Leadership Case

What two leader behaviors have been identified as having the greatest effect on subordinate satisfaction and performance?

The first is initiating structure, also called job-centered leadership. This refers to a leader痴 ability to order and organize the roles of subordinates. The second is consideration, also called employee-centered leadership. This refers to the concern a leader shows for employees.

These two behaviors are essential for effective leadership.

The first leader behavior, initiating structure, indicates the degree to which a leader considers deadlines, goals, and directions as the best tools for accomplishing a task. A task-oriented leader will think in terms of concrete objectives and productivity and will have the greatest effect on employees�job performance.

Consideration indicates the degree to which a leader is oriented towards people and makes their needs a priority. A people-oriented leader will be approachable. Employees will feel comfortable talking about their problems and concerns. This leadership behavior also means that a leader will discuss decisions with employees and treat them as equals. This leader痴 greatest effect will be on employees�job satisfaction.

In this lesson, you have learned that two central leadership behaviors, consideration and initiating structure, can be used to characterize five different leadership styles. These leadership styles are 1) country club management, 2) middle-of-the-road management, 3) impoverished management, 4) team management, and 5) authority-compliance. Think of a job you have had and the leadership style that was practiced in that workplace. How would you describe it, and which category would it fit into

The three situational leadership theories seen here agree that there isn稚 one leadership style to best suit all situations. In other respects, however, they differ. Fiedler痴 contingency theory is distinctive in assuming that a leader痴 style is fixed and unchanging, and thus the leader must be matched to the right situation. The other two theories assume that a leader is capable of adapting his or her leadership style. Path-Goal Theory proposes that leader behavior is dependent on qualities, such as confidence, of subordinates. Hersey and Blanchard痴 Situational Leadership Theory argues instead that leader behavior is dependent