A2 9990 Organizational Psychology - Leadership REVISION

Briefly explain the great man/woman theory of leadership.

Answer explanation

‘great leaders are born, not made’ because they possess the personal qualities and abilities to make them great.

Organize these options into the right categories

Groups:

(a) Ohio studies: initiating structure

,

(b) Michigan studies

• Leaders with task-oriented behaviours

• Leaders with initiating structure

• Leaders with consideration

• Leaders with relationship-oriented behaviour

Briefly define adaptive leadership.

Answer explanation

Adaptive leadership: this looks at whether individuals and organisations can adapt to changing conditions or not. These changing conditions may result from changing markets, rising costs, environmental changes – in fact anything internal or external that challenges the existence of the organisation.

Apart from the first leader behavior of "Getting on the balcony" to see the big picture of the situation, match the other 5 leader behaviors with the right definition. /Heifetz et al. (1997)/

• maintain disciplined attention

• an adaptive leader must be open to contrasting point of views (often ignored by top) / get the conflict out into the open and use it as a source of creativity/provide a holding environment

• protect the voices from below

• an adaptive leader needs to listen to these voices to learn about potential challenges

• identify the adaptive challenge

• an adaptive leader needs to step back and allow the employees to use their special knowledge to identify the solutions to problems (take responsibility)

• give the work back to the people

• an authority figure must make sure to distinguish technical issues from adaptive work

• regulate distress

• an authority figure must realize that people can learn only so much so fast, and maintain a productive level of tension and motivate people without disabling them

What are the 3 levels of leadership identified by Scouller in 2011?

Answer explanation

Public

Private

Personal

What is the LBDQ?

Answer explanation

Researchers at Ohio State University (e.g. Halpin and Winer, 1957) developed the leader behaviour description questionnaire (LBDQ) with 1,800 statements. Later reduced to 150 items.5 ite

Match the following

• Directive democrat

• ·makes unilateral decisions

  ·supervises closely

• Directive autocrat

• ·the staff chooses how to implement decisions

  ·useful when the task is easy, or the staff are skilled, not much direction is needed

• Permissive democrat

• ·invites participation

  ·monitors closely

• Permissive autocrat

• ·invites high level of participation

  ·good for highly skilled employees

Match the following

• the yes people

• passive in their thinking and engagement and are motivated by their leader rather than themselves

• the sheep

• predominantly negative, think for themselves but do not contribute to the positive direction of the organisation

• pragmatist followers

• allow their leader to do the thinking and acting for them but are generally positive and always on the leader’s side

• exemplary follower

• people who think for themselves, have positive energy, and are actively engaged. They agree with and challenge their leaders

• alienated follower

• a minimal level of independent thinking and engagement; they change to suit the situation and get involved when they see the direction in which the situation is heading

Kouses and Posner (1987) ● ​ (a)   the way: leaders establish principles, create standards of excellence and then set an example for others to follow.

● inspire a ​ (b)   vision: leaders believe that they can make a difference, see the future and enlist others in their dreams.

● ​ (c)   the process: leaders seek change, looking for innovative ways to improve things in an organisation.

● enable others to ​ (d)   : leaders foster collaboration and build teams. They actively involve others. They strengthen others, making each person feel needed and a part of a team.

● encourage the ​ (e)   : leaders keep hope and determination alive, and recognise the contribution that each individual makes. Rewards are shared

• shared
• pave
• challenge
• enable
• work
• heart
• hands
• act
• model

identify 2 features of the LPI, leadership practices inventory created by Kouses and Posner (1987).

Answer explanation

30 behavioural statements (six for each of the five practices). Individuals complete the LPI Self, rating themselves on the frequency with which they believe they engage in each of the 30 behaviours. Five to ten other people complete the LPI Observer, indicating the frequency with which they think the leader engages in each behaviour. Each person can then see their own score compared with the average rating from the other participants.

Ratings are done on a 10-point scale: 1 almost never, 2 rarely, 3 seldom, 4 once in a while, 5 occasionally, 6 sometimes, 7 fairly often, 8 usually, 9 very frequently, 10 almost always.