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Path–Goal Theory

Chapter 6

Overview

Path–Goal Theory Perspective

Conditions of Leadership Motivation

Leader Behaviors and Follower Characteristics

Task Characteristics

How Does PGT Work?

Path–goal theory centers on how leaders motivate followers to accomplish designated goals

Emphasizes the relationship between

-the leader’s style

-the characteristics of the followers

-the work setting

Definition

Path–Goal Theory (House, 1971) Description

Goal--To enhance employee performance and satisfaction by focusing on employee motivation

Motivational Principles (based on Expectancy Theory): 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

Perspective

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

Conditions of Leadership Motivation

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

Leadership generates motivation when

Directive Leadership

Leader who gives followers task instruction including:

What is expected of them

How task is to be done

Timeline for task completion

Clear standards of performance

Clear rules and regulations

Leader Behaviors

Supportive Leadership

Leader who is friendly and approachable:

Attending to well-being and human needs of followers

Using supportive behavior to make work environment pleasant

Treating followers as equals and giving them respect for their status

Leader Behaviors

Participative Leadership

Leader who invites followers to share in the decision making:

Consults with followers

Seeks their ideas and opinions

Integrates their input into group/organizational decisions

Leader Behaviors

Achievement-Oriented Leadership

Leader who challenges followers to perform work at the highest level possible:

Establishes a high standard of excellence for subordinates

Seeks continuous improvement

Demonstrates a high degree of confidence in followers’ ability to establish and achieve challenging goals

Leader Behaviors

Follower Characteristics

Strong need for affiliation

Friendly and concerned leadership is a source of satisfaction

Prefers supportive leadership

Preference for psychological structure

For example, dogmatic and authoritarian follower

Leadership provides psychological structure, task clarity, and greater sense of certainty in work setting

Prefers directive leadership

Desire for Control

Internal locus of control

Leadership that allows followers to feel in charge of their work and makes them an integral part of the decision-making process

Prefers participative leadership

External locus of control

Leadership that parallels followers’ feelings that outside forces control their circumstances

Prefers directive leadership

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.

Follower Characteristics

Task Characteristics

Design of followers’ task

Organization’s formal authority system

Primary work group of followers

Components

Task Characteristics

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

Nonsupportive/weak group norms--Leader needs to help build cohesiveness and role responsibility

Task Situations Requiring Leader Involvement

Task Characteristics

Anything in the work setting that gets in the way of followers

They create excessive uncertainties, frustrations, or threats for followers

Leader’s responsibility is to help followers by

Removing the obstacles

Helping followers around them

Assisting with obstacles will increase

Followers’ expectations to complete the task

Their sense of job satisfaction

Obstacles

How Does the Path–Goal Theory Work?

Focus of Path–Goal Theory

Strengths

Criticisms

Application

How Does the Path–Goal Theory Work?

The leader’s job is to help followers reach their goals by directing, guiding, and coaching them along the way

Leaders must evaluate task and follower characteristics and adapt leadership style to these

The theory suggests which style is most appropriate for specific characteristics

Path–Goal Theory Approach

Path–goal theory is a complex but also pragmatic approach

Leaders should choose a leadership style that best fits the needs of followers and their work

Path–goal theory provides a set of assumptions about how different leadership styles will interact with follower characteristics and the work situation to affect employee motivation

Focus

Overall Scope

Strengths

Useful theoretical framework. Path–goal theory is a useful theoretical framework for understanding how various leadership behaviors affect the satisfaction of followers and their work performance.

Integrates motivation. Path–goal theory attempts to integrate the motivation principles of expectancy theory into a theory of leadership.

Practical model. Path–goal theory provides a practical model that underscores and highlights the important ways leaders help followers.

Criticisms

Interpreting the meaning of the theory can be confusing because it is so complex and incorporates so many different aspects of leadership; consequently, it is difficult to implement.

Empirical research studies have demonstrated only partial support for path–goal theory.

Theory doesn’t account for gender differences in how leadership is enacted and perceived.

Theory assumes leaders possess the advanced communication skills necessary to interact with followers in all given situations.

Criticisms

The theory fails to adequately explain the relationship between leadership behavior and worker motivation.

The path–goal theory approach treats leadership as a one-way event in which the leader affects the follower.

Application

PGT offers valuable insights that can be applied in ongoing settings to improve one’s leadership.

Informs leaders about when to be directive, supportive, participative, or achievement oriented.

The principles of PGT can be employed by leaders at all organizational levels and for all types of tasks.