Define and describe the interactional framework for analyzing leadership including the different components of the framework and how it can be used to determine effective leadership.
The interactional framework for analyzing leadership depicts leadership as a function of three elements (level of analysis): the leader, the followers, and the situation. It can be used to analyze leadership scenarios from each level of analysis separately, which can be useful. However, using the framework as an analysis tool for leadership situations is more effective when analyzing the interactions between the different levels of analysis. For instance, it may be useful to examine a leadership scenario by analyzing the situation and determining the level of stress, the environment, or the task at hand but more information can be gathered by analyzing the interaction between the leader and the situation. If the leader can perform actions to modify the situation, to lessen the stress of the situation for example, there may be a resulting positive effect on the followers. This example highlights one of the unique and useful aspects of the interactional framework for analyzing leadership: the importance placed on the interactions between the leader, the followers, and the situation.
The interactional framework for analyzing leadership scenarios is best represented by a Venn diagram, as drawn below, where each level of analysis (leader, followers, and situation) are drawn as open circles that overlap, with all three circles overlapping in the middle. The areas where the circles overlap represent the relationships between the three levels of analysis. The area where all three levels of analysis overlap is representative of the true leadership scenario: a scenario of complex and interactional relationships between all three levels of analysis.
Draw The Framework
