Brief Definitions of the Key Terms for Chapter 11
Situational engineering: A means for leaders to modify or restructure the elements in the
environment to be more effective—an often-overlooked tool leaders have access to.
Role theory: A theory suggesting a leader’s behavior depends on his/her perceptions of
critical aspects of the situation—rules/regulations governing the job; role expectations of
subordinates, peers, superiors; nature of the task; feedback about subordinate
performance.
Multiple-influence model: A model segmenting situational variables into microvariables
(task characteristics) and macrovariables (external environment) and asserting that
macrovariables have a pervasive influence over leader behavior.
Situational levels: A basic abstraction delineating a specific reference point (i.e., task,
job, etc.).
Cross functions: Information age requirement for businesses; implements functional
synergies that reduce inefficiencies and speed up response processes by integrating
business processes that cut across traditional business functions.
Task Autonomy: Degree to which one has control over what/how work is done.
Task Feedback: Degree to which someone receives information about performance from
performing the task itself.
Task structure: Specifies the degree to which there are procedures for accomplishing a
task, rules governing how to accomplish it, and the guarantee of one result.
Task interdependence: Degree to which tasks require coordination and synchronization
for groups or teams to accomplish the desired goals.
Technical problems: Problems for which we may not know the answers, but we may be
able to relatively easily find people who do. There are generally expert solutions to these
problems, and experts know how to solve them even if we don’t.
Adaptive problems: Problems that can be quite difficult to define and where solving such
problems requires that the systems facing them make fundamental changes of some kind.
Adaptive leadership: Leadership approach required to solve adaptive problems whereas
these problems involve people’s values, and finding solutions to problems that involve
others’ values requires the active engagement of their hearts and minds—not just the
leader’s.
Formal organization: Refers to the hierarchy, structure, complexity, formalization, and
centralization of an organization.
Level of authority: One’s hierarchical position in the formal organization.
Organizational structure: A conceptual or procedural reality that refers to how an
entity’s activities are coordinated and controlled (usually a chart clarifying formal
authority).
Horizontal complexity: Refers to the number of positions/boxes at any level of the
organization.
Vertical complexity: Refers to the number of hierarchical levels appearing on an
organizational chart.
Spatial complexity: Refers to the geographic separation of an organization’s members.
Formalization: Degree of standardization in an organization; tends to vary with size.
Substitutes for leadership: A theory suggesting certain situational factors can be used to
substitute for or neutralize leadership behaviors.
Centralization: Refers to the diffusion of decision making throughout an organization.
Informal organization: Refers to the organization’s culture and climate. Includes things
like norms, values, behaviors, expectations and member reactions.
Organizational culture: System of shared backgrounds, norms, values, or beliefs among
members of a group.
Organizational climate: Members’ subjective reactions to or about the organization.
Myths and stories: Tales about the organization that are passed down over time and
communicate a story of the organization’s underlying values.
Symbols and artifacts: Objects that can be seen/noticed that describe various aspects of
culture.
Rituals: Recurring events or activities that reflect important aspects of the underlying
culture.
Language: Jargon/idiosyncratic terms of an organization that can serve several, varied
purposes.
Dependent leadership culture: Culture characterized by widespread beliefs and practices
that it’s primarily people in positions of authority who are responsible for leadership.
Independent leadership culture: Culture characterized by widespread beliefs and
practices that leadership emerges as needed from a variety of individuals, based on
knowledge and expertise.
Interdependent leadership culture: Cultures characterized by widespread beliefs and
practices that leadership is a collective activity requiring mutual inquiry and learning.
Competing Values Framework: A framework used to illustrate organizational cultural
types. The framework is a 2x2 matrix on which the values concerning an internal
focus/integration or external focus/differentiation and flexibility/discretion or
stability/control are depicted on opposite ends of each axis and are inherently in tension
with each other.
Hierarchy culture: Organizational culture that emphasizes stability and control and
focuses attention inward (on things like how people within the organization interact with
each other or on whether internal operating procedures are followed).
Market culture: Organizational culture that emphasizes stability and control but focuses
attention primarily on the external environment (outside the organization itself).
Clan culture: Organizational culture that emphasizes having a high degree of flexibility
and
discretion, and that focuses primarily inward rather than outward.
Adhocracy culture: Organizational culture that emphasizes having a high degree of
flexibility
and discretion, and that focuses primarily on the environment outside the organization.
VUCA: An acronym that describes a world that is volatile, uncertain, complex, and
ambiguous.
Societal culture: Learned behaviors characterizing the total way of life of members
within any given society.
GLOBE: An acronym for the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior
Effectiveness Research Program which is the most comprehensive study of leadership
and culture ever attempted involving data collected from over 17,000 managers
representing 950 companies in 62 countries.
Future orientation: The degree to which individuals in organizations or societies engage
in future-oriented behaviors like planning and investing in the future.
Collectivism: The degree to which individuals express pride, loyalty, and cohesiveness in
their organizations, families, or similar small groups.
Implicit leadership theory: Leadership theory that holds that individuals have implicit
beliefs and assumptions about attributes and behaviors that distinguish leaders from
followers, effective leaders from ineffective leaders, and moral from immoral leaders.
Culturally endorsed implicit theories of leadership: Relatively distinctive implicit
theories of leadership that differentiate societal cultures from each other as well as
organizational cultures within those societal cultures.
Charismatic/values based leadership: The ability to inspire, motivate, and expect high
performance from others on the basis of firmly held core values.
Team-oriented leadership: Effective team building and implementation of a common
purpose or goal among team members.
Participative leadership: The degree to which managers involve others in making and
implementing decisions.
Humane-oriented leadership: Supportive and considerate leadership as well as
compassion and generosity.
Autonomous leadership: Independent and individualistic leadership.
Self-protective leadership: Ensuring the safety and security of the individual or group
member.
Universality of leadership attributes: Consensus across cultures on a number of desirable
leadership attributes as well as consensus on what are considered to be universally
negative leadership traits.