©Prentice Hall 2006 CHAPTER FOUR SUPPORTIVE LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOR 4-1

©Prentice Hall 2006 Learning Objectives  Describe supportive leadership as an effective leadership behavior.  Explain why supportive leadership is important for individual followers and groups.  Describe some of the skills, traits, and sources of power a leader needs to develop to be an effective supportive leader.  Discuss some of the skills needed for effective listening, which is part of supportive leadership.  Describe several impacts leader supportiveness has on follower psychological reactions and behaviors. After reading this chapter, you should be able to do the following: 4-2

©Prentice Hall 2006 Learning Objectives (cont.)  Identify organizational situations where supportive leadership is especially effective.  Identify situations where supportive leadership is probably not effective.  Discuss how leaders can modify situations to increase the effectiveness of their supportive behaviors.  Understand how leaders can modify followers’ tasks to substitute for some supportiveness and still maintain positive follower attitudes and performance. After reading this chapter, you should be able to do the following: 4-3

©Prentice Hall 2006 Supportive Leadership Showing concern for the status, well-being and needs of followers; demonstrating a kind, considerate and understanding attitude regarding followers’ problems; and fostering followers’ professional development. 4-4

©Prentice Hall 2006 Types of Supportive Leadership Behaviors SUPPORTIVE LEADERSHIP BEHAVIORS Being friendly, informative, and encouraging Being friendly, informative, and encouraging Being considerate and understanding Being considerate and understanding Being sympathetic to others’ problems Being sympathetic to others’ problems Helping followers develop abilities and careers Helping followers develop abilities and careers Showing trust and respect Showing trust and respect Showing concern for follower needs Showing concern for follower needs 4-5

©Prentice Hall 2006 Examples of Supportive Leadership  A military officer showed ongoing concern and respect for subordinate differences in cultural or racial values, life styles, and mores.  A supervisor was alert to personal problems of subordinates and, once aware of the problems, made a concerted effort to help the subordinate solve them.  A leader made a conscious effort to encourage and provide “air time” for everyone during staff meetings and to distribute privileges or choice task assignments equitably. 4-6

©Prentice Hall 2006 Supportive & Nonsupportive Communication Problem-oriented Descriptive Words & actions consistent Encouraging Specific Interactive (listening) Person-oriented (naming) Evaluative Incongruent words and actions Puts people down General–Vague One-way (telling) Supportive Nonsupportive 4-7

©Prentice Hall 2006 Skills, Traits and Sources of Power for Effective Supportive Leadership SUPPORTIVE LEADERSHIP BEHAVIORS Reward Power Reward Power Interpersonal Skills Interpersonal Skills Referent Power Referent Power Communication Skills Communication Skills Expert Power Expert Power Technical & Professional Competence Technical & Professional Competence 4-8

©Prentice Hall 2006 Facilitating and Limiting Conditions for Supportive Leadership Organization and follower characteristics Style preferences of the leader's superior The organizational mission or culture Followers preferences for supportive leader behavior Cultural preferences for supportive leader behavior 4-9

©Prentice Hall 2006 Supportiveness and Followers’ Behavior  One approach advocates that a leader should use interpersonal support as a reward. This approach is closely aligned with behavioral psychology and is based on the operant conditioning model of learning associated with B. F. Skinner. The rationale is that the leader should show most concern and provide greatest encouragement for the best performers. One important issue for leaders is whether they should provide more interpersonal support to some subordinates than others. To be effective, a leader needs to adapt to different subordinates. 4-10

©Prentice Hall 2006 Supportiveness and Followers’ Behavior (cont.)  Tommy LaSorda, past manager of the Los Angles Dodgers, represents the approach which says that leaders should provide supportiveness as needed by individual followers rather than as a reward for high performance.  His supportiveness can be a “facilitating condition” stimulating improved follower performance. Using supportiveness as positive reinforcement does not address the needs of followers whose performance is less than desired. These employees may need a concerned and encouraging leader to provide them with the confidence necessary to improve their performance. 4-11

©Prentice Hall 2006 Situational Factors that Enhance Supportive Leadership SITUATIONAL FACTORS THAT ENHANCE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SUPPORTIVENESS SITUATIONAL FACTORS THAT ENHANCE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SUPPORTIVENESS FOLLOWER CHARACTERISTICS FOLLOWER CHARACTERISTICS TASK CHARACTERISTICS TASK CHARACTERISTICS low self-confidence low self-esteem insecurity expectation that leader will be supportive high growth needs low self-confidence low self-esteem insecurity expectation that leader will be supportive high growth needs dissatisfying stressful highly structured requires creativity requires learning dissatisfying stressful highly structured requires creativity requires learning ORGANIZATIONAL & GROUP CHARACTERISTICS ORGANIZATIONAL & GROUP CHARACTERISTICS external conflict newly formed group cohesive group with shared beliefs in leader formal plans, goals & procedures mission emphasizing human services authoritarian superior external conflict newly formed group cohesive group with shared beliefs in leader formal plans, goals & procedures mission emphasizing human services authoritarian superior 4-12

©Prentice Hall 2006 Situational Factors that Neutralize Supportive Leadership SITUATIONAL FACTORS THAT NEUTRALIZE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SUPPORTIVENESS SITUATIONAL FACTORS THAT NEUTRALIZE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SUPPORTIVENESS Large Size of Group Large Size of Group High Level Job High Level Job Dogmatic Followers Dogmatic Followers Broad Task Scope Broad Task Scope 4-13

©Prentice Hall 2006 Situational Factors That Substitute for Supportive Leadership SITUATIONAL FACTORS THAT SUBSTITUTE FOR SUPPORTIVENESS SITUATIONAL FACTORS THAT SUBSTITUTE FOR SUPPORTIVENESS FEEDBACK DIRECTLY FROM TASK Rapid Specific Accurate FEEDBACK DIRECTLY FROM TASK Rapid Specific Accurate HIGH DEGREE OF IMPORTANCE PLACED ON ORGANIZATIONAL REWARDS Pay raises Promotions HIGH DEGREE OF IMPORTANCE PLACED ON ORGANIZATIONAL REWARDS Pay raises Promotions INTRINSICALLY SATISYING TASK Interesting Gratifying Meaningful INTRINSICALLY SATISYING TASK Interesting Gratifying Meaningful 4-14

©Prentice Hall 2006 Process Model of the Supportive Leadership Process LEADER SUPPORTIVENESS Concerned, trusting, & respectful of followers Considerate, understanding attitude Friendly, encouraging, & communicative Fostering follower development FOLLOWER/GROUP PSYCHOLOGICAL REACTIONS Satisfaction of esteem & acceptance needs Satisfaction with work & supervisor Overall job satisfaction Organizational commitment Less stress & burnout Group harmony & cohesion FOLLOWER BEHAVIORS AND OUTCOMES Lower turnover, tardiness, absenteeism, & grievance rates Increased individual & group performance 4-15 SITUATIONAL FACTORS INCREASING LEADER EFFECTIVENESS Enhancers Dissatisfying or stressful job Low follower self- confidence, insecurity, or self esteem Follower expectations or high growth needs Structured work task Complex creative task External group conflict New or cohesive group Organization formalization Organization mission Authoritarian supervisor Substitutes Importance placed on organizational rewards Intrinsically satisfying tasks Task feedback SITUATIONAL FACTORS DECREASING LEADER EFFECTIVENESS Neutralizers Dogmatic followers Large size of group

©Prentice Hall 2006 Applying the Model of Supportive Leadership 1. Are followers faced with high amounts of job stress, danger, or insecurity? 2. Do followers’ lack self-confidence or have low self-esteem? 3. Is followers’ group experiencing much external conflict, excessive rules and regulations, or highly authoritarian upper-level management? 4. Does followers’ group have a human service function? If “yes” to one or more of these questions, then leaders’ supportive behaviors will probably be effective. 1. DIAGNOSING THE SITUATION Leaders also act to: Alleviate stressors, insecurities, and conflicts facing followers Modify followers’ situations to increase intrinsic satisfaction and task feedback Manipulate the reward system to improve follower attitudes and performance 3. MODIFYING FOLLOWERS AND/OR SITUATIONS Leader demonstrates supportive behaviors with followers by: Showing concern Being sympathetic, considerate, and understanding Being friendly and informative Encouraging two-way communication Showing trust and respect Providing for career development 2. PROVIDING SUPPORTIVE LEADERSHIP 4-16