KEY TERMS – CHAPTER 17

leader                                                  Someone who can influence others and who has managerial authority.

leadership                                           The process of influencing a group to achieve goals.

behavioral theories                            Leadership theories that identified behaviors that differentiated effective leaders from ineffective leaders.

autocratic style                                   A leader who tended to centralize authority, dictate work methods, make unilateral decisions, and limit employee participation.

democratic style                                 A leader who tended to involve employees in decision making, delegate authority, encourage participation in deciding work methods and goals, and use feedback as an opportunity for coaching employees.

laissez-faire style                               A leader who generally gave the group complete freedom to make decisions and complete the work in whatever way it saw fit.

initiating structure                              The extent to which a leader defined and structuredhis or her role and the roles of group members.

consideration                                      The extent to which a leader had job relationships characterized by mutual trust and respect for group members’ ideas and feelings.

high-high leader                                 A leaderhigh in both initiating structure and consideration behaviors.

managerial grid                                  A grid of two leadership behaviors—concern for people and concern for production—which resulted in five different leadership styles.

Fiedler contingency model                 A contingency theory that proposed that effective group performance depended upon the proper match between a leader’s style of interacting withhis or her followers and the degree to which the situation allowed the leader to control and influence.

least-preferred co-worker (LPC)      A questionnaire that measured whether a leader was

questionnaire                                      task or relationship oriented.

leader-member relations                   One of Fiedler’s situational contingencies that described the degree of confidence, trust, and respect employees had for their leader.

task structure                                     One of Fiedler’s situational contingencies that described the degree to which job assignments were formalized and procedurized.

position power                                    One of Fiedler’s situational contingencies that described the degree of influence a leader had over power-based activities such ashiring, firing, discipline, promotions, and salary increases.

situational leadership theory             A leadership contingency theory that focuses on

(SLT)                                                  followers’ readiness.  

readiness                                            The extent to which people have the ability and willingness to accomplish a specific task.

leader participation model                 A leadership contingency model which related leadership behavior and participation in decision making.

path-goal theory                                 A leadership theory that says it’s the leader’s job to assisthis or her followers in attaining their goals and to provide the direction or support needed to ensure that their goals are compatible with the overall objectives of the group or organization.

transactional leaders                         Leaders who lead primarily by using social exchanges (or transactions).

transformational leaders                   Leaders who stimulate and inspire (transform) followers to achieve extraordinary outcomes.

charismatic leader                              An enthusiastic, self-confident leader whose personality and actions influence people to behave in certain ways.

visionary leadership                           The ability to create and articulate a realistic, credible, and attractive vision of the future that improves upon the present situation.

legitimate power                                 The power a leader has as a result ofhis or her position in the organization.

coercive power                                   The power a leader has because ofhis or her ability to punish or control.

reward power                                      The power a leader has because ofhis or her ability to give positive benefits or rewards.

expert power                                      Influence that’s based on expertise, special skills, or knowledge.

referent power                                    Power that arises because of a person’s desirable resources or personal traits.

credibility                                            The degree to which followers perceive someone as honest, competent, and able to inspire.

trust                                                    The belief in the integrity, character, and ability of a leader.

empowerment                                    Increasing the decision-making discretion of workers.