Leadership and Organizational Change essay

3/7/2021 Pearson eText

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conditions a, b, and c? We next consider the Fiedler model, one approach

to isolating situational variables.

The Fiedler Model

Fred Fiedler developed the first comprehensive contingency model for

leadership. The Fiedler contingency model proposes that group

performance depends on the proper match between the leader’s style and

the degree to which the situation gives the leader control. With the

model, the individual’s leadership style is assumed to be permanent. As a

first step, the least preferred coworker (LPC) questionnaire identifies

whether a person is task-oriented or relationship-oriented by asking

respondents to think of all the coworkers they ever had and describe the

one they least enjoyed working with. If you describe this person in

favorable terms (a high LPC score), you are relationship-oriented. If you

see your least-preferred coworker in unfavorable terms (a low LPC

score), you are primarily interested in productivity and are task-oriented.

After finding a score, a fit must be found between the organizational

situation and the leader’s style for leadership effectiveness to be

predicted. We can assess the situation in terms of three contingency or

situational dimensions:

1. Leader–member relations is the degree of confidence, trust,

and respect members have in their leader.

2. Task structure is the degree to which the job assignments are

procedurized (that is, structured or unstructured).

3. Position power is the degree of influence a leader has over

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