Psychology Leadership

Leadership

Lussier (2007) defines Leadership is the influencing process of leaders and followers to achieve organizational objectives through change.

I/O Psychologists and Leadership

• Relates to behaviour at the workplace

• Identifying and developing leaders are major concerns of industry

• Companies want to train their higher level personnel in areas like interpersonal relations, decision making and planning that directly affects their performance as leaders

• The task of creating working conditions through administration and policy-making rests with management and supervisors. As a consequence, the study of leadership and leader behaviour is of keen concern to I/O psychologists.

• Discovering what leaders do, how people come to be leaders, and how to prepare employees for leadership positions are all topics addressed by I/O psychologists.

Leadership Approaches

• Positional Power (e.g., based on job title, rank)

• The Leader (e.g., Traits, Behavior, Transformational, Charismatic, Transactional leadership)

• The Led (e.g., Follower characteristics)

• The Influence Process (e.g., Leader-Member Exchange)

• The Situation (e.g., Path-Goal Theory explains how situation influences leader effectiveness)

Leader Acceptance

& Effectiveness

Leadership

Decline

Leader

Emergence

Typical Leadership ProcessRole of demographic

variables, mental ability, Big 5

personality factors, self-monitoring

Leadership and Big 5The Big 5 Model of Personality

Nine traits of Effective Leaders

Surgency

Agreeableness

Adjustment

Conscientiousness

Openness to Experience

Dominance

Sensitivity to others

Stability

High energySelf-ConfidenceIntegrity

Internal locus of controlIntelligenceFlexibility

Self-Monitoring (Form of Social Intelligence)

• Awareness of how one is being received by others (cognitive, perceptual process)

• Ability to alter one’s behavior (if necessary) depending on how one thinks they are being received (adaptability)

Theoretical Approaches to Leadership

• Trait Approach: Leadership in terms of traits or dispositions held by an individual that are accountable for the observed leadership. Also related to ‘Leader Skills’ – Technical, Conceptual and Interpersonal.

• Behavioural Approach: Leadership in terms of the actions taken by an individual in the conduct of leading a group.

Leadership Behaviors

Consideration Style (expressing warmth,

caring concern for workers)

Structured Style(organized, planned,

use of deadlines)

Factors

• Ability level of employees

• Number of subordinates

• Difficulty of job

• Best for a leader to use both styles when appropriate

Consideration:

• Is easy to get along with _____.• Explains actions to group members• Usually treats everyone in the same manner• Let's followers know of changes in advance• Puts group ideas into operation

Structure:

• Informs subordinates about what is expected• Clarifies roles among group members• Makes decisions regarding work methods• Advocates the use of standardized procedures• Sets specific goals and monitors performance  

Measurement of Leader’s Behaviors(Based on the Leader Behavior Descriptive

Questionnaire; LBDQ)

The Power and Influence Approach

• Leadership in terms of use of the power and influence exercised by a person within a group

• Types of Power• Reward [Based on the ability to administer rewards

and benefits e.g., raises, promotions, positive performance evaluations]

• Coercive [Based on the ability to administer punishments to subordinates]

• Legitimate [Authority based on one’s official title or position e.g., CEO, General, Police Officer]

• Expert [Possession of a given body of knowledge and/or skills. Can often be rather limited in scope]

• Referent [Identification, attraction, or respect for someone. Common for Charismatic leaders]

Referent Expert Legitimate Reward Coercive

Unlikely

Possible

Likely

CommitmentComplianceResistance

Typical Reactions to Power

The Situational Approach Path-Goal Theory

Leader is seen as important in providing a path for employees to attain desired goals. Path refers to Leader’s behavior.

• Directive [leader tells subordinates how to perform tasks; provides guidelines and structure]

• Supportive [leader shows caring and concern for subordinates’ well- being]• Participative [leader involves subordinates in decision-making]• Achievement-oriented [leader sets specific and challenging goals; promotes high work-related aspirations and goal attainment]

Leadership Behaviors (must be able to manifest/use all four types when necessary. Use varies with such factors as employee ability, work environment, group size)

Path Goal (cont.)

What can leaders do to help employees attain goals?

1) Remove obstacles/problems to gain attainment

2) Provide valued incentives to employees

3) Clarify paths to goals (e.g., use of feedback)

The Leader helps subordinates do the things that must be done to obtain the desired rewards.

Leader-Member Exchange Theory (LMX)

Leader

Subordinates

Evaluation of subordinates on:• Ability• Trust• Responsibility

In-Group[e.g., better job duties, greater rewards, more visibility, treated with warmth and caring by the leader, greater access to information]

Perceived similarity

Gender

Quality of Leader-Member

Exchange

~ Employee Outcomes ~

High

SatisfactionPerformance ratingsOrganizational commitmentRole clarity

Low

Role conflictTurnover intentions

~ LMX Outcomes ~

Rate traits of typical males

Rate traits of typical females

Rate traits of typical leaders

Male traits seen as similar to leadership traits

~ Female Traits and Leadership ~

~ Implicit Leadership Theory ~

Key: The perception of leader behaviors and prototype matching process

Prototype of effective leadership

Intelligent High Verbal SkillsFairGood interpersonal Skills

Observed Leadership Behaviors

Intelligent High Verbal SkillsFair

Prototype matching

Leader Evaluatio

n

My boss is a good leaderRating Behaviors (using global impressions)

Question: Does your bosss have good social skills?Answer: Yes, he’s a good leader so he must have good social skills

~ Transformational Leadership ~

Basic Components

Idealized Influence (charismatic, admirable, establishing visions, role-modeling)

Inspirational Motivation (providing challenges, goal sharing, go beyond self-interests)

Intellectual Stimulation (encouraging creative problem solving, critical thinking, flexible)

Individualized Consideration (encouragement and support, empowerment)Benefits: Leader effectiveness, high procedural justice perceptions, high trust, more organizational citizenship behaviors, work unit effectiveness

Possible negative(s): Dependence on leader, heightened self-importance of leader, possible lack of practical implementation of vision

~ Transformational vs. Transactional Leadership Approaches ~

Transformational Transactional

Behaviors Inspirational, empowering

Use of reinforcements (e.g., rewarding

desired behaviors)

Goals Group/organizational interests

Employee self interest

Desired change

Major, innovative Regular, routine

Combination of both styles is common (or needed)

~ Impact of Culture on Leadership ~(Cross-cultural Differences Exist)

Are there cultural difference in such things as leader expectations, acceptable leader behaviors and/or traits, leader use of incentives (e.g., leadership prototypes)?

Are some leadership styles, behaviors universally accepted and effective?

Japanese Sample Prototype

DisciplinedIntelligentTrustworthyEducatedResponsible

U.S. Sample Prototype

PersistentIndustriousHigh Verbal SkillsGoal-OrientedDetermined

~ Points of Convergence among approaches ~

Some Basic Points

• Leadership is a process, not a person

• Process is dynamic and reciprocal (not top down)

• Situational context is crucial (e.g., demands, resources)

• Importance of follower characteristics (needs, expectation, perceptions) and their responses

• Importance of Influencing and Motivating

• Importance of maintaining effective relationships

• Importance of making decisions

Thank You.

Perspectives of I/O Psychology ResearchersResearch Topic Unit to be Analysed Variables of

interestFocus of I/O Psychologists

Positional Power Organizational Roles and positions

Influence tactics and use of power

Under what conditions will organizations resort to strong influence?

The Leader Individual Leaders Personality characteristics and leader behaviours

What traits and behaviours differentiate effective and ineffective leaders?

The Followers Work groups and subordinates

Group size and experience of subordinates

What type of subordinates desire close supervision?

Perspectives of I/O Psychology Researchers

Research Topic Units to be analysed

Variables of interest

Focus of I/O Psychologists

Influence Process (Coercion, Manipulation, Authority and Persuasion)

Superior-subordinate interface

Receptivity of influence and nature of influence attempts

Under what conditions are leaders most susceptible to subordinate influence attempts?

The situation (Favourable or Unfavourable)

Environment or context in which leadership occurs

Effect of situation on leader’s behaviour and factors that define favourable situations

How do various situations modify leader behaviour?

Leader emergence Vs Effectiveness

Individual and/or groups

Group Dynamics and individual characteristics

How do individuals become recognized as leaders?