Assignment on

Employee Motivation & Leadership

Subject: Path goal theory of leadership & Spiritual
leadership
Course code: HRM-523

Submitted To:
Dr. Md. Mosharraf Hossain
Professor,
Department of Management,
University of Dhaka

Submitted By:
Sourave Kundu
Id no: 162,
Section: A,
Batch no: 20th,
Department of Management,
University of Dhaka

Date of Submission: 21st March, 2019.

Path-Goal Leadership Theory
The Path-Goal model is a theory based on specifying a leader's style or behavior that best fits the
employee and work environment in order to achieve a goal (House, Mitchell, 1974). The goal is
to increase your employees' motivation, empowerment, and satisfaction so they become productive
members of the organization.

Path-Goal is based on Vroom's (1964) expectancy theory in which an individual will act in a
certain way based on the expectation that the act will be followed by a given outcome and on the
attractiveness of that outcome to the individual. The path-goal theory was first introduced by
Martin Evans (1970) and then further developed by House (1971).

The path-goal theory can best be thought of as a process in which leaders select specific behaviors
that are best suited to the employees' needs and the working environment so that they may best
guide the employees through their path in the obtainment of their daily work activities (goals)
(Northouse, 2013).

While Path-Goal Theory is not a detailed process, it generally follows these basic steps as shown
in the graphic below:
 Determine the employee and environmental characteristics
 Select a leadership style
 Focus on motivational factors that will help the employee succeed
 Figure: Path-Goal Theory of Leadership

Employee Characteristics
Employees interpret their leader's behavior based on their needs, such as the degree of structure
they need, affiliation, perceived level of ability, and desire for control. For example, if a leader
provides more structure than what they need, they become less motivated. Thus, a leader needs to
understand their employees so they know how to best motivate them.

Task and Environmental Characteristics

Overcoming obstacles is a special focus of path-goal theory. If an obstacle becomes too strong,
then the leader needs to step in and help the employee select a path to work around it. Some of the
more difficult task characteristics that often arise are:

Design of the task - The design of the task might call for the leader's support. For example, if the
task is ambiguous, then the leader might have to give it more structure or an extremely difficult
task might call for leader support.
Formal authority system - Depending upon the task authority, the leader can provide clear goals
and/or give the employee some or all control.

Work group - If the team is non-supportive, then the leader needs to be cohesiveness and espouse
esprit-de-corps that provides comradeship, enthusiasm, and devotion to all team members.

Leader Behavior or Style

The independent variables of Path-Goal Theory are the leader's behavior — the leader adjusts her
style of behavior to the employee and task characteristics so that the employee's motivation is to
excel at their goal.

House and Mitchell (1974) defined four types of leader behaviors or styles: Directive, Supportive,
Participative, and Achievement (explained in detail below). They are based on two factors that
were identified by an Ohio State University study behavior (Stogdill, 1974):

 Consideration - relationship behaviors, such as respect and trust.

 Initiating Structure - task behaviors, such as organizing, scheduling, and seeing that
work is completed.
The first behavior listed below, Directive, is based on initiating structure. The other three
(achievement, participative, and supportive) are based upon consideration.

The four path-goal types of leader behaviors are:

 Directive: The leader informs her followers on what is expected of them, such as telling
them what to do, how to perform a task, and scheduling and coordinating work. It is most
effective when people are unsure about the task or when there is a lot of uncertainty within
the environment.
 Supportive: The leader makes work pleasant for the workers by showing concern for them
and by being friendly and approachable. It is most effective in situations in which tasks
and relationships are physically or psychologically challenging.
 Participative: The leader consults with his followers before making a decision on how to
proceed. It is most effective when subordinates are highly trained and involved in their
work.
 Achievement: The leader sets challenging goals for her followers, expects them to perform
at their highest level, and shows confidence in their ability to meet this expectation. It is
most effective in professional work environments, such as technical, scientific; or
achievement environments, such as sales.
The leaders' behavior is not set in stone, as there are other leadership styles that may be used
depending upon the situation. For example, House (1996) defined four other behaviors:
A. Work Facilitation
B. Group Oriented Decision Process
C. Work Group Representation and Networking
D. Value Based

Application
As noted earlier, the independent variables of Path-Goal Theory are the leaders' behavior, thus the
path–goal theory assumes that people (leaders) are flexible in that they can change their behavior
or style, depending upon the situation. This coincides with the research that while nature (genes)
may be our internal guide, nurture (experience) is our explorer that has the final say in what we do
(Ridley, 2003).
Spiritual Leadership
Before a definition of spirituality in leadership can be provided, one must first examine the
meaning of the two key aspects of the phrase: the "spirit" and the "leader." One dictionary
definition of spirit is "that which is traditionally believed to be the vital principle or animating
force within living beings." Thus, the spirit relates to the deeper sense, meaning, or significance of
something. A dictionary definition of the leader is "one who shows the way by going in advance;
one who causes others to follow some course of action or line of thought." Thus, the leader is one
who influences followers to think or behave in some way. Combining the two terms suggest that
the leader who incorporates spirituality into his or her leadership will be one who causes others to
seek out and understand their inner selves and who fosters a sense of meaning and significance
among his or her followers. Thus, one definition of spirituality in leadership is a holistic approach
to leadership in which the leader strives to encourage a sense of significance and
interconnectedness among employees.

Spiritual leadership involves the application of spiritual values and principles to the workplace.
The spiritual leader understands the importance of employees finding meaning in their work and
demonstrates a genuine concern for the "whole" person, not just the employee. Spiritual leadership
tries to assist others in finding meaning in their work by addressing fundamental questions such
as:
 Who are we as a work team, department, or organization?
 Is our work worthy? What is our greater purpose?
 What are our values and ethical principles?
 What will be our legacy?
The spiritual leader strives for a workplace that is truly a community, consisting of people with
shared traditions, values, and beliefs.

Spirituality in leadership implies that the focus will be less on formal position power and more on
people; less on conformity and more on transformation and diversity; and less on controlling and
more on partnership, collaboration, and inspiration. Spirituality in leadership does not require that
the leader adhere to a particular religion or that he or she attempt to convince subordinates to
pursue a specific set of religious principles. While leaders who emphasize spirituality may base
their leadership approach in Christianity or another religious tradition, they may also have so-
called "non-traditional" religious beliefs or may not adhere to any particular religion at all.
Spirituality in leadership is more concerned with the development of employees as "whole
people"—people who exhibit compassion to other employees, superiors, subordinates, and
customers.
SPIRITUALITY IN THE WORKPLACE:
Spirituality in leadership cannot be understood apart from the more general issue of spirituality in
the workplace because spirituality plays an increasingly important part in the workplace. Many
employees look to the workplace as a means of finding meaning in their lives. In today's world,
many employees regard their workplace as a community—even as other "communities" that give
meaning to people's lives are strained or ripped apart by modern styles of living. In the U.S. of the
mid-twentieth century, for example, most people lived near, not only their immediate family, but
also their extended family (i.e. grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins). This is no longer the case, as
many in the U.S. and around the world do not live in close proximity to their family of origin or
extended family members. Thus, one's family is not an immediate and ready source of support for
many individuals. This has led to a loss of identity and connectedness in people's lives, since
people's families provide a rich context for self-understanding, personal growth, and maturity.

Similarly, the pattern of individuals' affiliation with formalized religion and religious institutions
has undergone a dramatic change in recent years. Beginning in the 1960s, a general sense of
dissatisfaction and skepticism about organized religion became common, particularly among
younger people. In the subsequent years, rates of attendance at religious services and active
involvement in religion declined worldwide. Although the majority of people today will self-
identify as a member of some religious faith, many still do not attend formal religious services and
have only a tenuous connection with a particular church, synagogue, etc. Thus, many people appear
to be estranged from formal religion, which takes away another potential avenue to a sense of self-
worth, identity and spiritual growth.

Likewise, many people used to find a sense of identity and connection in their neighborhoods and
communities. This has changed as well. Many people relocate several times during their careers
and spend relatively short periods of time in any one place. They do not put down roots in their
local community, do not participate to a great degree in community events, and do not form strong
relationships with neighbors. Anecdotal and survey evidence suggest that it is common for people
to live next door or across the street from people and know almost nothing about them, even in
small towns. In general, many people seem to be "drifting" without a strong connection to others
or overall sense of purpose.

Within this context, it is easy to explain why so many people seek to derive great meaning from
their work and their organizations. Most spend more time in the workplace with their coworkers
than anywhere else. Close friendships, courtships, and marriages are common among coworkers.
The modern workplace is not just a place where people work, but a place where they form
friendships, socialize, and attempt to find a sense of fulfillment. It is also a place where people
attempt to make sense of and derive meaning from the activities that comprise what we call "work"
and how these activities fit within the greater fabric of individuals' lives. This quest for meaning
has prompted the recognition that spirituality in the workplace and spiritual leadership are real
issues affecting the quality of life in the modern organization.