Contingency Theories in Action

Contingency Theories in Action

Contingency theory suggests matching the best leader to a specific situation based on situational factors and the leadership style. The practical application of theory can be done in various ways. The workplace example is to determine the best candidate for a given set of requirements using the LPC score. Applying the model to determine a leader's ability to adapt in the scenario of a new project etc..

Recap of Learnings from Contingency Theory:

Fielder’s contingency theory matches the leader to the situations by using the Least Preferred Co-Worker (LPC) model. A leader can perform effectively in certain roles and exhibit weakness in different situations based on three variables defined in the earlier article which predicts the favorability of the situation, while the leader’s LPC score determines the ability to function in the required task.

One can make use of the contingency theory to determine the best candidate for a given set of job requirements for effectiveness of a person in that role as by measuring a leader’s LPC score and the three situational variables, one can predict whether the leader is going to be effective in a particular setting. By assessing these three situational variables, one can place any organizational context in one of the eight categories represented in previous article. Once the nature of the situation is determined, the fit between the leader’s style and the situation can be evaluated.

Key Strengths of Contingency Theory:

1. Contingency theory is grounded in research as many researchers have tested it and found it to be a valid and reliable approach to explaining how effective leadership can be achieved.

2. This theory considers the impact of situations on leaders and focuses on the relationship between the leader’s style and the demands of various situations.

3. Third, contingency theory has predictive power and based on conclusions from LPC scale and understanding the context of the workplace situation one can determine the probability of success for a given person in a given situation.

4. From an organizational perspective it supports identification of optimal roles based on individual leadership styles and placing leaders in charge of situations that are ideal for their leadership style.

Practical Applications of the Theory:

Contingency theory has many applications in the organizational world:

1. Can be used to assess the effectiveness of an individual in a particular role and look at the reasons for one’s effectiveness or ineffectiveness.

2. Can be used to predict whether a person who has worked well in one position in an organization will be equally effective in another position having different situational variables when compared to the existing position based on the contingencies that make one’s style effective.

3. Can help in implementing changes in the roles and responsibilities that management might need to make to bring effectiveness to the role of the person leading the same.

Fiedler’s theory does not hold that leaders can adapt their styles to different situations as according to him personality is relatively stable. According to this model improving effectiveness involves changing the situation to fit the leader sometimes also referred to as “job engineering”.

As now we have more understanding of leadership and its challenges in the 21st century organizational context, contingency model might not be the best leadership model to use in most situations, but still can be a powerful tool to analyze a particular situation to determine whether to focus on tasks or relationships. This model sometimes can give an inaccurate picture of your leadership style as it relies heavily on the LPC scale, which has been questioned for its face validity and workability. Further this model does not fully explain how organizations can use the results of this theory in situational engineering and hence we recommend taking a cautious approach and using your own judgment to analyze the situation from all angles.

Related Links

You May Also Like

  • McClelland's Theory of Needs

    McClelland's Theory of Needs

    McClelland's Theory of Needs is a human motivation theory which states that an individual's specific needs are acquired over time through our culture and life experiences. As per the three needs theory, these acquired needs significantly influence the behavior of an individual. The three main driving motivators are the needs for achievement, affiliation, and power.

  • Open Systems Model

    Open Systems Model

    The open systems model of leadership acknowledges the influence of the environment on organizations. An open system regularly exchanges feedback with its external environment. The environment also provides key resources that are necessary to sustain and lead to change and survival. Leadership in an open system should focus on influence, open communication, and patterns to control expanding the number of variables created by external dynamics.

  • Cognitive Resource Theory

    Cognitive Resource Theory

    The cognitive resource theory states the influence of the leader's resources on his or her reaction to stress. The cognitive resources of a leader are experience, intelligence, competence, and task-relevant knowledge. Stress is common in resource managing situations, and this cognitive theory emphasizes how intelligence and experience are each best under different stress situations. This theory is the reconceptualization of the Fiedler model.

  • Team Leadership Theory

    Team Leadership Theory

    Team leadership theory is a recent leadership theory that does not discriminate between the leader and the other team members. The approach considers contributions from each team member to be critical for organizational success. This approach focused on the overall team effectiveness and team problems are diagnosed and action is taken to remediate weakness. This approach provides for taking corrective action when the leader deems necessary.

  • The Five Bases of Power

    The Five Bases of Power

    In this study of power, Raven identified five bases of power as coercive, reward, legitimate, referent, and expert. The 5 Types of Power can help you decide when it is appropriate to use a particular type of power in important situations. Leadership involves authority and it is very important for leaders to understand what type of power they're using.

  • Models of Communication

    Models of Communication

    In the field of communication studies, there are numerous models. No one model is suitable for all purposes and all levels of analysis. Some common models are known as Lasswell Model, George Gerbner Model, David Berlo Model, Shanon and Weaver Model, Osgoods Model, and Schramm Model. All these describe the four components of the communication process, namely, the source (communicator), the message, the channel, the receiver (audience).

  • Servant Leadership

    Servant Leadership

    Servant Leadership is a recent revolutionary theory of leadership that focuses on leaders achieving authority rather than power. A servant leader considers the needs of others and tries to serve the followers by becoming a servant first. Servant leadership is leading with a desire to better serve others.

  • Tasks & Roles of Leadership

    Tasks & Roles of Leadership

    What are the functions which a leader does to establish as a leader? What are the activities undertaken by them to become great leaders, rather revolutionary leaders? The most important tasks done by a leader in all situations are defining the vision, mission, and goals, leading the team, administrative functions, motivating followers, decision making and conflict resolution, and continuous development.

  • Phases of Team Development

    Phases of Team Development

    All the teams are dynamic in nature and they take time to come together, they form, develop, and grow in stages, over a period of time. Teams go through five progressive stages: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing and Adjourning. In this article, we want to introduce you to these stages of team development and certain strategies that you can use to help the team grow and develop in each of these stages. 

  • Four Factor Leadership Theory

    Four Factor Leadership Theory

    The four theory of leadership was formulated after studying hundreds of leaders and the model includes four basic dimensions of effective leadership - support; interaction; facilitation; goal emphasis, and work facilitation. This model was tested as a predictor of an organization's effectiveness.

Explore Our Free Training Articles or
Sign Up to Start With Our eLearning Courses

Subscribe to Our Newsletter


© 2023 TechnoFunc, All Rights Reserved