Fiedler’s contingency model evaluates leadership qualities in a business context and concludes that anyone can lead under the right conditions. It considers whether a leader is relationship or task-oriented and identifies three factors that determine their effectiveness. The model is used to change a situation to fit a leader and delegate management to the best-suited members.
Fiedler’s contingency model is a theory used to evaluate leadership qualities in an individual within a business context. This theory of leadership was introduced by Fred Fiedler in the early 20th century and was one of the first to examine leadership skills in relation to the environment. Previous theories had assumed that some individuals are born leaders, while others are simply unable to lead others effectively. Companies relied on these models to seek out candidates with so-called leadership skills and ignore candidates who didn’t fit a specific profile. Fiedler’s contingency model is different in that it concludes that anyone can lead an organization under the right kind of conditions.
Much of Fiedler’s contingency model is based on how potential leaders respond to a survey about their least favorite colleague. Individuals who rate LCP relatively high on a scale of 1 to 10 are considered relationship oriented, while those who ultimately rate LCP low are considered to have task oriented personalities. For someone who is relationship oriented, employee performance has relatively little impact on the manager-employee relationship. An activity-oriented person, on the other hand, simply cannot enjoy a strong relationship with an employee who fails to meet performance goals.
According to Fiedler’s contingency model, both activity-oriented and relationship-oriented individuals can be effective leaders, but their effectiveness depends on three specific factors. The first of these concerns how well the leader bonds with his team and whether they maintain frequent interactions. The second concerns how structured a specific task or project can be. The final factor that helps determine which type of leader will be effective under this model is the power and role of the manager.
According to Fiedler’s contingency model, the status of these three factors helps define how favorable a specific work situation will be. The most supportive work environments are those with strong ties between management and employees, combined with a highly structured task and a leader with a high degree of power or control. Unfavorable situations lead to management obligations of weak employees, poorly defined tasks and leaders with little power.
Fiedler concludes that relationship-oriented individuals serve as more effective leaders in moderate-will situations. In a situation that is either extremely supportive or not at all supportive, a task-oriented individual will be the best leader for the job. Modern companies often use Fiedler’s contingency model to help them change a situation to fit a leader, rather than looking for new leaders to fit the situation. This model can also be used to delegate various members of management to the activities or projects for which they are best suited.
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