Leadership
Chapter 6 - Contingency Theory
Contingency Theory Approach Description
Perspective

Contingency theory is a leader-match
theory (Fiedler & Chemers, 1974)
◦ Tries to match leaders to appropriate
situations

Leader’s effectiveness depends on how
well the leader’s style fits the context

Fiedler’s generalizations about which
styles of leadership are best and worst
are based on empirically grounded
generalizations
Contingency Theory Approach
Description
Definition
Effective leadership is contingent on
matching a leader’s style to the right
setting

Assessment based on:
◦ Leadership Styles
◦ Situational Variables
Leadership Styles
Leadership styles are described as:
 Task-motivated (Low LPCs)
◦ Leaders are concerned primarily with reaching
a goal

Relationship-motivated (High LPCs)
◦ Leaders are concerned with developing close
interpersonal relationships
Leader Style Measurement Scale (Fiedler)
Least Preferred Co-Worker (LPC) Scale
High LPCs = Relationship-motivated
Low LPCs = Task-motivated
Situational Variables/3 Factors
1. Leader-Member Relations
- Refers to the group atmosphere and the
degree of confidence, loyalty, and attraction of
followers for leader
 Group atmosphere –
 Good – high degree of subordinate
trust, liking, positive relationship
 Poor – little or no subordinate trust,
friction exists, unfriendly
Situational Variables/3 Factors
2.
Task Structure
◦ Concerns the degree to which
requirements of a task are clear and
spelled out
 High Structure –
◦ requirements/rules - are clearly
stated/known
◦ path to accomplish - has few alternatives
◦ task completion - can be clearly
demonstrated
◦ limited number - correct solutions exist
Situational Variables/3 Factors
2.
Task Structure, cont’d.
◦ Concerns the degree to which
requirements of a task are clear
and spelled out
 Low Structure –
◦ requirements/rules - not clearly
stated/known
◦ path to accomplish - has many
alternatives
◦ task completion - cannot be clearly
demonstrated/verified
◦ unlimited number - correct solutions exist
Situational Variables/3 Factors

3. Position Power
–Designates the amount of authority
a leader has to reward or punish
followers
 Strong Power –
◦ authority to hire or fire, give raises in
rank or pay
 Weak Power –
◦ no authority to hire or fire, give raises
in rank or pay
Situational Variables/3 Factors
3
Factors - determine the
favorableness of various situations in
organizations
 Situations that are rated:
–Most Favorable  good leader-follower relations,
 defined tasks (high structure), &
 strong leader position power
Situational Variables/3 Factors
3
Factors - determine the
favorableness of various situations in
organizations
 Situations that are rated:
–Least Favorable  Poor leader-follower relations,
 unstructured tasks (low structure), &
 Weak leader position power
–Moderately Favorable –
 Fall in between these extremes
Research Findings of Leader
Style Effectiveness

Reasons for leader mismatch
ineffectiveness:
Leader style doesn’t match a particular
situation; stress and anxiety result
 Under stress, leader reverts to less mature
coping style learned in earlier development
 Leader’s less mature coping style results in poor
decision making and consequently negative
work outcomes

How Does the Contingency
Theory Approach Work?




Focus of Contingency Theory
Strengths
Criticisms
Application
Contingency Theory Approach
Focus

By assessing the 3 situational variables.

After the nature of a situation is determined, the
fit between leader’s style and the situation can be
evaluated
Overall Scope

By measuring Leader’s LPC score and the 3
situational variables, it is possible to predict
whether a leader will be effective in a particular
setting
Criticisms

Fails to fully explain why leaders with
particular leadership styles are more
effective in some situations than others

Criticism of LPC scale validity as it does
not correlate well with other standard
leadership measures

Cumbersome to use in real-world
settings

Fails to adequately explain what should
be done about a leader/situation
mismatch in the workplace

Based on the SLII and the Contingency
Theory of Leadership, how should the
following leaders behave to be most
effective, what is your justification?
Assigned by pairs. 20 minutes prep.

Roger Goodell in with owners in the NFL
labor dispute

Jeff Saturday with players in the same
dispute
Think, Pair, Share

Continued…

Pete Caroll as a coach of the Seahawks

Bubu Stewart as a leader in the motorcross circuit

Lebron James as a leader of the defeated
Miami Heat
Think, Pair, Share

Continued…

Tim Tebow on the field as the second
string quarterback fighting for first
position.

Manager Eric Wedge of the Seattle
Mariners

Dr. Jeff Stinson as the coach of his 7 year
old son’s soccer team.
Think, Pair, Share