Models and Theories of Leadership - Assignment Example

Models and Theories of Leadership Name Course Institution Instructor’s name Date Which one of the contingency models described in Chapter 3 would be most useful to you as a leader? Describe the model and state-why? Multiple Linkage theory of Leadership Definition, Importance and Background The Multiple Linkage Theory of leadership puts forth four general categories of leadership which are further classified into eleven subclasses. The model was developed by Gary Yukl who asserted that the effect of leadership on the performance of groups is complicated and is controlled by a couple of factors. On one hand are the immediate effects of leader behavior on follower action, coordination with other groups and individuals, job knowledge, cohesion, resources cooperation, and organization of the work. These aspects when applied correctly by the leader enhance follower performance. On the other hand, the leadership impact is impacted by the situational characteristics such as technology of the workplace, formal organizational reward system, organizational procedures and policy, and the type of task performed by the workers. Skills, Traits and Sources of Power There are four important skills, traits and sources of power which may be used by the leader using the multiple linkage theory. The important aspects are; building relationships, influencing people, making decisions, and giving or seeking information. Building relationships refers to aspects of behaviors such as offering support through empathy and sympathy in addition to advice, networking, and managing conflict and team building which would enhance teamwork leading to better group outcomes. The leader ought to have skills of influencing people such as motivating of followers and rewarding and recognition through respect and appreciation. The skill of decision making is an important skill for the leader adopting this model. This leader has to have the skills of problem solving, organization and planning, and delegation and consultation. A leader weak in decision making dimension will find it difficult to implement this model of leadership. Another important aspect of the model is the seeking or giving information. The leader will have to be adept at offering information to followers, offering clarification, and collecting information that will determine modification of procedures or policy. Ineffective Application of the Model While the model is effective for the most part it is also ineffective to apply the model in certain instances. In instances in which the followers are passive or are used to authoritarian leadership the model may not be as effective. On the other hand there are instances in which the followers may not have the necessary education or experience to suit the model. For instance it would not be effective to make consultations with uneducated factory workers regarding management policy. Some organizations such as the military also call for formalized systems and chains of command. Use of the model in such organizations would not be expected by the junior followers and may result to ineffective leadership. Situational Factors that Neutralize Effectiveness of the Linkage Model Even as supportive leadership is one of the best forms of leadership available, there are situations in which it would be ineffective. The theory may not be effective in instances of large groups of people since it would be cumbersome to build strong relationships, influence people, and consult with a large group of people. The model would also be neutralized in highly structured organizations or professions such as accounting and engineering which are more geared towards individual rather than group outcomes. Situational Factors that Enhance Linkage Model It is a fact that factors such as technology of the workplace, formal organizational reward system, Organizational procedures and policy, and the type of task performed by the workers influence the effectiveness of the model. Workplaces which are less imbued with technology, have less formal reward systems, less structured systems procedures and policy, and have tasks which call for consultation and delegation would enhance the effectiveness of the linkage model. Such systems would enable the leader using the model to use more aspects of the model in greater association with the followers. Situation Factors that Substitute for the Linkage Model There are instances in which the linkage model would not be appropriate due to the availability of better options. A good example is the medical profession in which the highly specialized nature of the job calls for independence and hence the leader in this instance has to find another way to lead other than Linkage model. On the other hand technical workplaces such as manufacturing or mechanical engineering give immediate feedback and hence the people in such situation would require delegated leadership if they are to flourish given the nature of their tasks. Examples A good example of of the Linkage model theory is a situation in which a supervisor offers appreciation and respect to the workers and influences and builds good relationships with them through offering professional advice on how to perform their work and also seeking their opinion on how work conditions may be improved. Another scenario may involve a manager who consults and delegates responsibility to his juniors while offering direction and making the big decisions for their welfare resulting in better outcomes due to the trust and respect developed. Describes/explain the Supportive Leadership behavior Style and a leadership Situation in which you would find it useful Introduction, Importance and Background There have many studies that tend to describe the supportive leadership behavior. However, the study first and originally was the work of researchers at the Ohio University between 1950s and 1960s. In the views of the researchers at the Ohio University, supportive leadership behavior includes the leaders’ being expected to be compassionate, empathetic friendly and helpful, offers encouragement to the led, show genuine concern for the positions, and be a good communicator who listens not only guides but also listens to the followers. The supportive leadership behavior is the most preferred leadership styles in organizations such as universities, the military, and government. The leadership style emphasizes on the satisfaction of the needs of the followers such as need for recognition, respect and appreciation. When recognized and appreciated through some forms of supports, the individual follower becomes motivated and will work hard with desire to raise the status enjoyed by the company. Followers can raise organization’s status through acts of improving themselves such as creativity and innovation targeted at easing and facilitating production processes. Creativity and innovation can also lead to realization of new product or production strategies that will create a positive competitive advantage against other players in the same industries. When an organization realizes a unique and positive competitive advantage, it will obviously grow beyond the expectations of other competitors to an extent of gaining customers’ trust and confidence. Skills, Traits and Sources of Power There are generally six skills, traits and sources of power for the leader practicing supportive leadership; communication skills, interpersonal skills, technical and professional competence, expert power, referent power, and reward power. Communication skills are an important part since the supportive leader has to convey feelings, listen actively, convey ideas, and elicit feelings and ideas from the followers. Of great importance in communication skills are the skills of empathy which are augmented by acceptance and consideration. Interpersonal skills are important to the supportive leader since they enhance the leader’s capacity to offer support to the followers in times of crisis or pressure. In order for the leader to be effective they have to be professionally and technically competent in the given tasks in order to enable them to offer feedback on follower tasks. The development of professional and technical proficiency in turn leads to expert power which makes them more efficient in rational persuasion. The supportive leader has to have referent power which is normally related to accomplishments, personality and integrity that makes the followers look up to them. The supportive leader has the power to reward the followers with better resources and improvements to their work conditions. Ineffective Supportive Leadership The supportive leader’s behavior should impact the followers positively but there are instances in which supportive leadership is not effective. A health care hospice with professional doctors does not need to have supportive leadership since the skills needed for the most part are technical and professional skills. Such a setting may have people who have studied psychology and they may be sensitive if they perceive they are being manipulated by managers which may make them less effective in their work. Situation Factors that Neutralize Effectiveness of Supportive Leadership Even as supportive leadership is one of the best forms of leadership available, there are situations in which it will be ineffective. Large groups of workers may be harder to apply the rues of supportive leadership as connection with a large group is usually difficult. Supportive leadership may not fit in task with a wide scope since influence or expert or referent power may not apply. It may also not be effective in organizations with a set cultural mindset. Lastly it may also be ineffective at the high job level for instance it may not work to use supportive leadership for high level managers as it may be deemed condescending. Situational Factors that Enhance Supportive Leadership There are three important characteristics that enhance supportive leadership; task characteristics, organizational and group characteristics, and follower characteristics. Tasks which are deemed to be dissatisfying, dangerous or are detrimental to the worker’s needs is detrimental and as such the supportive leader ought to ensure these are reduced. Organizational and group characteristics such as group culture may enhance the supportive leadership function through offering group cohesiveness and interdependence. On the other hand follower characteristics such as emotional intelligence and high IQ may result in a situation in which supportive leadership is more appreciated by the workers leading to better efficiency. Situation Factors that Substitute for Supportive Leadership There are instances in which supportive leadership may not be requires due to better options available. For instance, a scenario in which the followers are completely satisfied due to the rewarding and satisfying nature of the job, supportive leadership will be irrelevant. Another scenario is wherein the work to be undertaken offers its own feedback thereby making the leader not that important. Examples Pat Carrigan who was the plant manager at GM and Hebert Kelleher the founder of Southwest Airlines offer the best examples of the application of the supportive leadership theory. Pat Carrigan was especially good at applying this theory at GM since he was always offering technical and professional support and assistance in an empathetic manner which led to his division becoming the best in GM. Hebert Kelleher also used similar methods by ensuring that employees concerns were always addressed on time leading to the exponential growth of Southwestern Airlines due to increased output. Kelleher asserted that supportive leadership led to increased efficiency of the workers since their needs and desires were satisfied by the management. Describes/explain the Directive Leadership behavior Style and a leadership Situation in which you would find it useful. Introduction, Importance and Background The directive model of leadership manifests when the leader give directions targeted at governing followers in accomplishing specific assignment. Usually, directive model of leadership dictates procedures, methods, rules as well as determining and establishing the objectives, missions, policies, and goals for workers to achieve. The directive leadership framework is based on assignment of job tasks to workers, ranking of tasks, schedules and expectation. The directive leadership style applies in many industries in contemporary times, such as military, the civil service, and manufacturing plants. This type of leadership behavior can offer better task comprehension for the followers since it offers clear direction on task performance and consequences for poor performance. Skills, Traits and Sources of Power Generally directive leaders tend to develop their own means, traits and sources of power for directive leadership. There are six skills, traits and sources of power for directive leadership; communication skills, expert power, self confidence and assertiveness, technical and professional competence, legitimate power, and resource/connection power. Proper communication skills are fundamental due to offering better comprehension through clarity and specificity of task instructions, feedback, and role definition for the employees. Technical and professional competence is importance since it allows the leader to offer directions on tasks and also offer feedback. Technical and professional competence which may have been obtained through experience results to expert power enabling the leader to be looked up to as an expert thus enhancing directive capacities. Expert power and professional proficiency also results in self confidence and assertiveness which are important in offering directions. The directive leader must also have legitimate power which may have been obtained by experience or professional and technical capacity in order to be respected. Lastly the directive leader must be deemed to have power and connection in terms of capacity to give resources for the tasks assigned. Ineffective Directive Leadership: While directive leadership has direct impact, there are instances in which directive leadership is ineffective. A good example is a scenario in which the worker is a fully trained and experienced professional. Use of directive leadership in such a situation would be ineffective and may result to worker disaffection. Directive leadership would be deemed by the workers to be a statement that their skills and qualifications are not recognized by the manager which will result in friction. Situation Factors that Neutralize Effectiveness of Directive Leadership Just like in other styles of leadership, there are instances in which directive leadership will not be as effective. A cohesive group of followers with a low performance norm may have a neutralizing influence on directive leadership since it would only serve to enhance group cohesion and defiance. Highly structured tasks such as accounting or manufacturing will be negatively impacted by directive leadership since they require individual expertise. Lastly experienced and highly skilled followers output will be negatively impacted by the directive leadership as they will deem such leadership to be taking away their independence and questioning their skills. Situations that Increase Effectiveness of Directive Leadership Directive form of leadership can apply to various situations depending on the given organization’s structure and circumstances. Directive model of leadership can be effective in highly structured job tasks. The leader will just have to give detailed directions and instructions as to the successful accomplishment of the given task. In a highly structured production line that also needs to catch up with time, directive leadership coupled with clear communication will help in the achievement of the assigned task within the specified time frame. Another situation where directive leadership is effective is where there is large number of workers. Instead of monitoring every individual, the leader can just give general instructions preferred for a given task and wait for evaluation at the end of the task. Due to the fact that no individual will grasp all the instruction, there will be enhanced cohesion and collaboration within groups of workers as they will be sharing and reminding each other about the processes and procedures to follow. Situational Factors that Substitute for Directive Leadership There are instances in which directive leadership may not be as effective since options may offer better results. An autonomous workgroup calls for employment of other models of leadership to enhance effectiveness since the workers are for the most part self directed. Organization formalization may exclude direct control over some workers. Followers that have been with the leader for a long time will not need directive but rather supportive or participative leadership to bring out their best. Situations in which the worker obtains direct feedback from the task makes the directive leader of little value. Lastly situations of predictable routines and work processes make directive leadership superfluous. Examples Example of directive leadership is a leader encourages reliance and good relation especially to followers with many years of experience with the leader for instance Mohamed bin Rashid of Dubai practices directive leadership by offering referential and expert power since he is a much educated and travelled man who can offer insights on good management and planning. Another example is when the leader design jobs in such a way that followers receive performance feedback direct from the job tasks accomplished a good example of this is the system developed by Bill Gates at Microsoft for software development. Describes/explain the Participative Leadership behavior Style and a leadership Situation in which you would find it useful. Introduction, Importance and Background Leaders have to make important decisions on the day to day running of the organization. Leaders have to make decisions on hiring and retiring employees, task assignments, purchase of capital equipment, and modification of policy. The contemporary democratic world, calls for worker involvement crucial decision making is of great significance to the leader and organization in general. Involving workers in the process of decision making can be possible through engaging workers union in certain negotiations and determination of issues that tend to affect workers in certain ways. Participative leadership refers to the leadership of an organization involving the lower cadre members of the organization in the decision and policy making processes. Participative leadership is thus the sharing of mandated power with the followers on matters affecting them. The instance of participative leadership has been driven by increasing education levels of workers calling for more involvement in issues affecting their welfare. It has to be asserted that participative leadership does not only relate to seeking of opinions from the lower cadre followers but also from upper level leadership and even external stakeholders. Skills, Traits and Sources of Power Leaders may come up with their own skills and traits to enhance participation between leader and workers. Integrity is an important aspect to be taken into consideration in exercising participative leadership. Leaders of integrity and trust will be better leaders whom people will follow. Integrity may be developed through consistency in behavior, loyalty and commitment to their followers. The leader needs to be socialized towards accepting the need to involve the followers in decision making. Persons who have a strong need for power will be less likely to want to implement participative leadership styles. Socialization of leaders will result in better attitudes towards participative leadership. Leaders who have lesser needs for power will exhibit less aggressiveness or dominance tendencies towards their followers. Such leaders will be patient in taking the opinions of the followers and other persons who are stakeholders or are experienced in given matters or situations. Ineffective Participative Leadership Participative leadership is one of the fastest growing leadership models of the contemporary world. The model is effective in situations of well educated and experience followers. However, there are instances in which the model may be ineffective. Participative leadership may be made ineffective through hypocrisy of the leader towards implementation of participative leadership. For instance some leaders may call for a meeting to discuss policy while they have already made a decision. In some instances the leader may opt to use participative leadership in matters of little import while decisions on the weighty matters are made unilaterally. Such practices will lead to disillusionment and will make the followers lose interest in participative leadership making it less effective. Situational Factors that Neutralize the Effectiveness of Participative Leadership There are several scenarios in which participative leadership may not be as effective as required. In such instances it is important that the leader adopt a different style in order to be effective. In instances of a large group of followers it would be impossible to practice participative leadership as this would take too much time and be less effective due to contrasting opinion. Tasks that are highly structured such as manufacturing or accounting would make participative leadership cumbersome. The nature of the followers also make a difference since followers who are passive or are used to authoritarian leadership will make participatory leadership ineffective. Situations Increasing Effectiveness of Participative Leadership There are many instances in which participative leadership styles of leadership may be effective. Effectiveness will be driven by; follower characteristics, group and leader characteristics, and task characteristics. Followers who have high job competence, need for independence, internal locus of control and expect participation will enhance effectiveness. Followers who have a strong sense of group harmony, trust in their leader and have good leader skills in conflict management will enhance effectiveness. Tasks which are of great importance, call for commitment, and have a degree of uncertainty will be better dealt with using participative leadership where different opinions for problem solution may be provided. Situation Factors that Substitute for Participative Leadership There are several scenarios when other models of leadership would be better placed. A good scenario is the military in which commissioned officers are given regulations of the army to follow. In such a scenario, the commissioned officer is not expected to practice participatory leadership but rather directive leadership. Examples One example of participative leadership is when a leader holds an informal conversation with the individual juniors to gather information relating to decision making. For instance a leader may wish to introduce new regulations intended to make workers work more hours while paying them extra for every unit of output and efficiency attained. This will enable the workers to discuss and air their opinions on whether it is good for them or not and hence prevent disaffection in future which may be the case in unilateral decisions. In another example a leader may intend to introduce a new production method and may ask the worker to offer their input since they are most knowledgeable on the production processes. This will serve to make the workers feel valued and enhance production efficiency. Read More