Page 145 - DEDU503_EDUCATIONAL_MANAGEMENT_ENGLISH

Unit 11: Leadership Style and Theories of Leadership

B. Consultative Process Notes
In this category also there are two leadership styles as follows :

C-I This style refers to the leader who shares the decision making process with relevant members
on a one-to-one basis getting their ideas and suggestions individually without bringing them
together as a group. Having collected the information he takes the decision on the basis of that.
C-II This style refers, to the leader who shares the problem with members as a group at a
meeting and takes the decision in consultation with them in the meeting itself.
C. Group Processes
This is the group of styles in which the leader makes decisions as follows. This is the style
known as G—II.
G-II This is a style in which case the leader acting as the chair person at a meeting of the group
shares the problem with the group and facilitates efforts of the group to reach consensus on a
group decision. The leader may give information and express opinion but does not try to force
a particular decision on them or manipulate the group through indirect method or backdoors
to accept his decision. He accepts and implements any solution that the support of the entire
group.
Vroom’s and Yetton’s contingency theory describes leadership styles in behavioural terms and
not in general terms. Which of these styles will be more appropriate in a particular situation
can be diagnosed by using the following two steps :
I.First diagnose the situation in which leadership has to be attempted.
II.Then, consult the flow chart given here. The chart indicates the style to be used in that situation.
Diagnosing the situation : In order to diagnose the situation in which leadership has to be exercised,
one has to put to himself the following seven questions. The “yes” or “no” answers given to these
questions will reveal what kind of a situation this is These questions are :
1. Does the problem possesses a quality requirement ? This means considering whether, the decision
has to be made right now with no time to consult others, whether it is desirable to stimulate
team development, whether it is desirable to keep people informed through participation.
2. Does the leader have sufficient information to make a good decision ?
3. Is the problem structured well enough ?
4. Is it necessary for others to accept the decision in order to be implemented ?
5. If the leader makes the decision alone, how certain is it that others will accept it ?
6. Do others share the organizational goals that will be attained by solving this problem ?
7. Are the preferred solution to the problem likely to create conflict among others in the group?
Having assessed the situational contingencies in this way, attempts are made to identify the style
that may be most appropriate by consulting the flow chart as given on the following page.
The chart shows fourteen types of problems or leadership situations alongwith a preferred leadership
style for each one of them. Out of the five styles (AI, All, CI, CII, GII) one may be identified as the
most suited style.

11.3.7 Reddin’s 3-D Theory of Leadership

William J-Reddin’s 3-D theory is seen as an extension of earlier two dimensional (task-oriented and
relationship-oriented) theories. In these eariller theories it was suggested that the effective leadership
style was a combination of these two behavioural dimensions, task orientation and relationship
orientation. Reddin added to these two dimensions one more dimension, “effectiveness” making
it a 3-dimensionaI theory. Each of these three dimensions has been defined as follows :

LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 139