Contingency Theories and Adaptive

Leadership

Copyright© 2013 Pearson Education Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Leadership in Organizations 7-1
 After studying this chapter, you should be
able to:
 Understand how aspects of the situation can
enhance or diminish effects of leader behavior.
 Understand key features of the early
contingency theories of effective leadership.
 Understand the benefits and limitations of
contingency theories.

Copyright© 2013 Pearson Education Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Leadership in Organizations 7-2
  Understand the findings from empirical
research on contingency theories.
 Understand how to adapt leader behavior to
the situation.
 Understand how to manage disruptions and
other crises.

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 Understand how aspects of the
situation can enhance or diminish
effects of leader behavior

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  Contingency theories describe how aspects of
the leadership situation alter a leader's
influence on an individual subordinate or a
work group

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  Types of Variables

 Causal Effects
 Direct Effects
 Direct Influence
 Moderates Effects

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 Understand key features of the
early contingency theories of
effective leadership

Copyright© 2013 Pearson Education Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Leadership in Organizations 7-7
  Path-Goal Theory
 Situational Leadership Theory
 LPC Contingency Model
 Leader Substitutes Theory
 Cognitive Resources Theory
 Multiple-Linkage Model
 Normative Decision Model

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 Understand the benefits and
limitations of contingency
theories

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 Contingency theories take into account:
 Task requirements

 Situational constraints

 Interpersonal processes

Copyright© 2013 Pearson Education Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Leadership in Organizations 7-10
  Behavior Meta-category over-emphasis
 Ambiguous descriptions
 Inadequate causal explanations
 Inattention to behavior patterns
 Inattention to joint effects
 Moderators versus mediators

Copyright© 2013 Pearson Education Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Leadership in Organizations 7-11
 Understand the findings from
empirical research on contingency
theories

Copyright© 2013 Pearson Education Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Leadership in Organizations 7-12
  Weak and inconsistent evidence

 Best research support for the Normative

Decision Model

Copyright© 2013 Pearson Education Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Leadership in Organizations 7-13
  Weak research methods
 Conceptual Weaknesses
 Theories have not been adequately tested

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 Understand how to adapt leader
behavior to the situation

Copyright© 2013 Pearson Education Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Leadership in Organizations 7-15
  Situational understanding
 Flexibility
 Planning
 Consulting
 Provide direction
 Monitor

Copyright© 2013 Pearson Education Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Leadership in Organizations 7-16
 Understand how to manage
disruptions and other crises

Copyright© 2013 Pearson Education Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Leadership in Organizations 7-17
  Anticipate problems
 Recognize warnings
 Identify problem
 Direct decisively
 Communicate

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