It is generally accepted that the leadership styles of men and women vary because of differences in behaviour of men and women which are shaped by society and culture (Eagley, Wood and Diekman, 2000). Situational leadership® is a leadership model, which has been largely influenced and molded by its early developers Ken Blanchard and Paul Hersey. 10. He explained to them the management’s concern for the low productivity of the division despite being the highest paid and best educated group within the organisations. This present paper examines the situational leadership approach as one of the styles that leaders and managers of organisations can use. The situational theory of leadership suggests that no single leadership style is best. Engage in exchange of information. Leaders are a key human resource in any organisation. In this section we’ll examine the early development of the theory in late-60s to 70s, before looking at how the leadership model has evolved from the early inception. To export a reference to this article please select a referencing stye below: If you are the original writer of this essay and no longer wish to have your work published on UKEssays.com then please: Our academic writing and marking services can help you! That allows them to tailor training scenarios for new workers that will bring them up to speed quickly. Describe the three theories of situational leadership and what you consider to be the strengths and weaknesses of each theory when leading staff in the organizational environment.The written assignment should include at least three scholarly sources in addition to the text and be formatted according to APA style. Situational leadership is based more on meeting an exact need, at the moment, then an approach which looks toward the long-term needs of a team. In fact, one of its most important functions is to build interdependency between leaders and followers. In some situations, the situational leader may do more harm than good because they misread the situation, formulating an answer that is inappropriate. Strengths and weakness of LMX The LMX theory has some strengths in regard to the leadership process, and they include: first, the theory validates the structuring of outgroup and in-group from the relationship between the leader and the members. One of those leadership styles was called transactional leadership. According to situational leadership models in general, leaders should adopt different leadership approaches depending on the situations that they encounter. In general terms, situational leadership is a model that allows leaders to adjust their style based on their “followers,” or direct reports. The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Model is built on the concept using “follower maturity” as the key issue which affects adjustment in leadership styles. Terrill also successfully executed this role by openly showing his concern for the staff’s welfare. He was well aware that his orders were against top management’s instructions, but he was not afraid to use the legitimate power vested in his position to stand by his decision to keep the management off the engineers’ backs as promised. Currently, some countries are headed by female premiers and presidents, for example Australia and New Zealand. When using situational leadership, … Many cultures across the globe regarded women as the weaker sex with limited roles to play in the social system. This allows team members to find common ground with each other, which reduces the risks of internal conflict developing. Using the power vested in his position as the manager of the team coupled with the mandate given by top management to solve the productivity issue, Terrill issued an order which was against the wish of company management. 1) Great Man Theory of Leadership: Leaders are born, not made. Leadership competencies which work in one given situation may not be effective under different circumstances (Graef, 1983). A shift from a delegation style to a telling style might feel like the leader has a growing distrust of the worker. Clear vision. John Terrill applied his interpersonal skills excellently when he first approached the engineers to seek information on their current problems which affected their productivity. Trait Theory Weaknesses. Situational leadership refers to a leadership style where the leader of an organization has to modify his style to fit the progression level of the followers he is trying to influence. 1. Managers who adopt this style of leadership will allow their followers or subordinates to take responsibility for their assigned tasks with minimal supervision from them. In male dominated settings such as the military, transformational leadership may not be preferred. Our academic experts are ready and waiting to assist with any writing project you may have. The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Model is built on the concept using "follower maturity" as the key issue which affects adjustment in leadership styles. Inadvertently, it will be easier for Terrill to turn around the department because his engineers will have more respect for him and will not hesitate to help him achieve their goals. Reference this. In solving the low productivity issue of the Technical Services division, Terrill also played the role of a negotiator. Leaders who are able to adopt different styles based on what is required of them will be most successful. The top management’s concern about the low productivity further showed the importance placed on his team. In this case, the engineers are able to concentrate on accomplishing their tasks and productivity of the division will improve. Based on the case analysis presented and the leadership model depicted in the table above, it can be concluded that John Terrill had adopted the Delegating Leadership Style in dealing with the situation at DGI International’s Technical Services division. 1. With the four strengths of the situational approach, some weaknesses were also identified by Northouse. On the other hand, transactional leadership style is more visible in traditional organizational settings where male leaders are dominant (Rosener, 1990). Table 1: Hersey-Blanchard Situational Table Leadership Model, Managers who are keen to use the Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Model must first fully understand or be able to assess/gauge the level of maturity of its subordinates with reference to their readiness or commitment to perform their job tasks. First, there is lack of clarity of progression through development levels. This style of leadership empowers followers to be responsible for their own actions and decisions. Even with the detailed research that was recorded during the trait theory studies, trait theorists found weaknesses that existed. Instead, it all depends on the situation at hand and which type of leadership and strategies are best-suited to the task. Ogden et al. The social learning theory is one of many approaches that child development and educational scholars use to explain how children learn. Becomes complicated when more than just leadership qualities are being discussed, makes it hard to focus on specific skills 3. A situational leader must be able to determine the strengths and weaknesses of their direct reports. In situational leadership, it is up to the leader to change his style, not the follower to accommodate to the leader’s style. This style of leadership is not dependent on the skills of a leader; rather it is based on a leader's ability to adjust to the requirements of a team or organization in order to be a better and more effective leader. Terrill also successfully exercised the division’s expert power to ensure top management did not impose trivial matters (such as writing internal daily reports) which consume much of the engineers time so that they could concentrate on accomplishing their engineering tasks. This advantage enables the leader to find educational opportunities for their established workers as well. Delegating. Knowledge and skills of the engineers are highly valued by the organisation, which was why they were never reprimanded for their lack of productivity before. If you need assistance with writing your essay, our professional essay writing service is here to help! A shift in the other direction could make it difficult for workers to know what to do, even if they’re ready to be working on their own. This indication further supports the notion that the team of engineers is able, willing and confident to accomplish their tasks without much direction or supervision from Terrill. In other words, other factors must be taken into account when deciding which leadership style to use in a given situation. His networking skills were clearly demonstrated when he empathised with the engineers and responded positively that engineers in the Technical Services division should not be tied down with paperwork if top management expected them to be more productive. After that, the engineers willingly voice out their grouses and complaints when Terrill asked them point blank as to why the division was not performing as expected. style you exhibit, and making you aware of its strengths and weaknesses. 6. In other words, the engineers have expert power which made them indispensable to the company. Leadership Theories There are quite a few different leadership theories available for people to take information from and use in business settings and even personal settings. Situational leaders will shift their approach to meet the needs of each worker. Effective leaders should be able to adjust their leadership styles according to the situation at hand. The Goleman Theory of Situational Leadership® Daniel Goleman, the author of Emotional Intelligence, defines six styles within Situational Leadership®. In the role as school principal which requires more interpersonal ability, women display greater task-orientation. Process and assess information. From simple essay plans, through to full dissertations, you can guarantee we have a service perfectly matched to your needs. An effective leadershipis contingent upon anumber of variables, such as traits, leading style, communications skills, conflict … VAT Registration No: 842417633. This allows the leader to motivate individual employees in a way that matches their needs, giving everyone a better chance to reach a positive outcome. Through his research, Mintzberg (1973) also managed to conclude that all the above ten roles fall into three broad categories which are interlinked. In this example, Terrill obviously used the division’s expert power to negotiate with top management to stay out of their way so that they can carry out their engineering work as expected, and hopefully increase productivity as expected of them. The conceptual weaknesses I found are similar to those in most earlier leadership theories, and they include ambiguous constructs, insufficient description of explanatory processes, a narrow focus on dyadic processes, omission of some relevant behaviors, insufficient specification of limiting conditions (situational variables), and a bias toward heroic conceptions of leadership. Participative Leadership: Strengths and Weaknesses The simple act of making decisions is an essential task leaders must perform effectively to succeed. This type of power can weaken if the reward is no longer perceived as valuable by the receiver. By understanding these managerial roles, managers will be able to discharge their duties more efficiently and effectively. That allows for fires to be put out and morale to be salvaged, but it also creates issues where personal development can be stalled. Although men still hold the fort, more women are seen entering the workforce with an increasingly number of them being promoted to high managerial positions (Druskat, 1994). By adapting to the change, the situational leader can adopt an approach that will help that worker stay productive. * Leaders encourage followers to strive for their goals beyond self-interest. Coaching leaders, who work on an individual’s personal development as well as job-related skills. To illustrate the point that gender differences in leadership styles do exist (Kanter, 1991), we will take a closer look at Transformational (largely associated with women leaders) and Transactional (dominant in male leaders). Looking for a flexible role? The organization is using decentralized … Terrill’s delegating style can be further identified when he promised to stay off the engineer’s backs and also make sure that top management did the same. Then they choose the most appropriate type of leadership style to use for that given circumstance. Source : http://leadershipchamps.wordpress.com. However, according to Bravo-Baumann (2000) gender relations involves how society determines the rights and responsibilities of women and men. In 1969, Blanchard and Hersey developed Situational Leadership® Theory in their classic book Management of Organizational Behavior. Barclays is listed on the London Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange. Focus on Strengths. For most workers, that creates a situation which allows them to be comfortable with their job duties. Measurement of job readiness is subjective and based on several factors, mainly job ability and job confidence (Hambleton et al., 1977(. Its guidelines are valuable in guiding situational leadership. If the leader is adept at reading changing situations and understands what people need, then they can be useful in their role. To illustrate, while the company management requires that the engineers turned in daily reports to headquarters, Terrill ordered them to turn in the reports to his office instead. In conclusion, there are differences in leadership styles by gender. One primary example of this is the difference between men, women, and transgender workers. Being appointed as the head of Technical Services Division clearly indicated that John Terrill held legitimate power over the department. You can view samples of our professional work here. and weaknesses for this theory. Transmit information to other via phone calls, memos, notes, etc. Maintain information and contacts. The managers and the leaders are the greatest assets of the organization Barclays. If the situational leader leaves the company and a suitable replacement cannot be found, it could lead to a complete turnover of the team. Instead of treating everyone equally from a singular perspective, the situational leader recognizes the need to be flexible. The theory behind situational leadership is more closely tied to using the style needed to be successful given the existing work environment, or the specific needs of the business. Weak in predictive value, does not explain how specific skill sets will impact performance 4. In a 3 to 4 page paper (excluding the title and references pages), please explain why situational leadership theory is useful and relevant in developing an effective leadership culture. In the case of DGI International’s Technical Services division, John Terrill practiced the delegating style based on the profile of the team in his division. The situational theory of leadership suggests that no single leadership style is best. Situational leadership is a leadership style in which a leader adapts their style of leading to suit the current work environment and/or needs of a team. Consistency, predictability and emotional stability are desired qualities in leaders. Home » Pros and Cons » 13 Situational Leadership Advantages and Disadvantages. They must also understand the scope of the project or task that must be completed. During the showdown with top management in the president’s office, Terrill displayed his negotiation skills by informing top management that the main reason for Technical Services division’s low output was that the engineers were more occupied with writing daily reports than actually doing their engineering tasks. Female principals are also more democratic or participative while male principals adopted a more autocratic or directive approach. At the same time, empathy is developed within the leadership of the agency because each worker must be approached correctly. Management will not be willing to pay them highly if they do not possess high level of job maturity, which refers to their job capabilities and confidence in accomplishing their tasks as engineers. Male leaders, on the other hand, adopted stronger approaches which are consistent with natural dominating and controlling characteristics of men. In organisations, punishments can be in the form of reprimand, disciplinary action, suspension, demotion, dismissal, etc. That allows for fires to be put out and morale to be salvaged, but it also creates issues where personal development can be stalled. The situational leader has a clear vision of where the team is going. Survey Reflections Leadership … In charge of internal and external information links. A leader is able to delegate the tasks to his followers but accountability of the job still lies with the leader. Situational leaders focus on short-term needs. The organization is using decentralized … Regardless of gender, successful and effective leaders will find their preferred leadership style, that can be a blend of gender-specific roles, which is most suitable to the situation that they are in. Four leadership styles which emerge from this two-by-two matrix model (see Table 1) are Participating, Selling, Telling and Delegating. Its known by managerial gird. Most Effective Style of Leadership: Studies have shown that transformational leadership is more effective than transactional leadership.One study noted that it ranked first in terms of effectiveness. Hence, leaders are most successful and effective when they can evaluate a situation accurately and act according to the requirements of the situation instead of generally applying the same form of leadership across all circumstances (Fiedler, 1951). However, many women nowadays earn their organisations’ mandate and are appointed as CEOs and MDs of companies. Empowerment allows for a certain degree of independence which promotes accountability and creativity in individuals. To illustrate the point, all three interpersonal roles – Figurehead, Leader and Liaison – provide information. Do you have a 2:1 degree or higher? However, Terrill had anticipated a showdown with top management and had already thought up a plan to back up his actions. * Leaders are differentiated by their ability to inspire and provide individual consideration, stimulation and influence to followers. Management The organization is expanded in the market with the help of leadership and managers strategies. Leadership weaknesses are traits that a leader may have that can result in negative actions and relationships in the workplace. Situational Leadership can decipher situational complexity. Although the theory behind this form of leadership attempts to bring equality into the workplace, there is no substitute for real experience. It is an element which is able to shape managers and followers, and is the key underlying factor for leadership effectiveness. The person holding this power is able to impose punishment. The situational leader may try to encourage a team to become more independent performing the tasks by letting them take routine decisions. The first strength of the situational approach is that it has been very successful for many years and it is frequently used in training programs by many Fortune 500 companies. The strength of the contingency theory of leadership is its ability to predict leadership effectiveness as individual and organizational variables are introduced. Extends beyond leadership, making it hard to focus on developing just as a leader 2. (2006) entails that power need not have goal compatibility but only dependence. The company is forced to stick with that type of leadership because other leadership styles only focus on the structure or process. Project initiation, business identification and leads for opportunities. Registered Data Controller No: Z1821391. High-level problem-solving is still under their purview, but they allow team members to actively participate in the decision-making process. He convinced them that he would stay out of their way and get the top management off their backs so that the engineers can accomplish their tasks as expected. Instead, they should be allowed to focus more on accomplishing their engineering tasks. When direct reports see this change occur, it can leave them with questions. It is impossible to fully understand a different perspective when it does not apply to you. This style can be effective in less-hierarchical organizations such as schools or retail outlets. Women leaders generally tend to adopt a “softer” approach such as democratic and participative. Leadership styles can also be affected by external factors such as the nature of work, business environment, organizational culture and industry structure. Disclaimer: This work has been submitted by a university student. Here is a look at some of the common strengths that have been discovered. Self-awareness is the key to becoming a successful leader. In 1947, Max Weber described a number of different leadership styles that could be viewed within the confines of corporate management. However, with the rise of movements towards equality in gender in the modern world, more societies have begun to change their mindsets and accept the fact that women also have roles to play in the development of the society and economy (Inglehart and Noris, 2003). You’ll see leaders who are directing people as tasks are completed, or goals are formed by being specific with their instructions. An effective leadership is contingent upon a number of variables, such as traits, leading style, communications skills, conflict resolutions, and be able to motivate team members. This theory was first called the “Life Cycle Theory of Leadership.” During the mid-1970s, it was renamed the Situational Leadership® Theory. Defining Situational Leadership . As the new boss to a team of highly paid and skilled engineers, it can be assumed that John Terrill himself possessed quality traits which made top management at DGI International very confident that he can turn the non-performing department around. For example, the engineers are given high autonomy in completing their tasks with minimal supervision by Terrill. Second, the lack of clarity on how employee commitment changes over time. According to this theory, the most effective leaders are those that are able to adapt their style to the situation and look at cues such as the type of task, the nature of the group, and other factors that might contribute to getting th… Situational leaders must always be on their toes if they are going to be successful. When the situational leader cannot be flexible, then their strengths are taken away from them. Therefore, he carefully played his role by offering them a possible solution. It is sometimes misunderstood as being biologically determined and solely related to the sexual characteristics of men and women. Great leaders know how to be flexible and make decisions based on the difficult circumstances they are faced with; they can think on their feet and find solutions to problems quickly. Strengths and Weaknesses; Implications for Workplace; Connection to Other Chapters; Discussion Questions; Strengths. 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