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HA 550 Assignment

The situational leadership approach and path-goal theory are leadership frameworks that help leaders match their style to follower needs and abilities. [1] Situational leadership involves four styles - directing, coaching, supporting, and delegating - that develop followers from dependent to independent. [2] Path-goal theory outlines four leadership behaviors - supportive, directive, participative, and achievement-oriented - that clarify the path to goals and motivate high performance. [3] Both theories recognize that effective leaders adapt their style based on the situation and followers' skills and need for direction or autonomy.

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Obiageli Idemudia
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88 views

HA 550 Assignment

The situational leadership approach and path-goal theory are leadership frameworks that help leaders match their style to follower needs and abilities. [1] Situational leadership involves four styles - directing, coaching, supporting, and delegating - that develop followers from dependent to independent. [2] Path-goal theory outlines four leadership behaviors - supportive, directive, participative, and achievement-oriented - that clarify the path to goals and motivate high performance. [3] Both theories recognize that effective leaders adapt their style based on the situation and followers' skills and need for direction or autonomy.

Uploaded by

Obiageli Idemudia
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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SITUATIONAL APPROACH AND PATH-GOAL THEORY: ESSAY 1

Situational Approach and Path-Goal Theory: Essay

O. Idemudia

West Coast University

HA 550

Professor Chris Melisko

9/21/19
SITUATIONAL APPROACH AND PATH-GOAL THEORY: ESSAY 2

The situational leadership approach is a practical leadership framework that helps

leaders to identify the needs of their followers and then provide the appropriate leadership style

to meet those needs (Basu, 2017). According to Northouse, (2018), leaders need to match their

leadership style to the competence and commitment of their employee. The situational

Leadership model consists of four leadership styles, directing, coaching, supporting, and

delegating (Northouse, 2018). It aims at developing employee from the directing level to the

delegating level.

Directing approach is applied to new employees who are in the formative stage of their

career and has little or no experience in their new roles. They need directives and clear

instructions that can encourage them to gain all the necessary skills.

The coaching approach is for employees who have developed some competence but are

not confident in their abilities.

Supporting style is for employees who are competent at their job but remains

inconsistent and uncommitted.

Delegating is for employees who are competent enough to work with minimal

supervision. It makes employees feel fully empowered, committed, and motivated.

The Path-goal leadership theory explains four different leadership behaviors that

satisfy subordinates needs and can influence the team to attain set goals (Northouse, 2018). This

theory aims at enhancing employee's productivity by increasing their empowerment, job

satisfaction, and motivation. The advantage of this leadership style is that it is flexible, and it is

helpful in situations where there is a time constraint to meet the set goal. Depending on the
SITUATIONAL APPROACH AND PATH-GOAL THEORY: ESSAY 3

condition, leaders can take various paths to enhance follower's performance, like supportive,

participative, achievement, and directive.

Supportive leadership is when a leader is showing concern for the welfare of the

employees by creating a friendly working environment. This approach is suitable when the task

is stressful, tedious, or hazardous (Grimm, 2010). Supportive leadership increases employee’s

self-esteem (Grimm, 2010).

Directive leadership: In this approach, the leader gives appropriate guidelines to

employees on what to do and how to do it. This approach is suitable when the task is

unstructured, and the workers are inexperienced. It increases the follower's sense of security.

Participative leadership is when a leader consults subordinates in decision making a

decision. It can be used when working with an experienced team, that can offer useful advice.

Achievement-oriented leadership approach is when the leader sets challenging goals

and encourages subordinates to improve continuously. This approach is useful when working on

complex projects.

Theory comparison:

Both methods have directing and supportive in common. They all recognize the leader as

the one that gives direction to the followers and a supportive approach which fosters team

building. The situational leadership model suggests how leaders should adapt to different

leadership styles that fit the situations (Basu, 2017). While the path-goal theory suggests that

leaders should consider their employees' skills before assigning responsibilities, and reward

those who surpass expectations (Basu, 2017).


SITUATIONAL APPROACH AND PATH-GOAL THEORY: ESSAY 4

References

Basu, C. (2019). Difference Between Situational Leadership & Path Leadership Theories.

Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/difference-between-situational-

leadership-path-leadership-theories-33446.html

Grimm, J. W. (2010). Effective Leadership: Making the Difference. Journal of Emergency

Nursing. Volume 36, Issue 1, Pages 74–77

Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and practice (8th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

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