Lecture Organizational behavior - Chap 14: Power and politics

Chapter 14
Leader Traits and
Behavioral Styles
Great leaders know the way


Chapter 14 Study Questions




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What can we learn from trait and
behavioral approaches?
What do situational contingency
approaches tell us about leadership?
What are charismatic and transformational
theories?
Why are some scholar turning to complexity
views?
What do we know about leadership ethics?

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What can we learn from trait and
behavioral approaches?


Early Trait Approaches
• Trait Approach
 Leadership study assumes that leaders are
endowed with certain traits or qualities that
explain their leadership status and success.

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What can we learn from trait and
behavioral approaches?



Behavioral Leadership Approaches
• Leadership study focuses on identifying

categories of relevant leadership behavior and
examining their efforts on performance and
other outcomes.

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What can we learn from trait

and behavioral approaches?


Relations­oriented
• Also known as consideration, involves concern

for relationship and socioemotional support.


Task­oriented behavior
• Also known as initiating structure, involves

providing direction and enforcing performance
standards needed to drive production.

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What do situational contingency
approaches tell us about leadership?
• Contingency Approaches
 State that the relationship between
leader behavior and leadership
effectiveness depends on (i.e., “is
contingent upon”) the situation.

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Figure 14.1 A comprehensive
contingency model

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What do situational contingency
approaches tell us about leadership?
Directive Leadership

 Task-oriented, production-centered behavior that
provides clarity and direction for subordinates.

• Supportive Leadership
 Relations-oriented, employee-centered behavior that
promotes a friendly work climate by focusing on
subordinate needs and wellbeing.

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

What do situational contingency
approaches tell us about
leadership?

Achievement – Oriented Leadership

• Motivation-focused behavior that builds subordinated’

confidence in achieving high standards through a focus
on excellence and goal-setting.


Participative Leadership
• Democratic form of leadership that focuses on

consulting with subordinated and taking their
suggestions into account before making decisions.

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What do situational contingency
approaches tell us about
leadership?


Follower Readiness
• The amount experience or ability the follower has to do

the job.


Task Structure
• Describes whether the task is highly defined (high

structure) or the position of the leader.


Leader Position Power
• Describes the amount of formal authority associated

with the position of the leader.
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What do situational contingency
approaches tell us about leadership?
Findings from Situational Theories
• Directive Leadership
• Supportive Leadership
• Achievement-Oriented Leadership
• Participative Leadership
• Fiedler’s Leader-Match

 The leader cannot change his or her style
and therefore needs to change the situation

to match the leader style.

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What are charismatic and
transformational theories?


Charismatic Leader
• Charisma
 A special personal quality or attractiveness that enables an 
individual to influence others.

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What are charismatic and
transformational theories?
Charismatic Traits and Behavior

Characteristics of Charismatic Leaders

• Novel and appealing vision
• Emotional appeals to values
• Use strong and expressive forms of communication

•
•
•
•

when articulating the vision
Unconventional behavior
Personal risk and self-sacrifice to attain the vision
Communicating high expectations
Confidence and optimism

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What are charismatic and
transformational theories?


Consequences of Charisma
• Socialized Power Orientation
 A focus on power for collective (e.g.,
societal) rather than personal benefit.

• Personalized Charismatics
 Charismatic leaders with personalized
power orientation.

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What are charismatic and
transformational theories?
Dangers of Charismatic Leadership
• Power Distance
 The extent to which one accepts that power is
institutions and organizations is distributed unequally.

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What are charismatic and
transformational theories?
Transforming Leadership Theory
• Power wielders
 Uses power to advance their own
interests without considering follower’s
needs.

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What are charismatic and

transformational theories?
• Transactional Leadership
 Involves a focus on exchanging valued
goods in return for something leaders want.
• Transformational Leadership
 Involves inspirational relationships in which
both leaders and followers are positively
transformed in the process.

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Figure 14.2 Key differences in transformational
and transactional leadership styles

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What are charismatic and
transformational theories?
Bass’s Transformational Leadership
• Involves leaders motivating followers to

transcend self-interest for the sake of the
organization or team.
• Refers to the exchange relationship

between leaders and followers to meet
their own self-interests.

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What are charismatic and
transformational theories?
Problems of “Heroic” Leadership Views
• Heroic Leadership Views
 See Leadership as the result of acts of great
leaders who inspire and motivate others to
accomplish extraordinary things.

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Why are some scholars turning to
complexity views?


Complex Adaptive Systems
• Systems that adapt and evolve in the process of

interacting with dynamic environments.

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Figure
14.3
Major
differences
between
bureaucrati
c and
complexity
assumption
s
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Why are some scholar turning to
complexity views?
Understanding Emergence
• Emergence
 The process through which higher-level order arises
out of the lower-level interactions.

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Why are some scholars
turning to complexity
views?

Complexity Leadership Theory
• Administrative Leadership

 Occurs in formal, managerial roles and focuses on
alignment and control aimed at driving business results.

• Entrepreneurial Leadership
 Fuels innovation, adaptability, and change .

• Adaptive Leadership
 Operates in the interface between the administrative
and entrepreneurial systems fosters conditions for
emergence.

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What do we know about
leadership ethics?
Leadership / Ethical Leadership Theory
• Leadership Ethics

 The Study of ethical problems and challenges distinctive
to and inherent in the processes, practices, and
outcome of leading and following.

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