Substitute for Leadership Theory
Substitute for leadership theory was founded in
1978
highly capable individuals can function with less leadership and effective followers are self-managers that are committed and have courage to make their own decisions without leaders
Employee characteristics substitutes
If the employees are satisfied with their task and they have a solid understanding of how to complete it then they do not need direction or supervision from a leader
Task characteristics substitutes
When explicit plans with well defined goals are carried out by cohesive groups the need for leadership is reduced
Organizational task substitutes
This is a category of situational factors that make it impossible for a leader to influence outcome criteria, taking away from the leader’s control without increasing a team’s performance
neutralizers
This Ohio State researcher was one of the first to believe leader behaviors aren’t a good predictor of performance outcomes and would later develop Substitutes for Leadership Theory to explain this phenomena
Steven Kerr
characterized as an individual who has extensive knowledge and experience related to the topic
Individual's ability
This substitute is believed to be one of the most important task characteristics related to employee performance
Intrinsically motivating work
These are the two most important organizational characteristics to employees today
Work spaces and flexible hours
This is a category of situational factors that are not directly associated with outcomes, but strengthen leader-criteria relationships. This increases a leader’s control, but not necessarily team performance.
enhancers
if certain factors are present, an employee would be able to perform their job or task effectively and efficiently without the direction of a leader.
Substitute for leadership theory
This employee characteristic is theorized to be associated with higher job performance
Professionalism
These are the types of leadership task characteristics can substitute for
Supportive and instrumental leadership
In this type of work group employees rely on each other instead of a leader
Self-managed work team
An example of this category is if the leader is the central source of information for the group.
enhancers
This is a present day application of Substitutes for Leadership Theory that can be defined as a group granted the organizational freedom to establish their own goals and work practices.
Autonomous work group
Someone who is intrinsically _______ is capable of functioning independently
motivated
an assembly line is considered this type of task because it is highly repetitive in nature and highly structured
Routine task
When the physical distance between ______and ______ is far, leadership behaviors are neutralized
Subordinates and leaders
An example of this category is indifference to rewards.
neutralizer