Which study uses questionnaires to analyze followers descriptions of their leaders behaviors?

Chapter 4 – Behavioral Approach

Assignments and Exercises

  1. Explain the style/behavioral approach and two general kinds of behaviors.  What is the central purpose of the style approach?

The style approach emphasizes the behaviors of a leader. This behavioral approach focuses on what leaders do and how they act. There are two types of behaviors in this approach. Task behaviors facilitate goal accomplishment, meaning that they help group members achieve their objectives. Relationship behaviors help followers feel comfortable with themselves, with each other, and with the situation in which they find themselves. The central purpose of the style approach is to explain how leaders combine two kinds of behavior to influence followers in their efforts to reach a goal.

  1. Summarize the research methods and results of the Ohio State and Michigan studies.  How were the findings similar and different?  What were the overall findings in the collaborative studies in the 1950s and 1960s?

The Ohio State studies were done by giving a questionnaire to people to analyze how people acted when they were leading a group. The Michigan studies were done by observing the impact of leasers’ behaviors on the performance of small groups. Their findings were similar in that the two types of behaviors listed by one mirrored the two types of behaviors listed by the other. So, essentially, they came up with the same basic ideas about leaders’ behaviors. However, the Michigan researchers thought that their two behaviors were opposite end of a single continuum while the Ohio State researchers thought that their two behaviors were not a part of the same continuum and that the degree to which a leader exhibits one behavior does not affect the degree to which a leader exhibits the other. The results of the overall research is unclear and inconclusive, although some of the findings suggested the value of a leader being both highly task oriented and highly relationship oriented in all situations.

  1. Compare and contrast Blake and Mouton’s managerial grid theory to the Ohio State and Michigan studies.

Blake and Mouton’s managerial grid is similar to the Ohio State and Michigan studies because they all involve a concern for production or task orientation and a concern for people. However, Blake and Mouton’s grid ranks the concerns of a manager from minimum concern to maximum concern. The other studies did not go into specific detail about the levels of concern for different leaders. Instead, they simply talked about relationship behaviors and task behaviors as behaviors that leaders have, suggesting that they may vary, but never showing how they may vary. The managerial grid shows how they may vary.

  1. Study the managerial (leadership) grid and explain the derivation of five major styles.  Define each of these styles and explain how a leader with each style might be described.

There is Country-Club Management which is the 1,9 style, meaning that it has a high concern for people but a low concern for results. Then, there is Impoverished Management, designated 1,1, which has low concern for both people and results. Authority-Compliance Management is at 9,1 and has a high concern for results while it has a low concern for people. Middle-of-the-Road Management is designated 5,5 and is in the medium range of concern for both people and results. Finally, there is Team Management, designated at 9,9, which has a very high concern for both people and results.

  • Country- Club Management-Thoughtful attention to the needs of people satisfying relationships leads to a comfortable organization atmosphere and work tempo. Leaders stress the attitudes and feelings of other people, making ssure the personal and social needs of followers are met.
  • Impoverished Management-Exertion of minimum effort to get required work done as appropriate to sustain membership. A leader goes through the motions of being a leader but acts uninvolved and withdrawn.
  • Authority-Compliance Management-Efficiency in operations results from arranging conditions of work in such a way that human elements interfere to a minimum degree. A leader focuses on task requirements and not on people. They regard people as tools.
  • Middle-of-the-Road Management- Adequate organization performance is possible through balancing the necessity to get work out while maintaining the morale of people. A leader is a compromiser who has an immediate concern for both the task and the people.
  • Team Management- Work accomplishment is from committed people. Interdependence leads to trust and respect. A leader stimulates participation, acts determined, gets issues into the open, makes priorities clear, follows through, behaves open-mindedly, and enjoys working.
  1. Explain the paternalism/maternalism style and how it is derived from the managerial grid.

The paternalism/materialism style is derived from both 1,9 and 9,1. This style is like that of a benevolent dictator who acts graciously in order to accomplish a goal.

    1. Describe as extensively as possible the behaviors associated with this style.

This is a benevolent dictator. They regard followers as family. They act graciously for the purpose of goal accomplishment. This is the type of leader who cares about their followers and are very friendly and motherly. They are thoughtful and attentive. They award loyalty and obedience while punishing noncompliance.

    1. Can you think of any examples of well-known leaders who use this style?

Mother Teresa used this style. I would go as far as to say Jesus did as well.

    1. Is a paternalistic/maternalistic leader aware of his or her style?

I think that this type of leader would be very aware of their style

    1. How would a paternalistic/maternalistic leader score on the Style Questionnaire?

A paternalistic/maternalistic leader would score fairly high, if not extremely high on the Style Questionnaire.

    1.  What questions would you include on a questionnaire to assess the behaviors associated with this style?

Does the individual treat others as family? In a motherly way? Is compliance rewarded? Are they thoughtful? Is noncompliance punished?

  1. Explain the opportunistic style and how it is derived from the managerial grid.

The opportunistic style can use any combination of the basic five styles of leadership shown on the gird. Opportunistic leadership is adaptable, and the leader will shift his or her behavior to gain personal advantage, putting self-interest above other priorities.

    1. Describe as extensively as possible the behaviors associated with this style.

Phrases that describe the behaviors associated with this style are ruthless, cunning, and self-motivated. Leaders of this type may even be adaptable and strategic.

    1. Can you think of any examples of well-known leaders who use this style?

Adolf Hitler may be an example of an opportunistic leader. I would also suggest the suggest Benito Mussolini was.

    1. Is an opportunistic leader aware of his or her style?

Yes, an opportunistic leader is aware of their style because they have to be able to recognize opportunities to move forward and take them. To be able to do that, they must be aware of their style.

    1. How would an opportunistic leader score on the Style Questionnaire?

I think that an opportunistic leader would score in the moderate range, either moderately high or moderately low, because their answers to these questions would vary depending on what benefits them the most in a situation.

    1. What questions would you include on a questionnaire to assess the behaviors associated with this style?

Do their leadership behaviors vary? Are they consistent in their methods of leadership? Are they concerned the most for the organization? Are they concerned the most with themselves?

  1. Complete Case 4.1 (or 4.2. or 4.3) and answer all questions.
  1. From a behavioral perspective, Mark acted like an Authority-Compliance Manager. He was very concerned with the results of the work and not very concerned about his employees.
  2. Over time, Mark started to care more for his employees. His concern for the task stayed about the same, but his concern for people grew.
  3. I think Mark, by the end of the story, is equally task oriented and relationship oriented. He still had a high concern for the task, but his concern for people began to equal that of his concern for the task.
  4. I think Mark would score 9,9. To me, he seems like a Team Management type of leader by the end of the story, having a high concern for the task and relationships with his employees.
  1. Rate yourself on the Style Questionnaire.  Do your scores suggest that you are more task-oriented or people-oriented?  Tell a story that shows how your behavior in one situation illustrated your dominant leadership style.

My scores suggest that I am more people oriented. I was the president of Key Club International’s chapter at my high school when I was a junior and a senior. As president, I was supposed to organize service projects for us to do. That was one of my many tasks. However, I knew many of my members did not like some of the projects that we had done in the past or they wanted to do some new projects in the future. So instead of performing my tasks alone and coming up with projects that I liked to do, I opened it up to the members. I listened to what they were passionate about doing and tried to implement their ideas to keep them happy and motivated to participate in the club for the betterment of our community.

  1. Is the “Impoverished management” style ever appropriate or desirable for an organization?

I do not believe that this style is ever appropriate or desirable for an organization. The only thing that it results in is allow someone to keep the title of member of that organization.

  1. Who is the best leader you know?  The worst?  To what extent does the style approach account for the differences between these leaders?

The best leader I know is my youth minister back home. His name is Joe Baucom. The worst leader I know is the band director that I had my senior year. I think the style approach accounted for the majority of the difference between these two leaders. My youth minister always showed a concern for your well-being. He was very concerned about your life and your spiritual needs and helping you to grow in your faith (which was the goal). My senior year band director did not care to have a relationship with anyone. His relationship behavior was terrible because he was rude and demeaning to everyone he spoke to. He rarely said a nice word to anyone. So I think the style approach account for most of the differences between these two leaders.