Dec
2018
Chapter 4: Behavioral Approach
Lauren Dodge
Dr. Wood
Leadership 1301
11 September 2018
Review Questions
Chapter 4: Behavioral Approach
- Where and by whom were the most important studies about leadership style conducted?
The Ohio State studies were based on the findings of Stodgills work of trait theory. The University of Michigan studied leadership function. Blake and Mounton conducted a study that explored how managers used task and relationship behaviors in the organizational setting.
- What methods have researchers used to investigate leadership style?
The Ohio studies analyzed how individuals acted when they were leading a group. They conducted this by using questionnaires.
Blake and Mounton explored how managers used task and relationship behaviors in the organizational setting.
The University of Michigan paid attention to the impact of leaders’ behaviors on the performance of small groups.
- How do these research findings differ? What do they have in common?
They all relate to the behavior of a certain event or group. Some came to a behavioral conclusion based on performance and others based on setting.
- What are the characteristics of each of the seven leadership styles shown on the Leadership Grid?
Country-Club management- thoughtful and friendly
Team management- interdependence, trust, respect
Middle-of-the-road management- organization and balance
Impoverished management- minimum effort towards work
Authority-compliance management- efficiency in operation
Paternalism- uses both CC and AC but they do not collide
Opportunism- is a combination of all five
- What were the purposes for which the LBDQ and the Leadership Grid were designed?
The grid was designed to explain how leaders help organizations reach their purposes through concern for production and concern for people.
- How should leaders attempt to balance their task and relationship behaviors?
They’re taking people into account while still taking work into account. They are able to compromise. Avoids conflict and emphasizes moderate levels of production.
- What is the relationship between a leader’s dominant style and backup style?
A leaders’ dominate style will show the balance and traits the leader prefers to lead with but their backup will be the style they will fall into when it is hard for them to keep a balance.
- How is an individual’s personal interest in tasks and relationships related to how she or he shows task and relationship leadership?
Leaders will be able to learn a lot about themselves and others if they are able to maintain a correct balance that reflects themselves and pay attention to what that is.
- How might the behavioral approach be used for personal awareness and development?
Leaders are able to learn a lot about themselves and how others perceive them when they view themselves as a leader that is not based around task and relationship.
- What makes it difficult to identify a universal “best” leadership style?
Each leader has strengths and weakness and despite one being stronger in one thing than the other, each leader has the same ability to get something done or accomplish a goal. It may just be in a different way.
- What are strengths of the behavioral approach?
- A milestone for leadership research. New focus on behavior rather than traits.
- There isn’t one specific good way to lead—Very Broad theory
- Task and relationship
- What are criticisms of the behavioral approach?
There is no one specific was that the behavioral research could tell us how to lead.
Can suggest that you much have super high task production and relationship to succeed.
Case study Questions:
- Marianne- country club + always getting involved
Betsy- authority
- They both need to adapt and compromise.
- They need to try to understand each other.