Group Presentation

Contingency Theory
Group 5: Tran Hoang Mai Duong Thi Huong
Ha The He Bui Nhu Hong Hanh
Nguyen Le Thuc Oanh Le Minh Tan Trung
Contingency Theory

Understanding the Model

Leadership Styles

Situational Variables

Strengths and Criticisms

Application
 Understanding the Model

Born 1922 - is one of the leading researchers in

Industrial and organizational psychology of the
20th century
He helped this field move from the research on
traits and personal characteristics of leaders, to
leadership styles and behaviors.
In 1967 he introduced the contingency modeling
of leadership, with the now-famous Fiedler
contingency model.
Fred Fiedler
Understanding the Model

There is no one best style of leadership. Instead, a leaders effectiveness is

based on the situation.

Situational
Leadership Styles v.s. Favorableness
Leadership Styles
 Leadership Styles

Relationship motivated: developing close

Task motivated: primarily reaching a goal relationship
LPC leadership instruments

To measure the leadership

style

Least Preferred Co-Worker (LPC) Scale

High LPCs = Relationship-motivated
Low LPCs = Task-motivated
 Situational Variables

Contingency theory suggest that situations can be characterized in terms of

three factors:

1. Leader-member relations

2. Task structure

3. Position power
 Leader-member relation

Consist of the group atmosphere and the degree of confidence, loyalty

Atm: +++ Atm: unfriendly
and attraction that followers fell for their leader.
subordinates trust, get Friction exists within the
along with their leader group
Task structure

Considered as structured when:

the
- Is the degree to which the requirements
performer of a task are
know the requirement clear and spelled out
clearly

completely
- Task that are the path to structured tendthe
accomplishing to give
task more control
has few to the leader,
alternatives

completion
whereas vague and unclearthe
tasks
tasklessen the
can be leaders
clearly control and influence.
demonstrated

only limited number of correct solutions to task exist

Position Power

Position power: the amount of authority the leader has to reward or to punish followers
Includes the legitimate power
Strong: a person has the authority to hire and fire or give raises in rank or pay
Weak: vice versa
 Situational Variables

The most favorable situation are those having good leader-follower relations,
defined tasks, and strong leader-position power. (task-motivated)
The least favorable situation are those having bad leader-follower relations,
structured tasks and weak leader-position power. (task-motivated)
The moderately favorable fall b/w these two extremes. (relationship-motivated)
Contingency theory is concerned with

a. Styles and Traits

b. Situations and Styles

c. Traits and Situations

d. Skills and Styles

How many factors can situation be characterized?

a. 1

b. 2

c..33
c

d. 4
Strengths and Criticisms

Strength
s Criticisms
Unfriendly 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Friendly
Unpleasant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Pleasant
empirical research and It failed to explain fully why
Rejecting
predictive power
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Accepting
people with certain leadership
Tense 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 styles are more effective in some
Relaxed
situation than in others
Cold 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Warm
broaden
Boring our 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Interesting
understanding of
Backbiting
leadership 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Loyal
Uncooperative 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Fails to explain adequately what
Cooperative
organization should do when
Hostile
do not require that
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 there is a mismatch betweenSupportive
leaders be effective in all
Guarded 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 leader and the situation Open
situational
Insincere 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Sincere
Unkind 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Kind
provides data on leaders styles
Inconsiderate 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 The LPC scale does notConsiderate
seem
that could be useful to valid on the surface because it
organization
Untrustworthy in developing 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 does not correlate well with other
Trustworthy
leadership profiles. standard leadership measures
Gloomy 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Cheerful
Applications

??????
 Conclusion

- Natural leadership style, and the situations in which it

will be most effective.
- The model says that leader are either task-focused, or
relationship-focused.
- It doesnt allow for leadership flexibility, and the LPC
score might give an inaccurate picture of your
leadership style.
Thank you for your attention!!