FIEDLERS CONTINGENCY THEORY

ByNisha kp

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CONTINGENCY APPROACHES

• Theories that seek to define leadership style and answer:

‘if’ this situation, ‘then’ this is the best style to use.

Hersey and Blanchard Situational Theory

Fiedler’s Contingency Theory

Evans and House Path Goal Theory

Relationship between leadership style and situation

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ASSUMPTIONS

A certain leadership style should be most

effective in different types of situation.

Leaders do not readily change leadership styles

Matching the leader to the situation or changing

the situation to make it favourable to the leader

is required

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Putting Leaders in the Right Situation:

FIEDLER’S CONTINGENCY THEORY

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GroupPerformance

GroupPerformance =

LeadershipStyle

LeadershipStyle

SituationalFavorableness

SituationalFavorableness

Putting Leaders in the Right Situation:

FIEDLER’S CONTINGENCY THEORY

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1.Least Preferred Coworker

2.Situational Favorableness

3.Matching Leadership Styles

to Situations

STEP1: LEADERSHIP STYLE

LEAST PREFERRED COWORKER

• Leadership style is the way a leader generally behaves toward

followers

– seen as stable and difficult to change

• Style is measured by the Least Preferred Co-worker scale (LPC)

– relationship-oriented

– task-oriented

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LEADERSHIP STYLE:LEAST PREFERRED COWORKER SCALE

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STEP2: SITUATIONAL FAVORABLENESS

The degree to which a particular situation

either permits or denies a leader the chance to influence the

behavior of group members.

Three factors:

Leader-member relations

Task structure

Position power 8

SITUATION CLASSIFICATION AND LEADER TYPE

Octant I ii Iii iv v vi vii viii

Leader member relation

GOOD POOR

Task structurestructured

unstructured

structured

unstructured

Position power

High low High low High low High low

Recommended

leader type

Task motivated(low LPC)Socio

independent(medium LPC)

Relationship motivated(high LPC)

Task motivated(low LPC)

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Findings from Fiedler Model

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A leader needs to know two things in order to use fiedler’s

contingency theory:

• The leader should know whether he/she has a

relationship- or task-oriented style.

• The leader should diagnose the situation and determine

whether leader-member relations, task structure, and

position power are favorable or unfavorable.

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EVALUATION• “a measure in search of meaning”

• Its like trying to hit a moving target

• Research shows behavior doesn’t always reflect LCP score

• Group performance effect leader – member relation and

LCP score

• High & low LCP score can be effective in different

situation

SUMMARYTask motivated leader

perform best when they have the most control

(highly favorable).

HIGH

Relationship motivated leader perform best when

they have moderate control(moderately favorable)

MODERATE

Task motivated leaders perform best when they

have low control(highly unfavorable)

LOW

AMOUNT OF SITUATIONAL CONTROL BY LEADER

• Leader – member relation are good

• Task is well structured

• Leader has high position power

Both favorable and unfavorable factors are

present

•Leader – member relation are poor

•Task is poorly structured

•Leader has a low position power

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