Behavior Styles

profileabparsley
StylesSLM_ONL.ppt
Home>Business & Finance homework help>Behavior Styles

A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done.

*

  • Dwight D. Eisenhower

U.S. President 1953-1961

Leadership Styles

&

Situational Leadership Model

*

Overview

  • Style Approach Described
  • Ohio State Studies
  • University of Michigan studies
  • Blake & Mouton’s Leadership Grid
  • Situational Leadership Described
  • Situational Leadership Model

*

*

Three Approaches to
Understanding Leadership

Traits

Personality

Skills

Capabilities

*

Behaviors

Style

*

Style/Behavioral Approach
Described

  • Focuses on what leaders do and how they act (behavior)
  • Leader’s behavior impact other’s attitudes
  • What leaders do can make a difference

*

*

Two Kinds of
Leadership Behaviors

Task Behaviors

Goal accomplishment

Relationship Behaviors

Help others feel comfortable

*

Purpose of the Style/Behavioral Approach:

Explain how leaders combine these two kinds of behaviors

*

Task

  • Getting the job done is highest priority
  • Meetings are brief and business-like
  • Subordinates are motivated with clear objectives and regular reviews
  • Planning, scheduling, coordinating activities and resources
  • McGregor’s Theory X

Relationship

  • Emotional well-being of others is highest priority
  • If people are happy, then they will be motivated to do the work.
  • Role of manager is to motivate and support people
  • Set goals and provide guidelines, but give subordinates leeway to achieve goals
  • McGregor’s Theory Y

Ohio State Studies
(1950s-1960s)

Initiating Structure

  • Task oriented
  • Leaders provide structure for subordinates
  • Focus on goal attainment
  • Deadlines, performance

Consideration

  • Relationship oriented
  • Leaders nurture subordinates
  • Focus on mutual trust
  • Friendly and supportive

*

Premise: A high score on one dimension does not

necessitate a low score on the other.

*

Stogdill

University of Michigan Studies
(1950s-1960s)

Employee orientation

  • Emphasize relationships in every aspect of job
  • Everyone is important
  • Accepts individuality and individual needs

Production orientation

  • Emphasize production and technical aspects of job
  • Employees are tools to accomplish goals

*

Premise: Orientations are at opposite ends of the a continuum of leadership behavior.

A leader can’t be both.

*

Likert

Ohio State vs. U of Michigan

  • Ohio State’s premise was found to be correct.
  • A high score on one dimension does not necessitate a low score on the other.
  • In other words, a leader can be high on both relationship and task behaviors, high on one and low on the other, or low on both.

  • Therefore, Univ of Michigan’s premise was found to be incorrect.
  • Just because a leader is high on task behaviors does not mean he/she is low in relationship behaviors (and vice versa).

*

Blake & Mouton’s
Managerial/Leadership Grid (1960s)

  • Explains leader’s level of:
  • Concern for production (task behaviors)
  • Concern for people (relationship behaviors)
  • Scores range from 1 to 9 on each scale
  • 5 styles of leadership

*

*

Robert Blake – pioneered field of organizational dynamics

Jane Mouton – management theorist

PRACTICAL Model

Some leaders are very task-oriented, they simply want to get things done.

Others are very people-oriented, they want people to be happy.

And others are a combination of the two.

Neither preference is right or wrong, just as no one type of leadership style is best for all situations.

We usually have a dominant style.

Do you have professors who have one style or another? What do you prefer?

Blake & Mouton’s
Leadership Grid

  • Authoritarian (9,1) – results driven, efficient, people are tools to achieve results, leader may be seen as controlling
  • Country Club (1,9) – high concern for relationships, agreeable, eager to help, uncontroversial, friendly atmosphere
  • Impoverished (1,1) – unconcerned with both the task and relationships, uninvolved, withdrawn, apathetic
  • Middle-of-the Road (5,5) – concerned for both the task and people, compromisers, push for production while taking people into account, adequate organization while maintaining morale
  • Team Leader (9,9) – strong emphasis on task and people, stimulates participation, makes priorities clear, open minded, enjoys working, interdependence

*

*

Authoritarian

  • employees needs are secondary to the need for efficient and productive workplaces
  • strict work rules, policies, and procedures
  • Views punishment as effective motivation tool

Country Club

  • Operate under the assumption that as long as team members are happy and secure, they will work hard
  • Very relaxed and fun atmosphere, but production often suffers due to lack of direction

Impoverished

  • Leader is mostly ineffective
  • Result is a place of disorganization, dissatisfaction, and disharmony

Middle of the Road

  • Seems to balance task and relationships
  • May first appear to be ideal compromise, but could be that production nor people needs are fully met
  • Settle for average performance

Team Leader

  • Creates a team environment based on trust and respect, which leads to high satisfaction and motivation, and as a result, high production

Blake & Mouton’s
Leadership Grid

  • It would appear that Team Management (9,9) is the BEST approach
  • However, further research suggests that certain situations may require different styles
  • Some situations may be complicated and require high task behavior
  • Other situations may be simple and require supportive behavior

*

*

Leadership Styles & Decision Making
(Lewin, 1940s)

  • Autocratic
  • Makes decisions without consulting others
  • Works when there’s no need for input or decision wouldn’t change due to input
  • Democratic
  • Involves others in decision making
  • Can be problematic when there’s a wide range of options
  • Laissez-Faire
  • Minimizes involvement, allowing others to make own decisions
  • Works best when people are capable and motivated and no need for central coordination

*

*

Style/Behavioral Approach

Strengths

  • Broadened scope of research
  • Good first step in providing a conceptual map
  • Leaders can assess their actions and determine how they might want to improve

Criticisms

  • Unsure how styles are associated with performance outcomes
  • No universal set of leader behaviors are always associated with success

*

*

Situational Leadership Described

  • There is no best style of leadership
  • Different situations demand different kinds of leadership
  • Leader has to adapt style according to followers needs
  • Leader must know needs/capabilities of group
  • Adaptation and flexibility is vital and ongoing

*

Situational Leadership Model
Hersey & Blanchard (1969, 1977, 1985)

  • Ohio State Studies roots
  • Task behaviors (Directive)
  • Relationship behaviors (Supportive)
  • Finding the right combo most effective
  • Follower readiness (development, maturity, competence, motivation) is key
  • Four Leadership Styles
  • Telling (Directing)
  • Selling (Coaching)
  • Participating (Supporting)
  • Delegating

*

*

Paul Hesey – Northern IL, Ohio University, U of Arkansas

Consultant, Author

Company – Center for Leadership Studies

Ken Blanchard

Follower Readiness

Readiness = Level of Ability & Willingness

  • Ability: knowledge, skill, experience
  • Willingness: confidence, commitment, motivation

Follower’s Level Ability Willingness

  • Low (R1) Low Low/Mod
  • Moderate (R2) Moderate Mod/Low
  • Moderate (R3) High Variable
  • High (R4) High High

*

The leader must adapt his/her style according to the follower’s readiness level.

*

*

Delegating

Low Task

Low Relationship

S 4

Participating

Low Task

High Relationship

S 3

Selling

High Task

High Relationship

S 2

Telling

High Task

Low Relationship

S 1

Low

High

Supportive Behavior

Directive Behavior

R4

R3

R2

R1

Developed

Developing

High

Moderate

Low

*

Leadership Styles: Telling (Directing)

  • High task/Low relationship

  • Tell follower what to do, when to do it, how to do it
  • Clear, specific direction
  • Structure the environment
  • One-way communication
  • Close supervision

*

*

Leadership Styles:
Selling (Coaching)

  • High task/High relationship

  • Focus on both goals and followers needs
  • Answer questions
  • Encourage, explain, clarify
  • Build confidence
  • Leader is final decision maker

*

*

Leadership Styles: Participating (Supporting)

  • Low task/High relationship

  • Follower has control of day-to-day decision making and problem-solving
  • Leader facilitates problem solving
  • Leader provides recognition and actively listens

*

*

Leadership Styles: Delegating (Observing)

  • Low task/Low relationship

  • Leader has little involvement
  • Follower takes responsibility and implements action on own
  • Leader focuses on goal-setting and problem identification

*

*

Situational Leadership

Strengths

  • Credible model for corporations
  • Easy to understand
  • Works in variety of settings
  • Prescriptive
  • Recognizes complexities of situations - flexible
  • Recognizes uniqueness of individuals
  • Takes followers into account

Criticisms

  • Not thoroughly researched or tested
  • Theoretical basis not explained
  • Does not address group size
  • Not necessarily practical

*

*