Contingency Theories

- theories of leadership that consider the leadership effectiveness of particular behaviours or behavioural styles to be contingent on the nature of the leadership situation
1. Fiedler's Contingency Theory
  1. - distinguished between task-oriented leaders who are authoritarian and value group success and relationship-oriented leaders who are relaxed and friendly
    1. Least preferred co-worker scale (LPC) - scale for measuring leadership style in terms of favourability of attitude towards ones least preferred co-worker
      1. High LPC scores means that the respondent felt favourably inclined towards a fellow member (indicated a relationship oriented style
        Effective when situational control lies in the middle
      2. Low LPC scores means that the respondent was harsh on a poorly performing co-worker, indicating a task-oriented style
        Effective when situational control is high or low
2. Normative Decision Theory
  1. - a contingency theory of leadership that focuses on the effectiveness of different leadership styles in group decision-making contexts
    1. Autocratic leader - subordinate input is not sought
    2. Consultative - subordinate input is sought, but the leader retains the authority to make the final decision
    3. Group decision making leaders - leader and subordinates are equal partners in a truly shared decision making process
3. Path Goal Theory
  1. - a contingency theory of leadership that can also be classified as a transactional theory. It focuses on how structuring and consideration behaviours motivate followers
    1. Rests on the assumption that a leader's main function is to motivate followers by clarifying the paths that will help them reach their goals

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Contingency Theories

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	Created by lynda_ashford_25 almost 11 years ago