1. Contingency Approaches3
Contingency Approaches

2. Chapter Objectives
Understand how leadership is often contingent on people and situations.
Apply Fiedler’s contingency model to key relationships among leader style, situational favorability, and group task performance.
Apply Hersey and Blanchard’s situational theory of leader style to the level of follower readiness.
Explain the path-goal theory of leadership.
Use the Vroom-Jago model to identify the correct amount of follower participation in specific decision situations.
Know how to use the power of situational variables to substitute for or neutralize the need for leadership.

3. Ex. 3.1 Comparing the Universalistic and Contingency Approaches to Leadership
Outcomes
(Performance, satisfaction, etc.)
Universalistic Approach
Leadership Traits/behaviors
Leader
Style
Traits
Behavior
Position
Contingency Approach
Outcomes
(Performance, satisfaction, etc.)
Needs
Maturity
Training
Cohesion
Task
Structure
Systems
Env.
Followers
Situation

4. Contingency Approaches
Contingency approaches: approaches that seek to delineate the characteristics of situations and followers and examine the leadership styles that can be used effectively
Fiedler’s contingency model: a model designed to diagnose whether a leader is task-oriented or relationship-oriented and match leader style to the situation

5. Fiedler’s contingency model
In this model, first the leader’s dominant style is determined – whether it is task-oriented or leader- oriented (thru questionaire)
Situation defined in terms of 3 elements (whether favorable or unfavorable to the leader)
Leader-member relations
Task structure
Position power
Task orientation works best when situation is highly favorable or unfavorable; relationship orientation favorable when situation is moderate

6. Situational Theory
Hersey and Blanchard’s extension of the Leadership Grid focusing on the characteristics of followers as the important element of the situation, and consequently, of determining effective leader behavior

7. Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Theory of Leadership
Follower characteristics:
Low readiness level – poor ability and skills, low experience, unwillingness to take responsibility
High readiness level - opposite

8. Ex. 3.4 Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Theory of Leadership
Follower Characteristics
Appropriate Leader Style
Low readiness level
Moderate readiness level
High readiness level
Very high readiness level
Telling (high task-low relationship)
Selling (high task-high relationship)
Participating (low task-high rel.)
Delegating (low task-low relationship)

9. Ex. 3.2 Metacategories of Leader Behavior and Four Leader Styles
High
High Task-Low
Relationship
High Task-High
Relationship
BEHAVIOR
TASK
Low Task-Low
Relationship
High Relationship
-Low Task
Low
Low
RELATIONSHIP BEHAVIOR
High

10. Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Theory of Leadership
Telling – directive style (high concern for task and low for relationship)
Selling – leader explains decisions and gives followers chance to ask questions (high for task and high for relationship)
Participating – leader shares ideas with followers and facilitates decision-making (low for task and high for relationship)
Delegating – hand-off approach (low for task and low for relationship)

11. Path-Goal Theory
A contingency approach to leadership in which the leader’s responsibility is to increase subordinates’ motivation by clarifying the behaviors necessary for task accomplishment and rewards
Three sets of contingencies –
Leader-style
Followers & situation
Rewards

12. Ex. 3.5 Leader Roles in the Path-Goal Model
Path Clarification
Increase Rewards
Leader defines what follower
must do to attain work outcomes
Leader learns follower’s needs
Leader clarifies follower’s work role
Leader matches follower’s needs to rewards if work outcomes are accomplished
Follower has increased knowledge & confidence to accomplish outcomes
Leader increases value of work outcomes for follower
Follower displays increased effort and motivation
Organizational work outcomes are accomplished

13. Ex. 3.6 Path-Goal Situations and Preferred Leader Behaviors
Impact on Follower
Outcome
Followers lack self-confidence
Supportive Leadership
Increases confidence to achieve work outcomes
Directive Leadership
Increased effort; improved satisfaction and performance
Ambiguous job
Clarifies path to reward
Achievement-Oriented Leadership
Lack of job
challenge
Set and strive for high goals
Participative Leadership
Clarifies followers’ needs to change rewards
Incorrect
reward

14. The Vroom-Jago Contingency Model
A contingency model that focuses on varying degrees of participative leadership, and how each level of participation influences quality and accountability of decisions

15. Calls for 5 different leadership styles, ranging from highly autocratic to democratic - depending on situation
Decided by asking 7 diagnostic questions
Further added time and concern for follower development
Uses matrix

16. Ex. 3.7 Five Leader Decision Styles
Area of Freedom for Group
Area of Influence by Leader
Decide
Consult Individually
Consult Group
Facilitate
Delegate

17. Substitute and Neutralizer
Substitute: a situational variable that makes leadership unnecessary or redundant
Neutralizer: a situational characteristic that counteracts the leadership style and prevents the leader from displaying certain behaviors

18. Ex. 3.10 Substitutes and Neutralizers for Leadership
Substitutes for
No effect on
Neutralizes
Professionalism
Training/experience
Low value of rewards
Follower characteristics
Highly struct. task
Automatic feedback
Intrinsic satisfaction
Task characteristics
Group cohesiveness
Formalization
Inflexibility
Low positional power
Physical separation
Organizational variables
People-Oriented Leadership
Task-Oriented Leadership
Variable