Least preferred coworker theory. Fiedler’s Contingency Theory: Summary with Examples 2022-12-13
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The least preferred coworker theory, also known as the LPC theory, is a theory in social psychology that explains how individuals perceive and evaluate their relationships with others in a work setting. It was first introduced by psychologist Fred Fiedler in the 1960s as a way to understand the effectiveness of leadership styles in different types of work environments.
According to the LPC theory, an individual's perception of their least preferred coworker (LPC) is a good predictor of their leadership style and effectiveness. The LPC is defined as the person with whom the individual has had the least satisfying interpersonal relationship, and is typically thought of as the individual's "worst" coworker.
Fiedler believed that individuals with a high LPC score (meaning they had a more negative perception of their least preferred coworker) were more effective leaders in situations where there was little control over the work environment, such as in emergency situations or when working with highly skilled or motivated employees. On the other hand, individuals with a low LPC score (meaning they had a more positive perception of their least preferred coworker) were more effective leaders in situations where there was more control over the work environment, such as in structured or predictable work environments.
The LPC theory has been widely studied and has been found to be a useful tool for predicting leadership effectiveness in a variety of work settings. However, it is important to note that the LPC theory is just one factor that can influence an individual's leadership style and effectiveness, and that other factors such as personality, experience, and situational factors can also play a role.
Overall, the least preferred coworker theory is a useful tool for understanding how individuals perceive and evaluate their relationships with others in a work setting, and how this can influence their leadership style and effectiveness.
LDR//300//WK3 Flashcards
Therefore, they receive lower LPC scores. Group Situation Leader-Member Relations Leadership Style Informal groups with structured tasks Good Task-oriented Moderately poor Relationship-oriented Groups with structured tasks and powerful leader positions Good Task-oriented Moderately poor Relationship-oriented Creative groups with unstructured tasks and weak leader position power Good Relationship-oriented Moderately poor Task-oriented Groups with unstructured tasks and powerful leaders Good Task-oriented Moderately poor Relationship-oriented Regarding groups within organizations in which leadership is distributed over at least two levels of management, results were somewhat different. Use the fast search and powerful cloud editor to produce an accurate Least Preferred Coworker Test Online. The LPC has been found to be a reliable and valid measure of leadership style, and it has been used in a variety of settings, including business, education, and the military. If the task requires a quick turnaround in performance, the relationship building comes secondary.
Those motivated by achievement strive for excellence, enjoy competition, and like challenging goals. C Your boss would verify that you did it correctly. If you can reward them, punish them, or tell them what to do, your position power is high. This seems rather robust inference for the 18 scales that I rated a former classmate against! Of course, the above statements have puzzled motivational scholars, psychologists, and individuals such as myself for many years, but I will examine these concerns in this paper. Here, you would want a relationship-oriented leader to get these creative minds to work together rather than a task-oriented leader trying to impose opinions and decisions on the group.
Fiedler’s Contingency Theory: Summary with Examples
A leader who is effective in one context may be poorly matched to another. B Task-motivated leaders are good in moderately favorable settings. A True B False 25. I specifically chose articles that focused on psychological needs and individual differences within an organization because I wanted to understand the motives behind my behavior as well as the behavior of coworkers. C why some leadership styles are more effective than others in situations.
The more they do, the higher your degree of leader-member relations and the more favorable the situation is. D Determine reasons for follower-leader mismatch. The scale asks you to describe the coworker you least prefer to work with. Why has the Least Preferred Coworker LPC scale often been criticized? Situational contingency theory, also known as situational leadership, states that every situation that requires leadership is different and requires a specific type of leader. The final type of motivation in McClelland's needs theory is the need for affiliation. He feels that he mainly focuses on building a relationship with the coworkers and followers, and then fostering the tasks comes secondary, much like the high-LPC leader.
After you have selected this individual, the LPC instrument asks you to describe your coworker on 18 sets of adjectives. Journal of Applied Psychology, 79, 561-573. B Suggest changes to make in a lower-level position for a good manager-worker fit. Critics point out that this is not always an accurate measurement of leadership effectiveness. A The amount of authority a leader has to reward or to punish followers. The instructions on how to complete the questionnaire are unclear. Since the overall concern or motivation for an individualist is the outcomes related to self, the question now is regarding job motivation.
It provides a predictive model for explaining leadership effectiveness. When an individual is driving over the speed limit and he or she gets pulled over by the police, the individual is motivated to pull over in fear of the consequences that can be put in place by the police officer an authoritative figure. A Relationship motivated B Task motivated C Position power D High LPC score E Contingent 12. These individuals derive their major satisfaction in an organization from getting along with people-inter- personal relationships. In fact, it is possible to find such difficult people practically in any organization.
Least Preferred Coworker and Four Factor Theory of Leadership: Scales Analysis and Conceptual Relationships on JSTOR
Contingency Theory states that different group situations call for different leadership styles. Fred Fiedler is best known for Contingency Theory and the still-used LPC scale. The Least-Preferred Coworker LPC scale is a measure of an individual's interpersonal style. People who are task motivated, on the other hand, tend to rate their least preferred coworkers in a more negative manner. He is a mortgage lender, so he has a lot of different types of working relationships, from realtors, to other bankers, to the underwriters and processors that he works with on a daily basis. This is the result of two factors — "leadership style" and "situational favorableness" later called "situational control". The questionnaire consists of a series of forced-choice items in which the respondent is asked to choose which of two statements is more true of them.
More importantly, they extend a set of principles, practices, and examples that show how to energize people to excel and then reach for even greater heights. Some company uses this to gain access to cash fast and they can control their payback. Premise is employees perform best when their contributions are genuinely appreciated. E Modify traits to match situations. But people who are indeed relationship motivated, tend to describe their least preferred coworkers in a more positive manner, e. Higher task structure results in a more favorable situation. They dislike conflict and are motivated to break down barriers to closeness.
