Page 290 - DMGT402_MANAGEMENT_PRACTICES_AND_ORGANIZATIONAL_BEHAVIOUR

Unit 13: Communication and Leadership

Limitations of Great Man Theory of Leadership Notes
(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.
(c) Assess the nature of the work group: The leader should assess its cohesiveness as well as
its experience in working together. The more cohesive the group, the less need for
supportive leadership since this is redundant with the group's character.
(d) Assess the organisation's culture: A culture that supports participation also supports a
participative leadership style. A culture that encourages goal accomplishment or a
results orientation reinforces an achievement-oriented style.
(e) Assess the subordinate's skills and needs: Subordinates skilled in a task require less
direction than those less skilled. Subordinates with high achievement needs, require

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