Part Four Focus on the Situation developmental Questions 1. Given the descriptio

Question

Part Four Focus on the Situation developmental

Questions

1. Given the description of the leadership situation facing the airplane crash survivors described in Chapter 1, how would leader–member ex- change, the normative decision model, the situational leadership the- ory, the contingency model, and the path–goal theory prescribe that a leader should act?

2. Can leaders be flexible in how they interact with others? Do you be- lieve leaders can change their behavior? Their personalities?

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3. Think of a leadership situation with which you are familiar. Apply each of the theories in this chapter to the situation. Which theory best fits the interaction of the leader, followers, and situation in your example? Does any theory allow you to predict a likely or preferred outcome for a current challenge?

Minicase

Big Changes for a Small Hospital

As F. Nicholas Jacobs toured the Windber Medical Center facility, he was dismayed by the industrial pink-painted walls, the circa-1970 furniture, and the snow leaking through the windows of the conference room. Em- ployees earned 30 percent less than their counterparts in the area, and turnover was steep. As Windber’s newest president, Jacobs knew he was the facility’s last hope—if he couldn’t successfully turn around the aging facility, it would mean closing the doors forever.

Coming to Windber Medical Center in 1997, Jacobs was keenly aware that the hospital could be the next in a series of small hospitals that had fallen victim to a struggling economy. Determined to see that not happen, he began by making connections with the employees of the hospital and the community at large. Jacobs’s first step was to interview the employees to find out firsthand what they wanted for the Windber community and the medical center. He also looked to members of local community groups like the local library, the Agency on Aging, and local politicians and asked these groups what they wanted from their local medical facility. When Jacobs realized that octogenarians made up a larger percentage of the population in Windber, Pennsylvania, than in all of Dade County, Florida

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Chapter 13 Contingency Theories of Leadership 555

he made it a priority to provide more options to seniors for improving their health and quality of life. He set forth a vision of a medical center that was more of a community center—a center that would allow mem- bers of the community to exercise in a state-of-the-art facility while having access to professionals to answer health-related questions. Jacobs realized that keeping people in the community both physically and mentally healthy also meant keeping the hospital financially healthy. He made the center’s new preventative care philosophy clear to the public: “Work out at our hospital so you can stay out of our hospital.”

Jacobs’s efforts have paid off—in an era when small hospitals are clos- ing left and right, Windber Medical Center is thriving. Under Jacobs’s leadership Windber has established an affiliation with the Planetree treat- ment system, which integrates meditation, massage, music, and other ho- listic methods into traditional health care. Windber’s wellness center, which offers fitness training, yoga, and acupuncture, among other treat- ments, opened in January 2000 and now generates over $500,000 annually. Gone are the pink walls and dated furniture—replaced with fountains, plants, and modern artwork. Jacobs recruited a former hotel manager to oversee food service. And despite the dismissal of about 32 employees (those used to a more traditional hospital setting had a tough time in the new environment), the staff has nearly doubled to 450 employees, and pay has improved. Windber has raised more than $50 million in public and private funding and has forged research partnerships with the Walter Reed Army Health System and the University of Pittsburgh, among oth- ers. The Windber Research Institute, Windber’s heart disease reversal pro- gram, has treated about 250 patients.

1. Consider the factors from the situational leadership theory outlined in Figure 13.4. Apply these factors to Jacobs and Windber.

2. How do you think Jacobs would score on the least preferred co-worker (LPC) scale? Why?

3. Based on the success of Windber, in what rang

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3. Based on the success of Windber, in what range would you guess the overall situational favorability might fall for Jacobs on the continuum illustrated in Figure 13.6?

Sources: http://www.careerjournaleurope.com/columnists/inthelead/20030827 inthelead.html; http://www.haponline.org/ihc/hospitalshealthsystems/models2.asp; http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04013/260747.stm.

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we have to read these two pages and we have to think of a leadership situation and we have to know which theory is the best theroy for the situation i am working in a private american school as a teacher please help me to find answer in first question?

Explanation / Answer

Hi. Unfortunately, the text of the question is rather disconnected and hence is difficult to make sense of. The first 2 questions are referring to a case, possibly involving a plane crash. In the absence of this case, it is difficult to answer the 2 questions. The third question asks to link theories that have been taught in a particular chapter. In the absence of that chapter, how do I know which theories are to be used? Having said all that, here I go anyway…

Questions 1 and 2 | I really don’t think these can be answered without referring to the case.

Think of a leadership situation with which you are familiar. Apply each of the theories in this chapter to the situation. Which theory best fits the interaction of the leader, followers, and situation in your example? Does any theory allow you to predict a likely or preferred outcome for a current challenge?

Normative Decision Model

This model suggests that there are 5 different ways in which a decision can be made

Situational Leadership Theory

The basic premise of this theory is that there is no set leadership style that is applicable for all situations and that effective leaders must adapt themselves. Further, the maturity level of the group that is being led also plays a part. There are 4 leadership styles

S1: The leader takes all the calls and directs group members what needs to be done

S2: The leader takes all the calls; however there is a communication channel established between leader and the led

S3: The leader takes decisions based on inputs that s/he receives from the group

S4: The leader does not take an active participation in the decision making and accountability is passed on to the group.

In terms of the maturity level of groups, the same is characterized in a scale of M1 to M4, where M1 is least mature.

Contingency Model

As per this theory, the best leadership style that is to be applied is a product of the leadership style and situational control.

To determine the leadership style, the Least Preferred Co Worker Scale is used, basis which whether a leader is task oriented or relationship oriented can be determined. Next, situation control is ascertained basis three factors, viz. Leader – Member relations, Task Structure, and Leader’s Position and Power

Path - Goal Theory

The path-goal theory can best be thought of as a process in which leaders select specific behaviors that are best suited to the employees' needs and the working environment so that they may best guide the employees through their path in the obtainment of their daily work activities (goals)

The applicability of situational leadership theory in real life

The following is based on my own personal experience in the financial services industry

Our company, an auto loan company, had just started and much of the operational activities such as collecting customer documents and credit assessment were manual. This increased the turn-around time for decision delivery to customer. Owing to this, it was decided that technology will be included in the operational process. Since the company was new, and so were many of the employees, this decision was almost taken in the style of S1. However, subsequent processes of vendor selection, stating the business problem, assessing proposals of various IT vendors, budgeting, testing… all these activities were delegated to various team members in S4 leadership style.

If we are to assess the mini-case, Big Changes for a Small Hospital, Jacobs is probably an S1 style of leader. As he is task oriented, his LPC score would be low

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