Least-Preferred Worker Model and Its Effectiveness - Essay Example

I do agree with the results of this test. I am task-motivated and better at organizing people and getting the job done. However, I also agree with Fiedler’s other postulation concerning the LPC model. According to him, the LPC model helps in indicating the leadership style of a person however the effectiveness of this style is also dependent on the situation’s favorableness. It is a universal fact that there is no ideal leadership style and a particular leadership style can not be suitable for contingent situations.

A combination of personal traits and given situational contingency determines the leadership style’s effectiveness. Leader-member relationship, task structure, and leader-position power are the factors which determine if the situation in hand is favourable and matches the leadership style (Bar-Tal, 1989). On theoretical grounds, Fielder’s model does help in identifying one’s leadership style but its accuracy is still doubtful due to various factors. Firstly, Fiedler based this model on an assumption that leadership styles remain fixed and ignored the possible flexibility in personal traits or chances of betterment through learning over time (Bass, 1990).

Secondly, the model assumes that a person can either be task-oriented or relationship motivated which are two extremes (Peter, Hartke & Pohlman, 1985; Vecchio, 1983). If a person’s LPC scores give an average total, then the leadership style is uncertain and difficult to determine. Lastly, there is a possibility that a person is actually effective as a leader irrespective of leadership style and works well with rest of the team except one who is confused, incompetent or a genuinely unpleasant person to work with.

In such a case, the LPC model will simply declare the person taking the test a low-LPC leader whereas the actual picture can simply be the opposite (Mind Tools, 2012).