Scholars said that a leadership style might be appropriate in certain conditions, but not in others, an example: under condition a, leadership style x would be appropriate, whereas style y was more suitable for condition b, and so on. Thus, Leadership takes place in a social context, in interactions with individuals, groups, organizations.
There are two main theories: Fielder’s Contingency Model and Path Goal Theory by Robert House. These theories propose that the effectiveness of a particular style of leadership is dependent on the context in which it is being exercised. From situation to situation, different styles may …show more content…
This suggests that an effective leader will utilise aspects from various leadership styles, depending on the individual situation. Therefore, the Path Goal Theory proposes that the effectiveness of leadership is influenced by the interaction of leadership behaviour and contingency factors, including employee characteristics (ability, experience, need for achievement, etc.) and environmental factors (task structure, authority system, team dynamics, etc.). Path-goal theory suggests that leaders should support their team by setting a clear path to follow and removing roadblocks in order to allow them to achieve their goals. The leader is expected to adopt different leadership behaviours fluidly according to the situation. Scholars of this theory identified four different types of leader behaviours: directive path-goal clarification, supportive leadership, participative leadership, achievement-oriented leadership.
Two other important theories in this field are: Situational Leadership Theory, which focuses on the followers, indeed it says that successful leadership depend on selecting the right leadership style contingent on the followers’ readiness, or the extent to which they are willing able to accomplish a specific task. The second is the Leader-Participation Model, like Path …show more content…
They think that the leader’s behaviour is based on five different principles; one of these is the context. The context of the organisation and the environment in which it is operating means that certain aspects of leadership assume greater significance than others. The key is that effective leaders are skilled in interpreting the context and knowing how to adapt and prioritise. The contextual factor of leadership is a critical principle, underpinning approaches to adaptive planning and understanding the pace and nature of change which is required. The context dictates whether change needs to be centrally driven, systemic – even disruptive – versus change which is adaptive, cumulative and viral. How leaders judge and constantly review the context is core to how they adapt and prioritise around the ‘core’ of