Lecture Leadership: Enhancing the lessons of experience (4/e) – Chapter 12

12­1

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C

 

HAPTER

T

WELVE

Contingency Theories of 
Leadership


SLT Prescriptions For Most Appropriate 
Behaviors Based On Follower Maturity

Relationship behaviors

Participating 
(Lo T, Hi R)

Selling      
(Hi T, Hi R)

Delegating 
(Lo T, Lo R)

Telling       
(Hi T, Lo R)

Task behaviors
M4

M3

M2

M1

Follower maturity
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12­3


Components Of Follower Maturity
• Job maturity – the amount of task­
relevant knowledge, experience, 
skill, and ability that the follower 
possesses.
• Psychological maturity – the 

follower’s self­confidence, 
commitment, motivation and self­
respect relative to the task at hand.
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12­4


Factors From the Situational Leadership 
Theory and the Interactional Framework

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Leader
Telling

  High task, low 
   relationship
Selling:
  High task,  high 
   relationship
Participating:   Low task,  low 
   relationship
Delegating:   Low task, low 
   relationship
Decision to use developmental intervention

Outcomes:

Task accomplishment
Increased follower maturity (if 
developmental interventions 
used)

What is the task to be accomplished? 
What is the followers’ job 
maturity? 
Psychological maturity? 

Followers
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Situation
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Contingency 
Theory
Leader effectiveness is primarily 
determined by selecting the right kind of 
leader for a certain situation or changing 
the situation to fit the particular leader’s 
style. 


Motivational Hierarchies For Low­ 
and High­LPC Leaders

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People 

Task 

Task 

People 

Low­LPC leader motivational hierarchy

High­LPC leader motivational hierarchy

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Contingency Model Octant Structure For 
Determining Situational Favorability
High

Task structure
Position power
Octant

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Low

Overall situation favorability

Leader­member relations

Good
Structured

12­8

Poor

Unstructured

Structured

Unstructured

High

Low

High

Low

High

Low

High

Low

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

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Factors From Fiedler’s Contingency 
Theory and the Interactional Framework
Leader
Outcomes:

Motivation hierarchy             
(as determined by LPC score)

Effective or 
ineffective group 
performance based 
upon match or 
mismatch between 
leader and overall 
favorability of the 
leadership situation

Leader­
member 
relations

Task structure
Position power

Followers
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Situation
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12­9


Four Leader Behaviors of Path­
Goal Theory
•
•
•

•

Directive
Supportive 
Participative 
Achievement­oriented

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12­10


Interaction Between Followers’ Locus of Control 12­11
Scores and Leader Behavior in Decision Making
External locus of 
control followers

Internal locus of 
control followers

Follower satisfaction with leader

High

Low 
Directive
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Leader behavior in decision making

Participative

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Examples of Applying Path­Goal 
Theory
Situation

Leader

Followers

Newly formed 
work unit

Directive 
behaviors (tell 
followers what 
to do and how 
to do it)

Reduced role 
ambiguity 
(clearer effort­
to­
performance 
links)

Substandard 
performance 
(no rewards 
for 
performance)

Directive 
behaviors 
(make rewards 
available and 
contingent on 
performance)

Clearer 
performance­
to­reward 
links 
(increased 
valence)

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12­12

Outcomes

Higher 
effort
Higher 

satisfaction

Higher 
effort
Higher 
satisfaction

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