Task versus Relationship Motivation

Fiedler and his associates maintain that leadership effectiveness depends on the match between the leader’s personality and the situation. Fiedler devised special terms to describe a leader’s basic personality traits in relation to leadership: task motivation versus relationship motivation. He also conceptualized the situational context in terms of its favorableness for the leader, ranging from highly favorable to highly unfavorable. In some respects, the ideas of task and relationship motivation resemble the basic concepts identified in the behavioral approaches. Task motivation closely parallels jobcentered and initiating-structure leader behavior, and relationship motivation is similar to employee-centered and consideration leader behavior. The degree of task or relationship motivation in a given leader is measured by the least-preferred coworker LPC scale. The LPC instructions ask respondents to think of all the persons with whom they have worked and to then select their least-preferred coworker. Respondents then describe this coworker by marking a series of sixteen scales anchored at each end by a positive or negative quality or attribute. leadership models suggest that what constitutes effective leader behavior varies with the situation. In some cases, for example the leader needs to stand apart from followers in order to best guide and direct them. In other cases, though the leader may need to dive in with her or his followers and help shoulder the load. Not recognizing the differences can be a result of disaster

Evaluation and Implications The validity of Fiedler’s LPC theory has been heatedly debated because of the inconsistency of the research results. Apparent shortcomings of the theory are that the LPC measure lacks validity, the theory is not always supported by research, and Fiedler’s assumptions about the inflexibility of leader behavior are unrealistic. The theory itself, however does represent an important contribution because it returned the field to a study of the situation and explicitly considered the organizational context and its role in effective leadership

THE PATH-GOAL THEORY OF LEADERSHIP

Another important approach to leadership is the path-goal theory. Developed jointly by Martin Evans and Robert House, the path-goal theory focuses on the situation and leader behaviors rather than on fixed traits of the leader. In contrast to the LPC theory, the path-goal theory suggests that leaders can readily adapt to different situations. It suggests that effective leaders clarify the paths behaviors that will lead to desired rewards goals. The path-goal theory of leadership specifies four kinds of leader behavior: directive supportive participative, and achievement oriented. Leaders are advised to vary their behaviors in response to such situational factors as personal characteristics of subordinates and environmental characteristics.

Situational FactorsThe path goal theory proposes two types of situational factors that influence how leader behavior relates to subordinate satisfaction: the personal characteristics of the subordinates and the characteristics of the environment.

THE PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS Two important personal characteristics of subordinates are locus of control and perceived ability. Locus of control refers to the extent to which individuals believe that what happens to them results from their own behavior or from external causes. Research indicates that individuals who attribute outcomes to their own behavior may be more satisfied with a participative leade

HE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ENVIRONMENT Important environmental characteristics are task structure The path-goal theory proposes that leader behavior will motivate subordinates if it helps them cope with environmental uncertainty created by those characteristics. In some cases, For example, when task structure is high directive leadership is less necessary and therefore less effective similarly if the work group gives the individual plenty of social support, a supportive leader will not be especially attractive. Thus the extent to which leader behavior matches the people and environment.

Evaluation and Implications The path goal theory was designed to provide a general framework for understanding how leader behavior and situational factors influence subordinate attitudes and behaviors.