Disturbance among the employees in your company that resulted from how the President of the company handled a major project

Full Answer Section

Path-Goal Theory

• Underlying Assumption: Employees are motivated by achieving personal goals and view leaders as facilitators in that process (Northouse, 2023, 101).
• Main Proponents: Robert House and Robert R. Blanchard (Northouse, 2023, 101).
• Core Principles: Leaders provide direction (clarifying roles and expectations), supportive leadership (reducing stress and roadblocks), instrumental leadership (providing rewards for goal attainment), and achievement-oriented leadership (setting challenging goals) (Northouse, 2023, 101-102).
• Implementation: Leaders diagnose employee needs and tailor their leadership style accordingly (Northouse, 2023, 102).
• Strengths: Improves employee satisfaction and performance by addressing individual needs (Northouse, 2023, 106).
• Weaknesses: Requires significant effort to understand individual needs and can be time-consuming (Northouse, 2023, 106).

Leader-Member Exchange Theory (LMX)

• Underlying Assumption: Leaders develop unique relationships (in-groups and out-groups) with employees (Northouse, 2023, 130).
• Main Proponents: George Graen, Robert L. Greenhaus, and Theodore E. Mount (Northouse, 2023, 130).
• Core Principles: Quality of leader-member exchanges influences employee outcomes (Northouse, 2023, 130). Leaders invest more time and resources in developing high-quality relationships with in-group members (Northouse, 2023, 131).
• Implementation: Leaders actively build trust and respect with employees, providing opportunities for growth and development (Northouse, 2023, 133).
• Strengths: Motivates employees through strong relationships and fosters a sense of belonging (Northouse, 2023, 134).
• Weaknesses: Can create a sense of unfairness if in-group members receive preferential treatment (Northouse, 2023, 134).

Transformational Leadership

• Underlying Assumption: Leaders elevate followers' motivational needs and inspire them to perform beyond expectations (Northouse, 2023, 169).
• Main Proponents: James M. Burns, Bernard M. Bass (Northouse, 2023, 169).
• Core Principles: Leaders (1) idealized influence (inspiring a shared vision), (2) inspirational motivation (challenging and motivating followers), (3) intellectual stimulation (encouraging creativity and innovation), and (4) individualized consideration (attending to individual needs) (Northouse, 2023, 169-170).
• Implementation: Leaders articulate a clear vision, set high standards, encourage creativity, and provide individualized support (Northouse, 2023, 174).
• Strengths: Motivates employees to achieve extraordinary results and fosters a culture of innovation (Northouse, 2023, 175).
• Weaknesses: Can be difficult to sustain and requires a high level of charisma from the leader (Northouse, 2023, 176).

Sample Solution

Bullet Background Paper: Leadership Theories

FOR: The President

BY: [Your Name]

DATE: 2024-03-27

SUBJECT: Understanding Leadership Theories to Improve Employee Relations

Introduction

Following the recent employee backlash regarding Project NEXT, you expressed interest in learning about leadership theories. This paper outlines four prominent theories: Path-Goal Theory, Leader-Member Exchange Theory (LMX), Transformational Leadership, and Authentic Leadership (Northouse, 2023). Each section will explore the theory's underlying assumptions, key proponents, core principles, implementation methods, and strengths and weaknesses.