© Prentice Hall 2006 5-1

After reading this chapter, you should be able to do the following:
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Describe directive leadership and give examples of directive leadership behaviors.
Explain why directive leadership is important for individual followers and groups.
Explain why directive leaders do not need to be authoritarian, autocratic or punitive to be effective.
Describe some of the personal traits, skills, and sources of power that leaders need to develop in order to be effective directive leaders.
© Prentice Hall 2006 5-2

After reading this chapter, you should be able to do the following:
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Identify organizational factors which can encourage or discourage leaders from being directive.
Describe the major impacts directive leadership has on followers’ psychological reactions and behaviors.
Identify organizational situations where directive leadership is especially effective.
Identify situations where directive leadership is probably not effective.
Explain how leaders can modify situations to make their directive leadership more effective.
© Prentice Hall 2006 5-3

© Prentice Hall 2006 5-4

Guiding and structuring followers’ activities
Defining roles and communication patterns
Clarifying expectations, goals, and work methods
Directive
Leadership
Behaviors
Planning, scheduling, and assigning responsibilities
Monitoring and following up on assignments
© Prentice Hall 2006
Motivating and conveying expertise
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Leader directive behavior may result in inefficiency and ineffectiveness if provided without the appropriate context and other needed information.
Timing and prior feedback are important.
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Some tasks require structure and guidance during the goal-setting stage.
Some tasks require clarification and performance feedback during execution.
Some followers need guidance to relate their work to that of other employees.
© Prentice Hall 2006 5-6

Self-Confidence and
Assertiveness
Communication
Skills
Technical & professional
Competence
Skills, Traits & Sources of Power for Effective
Directive Leadership
Expert
Power
Legitimate
Power
Resource/Connection
Power
© Prentice Hall 2006 5-7

FOLLOWER BENEFITS
• Role clarity
• Clear expectations
• Satisfaction with work and supervisor
• Satisfaction with organization
• Lower stress
• Increased performance
ORGANIZATIONAL BENEFITS
• Increased cohesiveness & harmony
• High quality relations among group members
• Reductions of intentions to quit
• Group arousal focused on achieving organizational goals
• Improved efficiency and/or effectiveness
© Prentice Hall 2006 5-8

FOLLOWER
CHARACTERISTICS
•
High need for achievement
• Desire for role clarity
SITUATIONAL FACTORS
THAT INCREASE THE
EFFECTIVENESS OF
DIRECTIVE LEADERSHIP
ORGANIZATIONAL & GROUP
CHARACTERISTICS
• Large group size
• Bureaucratic organization
•
Positive group production norm
•
Leader with high expertise
• Leader who is supportive
© Prentice Hall 2006
TASK
CHARACTERISTICS
•
Stressful task
•
Task interdependence
• Direct communication between customers & followers
•
Highly structured task
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Cohesive group of followers with a low performance norm
Highly structured task
SITUATIONAL FACTORS
THAT DECREASE
EFFECTIVENESS OF
DIRECTIVE LEADERSHIP
High follower experience, ability, or need for independence
© Prentice Hall 2006 5-10

Feedback directly from task
Organizational formalization
Large number of years with leader
SITUATIONAL FACTORS
THAT REPLACE THE
NEED FOR DIRECTIVE
LEADERSHIP
Autonomous work groups or team operations
© Prentice Hall 2006
Predictable flow of work or routine and repetitive work
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SITUATIONAL FACTORS
INCREASING LEADER
EFFECTIVENESS
Enhancers
• Dissatisfying or stressful job
• Low follower self-confidence, insecurity, or self-esteem
• Follower expectations or high growth needs
• Structured work task
• Complex creative task
• External group conflict
• New or cohesive group
• Organization formalization
• Organization mission
• Authoritarian supervisor
Substitutes
• Importance placed on organizational rewards
• Intrinsically satisfying tasks
• Task feedback
LEADER DIRECTIVENESS
• Guiding & structuring follower activities
• Defining roles & communication patterns
• Clarifying expectations and work methods
• Planning, scheduling, & assigning responsibilities
• Monitoring & following up on assignments
• Motivating & conveying expertise
FOLLOWER/GROUP
PSYCHOLOGICAL REACTIONS
• Role clarity*
• Satisfaction with supervision and job*
• Intrinsic satisfaction with work*
• Lower job stress & burnout
• Group cohesion
FOLLOWER BEHAVIORS
AND OUTCOMES
• Department & organization effectiveness
• Increased individual & group performance
• High merit ratings for leaders
• Reduced intentions to quit
© Prentice Hall 2006
SITUATIONAL FACTORS
DECREASING LEADER
EFFECTIVENESS
Neutralizers
• High task structure
(satisfaction)
• Cohesive group with low performance norms
• High follower experience
• High follower ability
• High follower need for independence
*
These psychological reactions and outcomes showed the most improvement from directive leadership.
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1. DIAGNOSING THE SITUATION
1. Are followers’ work tasks highly structured or stressful?
2. Do followers have a high need for clarity & guidance in their work roles?
3. Do followers belong to a large work group?
4. Is the organization highly bureaucratic?
5. Does the leader have a high degree of task expertise, or is the leader highly supportive?
6. Do followers have a high need for achievement?
If “yes” to one or more of these questions, then leaders’ directive behaviors will probably be effective.
3. MODIFYING FOLLOWERS &
SITUATIONS
Leaders also act to:
 Alleviate pressures, strict regulations, and other stresses on followers
 Create autonomous work groups or team structures when appropriate
 Design jobs so followers receive performance feedback directly from the work tasks
 Encourage reliance on other followers who have many years’ experience with the leader
 Encourage development of high performance norms
© Prentice Hall 2006
2. PROVIDING DIRECTIVE
LEADERSHIP
Leaders demonstrate directive behaviors with followers by:
 Defining leader and follower roles
 Establishing follower goals for quantity, quality, and timeliness of performance
 Planning and scheduling work
 Establishing communication patterns
 Monitoring and following up on assignments
 Motivating followers to improve performance
 Training or coaching followers in new work skills or techniques
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