Application of Fiedler’s Contingency Theory

What is Fiedler’s Contingency Theory of Leadership?

Fiedler’s Contingency Theory of Leadership was proposed by Fred Fiedler in the 1960s. The theory employs the Least Preferred Co-worker (LPC) scale to categorize leaders either as task-motivated or people-motivated. The theory then appraises the favorableness of the situation and applies the leader-member relations, task structure, and position power to choose the right leadership style. One of the most acute criticisms of Fiedler’s Contingency Theory of Leadership is the fact that it has the subject that there is no ideal way of managing a group. On the contrary, leadership style effectiveness depends on the compatibility between the leader and the environmental circumstances....

Concept of Fiedler’s Contingency Theory

Fiedler’s Contingency Theory rests on the foundation that leadership productivity is a cumulative function of the predisposition that a leader brings with him and the nature of the situation at his or her disposal. The theory introduces several key components:...

Features of Fiedler’s Contingency Theory

The basis of the theory states that leadership styles depend on the situations that are found in the organization. Here are the primary features of the theory:...

Application of Fiedler’s Contingency Theory

To apply Fiedler’s Contingency Theory, an organization or leader can follow these steps:...

Limitations of Fiedler’s Contingency Theory

While Fiedler’s Contingency Theory has significantly contributed to the understanding of leadership dynamics, it is not without its criticisms and limitations:...

Conclusion

Contingency Theory of Leadership represented by Fiedler could be a useful tool to explain how the leadership style depends on the environment. Thus, the theory is useful in the ways that stress the ability to fit the leadership style with situational favorableness as key to enhanced effectiveness of leadership. Nevertheless, these shortcomings explain why leadership requires a more elaborate model that is not rigid. New studies should account for the interactions of Leadership with its versatile and fluid characteristic contents, as well as the cultural environments in which it unfolds. Thus, Fiedler’s Contingency Theory has its merits in the course of leadership studies and it stresses that there is no simple recipe for successful leadership. It is not a simple process and this makes it situational and essentially involves the understanding of the leader and his/her environment....

Fiedler’s Contingency Theory of Leadership-FAQs

What is the core concept of Fiedler’s Contingency Theory of Leadership?...