PATH GOAL THEORY

RICHILLE ANN B. ORQUITA

Discussant
PATH GOAL THEORY: BRIEF DESCRIPTION

 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 path-goal theory was first introduced by

Martin Evans (1970) and then further
developed by House (1971).

 Path-Goal is based on Vroom's (1964) 

expectancy theory .
GUIDELINES FOR PATH-GOAL
THEORY
Path-Goal Theory is not a detailed process, it
generally follows these basic steps as shown in
the graphic below:

 Select a leadership style

 Focus on motivational factors that will

help the employee succeed

 Determine the employee and

environmental characteristics
The Basic Behind Path-Goal Theory
Major Components of Path-Goal
Theory
LEADER BEHAVIORS
 Directive Leadership
Leader who gives subordinates
task instruction including:

 What is expected of them

 How task is to be done

 Timeline for task completion for role

ambiguity
 Some suggest increasing incentives and
strengthening rewards contingencies as two
mechanisms of directive leadership fort he
valence and instrumentally components.
LEADER BEHAVIORS
 Supportive Leadership
Refers to being friendly, approachable
, and supportive as a leader and includes:

 Attending to well-being and human

needs of subordinates
 Using supportive behavior to make work
environment pleasant and more
tolerant;
 Increase self-confidence and lower
anxiety.
LEADER BEHAVIORS
 Participative Leadership
Leader who invites subordinates
to share in the decision-making

A participative leader:
* consults with subordinates
* seek their ideas and opinion
*integrates their input into
groups/organizational decision
LEADER BEHAVIORS
 Achievement Oriented Leadership
Leader who challenges subordinates to perform
work at the highest level possible

An achievement oriented leader:

 Establishes a high standard of excellence for
subordinates;
 Seeks continuous improvement;
 Demonstrates a high degree of confidence in
subordinates ability to establish and achieve
challenging goals
SUBORDINATE CHARACTERISTICS
Needs for affiliation
Preference for structure
Desire for control
Self-perceived level of
Task ability
SUBORDINATE CHARACTERISTICS
 Needs for Affiliation

Followers with a strong need for

affiliation prefer leaders who are
friendly and supportive.
SUBORDINATE CHARACTERISTICS
 Preference for Structure

Followers who are dogmatic and

authoritarian and who work in
uncertain situation prefer a leader
who provide direction, structure and
task clarity.
SUBORDINATE CHARACTERISTICS
 Desire for Control

 This type of follower characteristic refers

to the followers personality of having
either an internal or external locus of
control.
Internal locus- refers to the belief that one is
in charge of the events that occur in their
life.
External locus- refers to the belief that
external circumstances determine one’s life
events.
SUBORDINATE CHARACTERISTICS
 Self-Perceived Level of Task Ability

The follower’s self-perception of task

ability negatively correlates with
directive leadership. This intuitively
make sense, because as the follower
becomes empowered to attain a
task, the need for a controlling
leader is diminished.
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.
 Path-goal theory promotes the idea that leaders can
enhance the organization’s output by affecting followers’
motivation. In examining follower motivation, leaders
must examine the follower and task characteristics. Is
the follower’s locus of control internal or external? Does
the follower have a strong need for affiliation or a strong
need for control? Is the task ambiguous or clear? Does
the environment have clearly defined norms or not? By
addressing these questions, leaders can better
understand their followers’ motivation needs and adjust
their style accordingly.
 According to House and Dressler ‘leader’s actions should
strengthen follower’s beliefs that if they put forth a
certain level of effort, they will be more likely to
accomplish a task and if they accomplish the task, they
will be more likely to achieve some valued outcome.’
(Hughes, Ginnett, & Curphy, 2014)