Question

Which of the following is NOT a matching pair regarding leadership styles?

• A. Michigan studies - Middle of the Road
• B. Managerial Grid - Country Club
• C. Ohio State Studies - Initiating structure
• D. Tannenbaum and Schmidt's Continuum - Authoritarian Leader

Answer 1

Answer:

A. Michigan studies - Middle of the Road

Leadership Styles

Understanding different leadership styles is crucial in the field of administration and organizational behavior. Several studies have been conducted to categorize and analyze these styles. It's important to identify which leadership theories and their associated styles are correctly paired.

Key Leadership Studies and Their Findings

• Ohio State Leadership Studies: This research identified two key dimensions of leadership behavior:

  • Initiating Structure: The extent to which a leader defines and structures their own role and the roles of subordinates in the pursuit of goal attainment.

  • Consideration: The extent to which a leader's relationship with subordinates is characterized by mutual trust, respect for subordinates' ideas, and regard for their feelings.

• University of Michigan Leadership Studies: This research also focused on two leadership styles:

  • Employee-Oriented Leaders: These leaders emphasize interpersonal relations and focus on the welfare of subordinates.

  • Production-Oriented Leaders: These leaders focus on the technical aspects of the job and on achieving results.

• Blake and Mouton's Managerial Grid: This model uses two axes, concern for production and concern for people, to define five leadership styles:

  • Country Club Management (1,9): High concern for people, low concern for production.

  • Impoverished Management (1,1): Low concern for both people and production.

  • Middle of the Road Management (5,5): Moderate concern for both people and production.

  • Authority-Compliance Management (9,1): High concern for production, low concern for people.

  • Team Management (9,9): High concern for both people and production.

Exam-Relevant Information

• The Michigan studies primarily identified employee-oriented and production-oriented leadership styles, not 'Middle of the Road' which is a component of Blake and Mouton's Managerial Grid.

• The 'Middle of the Road' style represents a balance between concern for production and concern for people, often involving compromise and mediating differences. It is characterized by moderate efforts to achieve performance and maintain morale.

• The Ohio State studies' dimensions of 'Initiating Structure' and 'Consideration' are foundational and often contrasted with the Michigan studies' findings.

• In competitive exams, be sure to correctly associate the leadership styles with the specific research studies or models they originate from. Misattribution of styles to studies is a common trick in multiple-choice questions.