Page 256 - DCOM102_DMGT101_PRINCIPLES_AND_PRACTICES_OF_MANAGEMENT

Principles and Practices of Management

Notes (c) Ordinary people cannot become leaders.
(d) Leadership qualities cannot be acquired.
Thus great leaders are "the gift of god" to mankind. They bestow great good on people by
their decisions and activities, which are also divinely destined and approved.
Limitations of Great Man Theory of Leadership
(a) The theory is now regarded as almost obsolete and absurd because it has little
scientific and empirical basis.
(b) The theory does not explain who are leaders, how they emerge, how they behave
and what exactly it is that makes for their effectiveness.

7. Path-goal Theory: Developed by Robert House, the Path Goal theory is one of the most
respected approaches to leadership. The essence of the theory is that it's the leader's job to
assist his or her followers in attaining their goals and to provide the necessary direction
and/or support to ensure their goals are compatible with the overall objectives of the
group or organisation. According to this theory, leaders attempt to influence their
subordinate's perceptions of the payoff for accomplishing their goals and show them
ways to achieve the goals. Thus, a leader's behaviour is motivational to the degree it:
(a) Makes subordinate need satisfaction contingent on effective performance, and
(b) Provide the coaching, guidance, support and rewards that are necessary for effective
performance.
To test these statements, House identified four leadership behaviours or styles:
(a) Directive Style: The leader tells subordinates what is expected of them, gives them
guidance about what should be done, and also shows them how to do it.
(b) Supportive Style: The leader shows concern for the well-being and needs of his or her
subordinates by being friendly and approachable.

(c) Participative Style: The leader involves subordinates in decision making, consults
with them about their views of the situation, asks for their suggestions, considers
those suggestions in making a decision, and sometimes lets the subordinates make
the decision themselves.
(d) Achievement-Oriented Style: The leader helps subordinates set goals, rewards the
accomplishment of these goals and encourages subordinates to assume responsibility
for their attainment.

House assumes that leaders are flexible and implies that the same leader can display any
or all of these behaviours, depending on the situation.
Applying Path-Goal Theory: The leader will begin by choosing a leadership style that fits the
situation. To do this, the leader has to assess five aspects of the situation and people
involved:

(a) Assess the task: Structured tasks and clear goals require less direction then less
structured tasks and less clear goals.
(b) Assess the leader's formal authority: managers with formal authority typically should
not use a directive style because it duplicates their authority, but they may use
supportive achievement-oriented or participative styles.

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