employees?

Develop a cohesive work group. - Managers using employee-centered leader behavior are interested in developing a cohesive work group and ensuring that employees are satisfied with their jobs. Their primary concern is the welfare of subordinates.

Situational Approaches to Leadership - Leadership Continuum (Tannenbaum and Schmidt)

Developed continuum or range of possible leadership behaviors. Each type of behavior is related to the degree of authority used by the manager and the amount of freedom available to subordinates in reaching decisions.

Situational Approaches to Leadership - Fiedler

Fiedler's graph shows when a leader should focus more on tasks or relationships, based on how well they get along with their team, how clear the task is, and how much authority they have.

According to the Michigan studies, which trait does Likert find most consistent with employee-centered leader behavior?

Flexible - Job-centered leader behavior is consistent with the organizational design that is rigid and bureaucratic, whereas employee-centered leader behavior is consistent with the organizational design that is organic and flexible.

Leadership Behaviors - Ohio State

Initiating- Structure & Consideration

One of the things L'Meese does as a leader is establish formal lines of communication with her subordinates. According to the Ohio State studies, L'Meese is using which type of leader behavior?

Initiating-structure - The Ohio State studies suggested that there are two basic leader behaviors or styles: initiating-structure behavior and consideration behavior. When using initiating-structure behavior, the leader clearly defines the leader-subordinate role so that everyone knows what is expected, establishes formal lines of communication, and determines how tasks will be performed.

In which type of behavior does the leader clearly define the leader-subordinate role so that everyone knows what is expected?

Initiating-structure - When using initiating-structure behavior, the leader clearly defines the leader-subordinate role so that everyone knows what is expected, establishes formal lines of communication, and determines how tasks will be performed.

Leadership Behaviors - Michigan State - Rensis Likert

Job Centered & Employee Centered

Pallavi has a high concern for production. However, her department has high turnover and low morale. What should Pallavi focus on, based on the Leadership Grid, to improve the effectiveness of her leadership style?

People - Pallavi can improve the effectiveness of her leadership style by increasing her concern for people. The Leadership Grid prescribes maximum leadership effectiveness when high levels of concern for production are accompanied by high levels of concern for employees.

Situational Approaches to Leadership

Situational leadership behaviors adapt to the specific needs and maturity levels of followers, varying between directive, supportive, coaching, and delegating styles based on the situation.

Why have traditional approaches to leadership theories generally failed?

Social systems and individuals are complex. - When we are dealing with complex social systems composed of complex individuals, few, if any, relationships are consistently predictable, and certainly no formulas for success are infallible.

Generic Approaches to Leadership

Stogdill

According to the Leadership Grid, which approach to leadership is thought to be the most ideal because of the interdependence on a common stake in the organization?

Team management - According to this approach, the ideal style of leadership behavior is team management. Work accomplishment is from committed people; interdependence through a "common stake" in organization purpose leads to relationships of trust and respect.

Situational Approaches to Leadership - Fiedler

The LPC theory by Fiedler suggests that a leader's effectiveness depends on whether their natural style is task-focused or people-focused, and how well this style fits the situation they are in.

Leadership Grid - Blake, Mouton, McCanse

The Leadership Grid by Blake, Mouton, and McCanse is a framework that categorizes leadership styles based on concern for people and production, identifying ideal leadership as high in both areas.

Leadership Behaviors - Ohio State - Results

The Ohio State studies found that employees showed higher satisfaction and performance under leaders who combined high consideration behavior with initiating structure.

How can organizational leadership use the Leadership Grid when evaluating new managers?

To determine training needs - he Leadership Grid provides a means for evaluating leadership styles and then training managers to move toward an ideal style of behavior.

Researchers looking at characteristics such as intelligence, assertiveness, or height to identify leadership ability were using which approach to leader behavior?

Trait - The trait approach assumed that some basic trait or set of traits existed that differentiated leaders from nonleaders.

By assuming that there was one set of answers to the leadership puzzle, early approaches to the study of leadership adopted which perspective of leadership?

Universal - Early approaches to the study of leadership adopted what might be called a universal or generic perspective. Specifically, they assumed that there was one set of answers to the leadership puzzle.

Leaders using consideration behavior _____.

attempt to establish a friendly and supportive climate - Leaders using consideration behavior show concern for subordinates and try to establish a warm, friendly, and supportive climate.

Ronald is a manager at Breezo, Inc. People enjoy working for Ronald because he shows true concern for his subordinates. According to the Ohio State studies, Ronald is using _____.

consideration behavior - The Ohio State studies suggested that there are two basic leader behaviors or styles: initiating-structure behavior and consideration behavior. Leaders using consideration behavior show concern for subordinates and attempt to establish a warm, friendly, and supportive climate.

A manager using employee-centered leader behavior _____.

ensures employees are satisfied with their jobs - Managers using employee-centered leader behavior ensure that employees are satisfied with their jobs. Managers using job-centered leader behavior pay close attention to subordinates' work, explain work procedures, and are keenly interested in performance.

As a manager, Tariq has consistently demonstrated an appropriate amount of concern for both people and production. On the Leadership Grid, Tariq's style would be classified as _____.

middle-of-the-road management - . Middle-of-the-road management maintains adequate concern for both people and production. Adequate organization performance is possible through balancing the necessity to get out work with maintaining the morale of people at a satisfactory level.

As a manager, Rabeya exhibits job-centered leader behavior. This means that Rabeya _____.

pays close attention to her subordinates' work -Managers using job-centered leader behavior pay close attention to subordinates' work, explain work procedures, and are keenly interested in performance.