3.

Behavioral Theory

 Postulates that leaders adopt a particular leadership style which exerts tremendous impact over
individual and group behavior.

4 Types of Leaders

1. Dictatorial Leader
 One with absolute authority and utilizes threats and punishments to induce compliance
2. Authoritarian Leader
 One who claims covenant sourced from authority to exact obedience
3. Democratic or Participative Leader
 One who involves subordinates in considering organizational matters
4. Laissez-faire or free rein leader
 One who offers information to the members but shows little involvement and
participation in group activities.

Styles of Leadership Behavior

1. Job-centered/Task-oriented
 “the use of rules, procedures and close supervision of subordinates”
2. Employee-centered/Relationship-oriented
 Delegation of authority and responsibility, concern for employee welfare, needs,
advancement, and personal growth.

Supervisors with the best records of performance focus their primary attention on the human aspects of
their subordinate’s problems. These supervisors were called “employee-centered”
Likert also discovered that high producing supervisors “make clear to their subordinates what
the objectives are and what needs to be accomplished and are then given freedom to do the
job.”

The implication throughout Likert’s writing is that the ideal and most productive leader
behavior for industry is employee-centered or democratic. Yet, his own findings raise questions
as to whether there can be an ideal or single normatively good style of leader behavior that can
apply in all leadership situations.