Theories of Leadership and Group Behavior

Overview: Theories of Leadership and Group Behavior • Types of Leadership and Leadership Styles o Autocratic/Authoritarian:  Centralized decision-making; minimal input from subordinates. o Democratic/Participative:  Leaders involve team members in decision-making; promote collaboration. o Laissez-Faire:  Leaders provide freedom for subordinates to manage their own tasks. o Transactional:  Based on exchanges (reward for performance, punishment for noncompliance). o Transformational:  Inspires change through vision, charisma, and individualized support. o Servant/Distributed Leadership:  Emphasizes follower growth, shared responsibility, and collective decision-making. • Comparing and Contrasting Leadership Theories o Classical Theories:  Focus on management principles and efficiency (e.g., Weber's bureaucracy). o Behavioral Approaches:  Analyze specific behaviors (e.g., Ohio State's "initiating structure" vs. "consideration"). o Contingency/Situational Theories:  Effectiveness depends on matching leadership style to situational factors (e.g., Fiedler's Contingency Model). o Modern Approaches:  Transformational and servant leadership focus on inspiring and developing followers beyond mere task completion. • Theoretical Frameworks, Major Exponents, and Contributions o Max Weber:  Introduced the idea of formalized authority and bureaucracy. o Frederick Taylor & Henri Fayol:  Laid the groundwork for scientific and administrative management principles. o Kurt Lewin:  Pioneered studies on leadership styles and group dynamics. o Fiedler, Burns, and Bass:  Developed contingency and transformational models emphasizing situational control and inspirational leadership. • Dynamics of Group Behavior o Group Processes:  Formation of norms, roles, cohesion, and communication patterns. o Group Development Theories:  Tuckman's stages (forming, storming, norming, performing) illustrate the evolution of team dynamics. o Impact of Leadership:  Leaders shape group behavior by resolving conflicts, fostering collaboration, and guiding decision-making. • Theoretical Frameworks Supporting Group Behavior o Social and Interaction Theories:  Lewin's work on group dynamics and Bales' Interaction Process Analysis help explain how groups maintain effectiveness. o Leadership in Teams:  Research on leader-member exchange (LMX) shows how quality one-to-one interactions affect overall team performance. • Comparing and Contrasting Types of Teams o Functional Teams:  Comprised of members with similar skills working within one department. o Cross-Functional Teams:  Include members from different functional areas, promoting diverse perspectives. o Self-Managed Teams:  Operate with high autonomy and shared decision-making responsibility. o Virtual Teams:  Rely on digital communication; require strong coordination despite physical dispersion.