Situational Approaches to Leadership

Running Head: SITUATIONAL APPROACHES TO LEADERSHIP
Module 2 – Case Assignment
One Size Doesn`t Fit All: Situational Approaches to Leadership
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You are in charge of a team of architects.　 They are highly skilled but have strong opinions and do not necessarily follow instructions.　 These architects are independent thinkers who are used to doing things their own way. ADDITIONAL DETAIL AND INFORMATION NEEDEDYou are in charge of a fast food restaurant.　 The employees are all teenagers who have not yet graduated from high school, and for most of them this is their first job. ADDITIONAL DETAIL AND INFORMATION NEEDED
One Size Doesn`t Fit All: Situational Approaches to Leadership
1. For question 1A, I should use supporting style of leadership (high supportive and low directive behavior) for this team of architects since they are already highly skilled but have strong opinions, do not necessarily follow instructions, and are independent thinkers who are used to doing things their own way. So they need the follower-made decision with leader encouragement or the supporting style of leadership. So as a leader, I should be supportive to this team through listening and encouraging them of their plans. Further, I should have the “participating behavior”—where leader and follower share decision-making with the leader focused on facilitating and communicating” (Fiedler, 1967, p. 18).
In 1B, the coaching style of leadership (high directive and high supportive behavior) should be used to this employees since they have a low level of maturity as evident with their age as teenagers who have not yet graduated from high school, and moreover, for most of them this is their first job. As a leader, I should be guiding them by explaining, discussing, and mutually planning with them. So this group is highly interdependent requiring the close coordination of the leader and the team members in the performance of their primary task. The ability of one member to perform a job may depend upon the fact that another member has first completed his or her share of the task. Their tasks require the close and simultaneous direction and support of their leaders which are so interdependent that failure on the part of the leader spells failure for the whole team (Fiedler, 1967, p. 18).
Finally in 1C, I should use the delegating style of leadership since the team of software engineers are very mature as they are all highly skilled and highly motivated, and are used to working independently. Moreover, all of them believe in the mission of the company which is a very important factor of maturity. This is a counteracting group consisting of individuals working together for the mission of the company (Fiedler, 1967, p. 20).
2. The Fiedler Contingency Model cannot be extended to all situations cited above. The Fiedler Contingency model recognizes that no single approach works best in all situations. This is not to say that because each organization is unique, every situation must be examined individually. In short, effectiveness depends on the situation. Hence, I would require a lot more information about each situation than what is given.
Fiedler's ...