VCC OB: Ch. 11 - Ldrshp

Leadership is best defined as ________.

• the process of drawing up formal plans and monitoring their implementation

• the ability to influence a group toward the achievement of a vision or set of goals

• the process of carrying out the vision and strategy provided by management

• the process of coordinating and staffing the organization and handling day-to-day problems

Which of the following statements regarding leadership is true?

• All leaders are managers.

• All leaders are hierarchically superior to followers.

• All managers are leaders.

• Nonsanctioned leadership is as important as formal positions of influence.

Answer explanation

The source of influence may be formal, such as that provided by managerial rank in an organization. But not all managers are leaders, nor are all leaders managers. Just because an organization provides its managers with certain formal rights is no assurance they will lead effectively. Leaders can emerge from within a group as well as by formal appointment. Nonsanctioned leadership–the ability to influence that arises outside the formal structure of the organization–is often as important as or more important than formal positions of influence.

Within organizations, leaders are needed to ________ and managers are needed to ________.

• oversee the manager; execute the leaders ideas

• inspire organizational members; oversee day-to-day operations

• challenge the status quo; create visions of the future

• formulate detailed plans; create efficient organizational structures

Leaders who emerge from outside of the formal structures of the organization are called ________.

• non-sanctioned leaders

• transformational leaders

• transactional leaders

• servant leaders

Answer explanation

Leaders can emerge from within a group as well as by formal appointment. Nonsanctioned leadership–the ability to influence that arises outside the formal structure of the organization–is often as important as or more important than formal positions of influence.

Which theory of leadership differentiates leaders from non-leaders by focusing on personal qualities and characteristics?

• Fiedler's model

• attributes theory

• contingency theory

• trait theory

Answer explanation

Trait theories of leadership focus on personal qualities and characteristics. Throughout history, strong leaders have usually been described by their traits. Therefore, leadership research has long sought to identify the personality, social, physical, or intellectual attributes that differentiate leaders from nonleaders.

The most common trait-based approach ________ to develop insight into the relationship between traits and leadership.

• uses Cattell's 16 personality factors

• uses the Keirsey Temperament Sorter

• uses the Big Five personality framework

• focuses on Eysenck's three factor model

According to research, which of the Big Five personality traits is the most important in effective leaders?

• conscientiousness

• openness

• extraversion

• agreeableness

Answer explanation

A comprehensive review of leadership literature, when organized around the Big Five, has found extraversion to be the most important trait of effective leaders but more strongly related to leader emergence than to leader effectiveness.

Which of the following statements accurately reflects the conclusions about the trait theories of leadership?

• Traits were better predictors of leadership 20 years ago than they are now.

• The Big Five traits are inadequate for predicting leadership.

• Overall, traits are poor predictors of leadership.

• Traits do a good job of predicting the emergence of leaders.

Answer explanation

Two conclusions can be offered about the effectiveness of the trait theory of leadership. First, traits can predict leadership. Second, traits do a better job predicting the emergence of leaders than predicting actual performance as an established leader. The fact that an individual exhibits the right traits and that others consider him a leader does not necessarily mean that he will be effective or successful at motivating the group to achieve its goals.

Your company's HR director is a believer in trait theories of leadership. He believes that he can differentiate leaders from non-leaders by focusing on personal qualities and characteristics. The HR director plans to promote Lawrence, a highly extraverted manager with a great deal of ambition and energy to the position of VP, Manufacturing. He asks for your expertise in helping him to apply trait theory to leadership selection within your company. The director believes that because of his innate characteristics, Lawrence will be highly effective at helping the company achieve its production goals. You advise the director against basing his decision purely on traits because ________.

• research has identified emotional stability as the strongest predictor of leadership effectiveness

• studies have found that the Big Five traits are difficult to identify in leaders

• research has found that conscientiousness is a better predictor of effectiveness than extraversion

• studies have shown that traits are poor predictors of leadership effectiveness

Answer explanation

Trait theories help us predict who will become a leader, but they don't help us explain leadership effectiveness. In other words, traits do a better job predicting the emergence of leaders than predicting actual performance as an established leader. The fact that an individual exhibits the traits and others consider that person to be a leader does not necessarily mean the leader is successful at getting his or her group to achieve its goals. The context matters, too.

Contingency theories focus on the ________ that impact leadership success.

• leader's personal characteristics and qualities

• leader's abilities to inspire and transform followers

• situational variables

• values and ethics

Answer explanation

According to the contingency theories of leadership, leaders should adjust their behaviour to fit the situation or, if they are unable to do so, the person leading should be replaced to ensure a match between context and leadership style. When researchers looked at situational influences, it appeared that under condition a, leadership style x would be appropriate, whereas style y was more suitable for condition b, and style z for condition c.