Kim Woods Only (600 3.1)

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Chapter 5: Situational Approach

Overview

Situational Approach Perspective

Leadership Styles

Developmental Levels

How Does the Situational Approach Work?

Situational Approach Description (Hersey & Blanchard, 1969)

Focuses on leadership in situations

Emphasizes adapting style - different situations demand different kinds of leadership

Used extensively in organizational leadership training and development

“Leaders match their style to the competence and commitment of subordinates”

Perspective

Situational Approach Description, cont’d (Hersey & Blanchard, 1969)

Composed of both a directive dimension & supportive dimension:

Each dimension must be applied appropriately in a given situation

Leaders evaluate employees to assess their competence and commitment to perform a given task

Definition

Leadership Styles

Leadership style - the behavior pattern of an individual who attempts to influence others

It includes both:

Directive (task) behaviors

Supportive (relationship) behaviors

Definition

Directive behaviors - Help group members in goal achievement via one-way communication through:

Giving directions

Establishing goals & how to achieve them

Methods of evaluation & time lines

Defining roles

Dimension Definition

Leadership Styles

Supportive behaviors - Assist group members via two-way communication in feeling comfortable with themselves, co-workers, and situation

Asking for input

Problem solving

Praising, listening

Dimension Definitions

S1 - Directing Style

Leader focuses communication on goal achievement

Spends LESS time using supportive behaviors

S2 - Coaching Style

Leader focuses communication on BOTH goal achievement and supporting subordinates’ socioemotional needs

Requires leader involvement through encouragement and soliciting subordinate input

S3 - Supporting Style

Leader does NOT focus solely on goals; uses supportive behaviors to bring out employee skills in accomplishing tasks

Leader delegates day-to-day decision-making control but is available to facilitate problem solving

S4 - Delegating Style

Leader offers LESS task input and social support; facilitates subordinates’ confidence and motivation in relation to the task

Leader lessens involvement in planning, control of details, and goal clarification

Gives subordinates control and refrains from intervention and unneeded social support

Development Levels

The degree to which followers have the competence and commitment necessary to accomplish a given task or activity

Focus of Situational Approach

Strengths

Criticisms

Application

How Does the Situational Approach Work?

Situational Approach

Assumes that subordinates vacillate along the developmental continuum of competence and commitment

Leader effectiveness depends on -

assessing subordinate’s developmental position, and

adapting his/her leadership style to match subordinate developmental level

“The situational approach requires leaders to demonstrate a strong degree of flexibility.”

Focus

How Does The Situational Approach Work?

Using SLII® model – In any given situation the leader has two tasks:

1st Task

2nd Task

Diagnose the Situation

Identify the developmental level of employee

Ask questions like:

What is the task subordinates are being asked to perform?

How complicated is it?

What is their skill set?

Do they have the desire to complete the job?

Adapt Style

To prescribed Leadership style in the SLII ® model

Leadership style must correspond to the employee’s development level

How Does the Situational Approach Work?

Employee’s Developmental Level

Competence

Commitment

Leader’s Leadership Style

Directive

Supportive

Strengths

Marketplace approval. Situational Leadership® is perceived as providing a credible model for training employees to become effective leaders.

Practicality. Situational Leadership® is a straightforward approach that is easily understood and applied in a variety of settings.

Prescriptive value. Situational Leadership® clearly outlines what you should and should not do in various settings.

Leader flexibility. Situational Leadership® stresses that effective leaders are those who can change their styles based on task requirements and subordinate needs.

Differential treatment. Situational Leadership® is based on the premise that leaders need to treat each subordinate according to his/her unique needs.

Strengths

Criticisms

Lack of an empirical foundation raises theoretical considerations regarding the validity of the approach.

Further research is required to determine how commitment and competence are conceptualized for each developmental level.

Conceptualization of commitment itself and why it varies is very unclear.

Replication studies fail to support basic prescriptions of the Situational Leadership® model.

Does not account for how particular demographics influence the leader-subordinate prescriptions of the model

Fails to adequately address the issue of one-to-one versus group leadership in an organizational setting

Questionnaires are biased in favor of Situational Leadership®.

Criticisms

Application

Often used in consulting because it’s easy to conceptualize and apply

Straightforward nature makes it practical for managers to apply

Breadth of situational approach facilitates its applicability in virtually all types of organizations and levels of management in organizations