Fiedler's Contingency Model - Explained
What is Fiedler's Contingency Model?
Written by J. Mance Gordon
Updated at April 22nd, 2024
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What is Fiedler's Contingency Model?
Leadership Theorist Fred Fiedler introduced the incorporation of situational variables into leadership study. Specifically, he identified situational variables and research how they interrelated with leadership styles.
Fiedler's contingency model has the following elements:
Leadership Styles
Styles are broken down into task-oriented and human-relations oriented styles. Task orientation focuses on task completion. Human relations orientation focuses on interpersonal relationships with subordinates. To determine the leadership style, Fiedler developed the Least Preferred Co-Worker Scale. The scale attributes a rating of 1 - 8 to leaders in the following categories: Pleasant/Unpleasant, Friendly/Unfriendly, Rejecting/Accepting, Tense/Relaxed, Distant/Close, Cold/Warm, Supportive/Hostile, Boring/Interesting, Quarrelsome/Harmonious, Gloomy/Cheerful, Open/Guarded, Backbiting/Loyal, Untrustworthy/Trustworthy, Considerate/Inconsiderate, Nasty/Nice, Agreeable/Disagreeable, Insincere/Sincere, Kind/Unkind. A high total score means relationship-oriented. A low score means task-oriented.
Situational Variables
Fiedler identified three factors affecting the effectiveness of a leadership style:
- Leaders Position Power - The greater the positional power of the leader, the more it influences subordinate behavior.
- Task Structure - Increased specificity in task structure (requirements, goals, process, and relationships) leads to increased control over the subordinate.
- Leader-Member Relations - To what extent do subordinates trust and have confidence and faith in their leader.
Relationship between Styles and Situations
The effectiveness of a leaders style depends upon the situational variables. This provides the opportunity for the manager to improve her leadership ability by identifying and executing the appropriate style.