Contingency Theories of Leadership - Case Study Example

Are contingency theories of leadership, or trait theories of leadership, more useful for leaders in organisations? Name Date Introduction Different leadership theories have different uses for the organisation which includes contingency and the trait theories of leadership. Trait theories advocate that leaders are born, and this is the main reason as to why some leaders succeed while others do not. On the other hand, the contingency leadership models advocate that the organisation's leadership should change depending on the change in situations (Bolden, 2011). One of the main strength of the contingency leadership style within the organisation is that it equips the leaders with the ability to handle different situations better given that they are equipped to respond to changes in the external environment. Furthermore, those leaders that rely on this type of leadership mainly evaluates the external environment before coming up with the best [possible solution on how to handle various tasks that face an organisation in general. On the other hand, one of the weakness of the contingency theory of the leadership is that it suggests that leaders have optimal situations and therefore in some cases they may not possess the knowledge that is capable of handling certain situation which is detrimental to the company progress in the long run (Avolio, Walumba, and Weber, 2009). However, this type of leadership helps in human resource planning given that it gives the organisation the broader picture of what is required to handle given the situation efficiently. On the other hand, the traits leadership focuses on the character traits that leaders possess and what makes them exceptional in the organisation. This study evaluates the contingency and trait theories of leadership and proposes that contingency leadership theories are more useful for the leaders of the organisation. Contingency theories Contingency theories suggest that the leadership of the organisation depends on the external as well as external forces and therefore there is no better way to make decisions, lead an organisation as well as organising the affairs of a given organisation (Daft, and Marcic, 2014). Therefore, for a leader to be successful, it is important to analyse a given situation and apply a leadership style that meets the identified situation. Therefore, contingent leadership uses for the application of the leadership style depending on the situation at hand. Besides, the contingency theory of leadership emphasises on the importation of incorporation of both the situation as well as the leadership personalities which are important for an organisation to succeed (Northouse, 2016). For instance, due to changes in technology and competition, it is important to scan the external environment to identify the opportunities available as well as the emerging threats in the market. However, for an organisation to be successful, various situations must be approached differently especially in cases where they are different from the ones that had been confronted in the past (Day, and Antonakis, 2012). The contingency theory advocates for the task motivated types of leaders. The task motivated types of leaders to focus on the responsibilities at hand while the relationship-motivated leaders mainly concentrate on the connection between the employees and other stakeholders in a given institution (Rašković, 2014). The leaders who concentrate more on the relationship are more interested in making sure that the interpersonal relationship between various stakeholders is maintained which is important in the organisation progress and in factoring in the company development in the market (Kellerman, 2007). However, one of the major measurement scales that has been in use in the past has been the use of the Least Preferred Co-Worker Scale (LPC scale.) which helps in determining whether the leaders are relationship motivated or are either task motivated (Hsiung, Tsai, and Chen, 2011). Those with high LPC score are considered to be relationship motivated while others with lower LPC scores are tasks motivated. Relationship-motivated help in making sure that various stakeholders in the company have the positive relationship between them which is instrumental given that it is the origin of teamwork which is significant for an organisation success in the long run. For organisation activities to be carried out, it is important to ensure that various stakeholders have established relationship given that this helps in contributing to the improved customer service in the long run (Higgs, and Rowland, 2011). Furthermore, the relationship oriented leaders focus on the relationship with other employees given that the environment in which the employee thrive in is essential for long-term survival for any organisation. It helps in building confidence within the organisation as well as the element of loyalty and trusts which assist in reducing the employees' turnover. On the other hand, the tasks related leaders focus on making sure that the tasks set out are achieved and are less concerned with the various relationship within the organisation. The task structure is set out to ensure that the allocated responsibilities are accomplished at a given point in time (Daft, 2011). Traits Theories of Leadership The trait leadership theory proposes that leaders are born, and therefore only the individuals that have the correct traits, as well as qualities, have the ability to lead a company. Therefore, this leadership theory mainly focusses on the behavioural characterises that leaders should possess and this is vital to the success of the company in the long run. Therefore, leaders possess certain behaviours that are unique to them and are applied to the leadership of the organisation. Furthermore, the trait leadership theory shows the reasons as to why some people are best suited for the leadership positions while others may be not (Conger, 2004). Over the years there have been cases where some leaders have been successful while others have not and this depends on whether they can lead or not. For instance, even though Apple was struggling before Steve Jobs took over, he was able to change the company progress in the market by instituting certain leadership qualities that were able to fit the needs of the company, and as a result, Apple has become the most valuable company in the world (Sharma, and Grant, 2011). Therefore, it is vital to understand the characteristic, skills, as well as the talents that those who succeed possess and what makes them successful leaders and other are not. Through this understanding, those leaders who have been able to succeed in the past helps the organisation in recruiting the leaders who have certain characteristic traits and can lead the company in the long run. Therefore, it is possible to predict whether the leaders are likely to be successful or not depending on the traits that they possess. The characteristic of successful leaders includes the honesty and integrity, confidence, drive and motivation, emotional intelligence, charisma, creativity, flexibility, decision-making skills, energy, tenacity, initiative as well as the knowledge of the company among others (Bennis, 2007). However, traits theory indicates that leaders are born with one or more traits that are fundamental in the running of the company and may be applied in a different manner which is vital to the company long term success. With this in mind, for the leaders to succeed in the long run, it is important to establish various leadership qualities that they possess and use them as a basis to conduct appropriate training to ensure that they have the ability to handle various tasks in the organisation. However, leaders have strength and weaknesses, and even though they possess certain leadership qualities, it is important to ascertain that they have the ability to use their strengths to overcome various challenges in the long run. Some of the leadership traits such as knowledge of the company operations, better decision-making skills, creativity, flexibility as well as confidence are vital in the leadership process and can help a company in establishing the ways to succeed in the market. More often than not, those leaders that are unable to succeed in the market do not possess the right characteristics to succeed especially due to their inability to analyse different situations. Some of the major strengths of the trait theories are that it helps in developing the right understanding and the knowledge that leaders should use in the different leadership process. As a result trait theory is the natural, pleasing theory which helps in understanding the reason as to why some leaders succeed while others do not. Furthermore, this theory is supported by the existing literature as to why leaders are born, and the reasons that some leaders succeed and others do not (Zaccaro, 2007). Analysis Even though traits leadership theories identifies the characteristics that make up for the effective leaders in the company, it is the contingency leaders that have the ability to establish successful operations for the company (Caldwell, 2003). Even though certain traits may be fundamental for successful leadership, it is not guaranteed to success given that certain situations require different types of leadership which are provided for by the contingency theories. The current business environment requires time to time adjustments as result of changes in technology and competition. Companies often change tactics to outperform the others in the market, and it is with the company leadership to ensure that measures are placed to ensure that the company can adapt as the situation changes. The contingency theory of leadership shows that it is impossible for the company leadership to rely on one type of leadership style especially due to the changing dynamics of the market. Therefore, an organisation cannot succeed by implementing a single system in different situations given that diverse solutions are needed with the change in circumstances. Customers have different needs which must be satisfied by the organisation, and it is with the company leadership to structure a team that is likely to lead in providing the appropriate solutions needed by the customers. Therefore, the allocation of duties as recommended by the contingency theory requires the responsibilities to be allocated based on the skills or the identified tasks (Certo, and Trevis Certo, 2014). Through this, the leadership have the ability to structure the guidelines that are likely to make sure that the company can meet the customer deadlines despite the changes in situations given that contingency theory adopts flexibility as a fundamental virtue to succeed in various operation in the company. The use of contingency theory enables the managers in the company to handle various risks as well as the challenges given that they can analyse the situations and come up with strategies likely to succeed in the long run. Furthermore, the managers can choose to either use the relationship based type of leadership or task based leadership depending on the situations which make theory comprehensive a successfully one in today's business environment (Boies, Fiset, and Gill, 2015). The management retains the overall control in the contingency model. They have the pressure to ensure that the activities are executed in the right manner, and their ability to analyse different situations is vital for the successful operations of the company. The failure of the team that certain tasks are allocated to is blamed upon the company management given that it is their role to analyse the situations and come up with the best solutions that meet the company needs or the customer's requirements Caproni, P.J. (2012). The contingency theory also enables the company leadership to form and maintain the various relationship with employees which helps in fostering a common bond within the company. Through this, the management can identify the strengths and the weaknesses of different employees and through this allocate various responsibilities depending on the employee's ability to handle various tasks. Through this, it is highly likely that the company leadership will always assign the right group of people to the certain task that requires their expertise to execute (Vroom, and Jago, 2007). Conclusion Contingency model is better equipped to help the organisation in completing certain tasks in the organisation. It provides the organisation with the ability to allocate various tasks depending on the situations and the ability of the employees. Therefore, through this, the leaders in the organisation can assign leadership qualities depending on the suitability of the employees. Through this, a company may choose to either use the relationship or tasks motivated type of leadership styles. The use of the contingency leadership enables the leaders to come up with active groups depending on various situations. This further supports the Fiedler's contingency model which shows that one leadership style does not have the ability to succeed in different circumstances. The prescriptive knowledge of the contingency model helps in improving the performances of the identified group. Furthermore, the research and expertise are two main elements of the contingency research which require the leaders to have the ability to analyse situations in the right manner. The success of the contingency model also helps in the leadership identification and at the same time help in flexibility in the organisation. References Avolio, B.J., Walumba, f.O. and Weber, T.J. (2009). ‘Leadership: Current Theories, Research, and Future Directions', Annual review of Psychology, 60, pp. 421-449. Bennis, W. (2007). 'The Challenges of Leadership in the Modern World', American Psychologist, 62(1), pp. 2-5. Boies, K., Fiset, J. and Gill. (2015). ‘Communication and trust are key: Unlocking the relationship between leadership and team performance and creativity', The Leadership Quarterly. Dec. 26(6) pp. 1080-1094 Bolden, R. 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