...Path Goal Theory In order to encourage, support and motivate their followers, Path Goal Theory requires a leader to take into account situational factors when adapting a leadership style. Successful integration of situational factors with a leadership style can lead to maximized satisfaction and effort from the follower. The Path Goal Theory states leaders must: * Forge a path for followers to obtain their goal through coaching and direction * Remove roadblocks and obstacles that are preventing followers from accomplishing goal * Increase rewards and incentives along the way 1. Subordinate Factors (Follower Characteristics) A. Ability: A follower’s self-efficacy and self perception of competence in performing tasks to achieve goals. B. Authoritarianism: is defined as the degree to which the followers seek structure and task clarity. C. Experience: Knowledge of or skill in achieving a goal. D. Locus of control: How one perceives how much they can control events that affect their goal achievement. Those with low internal locus of control seek to participate and engage in decision making. On the contrary, those with a strong external locus of control like to be directed and provided structure. Coach Lengyel has a diverse group of followers with a variety of contrasting personal characteristics. Due to their lack of experience, youth and general “rag-tag” composition, the players on the team lack confidence, ability, cohesion and self efficacy. Given...
Words: 1586 - Pages: 7
...The Path-Goal theory of leadership attempts to explain the relationship between leader behaviors and subordinate performance and satisfaction. In real meaning, the path–goal theory of leadership “is about how leaders motivate subordinates to accomplish designated goals” (Northouse, 2010).Since leadership is about growing group performance through motivation, the leader must be more worried with job satisfaction and the creation of a comprehensible picture of how subordinates can gain rewards based on performance. The leader must distinguish the results on which he/she own positive power, increase personal payoffs to employees on behalf of objective achievement, give direction and coaching, clarify subordinates’ expectancies, and increase opportunities for personal satisfactions dependent on work performances (Rowe and Guerrero, 2010, 205-210). Path-goal theory indentifies four style of leadership known as Directive leadership, Supportive Leadership, Participative Leadership and Achievement-Oriented Leadership (Griffin, 2010, 559- 564). Directive Leadership: Directive behaviour is basically the same as initiating structure. It should not be applied when the formal authority relationships are clear and structured. When the task is not easy as well as unstructured, then it’s the best condition for the directive leadership style. This style increases subordinate morale when there is task ambiguity (Dubrin, 2007) and is similar to the task-oriented or initiating structure style...
Words: 1449 - Pages: 6
...intended change. Three important parts of this definition are the terms relationship, mutual, and collaborators. Relationship is the connection between people. Mutual means shared in common. Collaborators cooperate or work together. This definition of leadership says that the leader is influenced by the collaborators while they work together to achieve an important goal. This paper however, focused on a specific theory of leadership and its importance for the organization’s success. The Path-Goal Theory of Leadership The path-goal theory postulates that the most successful leaders are those who increase subordinate motivation by charting out and clarifying the paths to high performance. According to Robert House’s path-goal theory, effective leaders: Motivate their followers to achieve group and organizational goals Make sure that they have control over outcomes their subordinates desire Reward subordinates for performing at a high level or achieving their goals by giving them desired outcomes Raise their subordinates’ beliefs about their ability to achieve their work goals and perform at a high level Take into account their subordinates’ characteristics and the type of work they do Directive Leadership In directive leadership, the leader lets followers know what is expected of them and tells them how to perform their tasks. This style is appropriate when the follower has an ambiguous job. This style is characterized by...
Words: 1154 - Pages: 5
...Assignment 7 Q. 1: Path-Goal Theory (Directive, Supportive, Participative, or Achievement- Oriented) 1. (a) Directive leadership is the only choice because the structure is poor and the employees are neither active nor experienced. They need proper guidelines, someone to set the proper performance standards, and to know what is expected of them. 2. (b) Supportive leadership due to the situational factors chart on page 255. I feel like any employee that is inexperienced and passive need a directive style of leadership even if they are placed in a stable environment. I feel like both supportive and directive styles would be necessary in this scenario. 3. (c) Supportive leadership due to the situational factors chart on page 255. I personally feel like a directive leadership behavior is in need here as the employees follow directions well but lack experience and need some guidance. 4. (d) Supportive leadership is the best choice for a simple task as these employees just need reassurance that leadership cares about their well-being and needs. 5. (e) Directive leadership is the best fit. Even though the workers are experienced and active followers a directive style will help lay out guidelines and what each employee’s duty should be to meet the performance standards. 6. (f) An empowered team employee has the authority and responsibility to make decisions, rather than needing to get approval from above, and each teammate has a voice in group decisions...
Words: 901 - Pages: 4
... What leadership theories and concepts have contributed to Herb Kelleher’s success at Southwest? Herb Kelleher is an outrageous, off-the-wall CEO that has built a unique organization and has been extremely successful in a very competitive market. Kelleher has an unorthodox style when compared to CEO's of other major corporations. This style is reflected in his organization's style. Herb Kelleher's leadership style is the opposite of the many autocratic leaders that have thrived in business for centuries. He does not "rule" over his employees but rather, rules with his employees. Kelleher believes that leadership is the job of every employee, not just upper level management. Kelleher believes that every employee should have the ability to ascertain situations and be able to act on their own decisions. Employees should be able to lead other employees to make decisions. Kelleher's organization, as described by himself, is an upside-down pyramid. At the bottom, are the upper management personnel and at the top are the front line employees. These front line employees are "the ones that make things happen". He considers his front line employees the experts in the organization and top management the support help. The heroes are the front line employees. Kelleher's ability to lead is supported by the leadership offered by all of the employees in the organization. Kelleher's leadership style, in part, can be related to the current Path-Goal Theory. This theory does not encompass...
Words: 957 - Pages: 4
...Abstract In this paper, I will define the product harm crisis and identify the factors that contribute to a product harm crisis. I will compare and contrast the findings of the various studies on the product harm crisis. I conclude by synthesizing my analysis of the research to develop and support a recommendation for an organization handling a product harm crisis. Product-Harm Defined Product-harm crisis can be defined as an occasion when a product or brand is faulty, substandard, contaminated or dangerous to the general public. The crisis could have an effect on the whole product category or a subset of the group. In most instances, this crisis prompts a product recall on a voluntary basis by the organization or forced by external regulators. In today's market, product-harm crises are often global events. The short-term consequences of a product harm crises are lost revenues and the expenses associated with product recalls. The long-term effect of these crises is damaged reputation to the affected brand and organization. The key challenge for organizations confronted with a product harm crisis is to restore consumer confidence. Examples of Product-Harm An example of this product harm crisis involved Kraft Foods Australia‘s peanut butter division. Kraft was notified of a possible link between its peanut butter and salmonella poison outbreak. This brand of peanut butter was recalled and removed from stores. Business Reviews Weekly in...
Words: 1383 - Pages: 6
...Path-goal theory centers on how leaders motivate subordinates to accomplish selected goals. It emphasizes the relationship between the leaders’ style, the characteristics of the subordinates and the work setting. The leader should clarify the directions so subordinates know which way to go, remove obstacles that are stopping them and provide the rewards along the way. Leaders’ approach will depend on the situation, including the follower's capability and motivation, as well as the difficulty of the job and other contextual factors. The underlying mechanism of the path-goal theory deals with expectancy, a cognitive approach to understanding motivation where people calculate: – Effort-to-perform – Perform for Outcome – Assigned valences or values to outcome Based on assumptions from Vroom's Expectancy Theory, this model explains how behavior of the leader causes expectancies/motivations in the subordinate that create effort and satisfaction. The rationale is that followers will perform better if they think they are capable, and if they perceive the work will get results and be worth the effort. But can anyone become a leader and if so, how? The secret to leadership is the ability, to create a highly motivating work environment that influences anyone who comes into contact with it. The strength of the P-O linkage depends upon three beliefs in the follower's mind. First, the follower must trust that the leader will be able to deliver as promised. The outcome, given that it...
Words: 437 - Pages: 2
...Define leadership. What is the path-goal theory of leadership? Identify the four leadership styles of path-goal theory and explain when they are most appropriately used In this essay leadership and the path-goal theory will be discussed, also 3 articles that examine different parts of leadership will also be reviewed. 2 articles involve experiments, one of which test the path-goal theory in Tawain, and the other studies a contingent view of leadership and the last article looks at transforming leadership for success and sustainability, with H Davenport’s own experience to discuss leadership Leadership can be defined as the procedure of influencing others in order to reach organizations or group goals. Another way of defining leadership “is inspiring others to pursue your vision within parameters you set, to the extent that it becomes a shared effort, a shared vision and shared success” (businessnewsdaily n.d.). There are many different types of leaders and a number of diverse roles in which leaders play. Fielder’s contingency theory, the path-goal theory is one way of improving leadership roles and becoming a more enhanced leader. Path goal theory states “leaders can increase subordinate satisfaction and performance by clarifying and clearing the paths to goals and by increasing the number and kinds of rewards available of goal attainment” (Mc Williams 2010, p. 238). Path-goal theory has four styles of leadership. One style is directive leadership which is used when giving...
Words: 1550 - Pages: 7
...Individual project: MGT 680 Student Name: Goal: Developing a thorough understanding of theories by applying a motivation theory and a leadership theory to a popular movie. Movie choice (Indicate option on pull-down menu): Path Goal Theory: Identify the four behaviors used by leaders (according to this theory) and the situations under which each behavior should be used: Behavior 1: Directive Leaders - directive leadership is defined in its name. The leader's followers require direction and expect to hear from the leader regarding how they carry out their duties. For this type of leadership to be effective, typically the followers are working within an environment that is ad-hoc and unstructured. An example of a directive leader would be a yoga teacher. As the leader, he/she is in charge of directing the students on what to do next (especially in a first-time class). Behavior 2: Supportive Leaders - supportive leadership takes place when the leader creates an environment that is friendly and free from encumbrances that the other leaderships defined within this section hinder. It's proven that this leadership style is most effective within that are mentally challenging. An example of a supportive leader would be a Major League Baseball pitching coach. As the leader, he/she is in charge of calming the pitchers nerves and mind when on the mound. Behavior 3: Participative...
Words: 4173 - Pages: 17
...Introduction Path-Goal Theory This is one of many types of modern approaches to leadership. It is where leaders try to motivate their followers in order to achieve agreed goals. In order for followers to achieve the set goals, leaders must be able to motivate followers and help build their confidence towards reaching the goals. It is heavily focused on employee satisfaction and their input towards their job which, in turn, will motivate them to achieve more. This is a perfect example to show that leadership does not start from the top then down and in fact, shows cooperation between leaders and followers from bottom then up. In other words, it exists in all management levels. Path-goal theory initially occurred in the 1970’s; inspired by the work of Martin G Evans (1970), Robert House (1971), House of Dessler (1974), and House and Mitchell (1974). (Northhouse,2013). The use of path-goal theory means that any obstacle in the way of achieving a set goal will be removed by the leaders which makes it more satisfying and motivates the subordinates. The path towards the goal will be attempted to be made clear and support also being provided which is in favour of the followers, therefore leading to satisfaction and increase in morale. There are various types of leader behaviours where each and every type has an impact on the follower’s motivation. Directive leadership is one of them and this is where leaders are instructive towards their followers about their duties, what is...
Words: 628 - Pages: 3
...gement Review 1979, Vol. 4, No. 2,215-224. Task Design Determinants of Effective Leader Behavior^ RiCKYW. GRIFFIN University of Missouri—Columbia The theoretical and empirical research literature on task design and path-goal theory of leadership is reviewed. It is suggested that task design and individual variables interact to form a construct called individual-task congruence. A model is then developed which depicts leader behavior as a moderating variable between individuai-task congruence and satisfaction and performance. There is an increasing body of theoretical and empirical behavioral science literature dealing with the design of work in formal organizations. Much of this literature is concerned with the diagnosis and description of existing jobs and/or the implementation of task design change programs for the purpose of improving organizational effectiveness. The rationale seems to be that if the needs and capabilities of an individual are matched with the expectations and requirements of a task, higher 9/els of satisfaction, motivation, and productivity .vill result (6). Most published research on task design, however, has not taken other organizational variables into consideration. The general model for contemporary task design research has investigated the moderating effect of certain variables on the relationship between task design and outcome variables such as satisfaction, performance, and commitment (2, 7, 8, 19, 22, 25, 26, 28, 29, 33). A few empirical studies...
Words: 5464 - Pages: 22
...Executive Summary The Path-goal theory was originally developed by Evans (1970) and later modified by House (1971). The theory was designed to identify a leader’s most practiced leadership style as motivation to get subordinates to accomplish goals. The path-goal theory reinforces the idea that motivation plays an important part in how a supervisor and a subordinate interact and, based on that interaction, the overall success of the subordinate (House, 1971). To test whether employee productivity and motivation is linked to clearly defined, specific and challenging goals we distributed surveys to both the employees and managers of two Scotia Bank branches in the British Virgin Islands and Dominica. The surveys were both tailored to glean the leadership styles of the managers and provide a clear insight into how employees perceived their jobs. Upon analysis of the data we can see that the directive and achievement oriented leadership styles, with a lack of focus on supportive or participative leadership employed by the managers at the branch in Dominica led to dissatisfaction amongst their employees. In contrast the employees of the Scotia Bank branch from the British Virgin Islands had a far more favorable outlook when it came to job satisfaction as a result of the employment of participative and supportive leadership styles in conjunction with the manager’s achievement oriented and directive styles. We can see from the results of the survey and the supporting analysis that...
Words: 2873 - Pages: 12
...The Path-Goal Theory provides four different leadership behaviors which leaders can use depending on the situation. In my interview with fraternity president, Lex Wild, I discovered that he used all four leadership behaviors. The fraternity provides a vast array of circumstances as well as situations concerning its members that call for the use of all the leadership behaviors. The most successful leadership behavior which Lex uses is that of directive leadership. Lex felt that his role as president went hand in hand with the directive leadership behavior. Duties such as presiding over meetings, making sure other officers execute their duties or enforcing bylaws require setting goals and having set standards. Lex felt this leadership behavior worked the best because when leading a fraternity you have procedures to follow and schedules to keep. For example getting new members ready for initiation or meeting with the educational leadership counselor (ELC) every semester requires following strict guidelines and preparation. This behavior when compared to others was the only one which really emphasized a “hands on approach” and the most control over issues pertaining to the house. In a fraternity with fifty plus members who have different combinations of locus of control, perceived ability, and direct contact with the president, directive behavior leadership has proved to be the most efficient. This became clearly apparent when Jeremiah, in his second year as president, was faced...
Words: 1066 - Pages: 5
...manage and lead their employees which are identified by the path–goal theory of leadership. This is why the attitude and the behavior of a leader will influence his/her subordinates on achieving their goals and objectives. Leadership is mostly defined as a process of leading or influencing a group of people or an organization to achieve their goals. According to Yukl, ‘it is obvious that a person can be a leader without becoming a manager, and a person can be a manager without leading’. In my opinion, a leader has long-term of view which inspires and motivates his/her subordinates and work together to achieve their vision, mission, goals and objectives. And, a manager is a problem solver of the status quo which focuses on productivity and efficiency. Hence, they are different from each other. Path-goal theory is related to leadership. It is a specific theory which is based on leadership styles or behaviour. Path-goal theory states on how leaders achieve high level of performance, influence own and their employees satisfaction and performance to achieve the performance and organisation’s goal. This is by clearing and clarifying the path, increasing the number of rewards that is available for them. Additionally, a leader can also change and regulate his/her leadership style of behaviour to the employees and task behaviours so that they will have the motivation to achieve the goals. In other hand, the path goal theory identifies four types of leadership styles which are Directive...
Words: 1328 - Pages: 6
...Goal Setting Theory BUS375: Employee Training Karen Demichelis Goal Setting Theory For this week’s assignment I will examine the goal setting theory. This theory states that goal setting is essentially linked to task performance. Our text definition is “a theory assuming that behavior results from a person’s conscious goals and intentions.” (Noe, 2010.p553) I will relate how this theory is used by my current employer examining the advantages and the limitations of this theory. I will explain how this theory would generate the same results in any other organization. The goal-setting theory is used to develop training programs based on specific and challenging goals along with feedback. The practical use of this theory is goals indicate and give direction to an employee about what needs to be done and how much efforts are required to be put in. Edwin Locke presented this theory of motivation in the 1960’s. Dr. Gary Latham and Dr. Locke published their ground breaking book called “A Theory of Goal Setting and Task Performance”, in 1990. (Fusion, 2011) The most important features of this theory are a willingness to work towards attainment of goal as a main source of job motivations. In my company management and employees are involved in annual, mid-annual reviews where SMART Goals are generated. “SMART is an acronym for the elements of goals that lead up to the accomplishment of a specific task. These key performance indicators apply to nearly all disciplines...
Words: 871 - Pages: 4
