Leadership Research
“Path-Goal Theory of Leadership”
Focus of the Research
The Path-Goal Theory of Leadership was developed to describe the way that leaders encourage and support their followers in achieving the goals they have been set by making the path that they should take clear and easy. In particular, leaders clarify the path so subordinates know which way to go, remove roadblocks that are stopping them going there, and increasing the rewards along the route.
Leaders can take a strong or limited approach in these. In clarifying the path, they may be directive or give vague hints. In removing roadblocks, they may scour the path or help the follower move the bigger blocks. In increasing rewards, they may give occasional encouragement or pave the way with gold ().
Research Approach
Leaders who show the way and help followers along a path are effectively 'leading'. This approach assumes that there is one right way of achieving a goal and that the leader can see it and the follower cannot. This casts the leader as the knowing person and the follower as dependent. It also assumes that the follower is completely rational and that the appropriate methods can be deterministically selected depending on the situation.
Researcher’s Conclusions
The development of the path-goal theory of leadership was a triumph of
the theory building process. An examination of the components of the
underlying motivation model led House to question what aspects of leader
behavior might affect these components; this led him to his breaking
with the traditional dimensions of initiation of structure and consideration to the richer set of: directive, supportive, achievement-oriented, and participative.
Relationship of the Research to Leadership Theories
In the book of l Leadership by there were six leadership styles mentioned compared to research which has four. With regards to Situational Leadership, the Path-Goal Theory proved to be alike to some other researches as that claimed on different leadership styles depending on situations and had also cited situational factors affecting the leadership effectiveness.
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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