CHƯƠNG 7

Leaders and Leadership

1. Leader: Someone who can influence others and has managerial authority.
2. Leadership: The process of influencing a group to achieve goals; what leaders do.
3. Managers as Leaders: Ideally, all managers should also be leaders, but the focus is on
formal leaders, not informal ones.

Early Leadership Theories

1/. Trait Theories (1920s–1930s)
- Early research focused on identifying personal traits that distinguish leaders from non-
leaders but was largely unsuccessful.
- Later studies identified **seven traits linked to successful leadership**:
1. Drive: High energy and persistence in achieving goals.
2. Desire to Lead: Willingness to influence and take charge.
3. Honesty and Integrity: Being trustworthy and ethical.
4. Self-confidence: Belief in oneself and one’s decisions.
5. Intelligence: Ability to analyze and solve problems.
6. Job-relevant Knowledge: Expertise in the area of responsibility.
7. Extraversion: Energetic and outgoing personality.
2/Behavioral Theories
Behavioral theories focus on what leaders do rather than their inherent traits.
(a) University of Iowa Studies (Kurt Lewin)
- Three leadership styles identified
1. Autocratic Style: Centralized authority, low participation.
2. Democratic Style: High participation and feedback.
3. Laissez-faire Style: Minimal involvement, hands-off approach.
- Findings
- No single style was consistently the best for performance.
- Employees were generally more satisfied under a democratic leader.
(b) Ohio State Studies
- Two leadership behaviors identified
1. Initiating Structure: Leaders define their roles and those of team members.
2. Consideration: Leaders show respect and concern for team members’ ideas and feelings.
- Findings:
- "High-high" leaders (high in both dimensions) often performed well but not always.
- Leadership effectiveness was influenced by situational factors.
(c) University of Michigan Studies
- Two dimensions of leadership behavior
1. Employee-oriented: Focused on personal relationships and team welfare.
2. Production-oriented: Focused on task completion and productivity.
- Findings :
- Employee-oriented leaders were strongly associated with higher productivity and job
satisfaction.

The Managerial Grid

- Evaluates leadership style based on two dimensions:
1. Concern for People: How much the leader cares about team members.
2. Concern for Production: How much the leader prioritizes task accomplishment.
- Five Leadership Styles:
1. Impoverished Management: Low concern for both people and production.
2. Task Management: High concern for production, low concern for people.
3. Middle-of-the-road Management: Balanced concern for both, but not optimized.
4. Country Club Management: High concern for people, low concern for production.
5. Team Management: High concern for both people and production (considered the most
effective style).

1. The Fiedler Model

- Concept: Effective group performance depends on the alignment between the leader’s style
and the situation’s level of control & influence.
- Assumptions:
1. A specific leadership style works best for different situations.
2. Leaders are not easily adaptable; the situation must be matched to the leader or altered to
fit the leader’s style.
- LPC Questionnaire: Determines leadership style by asking leaders to evaluate their least-
preferred co-worker using 18 contrasting adjectives:
- High LPC Score: Relationship-oriented leadership style.
- Low LPC Score: Task-oriented leadership style.
- Situational Factors:
1. Leader-member relation: Trust and respect between leader and team.
2. Task structure: Clarity and organization of the task.
3. Position power: Leader’s authority to reward, punish, or make decisions.
2. Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Theory (SLT)
- Concept: Effective leadership depends on selecting the appropriate style based on followers’
readiness (ability&willingness to perform tasks).
- Key Factors
1. Acceptance: Leadership effectiveness depends on follower acceptance.
2. Readiness: Followers’ competence and willingness to perform tasks.
- Four Leadership Styles:
1. Telling: High task, low relationship (for low readiness).
2. Selling: High task, high relationship (for moderate readiness).
3. Participating: Low task, high relationship (for higher readiness).
4. Delegating: Low task, low relationship (for high readiness).
- Four Follower Readiness Levels:
1. R1: Unable and unwilling.
2. R2: Unable but willing.
3. R3: Able but unwilling.
4. R4: Able and willing.
3. Leader Participation Model (Vroom and Yetton)**
- Concept: Leader behavior must align with the structure of the task (routine, non-routine, or
intermediate) and the participation of followers in decision-making.
- Key Contingencies
1. Decision significance.
2. Importance of follower commitment.
3. Leader expertise.
4. Likelihood of follower commitment.
5. Group support.
6. Group expertise.
7. Team competence.
- Leadership Styles in the Model
1. Decide: Leader makes decisions alone and informs the group.
2. Consult Individually: Leader consults individuals before deciding.
3. Consult Group: Leader seeks group input before deciding.
4. Facilitate: Leader helps the group reach a decision.
5. Delegate: Leader allows the group to decide within boundaries.
4. Path-Goal Model
- Concept: Leaders assist followers in achieving their goals while ensuring alignment with
organizational objectives.
- Leadership Styles:
1. Directive Leader: Provides clear expectations and guidance.
2. Supportive Leader: Shows concern for team welfare.
3. Participative Leader: Involves followers in decision-making.
4. Achievement-Oriented Leader: Sets challenging goals and expresses confidence in
followers’ abilities.
*Key Insights:
- Contingency theories emphasize the importance of adapting leadership styles to fit
situational and follower needs.
- There is no "one-size-fits-all" approach to leadership. Instead, effectiveness depends on the
interaction between the leader, the task, and the team.
QUESTIONS
1. What is leadership?
A. Managing daily organizational tasks.
B. The process of influencing a group to achieve goals.
C. Focusing solely on assigning tasks to a group.
D. All of the above.
2. Which of the following is NOT a trait of successful leaders?
A. Self-confidence.
B. Patience.
C. Honesty and integrity.
D. Job-relevant knowledge.
3. The trait "drive" in Trait Theories refers to:
A. A desire to lead.
B. High energy and persistence in achieving goals.
C. An extroverted and outgoing personality.
D. Expertise in the relevant field.
4. According to the University of Iowa studies, which leadership style generally results in
the highest employee satisfaction?
A. Autocratic style.
B. Democratic style.
C. Laissez-faire style.
D. No style consistently performed the best.
5. According to the University of Michigan studies, employee-oriented leaders are
associated with:
A. Higher productivity and better job satisfaction.
B. Lower efficiency but a more pleasant work environment.
C. Strict control over work progress.
D. Results similar to production-oriented leaders.
6. Which leadership style demonstrates the highest concern for both people and
production?
A. Task Management.
B. Team Management.
C. Impoverished Management.
D. Middle-of-the-road Management.
7. In Fiedler’s model, which of the following is NOT a situational factor?
A. Leader-member relations.
B. Task structure.
C. Leadership competence.
D. Position power.
8. In Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Theory, the “Delegating” style is
most suitable for followers at which readiness level?
A. R1: Unable and unwilling.
B. R2: Unable but willing.
C. R3: Able but unwilling.
D. R4: Able and willing.
9. Which leadership style is most appropriate when tasks are unclear and require specific
guidance?
A. Supportive leader.
B. Participative leader.
C. Directive leader.
D. Achievement-oriented leader.
10. In the Path-Goal Model, what does an “Achievement-Oriented Leader” focus on?
A. Building personal relationships with employees.
B. Setting challenging goals and showing confidence in followers.
C. Providing detailed instructions and strict supervision.
D. Encouraging team participation in decision-making.

Answer Key
B | 2. B | 3. B | 4. B | 5. A | 6. B | 7. C | 8. D | 9. C | 10. B

1. Which of the following best describes a manager as a leader?

A. Someone who only gives orders to subordinates.
B. A person who influences others to achieve organizational goals.
C. A team member who passively observes the group's progress.
D. A person who avoids formal authority.
2. What is the primary focus of leadership?
A. Ensuring policies are followed strictly.
B. Influencing and motivating others to achieve objectives.
C. Monitoring daily operations.
D. Performing technical tasks efficiently.
3. Which of the following traits is NOT part of the seven traits of successful leadership?
A. Extraversion.
B. Creativity.
C. Self-confidence.
D. Honesty and integrity.
4. Why was early research on Trait Theories considered unsuccessful?
A. It only studied informal leaders.
B. It could not identify consistent traits that differentiate leaders from non-leaders.
C. It focused too much on situational factors.
D. It ignored behavioral aspects of leadership.
5. According to the Ohio State Studies, which behavior involves defining roles and
organizing team activities?
A. Employee orientation.
B. Initiating structure.
C. Consideration.
D. Democratic leadership.
6. In the University of Michigan studies, a production-oriented leader focuses on:
A. Task completion and productivity.
B. Building relationships with team members.
C. Empowering employees to make decisions.
D. Maintaining high morale in the team.
7. What is the leadership style of someone with low concern for both people and
production?
A. Task Management.
B. Impoverished Management.
C. Team Management.
D. Country Club Management.
8. A leader who balances concern for people and production falls into which category on
the Managerial Grid?
A. Impoverished Management.
B. Middle-of-the-road Management.
C. Task Management.
D. Country Club Management.
9. According to Fiedler’s model, what does a high LPC (Least Preferred Co-worker) score
indicate?
A. Task-oriented leadership style.
B. Production-focused leadership.
C. Relationship-oriented leadership style.
D. Autocratic leadership style.
10. Which factor in Fiedler’s model refers to the degree of trust and respect between the
leader and team members?
A. Task structure.
B. Position power.
C. Leader-member relations.
D. Team competence.
11. What is the appropriate leadership style for followers at R2 (unable but willing)?
A. Delegating.
B. Telling.
C. Selling.
D. Participating.
12. Followers at R4 (able and willing) need a leader who:
A. Provides clear instructions and guidance.
B. Offers encouragement and motivation.
C. Delegates tasks and responsibilities.
D. Engages them in high levels of participation.
13. A leader who sets challenging goals and shows confidence in their team is
demonstrating which style?
A. Directive.
B. Supportive.
C. Participative.
D. Achievement-oriented.
14. According to the Path-Goal Model, which leadership style is best suited for routine
and structured tasks?
A. Directive leader.
B. Supportive leader.
C. Participative leader.
D. Achievement-oriented leader.
15. In the Leader Participation Model, the “Delegate” style involves:
A. Seeking input from individual team members before making a decision.
B. Allowing the group to make decisions within defined boundaries.
C. Leading the group discussion to reach a consensus.
D. Making decisions independently and announcing them to the team.
16. What factor is considered in the Leader Participation Model when choosing a
leadership style?
A. Team member personalities.
B. Task structure and decision importance.
C. The leader's technical expertise.
D. Organizational size.
Answer Key
B | 2. B | 3. B | 4. B | 5. B | 6. A | 7. B | 8. B | 9. C | 10. C | 11. C | 12. C | 13. D |
14. A | 15. B | 16. B
1.Who is a formal leader?
A. Someone officially appointed with authority to manage and influence.
B. Any individual with influence in a group.
C. A person working independently without support.
D. Someone without decision-making authority.
2.Which of the following is one of the key traits of successful leadership?
A. Patience.
B. Self-confidence.
C. Communication skills.
D. Financial acumen.
3.In the Managerial Grid, which leadership style shows a low concern for both people and
production?
A. Task Management
B. Impoverished Management
C. Country Club Management
D. Middle-of-the-Road Management