10 Jan 3. Overall, how well

Module 2 – Case

ONE SIZE DOESN’T FIT ALL: SITUATIONAL APPROACHES TO LEADERSHIP

Assignment Overview

https://tlc.trident.edu/content/enforced/90083-MGT401-SUM2017-1/Modules/Module2/M2-home-hersey-blanchard-situational%20leadership%20model.png?_&d2lSessionVal=KZaoL1X8VPfqoIeGC8ogv13p2&ou=90083For this assignment, first review the background materials with a focus on Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership model. Make sure you are familiar with the four leadership styles covered in the situational approach including Directing, Coaching, Supporting, and Delegating and situations where you are supposed to use these four styles.

Also, familiarize yourself with the more complex Path-Goal model and Fiedler’s Contingency model. You don’t need to know these two models in as much detail as the Situational model to complete this assignment, but make sure you understand the main idea of these models as well as some of their main advantages and disadvantages.

Case Assignment

1. For each of the following situations, explain which of the four leadership styles covered in the Situational model should be used and explain your reasoning with references to Chapter 4 of Avery (2011) and at least one other required reading from the background materials:

A. You are in charge of a team of architects. They are highly skilled but have strong opinions and do not necessarily follow instructions. These architects are independent thinkers who are used to doing things their own way.

B. You are in charge of a fast-food restaurant. The employees are all teenagers who have not yet graduated from high school, and this is the first job for most of them.

C. You are the supervisor of a team of software engineers. They are all highly skilled and highly motivated, and are used to working independently. All of them believe in the mission of the company.

2. Each of the three models (Situational, Fielder Contingency, Path-Goal) covered in this module involves both “inputs” and “outputs.” For example, Situational Leadership involves taking employee commitment and competency as inputs and then—based on the employee information—choosing Directing, Coaching, Supporting, or Delegating as an output. Create a table comparing and contrasting the three models in terms of inputs and outputs, and include a 1- or 2-paragraph discussion of your table.

3. Based on your table in Part 2 above and the readings, which of the three models do you think is most useful? Take into consideration both its ability to adapt leadership styles to realistic situations you may face, as well as ease of use of the model.

Assignment Expectations

· Follow the assignment instructions closely and follow all steps listed in the instructions.

· Stay focused on the precise assignment questions; don’t go off on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background materials

· List supporting references and cite sources in proper format.

· Use appropriate writing style in essay form (organization, grammar, and spelling).

· Include both a bibliography and in-text citations. See the Student Guide to Writing a High-Quality Academic Paper, including pages 11-14 on in-text citations. Another resource is the “Writing Style Guide,” which is found under “My Resources” in the TLC portal.

Module 2 – SLP

ONE SIZE DOESN’T FIT ALL: SITUATIONAL APPROACHES TO LEADERSHIP

For the Module 2 SLP assignment you will continue to apply the concepts from the background materials to your own personal experiences in the workplace. Think carefully about Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership model and the four leadership styles of Directing, Coaching, Supporting, and Delegating. Then consider the styles of one or more of the supervisors you have worked with, and reflect upon whether or not their style changed depending on the situation.

After doing some reflecting on your own experiencing and reviewing the background materials, write a 2- to 3-page paper addressing the following issues:

1. Take a look at the four developmental levels D1-D4 discussed in Avery (2004). Which of these levels best describes the developmental level of your supervisor’s full team?

2. How would you describe the tasks required of your supervisor’s full team? Are they structured or unstructured?

3. Overall, how well does your supervisor’s leadership style match with the developmental level of their team and the characteristics of the team’s tasks? Consider the Situational Leadership model for developmental level and the Path-Goal model for task characteristics in your answer.

4. Based on either the Situational Leadership or Path-Goal model, do you have any recommendations for how your supervisor could change their leadership style?

SLP Assignment Expectations

· Follow the assignment instructions closely and follow all steps listed in the instructions.

· Stay focused on the precise assignment questions; don’t go off on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background materials

· List supporting references and cite sources in proper format.