Final Paper
kushi2286
LEAS830CLASS4updated-Spring2022-StudentEdition.pptxWeek 4
January 26, 2022
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Path-Goal Theory
Chapter 6
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Path-Goal Theory Perspective
Conditions of Leadership Motivation
Leader Behaviors & Follower Characteristics
Task Characteristics
Path-Goal Theory Overview
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Path-Goal Theory (House, 1971)
Definition: centers on how leaders motivate followers to accomplish designated goals
Emphasizes the relationship between the:
Leader’s style
Characteristics of the followers
Work setting
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Path-Goal Theory (House, 1971)
Goal - To enhance employee performance and satisfaction by focusing on employee motivation
Motivational Principles - Followers will be motivated if they believe:
they are capable of performing their work
that their efforts will result in a certain outcome
that the payoffs for doing their work are worthwhile
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Challenge to Leader
Use a Leadership Style that best meets followers' motivational needs:
choose behaviors that complement or supplement what is missing in the work setting
enhance goal attainment by providing information or rewards
provide followers with the elements they need to reach their goals
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Conditions of Leadership Motivation
Leadership generates motivation when:
It increases the number and kinds of payoffs followers receive from their work
Makes the path to the goal clear and easy to travel through with coaching and direction
Removes obstacles and roadblocks to attaining the goal
Makes the work itself more personally satisfying
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Leader Behaviors
Directive Leadership
Leader who gives followers instruction including:
What is expected of them
How task is to be done
Timeline for task completion
Clear standards of performance
Clear rules & regulations
).
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Leader Behaviors
Supportive Leadership
Leader who is friendly and approachable:
Attending to well-being & human needs of followers
Using supportive behavior to make work environment pleasant
Treating followers as equals & giving them respect for their status
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Leader Behaviors
Participative Leadership
Leader who invites followers to share in the decision-making:
Consults with followers
Seeks their ideas & opinions
Integrates their input into group/organizational decisions
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Leader Behaviors
Achievement-Oriented Leadership
Leader who challenges followers to perform work at the highest level possible:
Establishes a high standard of excellence for followers
Seeks continuous improvement
Demonstrates a high degree of confidence in followers’ ability to establish & achieve challenging goals
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Follower Characteristics
Strong need for affiliation
Friendly and concerned leadership is a source of satisfaction
Supportive Leadership
Preference for Structure
Dogmatic & authoritarian
Leadership that provides task clarity is key for these followers.
Directive Leadership
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Follower Characteristics
Desire for Control
Internal locus of control
Leadership that allows followers to feel in charge of their work & makes them an integral part of the decision-making process
Participative Leadership
External locus of control
Leadership that parallels followers' feelings that outside forces control their circumstances
Directive Leadership
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Follower Characteristics
Perception of their own ability – specific task
As perception of ability and competence goes up, need for highly directive leadership goes down
Directive leadership may become redundant, possibly excessively controlling
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Task Characteristics
Task Situations Requiring Leader Involvement
Unclear and ambiguous - Leader needs to provide structure
Highly repetitive - Leader needs to provide support to maintain follower motivation
Weak formal authority - If formal authority system is weak, the leader needs to assist followers by making rules and work requirements clear
Non-supportive/weak group norms - Leader needs to help build cohesiveness and role responsibility
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Task Characteristics
Obstacles
Anything in the work setting that gets in the way of Followers
They create excessive uncertainties, frustrations, or threats for subordinates
Leader’s responsibility is to help subordinates by –
Removing the obstacles
Helping subordinates around them
Assisting with obstacles will increase
Followers’ expectations to complete the task
Their sense of job satisfaction
Leaders responsibility is to help followers overcome obstacles. This could just be something that could be in the way (getting answers from a certain department in a school setting), removing these barriers whenever possible. This will increase followers expectations and belief that they can accomplish assigned task.
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Path-Goal Theory
Focus
Path-goal theory is a complex but also pragmatic approach
Leaders should choose a leadership style that best fits the needs of subordinates and their work
Overall Scope
Path-goal theory provides a set of assumptions about how different leadership styles will interact with subordinate characteristics and the work situation to affect employee motivation
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