CHAPTER FOUR SUPPORTIVE LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOR
CHAPTER FOUR SUPPORTIVE LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOR ©Prentice Hall 2006 4-1 Learning Objectives After reading this chapter, you should be able to do the following: Describe supportive leadership as an effective leadership behavior. Explain why supportive leadership is important for individual followers and groups. Describe some of the skills, traits, and sources of power a leader needs to develop to be an effective supportive leader. Discuss some of the skills needed for effective listening, which is part of supportive leadership. Describe several impacts leader supportiveness has on follower psychological reactions and behaviors. ©Prentice Hall 2006 4-2 Learning Objectives (cont.) After reading this chapter, you should be able to do the following: Identify organizational situations where supportive leadership is especially effective. Identify situations where supportive leadership is probably not effective. Discuss how leaders can modify situations to increase the effectiveness of their supportive behaviors. Understand how leaders can modify followers’ tasks to substitute for some supportiveness and still maintain positive follower attitudes and performance. ©Prentice Hall 2006 4-3 Supportive Leadership Showing concern for the status, well-being and needs of followers; demonstrating a kind, considerate and understanding attitude regarding followers’ problems; and fostering followers’ professional development. ©Prentice Hall 2006 4-4 Types of Supportive Leadership Behaviors Being considerate and understanding Helping followers develop abilities and careers Showing concern for follower needs SUPPORTIVE LEADERSHIP BEHAVIORS Being friendly, informative, and encouraging Being sympathetic to others’ problems Showing trust and respect ©Prentice Hall 2006 4-5 Examples of Supportive Leadership A military officer showed ongoing concern and respect for subordinate differences in cultural or racial values, life styles, and mores. A supervisor was alert to personal problems of subordinates and, once aware of the problems, made a concerted effort to help the subordinate solve them. A leader made a conscious effort to encourage and provide “air time” for everyone during staff meetings and to distribute privileges or choice task assignments equitably. ©Prentice Hall 2006 4-6 Supportive & Nonsupportive Communication Supportive Nonsupportive • Problem-oriented • Person-oriented (naming) • Descriptive • Evaluative • Words & actions consistent • Incongruent words and actions • Encouraging • Puts people down • Specific • General–Vague • Interactive (listening) • One-way (telling) ©Prentice Hall 2006 4-7 Skills, Traits and Sources of Power for Effective Supportive Leadership Communication Skills Interpersonal Skills Technical & Professional Competence SUPPORTIVE LEADERSHIP BEHAVIORS Reward Power Expert Power Referent Power ©Prentice Hall 2006 4-8 Facilitating and Limiting Conditions for Supportive Leadership Organization and follower characteristics Style preferences of the leader's superior The organizational mission or culture Followers preferences for supportive leader behavior Cultural preferences for supportive leader behavior ©Prentice Hall 2006 4-9 Supportiveness and Followers’ Behavior One important issue for leaders is whether they should provide more interpersonal support to some subordinates than others. To be effective, a leader needs to adapt to different subordinates. One approach advocates that a leader should use interpersonal support as a reward. This approach is closely aligned with behavioral psychology and is based on the operant conditioning model of learning associated with B. F. Skinner. The rationale is that the leader should show most concern and provide greatest encouragement for the best performers. ©Prentice Hall 2006 4-10 Supportiveness and Followers’ Behavior (cont.) Using supportiveness as positive reinforcement does not address the needs of followers whose performance is less than desired. These employees may need a concerned and encouraging leader to provide them with the confidence necessary to improve their performance. Tommy LaSorda, past manager of the Los Angles Dodgers, represents the approach which says that leaders should provide supportiveness as needed by individual followers rather than as a reward for high performance. His supportiveness can be a “facilitating condition” stimulating improved follower performance. ©Prentice Hall 2006 4-11 Situational Factors that Enhance Supportive Leadership TASK CHARACTERISTICS FOLLOWER CHARACTERISTICS • • • • low self-confidence low self-esteem insecurity expectation that leader will be supportive • high growth needs SITUATIONAL FACTORS THAT ENHANCE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SUPPORTIVENESS • • • • • dissatisfying stressful highly structured requires creativity requires learning ORGANIZATIONAL & GROUP CHARACTERISTICS • • • • • • external conflict newly formed group cohesive group with shared beliefs in leader formal plans, goals & procedures mission emphasizing human services authoritarian superior ©Prentice Hall 2006 4-12 Situational Factors that Neutralize Supportive Leadership Dogmatic Followers Large Size of Group SITUATIONAL FACTORS THAT NEUTRALIZE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SUPPORTIVENESS Broad Task Scope High Level Job ©Prentice Hall 2006 4-13 Situational Factors That Substitute for Supportive Leadership INTRINSICALLY SATISYING TASK •Interesting • Gratifying • Meaningful SITUATIONAL FACTORS THAT SUBSTITUTE FOR SUPPORTIVENESS FEEDBACK DIRECTLY FROM TASK •Rapid •Specific •Accurate HIGH DEGREE OF IMPORTANCE PLACED ON ORGANIZATIONAL REWARDS •Pay raises • Promotions ©Prentice Hall 2006 4-14 Process Model of the Supportive Leadership Process LEADER SUPPORTIVENESS SITUATIONAL FACTORS INCREASING LEADER EFFECTIVENESS Enhancers • Dissatisfying or stressful job • Low follower selfconfidence, insecurity, or self esteem • Follower expectations or high growth needs • Structured work task • Complex creative task • External group conflict • New or cohesive group • Organization formalization • Organization mission • Authoritarian supervisor Substitutes • Importance placed on organizational rewards • Intrinsically satisfying tasks • Task feedback • Concerned, trusting, & respectful of followers • Considerate, understanding attitude • Friendly, encouraging, & communicative • Fostering follower development SITUATIONAL FACTORS DECREASING LEADER EFFECTIVENESS Neutralizers • Dogmatic followers • Large size of group FOLLOWER/GROUP PSYCHOLOGICAL REACTIONS • Satisfaction of esteem & acceptance needs • Satisfaction with work & supervisor • Overall job satisfaction • Organizational commitment • Less stress & burnout • Group harmony & cohesion FOLLOWER BEHAVIORS AND OUTCOMES • Lower turnover, tardiness, absenteeism, & grievance rates • Increased individual & group performance ©Prentice Hall 2006 4-15 Applying the Model of Supportive Leadership 1. DIAGNOSING THE SITUATION 1. Are followers faced with high amounts of job stress, danger, or insecurity? 2. Do followers’ lack self-confidence or have low self-esteem? 3. Is followers’ group experiencing much external conflict, excessive rules and regulations, or highly authoritarian upper-level management? 4. Does followers’ group have a human service function? If “yes” to one or more of these questions, then leaders’ supportive behaviors will probably be effective. 3. MODIFYING FOLLOWERS AND/OR SITUATIONS Leaders also act to: •Alleviate stressors, insecurities, and conflicts facing followers •Modify followers’ situations to increase intrinsic satisfaction and task feedback •Manipulate the reward system to improve follower attitudes and performance 2. PROVIDING SUPPORTIVE LEADERSHIP Leader demonstrates supportive behaviors with followers by: • Showing concern • Being sympathetic, considerate, and understanding • Being friendly and informative • Encouraging two-way communication • Showing trust and respect • Providing for career development ©Prentice Hall 2006 4-16
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