Fieldler's Contingency Theory - Research Paper Example

This scale measures the leadership style of an individual by taking into consideration the opinion of the persons that have been able to work the least well with the subject. The theory might seem a bit odd since one would think that the opinion of the person that you had trouble with would not be such an important factor. The theory can be used to differentiate between relationship motivated styles and task motivated leaders. There are three situational control variables that must be considered.

The three situational control variables are leader-member relations, task structure, and position power. The Fieldler contingency theory can be used in the workplace to improve the performance of the workers by using the best leadership style based on the circumstances. Take for example a project manager leading a group of workers. The workers the project manager was given were a group of recently recruited employees. They lack a lot of experience at the work tasks and have little knowledge of the corporate culture of the firm.

Based on this scenario it would be more effective for the project manager to use a task orientated leadership style. The project manager should pay close attention to each member of the crew to make sure that the workers understand what is expected of them. The project manager should establish good communications and relations with the workers to build a bond of trust. In the future once I reach a position where I have to exert leadership to manage a group of people I plan on using Fielder’s contingency theory to my advantage.

If I was faced with leading a group of workers that had lots of experience, good interpersonal relations among themselves and with the boss, understanding of the culture of the firm and clear knowledge of what is expected of them I would use a relationship-motivated leadership style. A company that has utilized Fielder contingency theory to improve the performance of its workers is Sears Roebuck. Contingency theory has tremendous utility because it can be applied in a wide variety of industries.

The theory allows the leader to adapt to the circumstances. The academic community has used Fieldler’s contingency theory in research studies to test different aspects of leadership. A study performed on 360 senior managers across 20 different British firms concluded that leadership and decision making must be analyzed form a contingency rather than a universalistic perspective (Heller, 1973). Fieldler’s work has evolved and recently the theory has evolved through the development of cognitive resource theory.

The new cognitive approach states that that leader should use directive or nondirective behavior based on situational contingencies such as experience, support of the leader, and stress. For example when leaders have to manage a group of employees working on tight deadlines such as an accounting staff during the closing period the leader should not exert excessive pressure on the staff since the worker already realizes the deadlines they have to meet. Being a facilitator during these circumstances is a more effective leadership style.

Contingency theories such as Fieldler’s direct their research towards discovering the variables that make certain leadership characteristics and behaviors effective in specific situations (Gunbayi, 2005). Contingency theory can be very effective in fast adaptive environments such as a casino operation. The casino