copyright 1999 by brent smith, ph.d. micro-organizational behavior leadership (cont.)

Copyright 1999 by Brent Smith, Ph.D.Copyright 1999 by Brent Smith, Ph.D.

Micro-Organizational BehaviorMicro-Organizational BehaviorLeadership (cont.)Leadership (cont.)


A Few QuestionsA Few Questions

• Does leadership matter?Does leadership matter?– For organizationsFor organizations– For people in organizationsFor people in organizations

• Are leaders born or made (nature/nurture)?Are leaders born or made (nature/nurture)?

• Is leadership equally important in all Is leadership equally important in all cultures?cultures?

• Are leaders and managers the same thing?Are leaders and managers the same thing?


Leadership doesn’t matter?Leadership doesn’t matter?

• Salancik and PfefferSalancik and Pfeffer– All leaders are fundamentally the sameAll leaders are fundamentally the same– There are internal constraints on leader There are internal constraints on leader

behavior (roles)behavior (roles)– External factors are more important in External factors are more important in

determining organizational performance (e.g. determining organizational performance (e.g. competition, scarce resources, government competition, scarce resources, government regulation, etc.)regulation, etc.)


Leadership does matter!Leadership does matter!

• Research suggests that leadership explains Research suggests that leadership explains about 10% of an organizations performanceabout 10% of an organizations performance

• Even if good leadership doesn’t matter, bad Even if good leadership doesn’t matter, bad leadership definitely doesleadership definitely does

• Not all leaders are alike, nor are many Not all leaders are alike, nor are many managerial jobsmanagerial jobs

• We’re not just talking about CEO’sWe’re not just talking about CEO’s


Leadership - Key TermsLeadership - Key Terms

• Leadership:Leadership: The exercise of influence by The exercise of influence by one member of a group or organization over one member of a group or organization over other members to help the group or other members to help the group or organization achieve its goals.organization achieve its goals.

• Leader:Leader: An individual who is able to An individual who is able to influence group or organizational members influence group or organizational members to help the group or organization achieve its to help the group or organization achieve its goals.goals.


Leadership - Key TermsLeadership - Key Terms

• Formal Leader:Formal Leader: A member of an organization A member of an organization who is given authority to influence other who is given authority to influence other organizational members to achieve organizational organizational members to achieve organizational goals.goals.

• Informal Leader:Informal Leader: An organizational member An organizational member with no formal authority to influence others, but with no formal authority to influence others, but who has special skills or talents to influence who has special skills or talents to influence others.others.


Approaches to Understanding Approaches to Understanding Effective LeadershipEffective Leadership

• Trait ApproachTrait Approach

• Behavior ApproachBehavior Approach

• Fiedler’s Contingency ModelFiedler’s Contingency Model

• Path-Goal TheoryPath-Goal Theory

• Vroom and Yetton ModelVroom and Yetton Model

• Leader-Member Exchange TheoryLeader-Member Exchange Theory

• Charismatic/Visionary TheoryCharismatic/Visionary Theory


Trait Theory of LeadershipTrait Theory of Leadership

An attempt to identify specific characteristics An attempt to identify specific characteristics (physical, mental, personality) associated with (physical, mental, personality) associated with

leadership success. The theory relies on leadership success. The theory relies on research that relates various traits to certain research that relates various traits to certain

success criteria.success criteria.


““Traits” that have been the focus of Traits” that have been the focus of leadership researchleadership research

IntelligenceIntelligence PersonalityPersonality

Physical Physical CharacteristicsCharacteristics

Supervisory Supervisory AbilityAbility


Traits Associated with Traits Associated with Leadership EffectivenessLeadership Effectiveness

Intelligence Personality Abilities

Judgment Adaptability Ability to enlist cooperation

Decisiveness Alertness Cooperativeness

Knowledge Creativity Popularity & prestige

Fluency of speech Personal integrity Sociability

Self-confidence Social participation

Emotional balance Tact, diplomacy

and Control

Independence


Trait Theory - CriticismsTrait Theory - Criticisms

• For at least some traits, it is not clear which For at least some traits, it is not clear which comes first, being in a leadership position comes first, being in a leadership position or possessing the trait in question.or possessing the trait in question.

• The trait approach provides little guidance The trait approach provides little guidance concerning what advice or training to give concerning what advice or training to give current or soon-to-be leaders.current or soon-to-be leaders.


Behavioral ApproachesBehavioral Approaches

In the late 1940s, researchers began to explore the In the late 1940s, researchers began to explore the notion that how a person acts determines that notion that how a person acts determines that person’s leadership effectiveness. Instead of person’s leadership effectiveness. Instead of

searching for traits, these researchers examined searching for traits, these researchers examined leader behaviors and their impact on the performance leader behaviors and their impact on the performance

and satisfaction of followers.and satisfaction of followers.


The Michigan StudiesThe Michigan Studies

• The Michigan Studies were conducted to The Michigan Studies were conducted to determine the pattern of leadership behavior determine the pattern of leadership behavior that result in effective group performance.that result in effective group performance.

• The researchers found that leadership The researchers found that leadership consists of two separate dimensions:consists of two separate dimensions:– Job-centered leader behavior.Job-centered leader behavior.– Employee-centered leader behavior.Employee-centered leader behavior.


The Michigan StudiesThe Michigan Studies

Job-Centered Leader Job-Centered Leader BehaviorBehavior

Employee-Centered Employee-Centered Leader BehaviorLeader Behavior

Attempts to build work Attempts to build work group performance by group performance by paying attention to the paying attention to the efficient completion of efficient completion of

the task. Primary the task. Primary emphasis is on the task.emphasis is on the task.

Attempts to build work Attempts to build work group performance by group performance by paying attention to the paying attention to the human aspects of the human aspects of the

group. Primary emphasis group. Primary emphasis is on the person.is on the person.

The studies suggested that a leader could exhibit either The studies suggested that a leader could exhibit either behavior, but not both at the same time.behavior, but not both at the same time.


The Ohio State StudiesThe Ohio State Studies

• The Ohio State Studies were conducted at The Ohio State Studies were conducted at about the same time as the Michigan about the same time as the Michigan Studies.Studies.

• The Ohio State Studies found that leaders The Ohio State Studies found that leaders engaged in two separate sets of leadership engaged in two separate sets of leadership behaviors, referred to as consideration and behaviors, referred to as consideration and initiating structure. initiating structure.


The Ohio State StudiesThe Ohio State Studies

ConsiderationConsideration Initiating StructureInitiating Structure

Involves being concerned Involves being concerned with subordinates’ with subordinates’

feelings and respecting feelings and respecting subordinates’ ideas.subordinates’ ideas.

Involves clearly defining Involves clearly defining the leader-subordinate the leader-subordinate

roles so that subordinates roles so that subordinates know what is expected of know what is expected of

them.them.

Unlike the Michigan Studies variables, consideration and initiating Unlike the Michigan Studies variables, consideration and initiating structure were not thought to be on the same continuum. Instead, structure were not thought to be on the same continuum. Instead, they were seen as independent dimensions of leadership behavior.they were seen as independent dimensions of leadership behavior.


Why Trait and Behavior Why Trait and Behavior Approaches Fall ShortApproaches Fall Short

Behavioral approaches attemptto specify which kinds of

leader behaviors are necessaryfor effective leadership.

Behavioral approaches attemptto specify which kinds of

leader behaviors are necessaryfor effective leadership.

Trait approaches consider personal characteristics of the leader that may be important

in achieving success in a leadership role.

Trait approaches consider personal characteristics of the leader that may be important

in achieving success in a leadership role.

A shortcoming of bothof these approaches

is that they fail to takeinto account the

interaction betweenpeople, tasks, and

environment.

A shortcoming of bothof these approaches

is that they fail to takeinto account the

interaction betweenpeople, tasks, and

environment.


Situational Theory of LeadershipSituational Theory of Leadership

An approach to leadership advocating the An approach to leadership advocating the leaders understand their own behavior, the leaders understand their own behavior, the

behavior of their subordinates, and the behavior of their subordinates, and the situation before utilizing a particular situation before utilizing a particular

leadership style. This approach requires leadership style. This approach requires diagnostic skills in human behavior on the diagnostic skills in human behavior on the

part of the leader.part of the leader.


The Contingency Leadership The Contingency Leadership ModelModel

• Description of the ModelDescription of the Model– The contingency model of leadership The contingency model of leadership

effectiveness was developed by Fiedler and effectiveness was developed by Fiedler and postulates that the performance of groups is postulates that the performance of groups is dependent on the interaction between dependent on the interaction between leadership style and situational favorableness.leadership style and situational favorableness.

• Leadership style is measured by the Least-Preferred Leadership style is measured by the Least-Preferred Coworker Scale (LPC).Coworker Scale (LPC).


Fiedler’s Contingency TheoryFiedler’s Contingency Theory

• The theory that leader effectiveness is The theory that leader effectiveness is determined by both the personal determined by both the personal characteristics of leaders and by the characteristics of leaders and by the situation in which leaders find themselves.situation in which leaders find themselves.


Fiedler's’ Situational Fiedler's’ Situational CharacteristicsCharacteristics

• Leader-Member RelationsLeader-Member Relations - The - The relationship between a leader and his or her relationship between a leader and his or her followers.followers.

• Task StructureTask Structure - The extent to which the - The extent to which the work to be performed by a group is clearly work to be performed by a group is clearly defined.defined.

• Position PowerPosition Power - The amount of formal - The amount of formal authority a leader has.authority a leader has.


Fiedler’s TheoryFiedler’s Theory

• An evaluation of the three situational An evaluation of the three situational characteristics will suggest that either a characteristics will suggest that either a relationship-oriented leadership stylerelationship-oriented leadership style or a or a task-oriented leadership style task-oriented leadership style is best.is best.


Favorability of Situations for LeadingFavorability of Situations for Leading


Relationship-Oriented Leadership StyleRelationship-Oriented Leadership Style

• Best in situations where the first priority is Best in situations where the first priority is to develop good relationships with to develop good relationships with subordinates and the second priority is to subordinates and the second priority is to get the job done.get the job done.


Task-Oriented Leadership StyleTask-Oriented Leadership Style

• Best in situations where the first priority is Best in situations where the first priority is getting the job done and the second priority getting the job done and the second priority is developing good relationships with is developing good relationships with subordinates.subordinates.


Path-Goal TheoryPath-Goal Theory

• A theory which describes how leaders can A theory which describes how leaders can motivate their followers to achieve group motivate their followers to achieve group and organizational goals and the kinds of and organizational goals and the kinds of behaviors leaders can engage in to motivate behaviors leaders can engage in to motivate followers.followers.



• Effective leaders motivate their followers to Effective leaders motivate their followers to achieve group and organizational goals.achieve group and organizational goals.

• Effective leaders make sure that they have Effective leaders make sure that they have control over outcomes their subordinates control over outcomes their subordinates desire.desire.


Path-Goal TheoryPath-Goal Theory• Effective leaders reward subordinates for Effective leaders reward subordinates for

performing at a high level or achieving their performing at a high level or achieving their work goals by giving them desired work goals by giving them desired outcomes.outcomes.

• Effective leaders raise their subordinates’ Effective leaders raise their subordinates’ beliefs about their ability to achieve their beliefs about their ability to achieve their work goals and perform at a high level.work goals and perform at a high level.



• In determining how to treat their In determining how to treat their subordinates and what behaviors to engage subordinates and what behaviors to engage in, effective leaders take into account their in, effective leaders take into account their subordinates’ characteristics and the type of subordinates’ characteristics and the type of work they do.work they do.



• Directive BehaviorDirective Behavior

• Supportive BehaviorSupportive Behavior

• Participative BehaviorParticipative Behavior

• Achievement-Oriented BehaviorAchievement-Oriented Behavior


The Path-Goal ModelThe Path-Goal Model

Follower/Subordinate Characteristics- Locus of control

- Experience

- Ability

Leader Behavior/Styles- Directive

- Supportive

- Participative

- Achievement-oriented

Followers/Subordinates

- Perceptions

- Motivation

Environmental Factors

- Tasks

- Formal authority systems

- Work group

Outcome

- Satisfaction

- Performance

copyright 1999 by brent smith, ph.d. micro-organizational behavior leadership (cont.)

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