vl 4

What is the perspective of the behavioral approach description?

• emphasizes the behavior of the leader

• focuses exclusively on what leaders do and how they act

What two general categories of behavior compose the behavioral approach description? → definition

Task behaviors and relationship behaviors.

What is the specific purpose of task behaviors in leadership? (behavioral approach description)

They facilitate goal accomplishment by helping group members achieve objectives.

What is the specific purpose of relationship behaviors in leadership? (behavioral approach description)

They help subordinates feel comfortable with themselves, each other, and the situation.

What is the full name of the assessment tool known as the LBDQ? (Ohio State Studies)

Leadership Behavior Description Questionnaire.

What was the original goal of the Ohio State Studies' LBDQ? (Ohio State Studies)

To identify the number of times leaders engaged in specific behaviors

→ 150 questions

In what three settings were participants located for the Ohio State leadership studies? (Ohio State Studies)

Military, industrial, and educational settings.

What were the results of the Ohio State Studies?

Particular clusters of behaviors were typical of leaders

What is the LBDQ-XII (Stogdill, 1963)? (Ohio State Studies, cont’d)

A shortened version of the Leadership Behavior Description Questionnaire.

Which leadership assessment instrument is considered the most widely used today?

The LBDQ-XII.

What are the two general types of leader behaviors identified in the LBDQ-XII results? (Ohio State Studies, cont’d)

Initiating structure and consideration.

What are the results if the LBDQ-XII? (Ohio State Studies, cont’d)

Two general types of leader behaviors:

• Initiating structure

• Consideration

How is 'Initiating Structure' defined in the Ohio State Studies? (Ohio State Studies, cont’d)

Leaders providing structure for subordinates.

What specific task behaviors are associated with 'Initiating Structure'? (Ohio State Studies, cont’d)

Organizing work, defining role responsibilities, and scheduling work activities.

How is 'Consideration' defined in the Ohio State Studies? (Ohio State Studies, cont’d)

Leaders nurturing their subordinates.

What specific relationship behaviors are associated with 'Consideration'? (Ohio State Studies, cont’d)

Building camaraderie, respect, trust, and liking between leaders and followers.

What was the specific emphasis of the University of Michigan leadership studies?

Exploring leadership behavior

→ The impact of leadership behavior on the performance of small groups.

Initially, how did the University of Michigan studies conceptualize leadership behaviors? (results)

As two types of behavior at opposite ends of a single continuum.

What are the results of the University of Michigan Studies?

• Employee orientation

• Production orientation

What is 'Employee Orientation' according to the Michigan Studies?

A leadership style with a strong emphasis on human relations.

What is 'Production Orientation' according to the Michigan Studies?

A leadership style that stresses the technical aspects of a job.

How did later Michigan studies reconceptualize leadership orientations?

They were viewed as two independent orientations rather than a single continuum.

According to later Michigan studies, is it possible for a leader to show both orientations simultaneously?

Yes, leaders can be oriented toward both production and employees at the same time.

What is the primary purpose of Blake & Mouton’s Leadership Grid?

To explain how leaders help organizations reach their purposes.

What are the Blake & Mounton’s Grid components?

• Authority-Compliance (9,1)

• Country Club Management (1,9)

• Impoverished Management (1,1)

• Middle-of-the-Road Management (5,5)

• Team Management (9,9)

• Paternalism / Maternalism (1,9; 9,1)

• Opportunism

What two factors serve as the axes for Blake & Mouton’s Leadership Grid?

Concern for production: How a leader is concerned with achieving organizational tasks.

Concern for people: How a leader attends to members trying to achieve organizational goals.

What name is given to the (9,1) management style on the Leadership Grid?

Authority-Compliance.

What core belief about efficiency defines the (9,1) leadership style?

Efficiency in operations results from arranging work so that human interference is minimal.

What is the primary role focus of an Authority-Compliance (9,1) leader?

Heavy emphasis on task and job requirements and less emphasis on people.

How are people regarded in the Authority-Compliance (9,1) leadership style? (Results driven)

They are regarded as tools for achieving results.

What are four typical traits associated with (9,1) leaders?

Controlling, demanding, hard-driving, and overpowering.

What name is given to the (1,9) management style on the Leadership Grid?

Country Club Management.

What is the definition of the Country Club (1,9)?

Thoughtful attention to the needs of people leads to a comfortable, friendly organizational atmosphere and work tempo

What is the primary role focus of a Country Club (1,9) leader?

Low concern for production and high concern for interpersonal relationships

→ deemphasizes production: people regarded as tools to an end

What kind of organizational climate does a (1,9) leader try to create?

A positive climate where leaders are agreeable, helping, comforting, and noncontroversial

What name is given to the (1,1) management style on the Leadership Grid?

Impoverished Management.

What is the definition of Impoverished (1,1)?

Minimal effort exerted to get work done is appropriate to sustain organizational membership

What is the primary role focus of a Impoverished (1,1) leader?

Leader unconcerned with both task and interpersonal relationships

→ Going through the motions, but uninvolved and withdrawn

What are typical traits associated with (1,1) leaders?

They have little contact with followers and are described as indifferent, noncommittal, resigned, and apathetic

What name is given to the (5,5) management style on the Leadership Grid?

Middle-of-the-Road Management.

What is the definition of the Middel-of-the-Road Management?

Adequate organizational performance possible through balancing the necessity of getting work done while maintaining satisfactory morale

What is the role focus of a Middle-of-the-Road (5,5) leader?

Leaders who are compromisers; having intermediate concern for both tasks and the people who do them.

How does a (5,5) leader attempt to achieve organizational equilibrium?

By avoiding conflict while emphasizing moderate levels of production and interpersonal relationships.

What three behaviors typically describe a (5,5) leader?

Expedient, preferring the middle ground, and soft-pedaling disagreement

What name is given to the (9,9) management style on the Leadership Grid?

Team Management.

How is work accomplished according to the (9,9) leadership philosophy? (definition)

Through committed people and interdependence via a common stake in the organization’s purpose → leads to trust and respect

What is the primary role focus of a Team (9,9) leader?

Strong emphasis on both tasks and interpersonal relationships

→ Promotes high degree of participation & teamwork, satisfies basic need of employee to be involved & committed to their work

What four behaviors define a (9,9) leader?

Stimulating participation, acting determined, making priorities clear, and following through.

Which management style on the Leadership Grid combines (1,9) and (9,1) behaviors?

Paternalism / Maternalism.

What is the definition of Paternalism/ Maternalism?

Reward and approval are bestowed on people in return for loyalty and obedience; failure to comply leads to punishment

What is the role focus of Paternalism/ Maternalism?

• The “benevolent dictator”; acts gracious for purpose of goal accomplishment

• Treats people as though they were disassociated from the task

• Regards the organization as a family

• Makes most of the key decisions

• Rewards loyalty and punishes non-compliance

What is 'Opportunism' in the context of the Leadership Grid? (definition)

People adapt and shift to any grid style needed to gain maximum advantage

→ Leaders usually have a dominant grid style used in most situations and a backup style that is reverted to when under pressure

What is the Role Focus of the opportunistic leader?

• Performance occurs according to a system of selfish gain

• Leader uses any combination for the basic five styles for the purpose advancement

• May be seen as ruthless and cunning

• May also be seen as adaptable and strategic

What is a leader's 'dominant' grid style?

The style used by the leader in most situations.

What is a leader's 'backup' grid style?

The style a leader reverts to when under pressure.

How does the behavioral approach work?

• Focus of Behavioral Approach

• Strengths

• Criticisms

• Application

What is the overall focus of the Behavioral Approach in practice?

It acts as a framework for assessing leadership as behavior with task and relationship dimensions.

What is the overall scope of the behavioral approach?

Offers a general means of assessing the behaviors of leaders

How does the Behavioral Approach help leaders learn about themselves? (strengths)

It is heuristic, allowing leaders to see how their actions come across to others.

What provides credibility to the basic tenets of the Behavioral Approach? (strengths)

The broad range of studies conducted on leadership style.

At the conceptual level, what two major behavior types compose a leader's style? (strengths)

Task behaviors and relationship behaviors.

What did the behavioral approach mark in leadership research? (strengths)

a major shift in leadership research from exclusively trait focused to include behaviors and actions of leaders

What are the criticisms?

• Research has not adequately demonstrated how leaders’ styles are associated with performance outcomes

• No universal style of leadership that could be effective in almost every situation

• Implies that the most effective leadership style is High-High style (i.e., high task/high relationship); research finding support is limited

How can the behavioral appraoch be applicated?

• Many leadership training and development programs are designed along the lines of the style approach.

• By assessing their own style, managers can determine how they are perceived by others and how they could change their behaviors to become more effective.

• The style approach applies to nearly everything a leader does.