Contingency Leadership Theories

• Contingency Leadership Attempt to explain the

appropriate leadership style based on the
leader, followers, and situation.
• Least Preferred Coworker (LPC) Scale
 Measures whether a person’s dominant leadership
style is task-oriented or relationship-oriented

Contingency
Contingency
Leadership
Leadership Variables
Variables
Followers
Followers Leader
Leader Situation
Situation
Capability
Capability Personality
Personalitytraits
traits Task
Task
Motivation
Motivation Behavior
Behavior Structure
Structure
Experience
Experience Environment
Environment
4–2
 Fiedler Contingency Leadership Model

If the manager’s LPC leadership style matches the situation, the manager does nothing. If the LPC leadership
style does not match the situation, the manager changes the situation to match his or her LPC leadership style.
 Leadership Continuum Model

• Leadership Continuum Model Is used to

determine which one of seven styles to select,
based on one’s use of boss-centered versus
subordinate-centered leadership, to meet the
situation in order to maximize performance. A
broad range of leadership styles have been
depicted on the continuum between two
extremes of autocratic and free rein .The left
side shows a style where control is maintained
by a manager and the right side shows the
release of control.

4–4
 Tannenbaum and Schmidt’s Leadership Continuum Model

Autocratic Style
Participative Style
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Leader Leader Leader Leader Leader Leader Leader
makes makes presents presents presents defines limits permits
decision and decision and ideas and tentative problem, gets and asks the followers
announces it sells it to invites decision suggested followers to to make
to followers followers. follower subject to solutions, and make a ongoing
individually questions. change. makes the decision. decisions
or without decision. within
discussion. defined
limits.

4–5
 Path-Goal Theory

• The Path-Goal Theory provides ways for leaders

to encourage and support their employees in
achieving their goals. That also includes
rewards. According to the Path-Goal Theory,
leaders must focus on various types of
leadership behaviour. This may differ per
situation and employee. This allows leaders to
work on the department’s goals, but also unite
these with the organisation’s goals.

4–6
4–7
 Path–Goal Leadership Model

Situational
SituationalFactors
Factors Leadership
LeadershipStyles
Styles Goal
GoalAchievement
Achievement
(determine)
(determine) (affect)
(affect) •• Performance
Performance
Subordinate
Subordinate(follower)
(follower) •• Directive
Directive •• Satisfaction
Satisfaction
•• Authoritarian
Authoritarian •• Supportive
Supportive
•• Locus
Locusof ofcontrol
control •• Participative
Participative
•• Ability
Ability •• Achievement-
Achievement-
Environment oriented
oriented
Environment
•• Task
Taskstructure
structure
•• Formal
Formalauthority
authority
•• Work
Workgroup
group

4–8
 Normative Leadership Model

• Normative Leadership Model is based on time-

driven and development-driven decision making
approach. Enables a user to select one of five
leadership styles (decide, consult individually, consult
group, facilitate, and delegate) appropriate for the
situation for maximizes decisions
• Autocratic, in which the coach makes decisions with
little consultation;
• Delegative, in which the Leader delegates decision-
making to others.
• Participative, in which the Leader makes decisions
jointly with the Team
 Leadership Participation Styles
• Decide
 The leader makes the decision alone and announces
it, or sells it, to the followers
• Consult individually
 The leader tells followers individually about the
problem, gets information and suggestions, and then
makes the decision
• Consult group
 The leader holds a group meeting and tells followers
the problem, gets information and suggestions, and
then makes the decision

4–10
 Leadership Participation Styles (cont’d)
• Facilitate
 The leader holds a group meeting and acts as a
facilitator to define the problem and the limits within
which a decision must be made
 The leader seeks participation and concurrence on
the decision without pushing his or her own ideas
• Delegate
 The leader lets the group diagnose the problem and
make the decision within stated limits

4–11
Normative Leadership
Development-Driven
Model
 Substitutes and Neutralizers

• Substitutes for leadership behavior can clarify

role expectations, motivate organizational
members, or satisfy members In some cases,
these substitutes supplement the behavior of a
leader.
• Neutralizers of leadership are not helpful; they
prevent leaders from acting as they wish. Ex:- A
union contract that specifies that workers be
paid according to seniority prevents a leader
from dispensing merit-based pay. Sometimes, of
course, neutralizers can be beneficial.
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