Review Questions – Chapter 4: Behavioral Approach

1. Where and by whom were the most important studies about leadership style conducted?
The most important studies conducted on leadership style, in particular the impact of a leader’s behavior, were the researchers in Ohio state studies (1940’s), the researchers in Michigan Studies at the University of Michigan (1940’s) and the Studies conducted by Blake and Mouton (in the early 1960’s).

2. What methods have researchers used to investigate leadership style?
Researchers have used many different methods to investigate leadership, most prominently questionnaires and case studies. The sort of questionnaires that were conducted asked followers to identify how many times their leader engaged in certain types of behavior, a questionnaire that was later called the LBDQ (Leadership Behavior Description Questionnaire) and the LBDQ-XII. This questionnaire has become the most widely used instrument in leadership research and development.

3. How do these research findings differ? What do they have in common?
While these three research findings all focus on the behavior in relation to leadership they vary in certain aspects. The Ohio state studies responses for instance, are clustered around two broad types of behavior (initiating structure, which includes task behavior and consideration, which include relationship behaviors) that are considered to be distinct and independent. The degree to which one of the behaviors is exhibited is not dependent on the other type of behavior. In other words, they are not on the same continuum.
University of Michigan, however, explored leadership through special attention to the impact of leader’s behaviors on the performance of small groups. They identified two main types of behaviors (employee orientation, and production orientation). They identified these as opposites ends of the same continuum in contrast with Ohio state. These were later reconceptualized as independent.
Finally, in comparison to the Ohio State studies and the Michigan studies, the Leadership grid identified two different main factors to include, concern for production and concern for people.

4. What are the characteristics of each of the seven leadership styles shown on the Leadership Grid?
1. Authority; places heavy emphasis on task and job requirements and interpersonal relationships are unlikely to interfere.
2. Country-club management; represents a high concern for interpersonal relationships in comparison to a low concern for task accomplishment.
3. Impoverished management; represents a leader that goes through the motions of being a leader and puts in minimal effort to get the job done.
4. Middle-of-the-road management; are leaders characterized by compromise, who constantly try to find a balance between interpersonal relationships and completion of a task.
5. Team management; is a leader who accomplishes work through committed people. They place strong emphasis on both tasks and interpersonal relationships.
6. Paternalism/Materialism; also known as the ‘benevolent dictator’ is a leader that acts graciously for the purpose of goal accomplishment. This form of leadership can be seen as paternal or maternal as leaders treat their followers as family, making the key decisions for them and rewarding their loyalty and punishing their noncompliance.
7. Opportunism; refers to a leader who uses any of the first five leadership styles for the purpose of personal advancement. This leader will shift their leadership style depending on the situation to ensure optimum results.

5. What were the purposes for which the LBDQ and the Leadership Grid were designed?
While both the LBDQ and the leadership grid were both designed to examine the behavior of leaders within group settings they vary slightly in their purpose. The LBDQ’s purpose was to analyze how individuals acted when they were leading a group/organization. Conversely, the Leadership Grid purpose was to explain how leaders help organizations reach their product through focus on two main factors, concern for production and concern for people.

6. How should leaders attempt to balance their task and relationship behaviors?
While there is no tell all solution for leaders to balance the task and relationship when working with groups there are a few different days this balance could be attempted. The first of which is a shift to focus on the situation and to realize that some instances are more tailored to tasks, whereas others are geared towards relationships. Secondly, one could use the middle-of-the-road approach as highlighted in the Leadership grid. This style of leadership suggests a constant compromise, and often avoidance of conflict, in order to try and maintain a balance between their task and relationship behaviors.

7. What is the relationship between a leader’s dominant style and backup style?
A leader’s dominant style is what they utilize in most circumstances. A leader’s backup style is a style that is often reverted to when the leader is in situations of pressure and the usual or dominant style of leadership is not working.

8. How is an individual’s personal interest in tasks and relationships related to how she or he shows task and relationship leadership?
In general, the more personal interest a leader has in a task or relationship the more likely he or she is likely to show task and relationship leadership. For example, a college professor who on the first day of class goes through the syllabus and then dismisses the class is most likely displaying task-oriented leadership. Conversely, a professor who on the first day spends the majority of the time doing ice breakers and activities to get to know one another is most likely displaying relational leadership.

9. How might the behavioral approach be used for personal awareness and development?
The behavioral approach can be used for personal awareness and development in a number of different ways. One of these ways, allows leaders to subdivide their own behavior into two main dimensions (tasks and interpersonal), which can subsequently have three effects on one’s personal awareness and development. Firstly, this approach allows one to focus on what works in the setting they are currently in. Secondly, it reminds leaders that their impact on others can occur through both the tasks they perform and their relationships. Thirdly, through determining how a leader is coming across to others and how they could change their behaviors to be more effective. It provides a mirror for leaders that ensues regular check-ups.

10. What makes it difficult to identify a universal “best” leadership style?
One of the main reasons it is difficult to identify a universal ‘best’ leadership style is that leadership is dependent on the context – there is no one size all form of leadership that will work for every context. In this sense being both highly task orientated and highly relational may be optimum in one situation, but as research suggests this may not be the optimum for all situations.

11. What are strengths of the behavioral approach?
The behavioral approach has four key strengths. Firstly, this approach marked a shift in the general focus of leadership research. It broadened leadership to include their actions and not just their characteristics or traits. Secondly, the behavior approach to leadership is backed up by a wide range of studies including the Ohio State University study, The University of Michigan Studies and Blake and McCanse’s studies which give the approach a considerable amount of credibility. Thirdly, researchers of this approach have defined two clear types of behavior; task and relationship. The key to being an effective leader rests in being able to balance the two. Finally, the leadership approach is heuristic. This means it provides us with a broad map or framework of leadership, of which leaders can learn a lot about their leadership styles through.

12. What are criticisms of the behavioral approach?
As with the strengths of the behavioral approach, this approach also has three key criticisms. Firstly, research on behavioral approach has not adequately shown how leaders’ behaviors are associated with performance outcomes. Researchers have not been able to establish a consistent link between task and relationship behaviors such as job morale, which cause gaps to be made in the approach. Secondly, this leadership style is not necessarily applicable in every setting, and as such failed in finding a universal leadership behavior list. Finally, the behavioral approach suggests that most effective leadership requires a high-high approach, in other words high task and high relationship. However, through research it has been shown that this is only the case within certain contexts and other situations may require different leadership styles.