Theories of Leadership
Situational Leadership: House's Path-Goal verses Hersey and Blanchard's Leadership Model
Situational Leadership: House's Path-Goal verses Hersey and Blanchard's Leadership Model
Do you ever reflect on someone that had or has such a positive impact on you that when you think of them words like competent, inspiring, intelligent, courageous, respect, and mentor come to mind? Chances are all of us have had or still have someone like this in our lives, and that someone, is an effective leader. There are many definitions of leadership and although they have different words in them, they all mean the same; leadership is the process of influencing others and facilitating collective efforts in order to accomplish an objective (Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn, & Uhl-Bien, 2010). Harry Truman once said that a leader is a man who has the ability to get other people to do what they don't want to do and like it. Just like there are many definitions of leadership there are also many theories on how someone is able to reach the level of a leader, and even more so; how to become an effective leader. Two of those theories are the path-goal theory and the leadership model created by Hersey and Blanchard. In the following paragraphs the reader will receive an understanding of each theory, a discussion of how it is effective in an organization and then a comparison and contrast between the two. To begin with, the path-goal theory will be the first one covered.
Path-Goal Leadership The path-goal leadership theory was introduced by Robert House and was defined as a style of leadership where the key function of the leader is to adjust their behavior to complement situational contingencies in the work environment (Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn, & Uhl-Bien, 2010). Price (1991) goes on to explain that in order to get desired organizational results certain tasks need to be performed the results of those tasks are goals, where the task itself are paths. When goals are
Situational Leadership: House's Path-Goal verses Hersey and Blanchard's Leadership Model
Do you ever reflect on someone that had or has such a positive impact on you that when you think of them words like competent, inspiring, intelligent, courageous, respect, and mentor come to mind? Chances are all of us have had or still have someone like this in our lives, and that someone, is an effective leader. There are many definitions of leadership and although they have different words in them, they all mean the same; leadership is the process of influencing others and facilitating collective efforts in order to accomplish an objective (Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn, & Uhl-Bien, 2010). Harry Truman once said that a leader is a man who has the ability to get other people to do what they don't want to do and like it. Just like there are many definitions of leadership there are also many theories on how someone is able to reach the level of a leader, and even more so; how to become an effective leader. Two of those theories are the path-goal theory and the leadership model created by Hersey and Blanchard. In the following paragraphs the reader will receive an understanding of each theory, a discussion of how it is effective in an organization and then a comparison and contrast between the two. To begin with, the path-goal theory will be the first one covered.
Path-Goal Leadership The path-goal leadership theory was introduced by Robert House and was defined as a style of leadership where the key function of the leader is to adjust their behavior to complement situational contingencies in the work environment (Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn, & Uhl-Bien, 2010). Price (1991) goes on to explain that in order to get desired organizational results certain tasks need to be performed the results of those tasks are goals, where the task itself are paths. When goals are
References: Hambleton, R. K., & Gumpert, R. (1982). The validity of hersey and blanchard 's theory of leader effectiveness. Group & Organization Studies (Pre-1986), 7(2), 225-242. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com McLaurin, J. R. (2006). The role of situation in the leadership process: A review and application. Academy of Strategic Management Journal, 5(15441458), 97-114. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com Papworth, M. A., Milne, D., & Boak, G. (2009). An exploratory content analysis of situational leadership. The Journal of Management Development, 28(7), 593-606. doi:10.1108/02621710910972706 Price, R. A. (1991). An investigation of path-goal leadership theory in marketing channels. Journal of Retailing, 67(3), 339-361. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com Schermerhorn, J. R., Jr., Hunt, J. G., Osborn, R. N., & Uhl-Bien, M. (2010). Organizational behavior. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.