What Is Leadership?

Leadership

The ability to influence a group toward the achievement of goals.

Manager Managers use the authority inherent in their designated formal rank to obtain compliance from organizational members.
Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay

Leadership Skills
Robert Kartz identified three skills of leadership: Technical: A persons knowledge and ability to make effective use of any process or technique. Human: An individuals ability to co-operate with others and work effectively with team members. Conceptual: An individuals ability to analyze complex situations and rationally process and interpret available information.
Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay

Trait Theories
Traits Theories of Leadership Theories that consider personality, social, physical, or intellectual traits to differentiate leaders from non-leaders. Leadership Traits:

Ambition and energy

The desire to lead Honesty and integrity Self-confidence Intelligence High self-monitoring Job-relevant knowledge

Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay

Trait Theories

Limitations:
No universal traits found that predict leadership in all situations.

Unclear evidence of the cause and effect relationship of leadership and traits.
Better predictor of the appearance of leadership than distinguishing effective and ineffective leaders.
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Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay

Behavioral Theories
Behavioral Theories of Leadership

Theories proposing that specific behaviors differentiate leaders from non-leaders.

Trait theory: Leaders are born, not made. Behavioral theory: Leadership traits can be taught.

Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay

Ohio State Studies

Initiating Structure The extent to which a leader is likely to define and structure his or her role and those of subordinates in the search for goal attainment. Consideration The extent to which a leader is likely to have job relationships characterized by mutual trust, respect for subordinates ideas, and regard for their feelings.
Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay

University of Michigan Studies

Employee-Oriented Leader Emphasizing interpersonal relations; taking a personal interest in the needs of employees and accepting individual differences among members. Production-Oriented Leader One who emphasizes technical or task aspects of the job.

Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay

The Managerial Grid (Blake and Mouton)

E X H I B I T 91

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Scandinavian Studies
Development-Oriented Leader

One who values experimentation, seeking new ideas, and generating and implementing change.
Researchers in Finland and Sweden question whether there are only two dimensions (production-orientation and employee-orientation) that capture the essence of leadership behavior. Their premise is that in a changing world, effective leaders would exhibit development-oriented behavior.
Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay

Contingency Theories
Fiedlers Contingency Model The theory that effective groups depend on a proper match between a leaders style of interacting with subordinates and the degree to which the situation gives control and influence to the leader. Least Preferred Co-Worker (LPC) Questionnaire

An instrument that purports to measure whether a person is taskor relationship-oriented.

Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay

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Fiedlers Model: Defining the Situation

Leader-Member Relations The degree of confidence, trust, and respect subordinates have in their leader.

Task Structure
The degree to which the job assignments are scheduled. Position Power Influence derived from ones formal structural position in the organization; includes power to hire, fire, discipline, promote, and give salary increases.
Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay

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Findings from Fiedler Model

E X H I B I T 92

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Cognitive Resource Theory

Cognitive Resource Theory A theory of leadership that states that stress can unfavorably affect a situation and that intelligence and experience can lessen the influence of stress on the leader. Research Support:
Less intelligent individuals perform better in leadership roles under high stress than do more intelligent individuals. Less experienced people perform better in leadership roles under low stress than do more experienced people.
Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay

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Hersey and Blanchards Situational Leadership Theory Situational Leadership Theory (SLT) A contingency theory that focuses on followers readiness.
Unable and Unwilling Unable but Willing Able and Unwilling Able and Willing

Follower readiness: ability and willingness

Leader: decreasing need for support and supervision
Directive High Task and Relationship Orientations Supportive Participative Monitoring 14

Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay

Leadership Styles and Follower Readiness (Hersey and Blanchard)

Follower Readiness
Able

Unwilling

Willing

Supportive Participative

Monitoring

Leadership Styles

Unable

Directive

High Task and Relationship Orientations

Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay

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LeaderMember Exchange Theory

Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) Theory Leaders create in-groups and out-groups, and subordinates with in-group status will have higher performance ratings, less turnover, and greater job satisfaction.

Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay

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Leader-Member Exchange Theory

E X H I B I T 93

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Path-Goal Theory
Path-Goal Theory
The theory that it is the leaders job to assist followers in attaining their goals and to provide them the necessary direction and/or support to ensure that their goals are compatible with the overall objectives of the group or organization.

Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay

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The Path-Goal Theory

E X H I B I T 94

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Leader-Participation Model
Leader-Participation Model (Vroom and Yetton) A leadership theory that provides a set of rules to determine the form and amount of participative decision making in different situations.

Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay

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Leadership Style
Autocratic Leader

Retains all the authority and decision making power, does not consider others suggestion, opinions or views.
Consultative Leader

Encourages others to participate in the decision making process, considers subordinate ideas and opinions. Laissez Faire Leader
Completely delegates responsibilities and decision making to the subordinates.
Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay

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Leadership Style (Cont.)

Bureaucratic Leader Provides certain rules and regulations, both leader and subordinates have to obey the rules. Manipulative Leader

Believes that others should be manipulated to get them to behave in the way the leader wants them to behave. Expert leader
Plays the role of the expert in a group.
Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay

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Role and Activities of Leadership

Interpersonal Role

Informational Role
Decisional Role Communicational Role Managerial Role Developing Human Resources Networking

Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay

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Determinants of Leadership

Effectiveness of individual leadership can be determined by two variables:

The quality of subordinate: Independent and self motivated subordinate leads to the effective leadership performance. The nature of the situation: Previous knowledge and the experience of the leader regarding the situation will always leads to the effective performance.

Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay

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Effective Supervision

Devote more time to planning and supportive function. Avoid close supervision. Concern for employees. Promote group cohesiveness.

Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay

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