MGT1250 Module 4- Behavior Approach

Behavior Approach

Module 4

Learning Objectives

• Describe the behavioral approach

• Explain how the behavioral approach works

• Discuss the strengths and criticisms of the behavioral approach

The Behavioral Approach

• Composed of two general

  kinds of Behaviors

• Initiating Structure: Task Behaviors- Facilitate goal accomplishment: Help group members achieve objectives

• Consideration: Relationship Behaviors- Help subordinates feel comfortable with themselves, each other, and the situation

• Focuses exclusively on what leaders do and how they act

Ohio State Studies

• Researchers decided to analyze how leaders acted when leading a group

• Analysis was conducted by having followers complete questionnaires about their leader

• Followers identified how many times their leaders engaged in certain behaviors

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Ohio State Studies

• Results - Particular clusters of behaviors were typical of leaders

• Two general types of leader behaviors: 

• Task behaviors - organizing work, giving structure to the work

  context, defining role responsibility, scheduling work activities

• Relationship behaviors – building camaraderie, respect, trust, & liking between leaders & followers

University of Michigan Studies

• Specific emphasis on impact of leadership behavior on performance of small groups

• Results - Two types of leadership behaviors

  conceptualized as opposite ends of a single continuum

• Employee orientation- Strong human relations emphasis

• Production orientation- Stresses the technical aspects of a job

Multiple Choice

Which research group labeled task behaviors “initiating structure”?

• Blake and Mouton

• Ohio State

• Michigan

• Stogdill and Zacaro

Multiple Choice

What two types of leadership behavior were identified by the program of research at the University of Michigan?

• Concern for people and concern for task

• Initiating structure and consideration

• High task and low task

• Employee orientation and production orientation

Blake & Mouton’s Managerial Leadership Grid

• Designed to explain how leaders help organizations to reach their purposes

• Concern for production- How a leader is concerned with achieving organizational tasks

• Concern for people- How a leader attends to the members of the organization who are trying to achieve its goals

Leadership Grid

Blake and Mouton

Strengths

• Behavioral approach marked a major shift in leadership research from exclusively trait focused to include behaviors and actions of leaders

• At conceptual level, a leader’s style is composed of two major types of behaviors: task and relationship

• Broad range of studies on leadership style validates and

  gives credibility to the basic tenets of the approach

Criticisms

• Research has not adequately demonstrated how leaders’ styles are associated with performance outcomes

• No universal style of leadership that could be effective in almost every situation

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