Student: Yuri Harris S.

Pamaran
Subject Code: MAED122340 |EDAD 203| Personnel Management in Educational Institution

ASSIGNMENT 2

1. What is a Contingency Theory? And cite an experiential situation in your own school or
agency/industry.
As what Wikipedia made mentioned, a contingency theory is an organizational theory
that claims that there is no best way to organize a corporation, to lead a company, or to make
decisions.
Hence, this contingency theory, also known as the situational approach to management
theory, states that situational factors can affect the relationships between dependent and
independent variables in the work environment, which in turn will affect employee behavior,
motivation, and effectiveness. Success in analyzing organizational data and improving employee
motivation is contingent, or dependent, on the unique contingency variables of the particular
organization. The contingency theory recognizes that an individualized approach is necessary to
successfully use organizational behavior data to benefit employees and create a productive work
environment.
Furthermore, contingency theory states “that a leader's effectiveness is contingent on
how well the leader's style matches a specific setting or situation” (Wolinksi, 2010).
Now that we are all aware that contingency theory consists of two variables: dependent
and independent variables. This is where my example will be anchored.
One example I can give here is my observation when I was in private school. I had a co-
teacher who used to come to work late. Because of her constant tardy habit, the school president
noticed this first and she conveyed it to the right person which is the principal. That is why the
principal immediately talked to her about her habit of always being late to class. But, she
persisted and argued that it was because she was unmotivated and fed up in her work as well as
in the school system.
I can't fully blame my co-teacher either because maybe she is also going through
something personal in her life, or perhaps she really has some deeper reasons behind. The same
is my view on the school authority because they also did their best to listen and understand their
teacher. Maybe the philosophy and culture that that school has was not compatible with the
beliefs and habits of my co-teacher that have resulted in a negative view of both sides. So in the
end, my co-teacher resigned after that school year.
With this given example, it only shows how important the relationship of the independent
variable to the dependent variable is. How one affects the other and vice versa. The same with
the reality that happens in a school or organization, that there will never be a perfect company
just like there is no such thing as perfect employee.
For 2 - 4 (in your own opinion, pertaining between you and your direct superior)
2. How well do manager and employees get along?
Generally speaking, I had good relationship with my principal and higher-ups all
throughout. It’s just that sometimes, there is a misunderstanding when it comes to the assigned
work. Because for quite a while, all of a sudden, we, not just me, receive a notification that
something is needed to be done and complied with, until we get to the point where the tasks are
piled up and we don't know what to prioritize anymore.
3. Is the job highly structured, fairly unstructured, or somewhere in between?
Since I had worked in a catholic school back then, I think it is safe to say that the kind of
job we had there was highly structured. There are actually daily routines that are done, the
policies that must be followed are very rigid, and the calendar activities throughout the entire
academic year have been plotted, along with the monthly agenda and reminders that contain the
things that must be remembered and achieved in the scheduled month. There were certain points
in my life that I felt like we were treated like robots. I can't directly blame the school because I
only work there and in the first place, I agreed to work there and I accepted whatever culture
they have.
4. How much authority does the manager possess?
It’s the fundamental job of the principal to regularly check up on his/her teachers,
constantly supervise them, monitor if they are doing their respective work, help in resolving
minor and major issues in the academe, and one of the key person who will lead the entire
faculty (or even the school) to a greater height of educational opportunities. On the other side,
one thing that the administration must also realize and should bear in mind that their employees
are also humans (just like them). We get tired, that even we, part of the teaching force, need to
breathe for a while. Taking into account that there is a huge fine line between worktime and
personal space. This is not “ownership”. You don’t own your employees, as they also have a life
to live somewhere out there.

5. Who is Fred E. Fiedler and what is his contribution to the management concept?
Talking about Contingency Theory once again, one of the more interesting theorists
within the many in this area is Fred Fiedler. Fiedler is known for an instrument referred to as
the LPC or ‘least preferred co-worker’. When a manager takes the exam, they are asked to rank
their least favorite employee across a wide range of criteria. When the findings are added up,
they show whether or not a person is relationship- or task-oriented.
 Hence, Fred Fiedler proposed that matching a leader's style to situations that give the
leader control and influence leads to effective leadership and improvement in the work
environment.