Groups chapter 3

The leadership style approach

Because researchers on the tree and the position approaches were turning out contradictory results, Lewis, Lipitor, and White focused on examining leadership styles. Their research uncovered three: authoritarian, democratic, and laissez-faire.

Expert power

Excepting a physician's advice and medical matters is a common example of this, which is based on the perception that a person has knowledge or expertise that is the source of power.

Power bases in groups

French and Raven have developed a framework for understanding the extent to which one group member influences another by identifying five bases of power: reward, coercive, legitimate, reference, and expert.

Democratic leaders

In contrast these leaders seek the maximum involvement and participation of every member and all decisions affecting the group and attempt to spread responsibility rather than concentrate it. This leader ship can lead to slough decision making and confusion, but it is frequently more effective because of the strong cooperation that emerges from group participation.

Coercive power

The ability to fire a worker falls below a given level of production is a common example of this power, which is based on a workers perception that the boss can dispense punishment or remove positive consequences. This power stance from the expectation on the part of the worker is that he will be punished by the boss if he fails to conform to their required standards set by the boss.

The charismatic leader

These leaders appear to inspire their followers to love and be fully committed to them. Others offer their followers the hope and promise of deliverance from distress.

Laissez-faire leaders

These leaders participate very little, and group members are generally left to function or flounder with a little input. Group members seldom function well under a this style, which may be effective only when the members are committed to a course of action, have the resources to implement it, and need minimal leader ship to reach their goals. This may work well in college department in which the faculty members are competent.

Authoritarian leaders

These types of leaders, who have more absolute power than Democratic leaders, set goals and policies, dictate the activities of the members, and develop major plans. The leader alone is the purveyor of rewards and punishments and knows the succession of future steps and the groups activities. These leaders is generally fission and decisive.

The distributed functions approach

This approach disagrees with the "Great person quote or treat, theory of leader ship and asserts that every member of a group will be a member at times by taking actions that serve group functions.

The trait approach

This approach to leadership, which has existed for centuries, assumes that leaders have inherent personal characteristics, or traits, that distinguish them from followers. This approach asserts that leaders are born, not made, and emerge naturally instead of being trained.

The position approach

This defines leadership in terms of the authority of a particular position. It focuses on studying the behavior, training, and personal background of leaders in high-level positions.Studies using this however, have revealed little consistency and how people assume leadership positions.

Reward power

This include such things as promotions, pay increases, day off, and praise. This is based on the bosses perception that another a worker or the entire group has the capacity to dispense rewards or remove negative consequences in response to the workers behavior.

Servant leadership approach

This is an approach to leadership that was initially developed by Robert K Greenleaf. This leader is someone who looks to the needs of the group. This leader is working with, and asks herself how he or she can help, the members to solve problems and promote their personal development. This leader place is the main focus on the members, as he or she believes that content and motivated members are best able to reach their goals.

Legitimate power

This is directly related to an internalized value or norm and is probably the most complex of the five power bases. This power is based on the perception by the worker that the boss has a legitimate right to prescribe what constitutes proper behavior for him or her and let that worker has an obligation to except this influence.

Referent power

This power occurs when one individual, the boss, influences another, the worker, as a result of identification. Identification and this context means either a feeling of oneness with the boss or a desire for an identity such as the bosses. The stronger the identification of the worker with the boss, the greater the attraction to the boss and the greater the power of the boss

Effects of unequal power

This power often leads to distrust between the high and low power members. The low power members fear they will be manipulated and are reluctant to share their thoughts completely with the high-power members because they believe that if they express views in opposition to the views of the high-power members, they are apt to receive few were all wars and may be coerced.

The Machiavellianism leaders

This type of leader ship is based on the concept that people are basically fallible, gullible, untrustworthy, and weak; are in personal objects; and should be manipulated so that the leader can achieve his goals.