What Is Leadership?

Leadership
The ability to influence a
group toward the
achievement of goals.

Management
Managers use the
authority inherent in their
designated formal rank to
obtain compliance from
organizational members.

1
Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay
 Leadership Skills
Robert Kartz identified three skills of leadership:
Technical: A person’s knowledge and ability to make
effective use of any process or technique.

Human: An individual’s ability to co-operate with others and

work effectively with team members.

Conceptual: An individual’s ability to analysis complex

situations and rationally process and interpret available
information.

2
Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay
 Trait Theories

Traits Theories of Leadership Traits:

Leadership
• Ambition and energy
Theories that consider
personality, social, • The desire to lead
physical, or intellectual • Honest and integrity
traits to differentiate • Self-confidence
leaders from non-leaders.
• Intelligence
• High self-monitoring
• Job-relevant
knowledge
3
Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay
 Trait Theories

Limitations:
• No universal traits found that predict
leadership in all situations.
• Traits predict behavior better in “weak”
than “strong” situations.
• Unclear evidence of the cause and effect
of relationship of leadership and traits.
• Better predictor of the appearance of
leadership than distinguishing effective
and ineffective leaders.
4
Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay
 Behavioral Theories
Behavioral Theories of Leadership
Theories proposing that specific behaviors
differentiate leaders from non-leaders.

• Trait theory:
Leaders are born, not made.
• Behavioral theory:
Leadership traits can be taught.

5
Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay
 Ohio State Studies
Initiating Structure
The extent to which a leader is
likely to define and structure his
or her role and those of sub-
ordinates in the search for goal
attainment.

Consideration
The extent to which a leader is likely to have job
relationships characterized by mutual trust, respect
for subordinate’s ideas, and regard for their feelings.
6
Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay
 University of Michigan Studies
Employee-Oriented Leader
Emphasizing interpersonal relations; taking a
personal interest in the needs of employees and
accepting individual differences among members.

Production-Oriented Leader
One who emphasizes technical
or task aspects of the job.

7
Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay
 The Managerial
Grid
(Blake and
Mouton)

E X H I B I T 9–1
8
Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay
 (9,1)– Autocratic Style
(9,9)—Participative Style
(1,9)—Supporting Style
(1,1)—Free Rein Style

9
 Scandinavian Studies
Development-Oriented Leader
One who values experimentation,
seeking new ideas, and generating
and implementing change.

Researchers in Finland and Sweden

question whether there are only two
dimensions (production-orientation
and employee-orientation) that
capture the essence of leadership
behavior. Their premise is that in a
changing world, effective leaders
would exhibit development-oriented
behavior.
10
Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay
 Contingency Theories
Fiedler’s Contingency Model
The theory that effective groups depend on a proper
match between a leader’s style of interacting with
subordinates and the degree to which the situation
gives control and influence to the leader.

Least Preferred Co-Worker (LPC)

Questionnaire
An instrument that purports to
measure whether a person is task-
or relationship-oriented.

11
Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay
 Fiedler’s Model: Defining the Situation
Leader-Member Relations
The degree of confidence, trust, and respect
subordinates have in their leader.

Task Structure
The degree to which the job assignments are
scheduled.

Position Power
Influence derived from one’s formal structural
position in the organization; includes power to hire,
fire, discipline, promote, and give salary increases.
12
Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay
 Findings from Fiedler Model

E X H I B I T 9–2
13
Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay
 Cognitive Resource Theory
Cognitive Resource Theory
A theory of leadership that states that stress can
unfavorably affect a situation and that intelligence
and experience can lessen the influence of stress on
the leader.

Research Support:
• Less intelligent individuals perform better in leadership
roles under high stress than do more intelligent
individuals.
• Less experienced people perform better in leadership
roles under low stress than do more experienced people.
14
Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay
 Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Theory

Situational Leadership Theory (SLT)

A contingency theory that focuses on followers’
readiness.
Unable and Unable but Able and Able and
Unwilling Willing Unwilling Willing

Follower readiness:
ability and willingness

Leader: decreasing need

for support and supervision

Directive High Task and Relationship Supportive Monitoring

Orientations Participative
15
Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay
 Leadership Styles and Follower Readiness (Hersey and Blanchard)

Follower Unwilling Willing

Readiness

Able Supportive
Monitoring
Participative

Leadership
Styles
High Task
Unable Directive and
Relationship
Orientations

16
Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay
 Leader–Member Exchange Theory
Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) Theory
Leaders create in-groups and out-groups, and
subordinates with in-group status will have higher
performance ratings, less turnover, and greater job
satisfaction.

17
Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay
 Leader-Member Exchange Theory

E X H I B I T 9–3
18
Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay
 Path-Goal Theory
Path-Goal Theory
The theory that it is the leader’s
job to assist followers in attaining
their goals and to provide them the
necessary direction and/or support
to ensure that their goals are
compatible with the overall
objectives of the group or
organization.

19
Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay
 The Path-Goal Theory

E X H I B I T 9–4
20
Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay
 Leader-Participation Model
Leader-Participation Model (Vroom and Yetton)
A leadership theory that provides a set of rules to
determine the form and amount of participative
decision making in different situations.

21
Organizational Behavior: Dr. Rachana Chattopadhyay