Leadership in Organizations

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Oversimplifies the situation, by trying to answer to a complex and
dynamic situation
Chapter 5 Situational and contingent leadership
To succeed, a leader needs to adapt their behaviour to take knot account the demands
of the situation they face because effective leadership is dependent upon circumstance
and situation.
Anyone can lead as long as they use the correct approach, inferring that leadership can
be taught and learnt.
For the first time, the view on organizations and management changed à now they think
organizational form and its associated management and leadership were shaped by
external forces.
Leadership style is dependent (contingent) on situational factors outside the control of
the manager.
Reddin (1967) suggested that a different approach is needed in different organizations.
He created a three-dimensional model, divided in four ‘less effective types’, four ‘latent
types’ and four ‘more effective types’.
Reddin’s twelve 3-D styles
No orientation
Relationship
orientation
Task
orientation
Task and
relationship
orientation
Latent Separated Relations Task Integrated
Ineffective Deserter Missionary Autocrat Compromiser
Effective Bureaucrat Developer Benevolent
autocrat
Executive
Four basic (latent) types
1. Separated: maintaining the system and status quo. Largely removed from both
people and tasks.
2. Relations: friendly, open person who is concerned about a pleasant
environment. Communication mostly about personal matters, little focus on
driving business forward.
3. Task: wants to get the job done. Individual goals more important than the
broader agenda.
4. Integrated: supports teamwork, prefers a shared set of objectives.
Four ‘less effective’ types
5. Deserter (low task/low relationship): might destroy the morale and performance
of his subordinates.
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