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Path Goal Leadership

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Running head: THE PATH- GOAL LEADERSHIP THEORY

The Path Goal Leadership Theory
Calvin D. Forehand
MAN5355 Managerial Assessment & Development
Everest University

The Path-Goal Leadership Theory was developed by Robert House and contends that that a leader's behavior is contingent to the satisfaction, motivation and performance of her or his followers. The theory is called path-goal because its major concern is how the leader influences the subordinates’ perceptions of their work goals, personal goals and paths to goal attainment (Pierce and Newstrom, 2011). The path-goal theory also proposes that a leader’s actions and behavior is motivating to the degree that the behavior increases follower’s goal attainment and clarifies the paths to these goals. In this paper, I will discuss the four key leader behaviors associated with the path-goal theory of leadership. I will then show how the leader behavior relates to the University of Michigan and The Ohio State University leadership studies. Finally, I will discuss the conditions under which each leader behavior might be effective and the reason for this relationship.
Robert House’s path-goal theory is based on the studies of Martin Evans in which state the leadership behaviors and the follower perceptions of the degree to which following a particular path will lead to a particular goal. House’s path-goal theory makes two propositions. The first is the leader behavior is acceptable and satisfying to subordinates to the extent that the subordinates see such behavior as either an immediate source of satisfaction or as instrumental to future satisfaction. The second proposition is that the leaders behavior will be motivational, i.e., increase effort, to the extent that (1) such behavior makes satisfaction of subordinates’ needs contingent on effective performance, and (2) such behavior

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