LEADERSHIP THEORY

MICHIGAN STUDIES (1961). TWO dimensions of leadership:

Job centered – leader pays close attention to the work of subordinates, explains work procedures & is interested in performance – main concern is efficient completion of task. 

Employee centered - leader attempts to build effective work groups with high performance goals. Leader’s main concern is with high performance, but that was to be accomplished by paying attention to the human aspects of the group.

LEADERSHIP GRID. The leadership style model give rise to Robert Blake and James Mauton’s Managerial Grid, 1985 (Leadership Grid). A framework for portraying types of leadership behavior and their various potential combination. Based on 2 dimension: concern production and concern for people-7 styles of Leadership.

BLAKE AND JAMES MAUTON’S LEADERSHIP GRID

(1,1) – low people, low production

(9,1) – high production, low people

(1,9) – high people, low production

(5,5) – balance (50% of both)

(9,9) – most effective leadership

note : (9 represents high concern), ( 1 represents low concern)

Blake and James Mauton’s Leadership Grid (7 Styles)

(1,1) – Impoverished Management: Minimum effort to get require work done and to sustain organisational membership

(9,1) – Autocratic/ Authority Compliance Management: Efficiency in operations results from arranging conditions of work in such a way that human elements interference to a minimum degree

(1,9) – Country club management: Thoughtful attention to the need of staff for satisfying relationship leads to comfortable, friendly organisation atmosphere and work tempo

(5,5) – Middle of the Road Management: Adequate organisational performance and maintaining satisfactory morale

(9,9) – Team Management: Work accomplishment from committed people and interdependence through a “common stake” in organisation purpose leads to relationship of trust and respect

(1,9) and (9,1)- Paternalistic/Materialistic Management: uses both styles but do not integrate. Leader define initiative/work and offer praise and appreciation BUT discourage challenge or affront to leadership.

Combination 1-5. Opportunistic Leadership: Uses any conciliation of the 5 styles for advantage of leadership.

Four styles of leadership

Four main styles of leadership are identified in the Tannenbaum and Schmidt Continuum of Leadership:

TELLS/ DIRECTIVE

Leader identifies problems, makes decision and announces to subordinates; expects implementation

SELLS/CONSULTATION

Leader still makes decision, but attempts to overcome resistance through discussion & persuasion

CONSULTS/PARTICIPATE

Leader identifies problem and presents it to the group. Listens to advice and suggestions before making a decision

JOINS/DELEGATE

Leader defines the problem and passes on the solving & decision-making to the group (which manager is part of) 

Leadership style 

Three-Dimension Leadership Styles

William Reddin developed another useful model for identifying the leadership styles of practising school administrators. Figure below shows his relatively elaborate three-dimensional, model of leadership effectiveness. When the style of a leader is appropriate to a given situation, it is termed effective, when the style is inappropriate to a given situation, it is termed ineffective.

The effective styles are as follows:

Developer

A leader using this style gives maximum concern to relationship and minimum concern to tasks. Te leader is seen as having implicit trust in people and concerned mainly with developing them as individuals.

Executive

A leader using this style gives a great deal of concern to both tasks and relationships. The leader is seen as a good motivator, setting high standards, recognising individual differences, and using team management.

Bureaucrat

A leader using this styles gives minimum concern to both tasks and relationships. The leader is seen as conscientious and is interested mainly in rules and wants to maintain an control the situation by the use of rules.

Benevolent autocrat

A leader using this style gives maximum concern to tasks and minimum concern to relationships. The leader is seen as knowing exactly what she wants and how to get it without causing resentment.

The ineffective styles are as follows:

Missionary

A leader using this style gives maximum concern to people and relationships which such behavior is inappropriate. The leader is seen as a “do-gooder” who values harmony as an end in itself.

Compromiser

A leader using this style gives a great deal of concern to both tasks and relationships in a situation that requires emphasis on only one or on either. The leader is seen as a poor decision maker; he is affected by pressure.

Deserter

A leader using this style gives a minimum concern to tasks and relationships in a situation where such behaviour is inappropriate. The leader is seen as uninvolved and passive. 

Autocrat

A leader using this style gives maximum concern to tasks and minimum concern to relationships in a situation in which such behaviour is inappropriate. The leader is seen as having no confidence in others, as unpleasant, and as interested only in the immediate job.