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Leadership Theory

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Introduction The case study, “A Question of Motivation,” focuses on Alex and Stephanie, two employees who work at a local supermarket. Alex is managed by Dan and Stephanie is under the management of Jonathan. Most employees want to work for Jonathan because he regularly assigns his employees different duties each week so they don’t get bored. Most of the employees under Jonathan including Stephanie are satisfied with their jobs and the way they are treated. Dan in contrast prefers for most of his employees to work in the same area each day and insists employees have shorter lunch breaks, than the amount of time allotted in the company policy.
The Path-Goal Theory of Leadership
The path-goal theory of leadership defines the role of a leader as one who outlines the goals and lays down the path for the subordinate to facilitate success and completion of the goals. The leader empowers the group to reach their goals, and ensures that they share an awareness of what those goals are. The path-goal theory centers on the motivational factors of the subordinates by showing employees how their accomplishments directly affects their reception of expected rewards (Certo& Certo 345). The path-goal theory suggests that the leaders under this theory possess four styles of leadership which are directive behavior, supportive behavior, participative behavior and achievement behavior. With directive behavior the leader lets followers know what is expected of them and tells them how to perform their tasks. In supportive leadership, the leader is friendly and shows interest in the followers as fellow human beings and the leader also shows concern for the followers’ personal needs. Participative behavior involves leaders consulting with followers and asking for their suggestions before making a decision. Followers give suggestions pertaining to reward structuring and what paths

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