Situational Leadership Model Test Questions – Flashcards

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What is Situational Leadership?
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This is a term that can be applied generically to a style of leadership, but that also refers to a recognized, and useful, leadership model. In simple terms, a situational leader is one who can adopt different leadership styles depending on the situation. Most of us do this anyway in our dealings with other people: we try not to get angry with a nervous colleague on their first day; we chase up tasks with some people more than others because we know they'll forget otherwise.
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What is the leadership style of situational leadership?
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The behavior pattern of an individual who attempts to influence others. It includes both Directive (task) behaviors and Supportive (relationship) behaviors.
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What are Directive Behaviors?
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Directive (task) behaviors: Help group members in goal achievement via one-way communication through: 1. Giving directions 2. Establishing goals & how to achieve them 3. Methods of evaluation & time lines 4. Defining roles
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What are Supportive Behaviors?
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Supportive (relationship) behaviors: Assist group members via two-way communication in feeling comfortable with themselves, co-workers, and situation 1. Asking for input 2. Problem solving 3. Praising; listening
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What are the leadership behaviors?
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Directing Coaching Supporting Delegating
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What is Directing?
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Leaders define the roles and tasks of the 'follower', and supervise them closely. Decisions are made by the leader and announced, so communication is largely one-way. o Leader focuses communication on goal achievement o Spends LESS time using supportive behaviors o High Directive o Low Supportive
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What is Coaching?
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Leaders still define roles and tasks, but seeks ideas and suggestions from the follower. Decisions remain the leader's prerogative, but communication is much more two-way. o Leader focuses communication on BOTH goal achievement and supporting subordinates' socio-emotional needs o High Directive o High Supportive o Requires leader involvement through encouragement and soliciting subordinate input
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What is Supporting?
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Leaders pass day-to-day decisions, such as task allocation and processes, to the follower. The leader facilitates and takes part in decisions, but control is with the follower. o Leader does NOT focus solely on goals; rather the leader uses supportive behaviors to bring out employee skills in accomplishing the task o Leader delegates day-to-day decision-making control, but is available to facilitate problem solving o High Supportive o Low Directive
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What is Delegating?
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Leaders are still involved in decisions and problem-solving, but control is with the follower. The follower decides when and how the leader will be involved. o Leader offers LESS task input and social support; facilitates subordinates' confidence and motivation in relation to the task o Leader lessens involvement in planning, control of details, and goal clarification o Gives subordinates control and refrains from intervention and unneeded social support o Low Supportive o Low Directive
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What are the development levels of Situational Leadership?
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Development level refers to the degree to which subordinates have the competence and commitment necessary to accomplish a given task or activity. On a particular task, employees can be classified into four categories: D1, D2, D3, and D4, from low development to high development • D1: employees are low in competence and high in commitment. • D2: employees are described as having some competence but low commitment. • D3: employees who have moderate to high competence but may lack commitment. • D4: employees are the highest in development, having both a high degree of competence and a high degree of commitment to getting the job done.
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How does the Situational Leadership approach work?
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For leaders to be effective, it is essential that they diagnose where subordinates are on the developmental continuum and adapt their leadership styles so they directly match their style to the development level of the subordinate. Having identified the correct development level, the second task for the leader is to adapt his or her style to the prescribed leadership style represented in the SLII model. Because subordinates move back and forth among the development continuum, it is imperative for leaders to be flexible in their leadership behavior.
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What are the strengths of Situational Leadership?
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1. The first strength is that it has stood the test in the marketplace. Situational leadership is well-known and frequently used for training leaders within organizations. It is perceived by corporations as offering a credible model for training individuals to become effective leaders. 2. Second, situational leadership is easy to understand, intuitively sensible, and easily applied in a variety of settings, 3. Third, the approach is prescriptive, it tells you what you should and should not do in various contexts. 4. Fourth, it emphasizes the concept of leader flexibility. Effective leaders are those who can change their own style based on the task requirements and the subordinates' needs—even in the middle of the project. 5. Finally, situational leadership reminds us to treat each subordinate differently based on the task at hand and to seek opportunities to help subordinates learn new skills and become more confident in their work.
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What are the criticisms of Situational Leadership?
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1. The first criticism of this style is that there have been only a few research studies conducted to justify the assumptions and propositions set forth by the approach. 2. A second criticism concerns the ambiguous conceptualization in the model of subordinates' development levels. The authors do not make clear how commitment is combined with competence to form four distinct levels of development. 3. Another criticism has to do with how the model matches leader style with subordinate development level - the prescription of the model. 4. A fourth criticism is that it fails to account for how certain demographic characteristics (education, experience, age, and gender) influence the leader-subordinate prescriptions of the model. 5. Situational leadership can also be criticized from a practical standpoint because it does not fully address the issue of one-to-one versus group leadership in an organizational setting. 6. A final criticism can be directed at the leadership questionnaires that accompany the model. Questionnaires on situational leadership typically ask respondents to analyze various work-related situations and select the best leadership style for each situation. Because the best answers available to respondents have been predetermined, the questionnaires are biased in favor of situational leadership.
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