Posts: 613
Threads: 298
Joined: Sep 2012
Explain the Contingency Approach of leadership
Posts: 613
Threads: 298
Joined: Sep 2012
Fred E. Fiedler was the first to develop a situational theory of leadership. This approach emphasises thai a leader's behaviour required for effective group performance depends on the favourableness of the situation. The important situational factors are as follows:
(i) Leader's personal relationship with group members. (ii) Formal authority of the leader. (iii) Degree of task-structure.
Situations are favourable if all the three dimensions are high if the leader is generally accepted by his followers, if the task is structured and if - great deal of authority is formally attributed to the leader's position, the situation is very favourable. The theory demonstrates that task-oriented leaders tend to perform best in group situation that are either unfavourable to the leader and human relations oriented leaders tend to perform best in situations that are intermediate in favourableness. Leadership effectiveness depends upon the various elements in the group environment. Thus the effectiveness of the group performance can be affected by changing the leadership style for the situation in accordance with the described relationships. This also helps in designing the selection and training programmes for managers to be suitable for given situations.
This theory has been the subject of much controversy. The date and statistical tests used by Fiedler arc said to be inappropriate and invalid. It also does not explain the relative effectiveness of leadership under different situations. The theory is in the nature of empirical generalisations.
