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Unit11SituationalApproachRevised.pptx
LDRS 302 Unit 9
Northouse Leadership Theory and Practice
Chapter 5
Situational Approach
Peter Northouse
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The situational approach was developed by Hersey and Blanchard and is one of the more recognized approaches to leadership.
The situational approach focuses on leadership in situations.
Different situations will require different methods of leadership.
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Situational leadership suggests that a leader should change their method to be supportive of the followers needs.
Situational approach requires that leaders match their style to the competence of the follower.
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Leadership style
The behavior pattern of an individual who attempts to influence others
It includes both:
Directive (task) behaviors
Supportive (relationship) behaviors
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Definition:
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Directive behaviours help followers accomplish goals by giving:
directions,
methods of evaluation,
setting timelines,
defining roles,
establishing goals,
showing how goals are to be achieved
Directive behaviours clarify often with one-way communication:
what needs to be done
how it is to be done and
who is responsible for doing it
Directive (task) behaviors
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Supportive behaviours enable the leader to make followers feel:
comfortable about themselves,
their coworkers,
and any situation
Supportive behaviours involve two-way communication and responses that demonstrate social and emotional support.
An example would be asking followers for input, problem-solving, praising, sharing information, listening.
For the most part supportive behaviours are job-related
Supportive (relationship) behaviors
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A major component of this situational leadership chart is the development level of the followers.
Development levels
Looking at the situational leadership II chart, situational leadership can be broken down to four quadrants
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Quadrant S1. - Directing Approach
The leader is to use a high directive and low supported behaviour.
Focuses communication on goal achievement, with a small amount of supported behaviour.
Leaders give instructions about what and how goals are to be achieved by the followers and then supervises them.
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Quadrant S2 – Coaching Quadrant
The leader shows high-directive and high support behaviour.
Focuses communication on achieving goals and meeting followers' socioemotional needs.
The leader will be involved with followers by encouragement and soliciting follower input.
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Quadrant S3 – Supportive Quadrant
Leaders use supportive behaviours to bring out followers' skills:
listening, praising, seeking input, and giving back.
Followers have control of day-to-day decisions, but the leader remains available to facilitate any problem-solving. Leaders are quick to give recognition and social support to followers
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Quadrant S4 – Delegating Approach
The leader offers less goal input to the followers, low social support, facilitate follower's confidence and motivation regarding details and goal clarification.
Leader has low involvement in the planning control and details.
This type of leadership gives controls to the followers and the leader doesn’t intervene with any unnecessary support unless required.
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What is the competence level of the follower's?
What is their commitment to achieving the given goal?
It indicates whether a person has mastered skills to achieve the goal or whether they developed a positive attitude regarding the goal
Followers can be classified into four categories D1, D2, D3, and D4,
Development Levels
The degree to which subordinates have the competence and commitment necessary to accomplish a given task or activity
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Definition
Dimension Definitions
D1
Low Competence
High Commitment
D2
Some Competence
Low Commitment
D3
Moderate-High Competence
Low Commitment
D4
High Competence
High Commitment
D4
D3
D2
D1
Developed
Developing
High
Moderate
Low
Developmental Level of Followers
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D1 followers are low competence and high commitment.
They’re generally new to the goal and don’t know how to do it but can be excited about the challenge.
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D2 followers have some competence but low commitment.
They’ve started to learn the job but have lost some of their initial motivation.
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D3 are followers who have moderate to high competence but variable commitment.
Essentially they have the skills for the job but are uncertain with themselves if they can accomplish it.
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D4 follower's highest development and a high degree of competence and commitment.
They have both the skills and the motivation to do the job and need little supervision.
How Does The Situational Approach Work?
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In any given situation Leaders have 2 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?
How motivated are they to do the job?
Adapt their Style
The leadership style must correspond to the employee’s development level
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How does the situational approach work?
The whole premise of the situational approach is that around the idea that followers move forward and backward along the development continuum which represents their competence and commitment.
To be an effective leader it is essential that the leader determine where followers are in the development process and adapt their leadership style to match the follower's development level
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History of usefulness in the marketplace. It is well used for training leaders within organizations.
Practicality.
Easy to understand,
intuitively sensible, and
easily applied in a variety of settings.
Straightforward approach.
Strengths
Prescriptive value.
While many theories of leadership are descriptive in nature, the situational approach is prescriptive. It tells you what the leader should do and should not do in various contexts.
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It emphasizes the leader’s flexibility. Stresses that leaders need to know their followers and what their needs are and then adapt to them. Leaders cannot use any single style. They must be willing to meet the challenges and requirements of the situation. It also acknowledges that followers will act differently when doing different goals.
Finally it reminds us to treat each follower differently based on the goal before them and to seek opportunities to help them learn new skills and competence.
The situational approach emphasises that followers have exceptional needs and deserve the leaders help and attention to be more efficient in their work.
Strengths
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The situational approach has several limitations.
Limited research studies to justify assumptions and propositions set forth.
Concerns over the unclear conceptualization of the follower’s development levels. It is unclear how commitment, combined with competence can form the four distinct development levels
Research does not explain the theoretical basis for each development level. There’s no weighting of competence and commitment across the development levels. (D1 - S2 etc…)
Doesn’t take demographics into account. (Education, age, experience, gender)
Criticisms
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Not entirely practical in all situations. It doesn’t address one to one vs group leadership in organizations.
Why does the motivation level go down or fluctuate as the competence level goes up? (The more competent you are at something the more commitment you should have to doing it?!?)
Situational leadership assessments of leadership effectiveness may classify effective leaders as ineffective if they tend to use the same style across situations (e.g. high task, high relationship).
Criticisms
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Can be applied to any level of the organization from CEO to Workers.
Situational Leadership is applied during the beginning of a project
and when information is important during final phases, when execution is important.
