Question 4 (b)
Leadership styles, the situations that suit each, and factors in choosing a style
9 marks
- Time to write
- About 18 minutes
- Notes
- Crux notes
Question
Question 4 (b) · 9 marksIdentify the leadership styles, describing for each style the situations in which it is useful. What factors influence which leadership style is chosen?
Reworded from the university paper; the task is the same. The original paper belongs to the University of Delhi. See DU's question bank.
Before you write
Read off the question and its marks
Read from the question
- Identify…What…?Two asks in one question: answer both.
Write it in this order
- Read; underline the asks; jot your points 1 min
- 1 Leadership styles and their suitable situations 5 marks 9 min
- 2 Factors influencing the choice of style 3½ marks 6 min
- 3 Conclusion ½ mark 1 min
- Check: every ask answered, key terms underlined 1 min
Short on time? Trim steps 1 and 2 evenly rather than skip one: each is capped at its own marks. End with step 3 in a line or two.
Try it first. About 18 minutes for 9 marks. Write it out, then open the solution.
Solution
Hover or tap a marked figure, like 72,000, to see how it is made and where else it appears.
Leadership is getting people to pursue the group's goals because they want to, not merely because they are told to. A leadership style is the leader's consistent pattern of behaviour towards followers: how decisions are made, how much freedom is given and how people are motivated. Autocratic, democratic and free-rein are the three classic styles; paternalistic and bureaucratic leadership vary how authority is used, while transactional and transformational leadership describe a different dimension, how the leader motivates, and situational leadership changes the style to suit the followers' readiness. Different styles suit different situations, so the table starts from the situation a manager faces and names the style that fits it.
1At the whiteboard she sketches where the team could be in five years—and they lean in.
TransformationalThe transformational leader inspires followers with a vision and develops them to perform beyond expectations.
2At the warehouse, targets met, the supervisor hands over the promised envelope.
TransactionalThe transactional leader exchanges rewards for performance.
Leadership styles and the situations in which each is useful
| Situation | Style that fits | What the leader does |
|---|---|---|
| Change, turnaround, innovation, building a new venture | Transformational | Inspires with a vision, develops followers, encourages new thinking |
| Skilled, experienced employees; complex problems needing varied ideas; decisions needing commitment, such as changes in work methods; time permits | Democratic (participative) | Consults followers, shares decisions, encourages ideas, keeps final say |
| Stable conditions and well-defined tasks: sales targets, production quotas | Transactional | Exchanges rewards for meeting clear targets; acts on exceptions |
| Highly competent, self-motivated professionals (researchers, designers, senior specialists); creative work | Laissez-faire (free-rein) | Leaves followers to set their own objectives and methods and to decide; offers support and information when asked |
| Routine, regulated, safety-critical work: banking operations, hazardous plants, government offices | Bureaucratic | Manages strictly by rules and procedures |
| Emergencies and crises needing quick decisions; untrained or new workers; routine tasks with strict deadlines; the leader holds the key knowledge | Autocratic (authoritarian) | Decides alone, gives orders, expects obedience, controls closely |
| Small family firms; workforces that expect protection and guidance; building loyalty | Paternalistic | Cares for followers like a parent, makes decisions for them |
| Mixed teams whose members differ in competence and commitment | Situational (Hersey–Blanchard) | Adjusts directing and supporting to followers' readiness: telling, selling, participating, delegating |
Factors influencing the choice of leadership style
A. Factors in the leader
- Values and beliefs about people (Theory X or Theory Y assumptions).
- Confidence in subordinates' ability and trustworthiness.
- Personal inclinations, experience and comfort with sharing power.
- Tolerance of ambiguity and risk.
B. Factors in the followers
- Their knowledge, skill and experience.
- Their need for independence and readiness to take responsibility.
- Their interest in the problem and acceptance of the organisation's goals.
- Their expectations, which are shaped by culture and education.
C. Factors in the situation
- Nature of the task: routine or creative, simple or complex.
- Time pressure and urgency.
- Size and cohesion of the group.
- Organisational culture, structure and policies.
- Environment: stable or changing, crisis or normal.
Tannenbaum and Schmidt treated the choice not as three boxes but as a sliding scale between the leader deciding alone and the group deciding freely; the forces above fix where a manager should sit on it.
Example. A hospital's head nurse directs firmly during an emergency admission, consults the team when drawing up new duty rosters, and lets experienced specialist nurses manage their own cases.
No style is best everywhere. Effective leaders read the situation, their followers and themselves, and adapt their style, while moving over time towards styles that build followers' capability and commitment.
Where the 9 marks sit
| # | Component | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leadership styles and their suitable situations | 5 |
| 2 | Factors influencing the choice of style | 3.5 |
| 3 | Conclusion | 0.5 |
| Total | 9 |
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