Simply possessing certain traits or performing certain behaviors does not ensure that a manager will
be an effective leader in all situations.
What makes a manager an effective leader in one situation is not necessarily what that manager
needs in order to be equally effective in a different situation.
Contingency models of leadership take into account the situation or context within which leadership
occurs.
The traits or behaviors that may contribute to a manager being an effective leader in one situation
might result in the same manager being an ineffective leader in another situation.
Fiedler’s Contingency Model
Fiedler’s contingency model helps explain which kinds of managers are likely to be most effective in
which situations
Leader Style
Fiedler hypothesized that personal characteristics can influence leader
effectiveness.
Relationship-oriented leaders are primarily concerned with developing good relationships with their
subordinates and being liked by them
Task-oriented leaders are primarily concerned with ensuring that subordinates perform at a high
level.
Situational Characteristics
Fielder identified three situational characteristics
Leader-member relations
Task structure
Combining Leader Style and the Situation
By taking all possible combinations of these factors
Fiedler determined that:
Relationship-oriented leaders are most effective in moderately favorable situations.
Task-oriented leaders are most effective in very favorable or very unfavorable situations.
Putting the Contingency Model Into Practice
In order to be effective, managers need to be placed in leadership situations that fit their style or
the situations need to be changed to suit the manager.
Research studies tend to support Fiedler’s model but also suggest that it is in need of some modifications.
House’s Path-Goal Theory
In what he called path-goal theory
Path-goal theory provides managers with three guidelines to follow to be
effective leaders.
Path-goal theory identifies four kinds of behaviors that leaders can engage in to motivate
subordinates
The Leader Substitutes Model
This model suggests that leadership is sometimes unnecessary