Style Theory of Leadership
According to Harold Koontz, “leadership is defined as an art or process of influencing people so that they strive willingly and enthusiastically towards attainment of group goals”.
According to Yukl (1994), “leadership is a process which one member of a group influences other group members towards attainment of specific group goals”.
Thus, leadership is a process of influencing the behavior of people by making them strive voluntarily towards achievement of organizational goals. The above definition focuses on certain important features of leadership- • Leadership indicates ability of an individual to influence others • It is a group process. A leader is of no use if he has no followers and similarly a group or an organization needs a leader. Thus, both leader and follower play an important role. • It is a process undertaken to achieve certain common goals
Leadership as a part of organizational behavior has been a widely researched body of this field. There are a number of leadership theories developed as a result which are; • Trait theories • Style theories • Contingency theories • Contemporary theories
STYLE THEORY
Style theory differs drastically from trait or skill theories. Instead of focusing on who leaders are, style theories considers what leaders do. At the core of all style theories is the idea that leaders engage in two distinct types of behavior: task behaviors and relationship behaviors. How leaders combine these two behaviors determines their leadership effectiveness. Style theory refers to three main theories or lines of research: the Ohio State University studies, the Michigan University studies and the Blake and Mouton Managerial Grid.
Ohio state studies
The most comprehensive and replicated of the style theories resulted from research that began at Ohio State University in late 1940’s. Researchers at Ohio State sought to identify independent dimensions of leader behavior. The Ohio State leadership
According to Yukl (1994), “leadership is a process which one member of a group influences other group members towards attainment of specific group goals”.
Thus, leadership is a process of influencing the behavior of people by making them strive voluntarily towards achievement of organizational goals. The above definition focuses on certain important features of leadership- • Leadership indicates ability of an individual to influence others • It is a group process. A leader is of no use if he has no followers and similarly a group or an organization needs a leader. Thus, both leader and follower play an important role. • It is a process undertaken to achieve certain common goals
Leadership as a part of organizational behavior has been a widely researched body of this field. There are a number of leadership theories developed as a result which are; • Trait theories • Style theories • Contingency theories • Contemporary theories
STYLE THEORY
Style theory differs drastically from trait or skill theories. Instead of focusing on who leaders are, style theories considers what leaders do. At the core of all style theories is the idea that leaders engage in two distinct types of behavior: task behaviors and relationship behaviors. How leaders combine these two behaviors determines their leadership effectiveness. Style theory refers to three main theories or lines of research: the Ohio State University studies, the Michigan University studies and the Blake and Mouton Managerial Grid.
Ohio state studies
The most comprehensive and replicated of the style theories resulted from research that began at Ohio State University in late 1940’s. Researchers at Ohio State sought to identify independent dimensions of leader behavior. The Ohio State leadership