Leadership research

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The leadership research is one of the research areas of Business Administration or Organizational Psychology and simultaneously an interdisciplinary research field. Leadership research differentiates between personnel management approaches that have evolved over time, which examine either the characteristics of the manager , their behavior , the situation , the relationships of the manager or the leadership system as a research subject.

Characteristic leadership approaches

The attribute-oriented leadership theories are probably the oldest everyday theories that assume that relatively stable characteristics of the personality determine the success of a manager. To identify these factors, the researchers looked for persistent personality traits of successful executives that can be used to predict leadership success (e.g. Stogdill). These theories typically ask three types of questions:

  1. Which personality structures are found in executives?
  2. What distinguishes managers from those who are led?
  3. How do “good” managers differ from “bad” managers?

Empirical studies have shown that although many personality traits correlate with leadership success, the explanation of variance is low and the variance between the studies is very high. Meta-analyzes show a moderate connection between leadership success and intelligence.

Recently, the concept of charisma has been revived as a personality trait of a manager. In contrast to the charisma research carried out by Max Weber , the more recent theories do not define charisma as a personality trait, but as a construct that is expressed in certain situations in a certain behavior of the leader and increases the motivation of the led (house).

Behavioral leadership approaches

In the fifties leadership research shifted to the analysis of leadership styles and behavior. Behavior-oriented leadership research distinguishes a multitude of different leadership styles . The following approaches can be distinguished:

  • According to Kurt Lewin's leadership style experiments in 1939, a democratic leadership style promotes job satisfaction and a positive attitude towards work, while the authoritarian style of the boss reduces both. In the laissez-faire management style, the leader only plays a subordinate role because he lets the employees do their work, which does not promote performance in underperforming workers.
  • Researchers at Ohio State University presented their scientific studies found that people describe the behavior of their superiors in two dimensions, namely, the people orientation and task orientation.
  • The University of Michigan published a study at the same time with comparable results, initially presented both dimensions as opposing, but later followed the Ohio assumption that employee orientation and task orientation exist in parallel in different forms.
  • Based on the leadership styles presented by the universities in Ohio and Michigan, Blake & Mouton developed a behavioral grid, the "Leadership Grid" aimed at a leadership style that is geared towards high performance and high employee satisfaction.
  • In the leadership theory of William James Reddin , the effectiveness of the leadership style is added to the task and relationship orientation as a third dimension. By combining the characteristics, four basic leadership styles are formed and associated with the effectiveness of the leadership style.

Situation-oriented personnel management approaches

Since neither attribute nor behavior-oriented approaches could exhaustively explain leadership success or failure, the researchers in the sixties looked primarily for situation variables that influence the leadership outcome. The view taken here is that the effect of a certain leadership style with regard to leadership success depends in particular on the leadership situation

  • The contingency theory of Fred Edward Fiedler brings the leadership style depending on the respective situation. If z. If, for example, the leader-led relationship is good, the task to be solved is structured and the position of the leader is strong, then the task-oriented style is ideal. The same applies to very negative situations. In the case of a medium situation, the person-oriented style is considered useful.
  • With the normative decision-making model , Vroom and Yetton provide a basis for the question of when and to what extent managers should involve their employees in decision-making processes. Using a decision tree, alternatives can be determined and corresponding decisions made.
  • The situational leadership theory according to Hersey and Blanchard (1969) recommends different leadership styles depending on the degree of maturity of those being led. The results are derived from a so-called bell curve.
  • According to the path-goal theory of leadership by Evans (1970), managers influence the motivation of those they are led by using appropriate management tools to make it easier or more attractive for them to achieve a specific goal.

Relationship-oriented personnel management approaches

The relationship-oriented approaches focus on relationships between the leader and other elements of leadership, e.g. B. Relationships with the employee, the group, the situation or the organization. So make z. B. the interaction theories their investigations on the elements involved in the management process, such as manager, employee, group and situation, which influence each other. Leadership research distinguishes between:

System-oriented personnel management approaches

System-oriented personnel management approaches are based on the knowledge of cybernetics and systems theory . These systematic approaches can be helpful insofar as the development of the theories on personnel management is currently at a critical point. A "cognitive turn" in the discussion of leadership theories has often been called for and is long overdue. A distinction must be made between system-oriented approaches:

  • In the personal system approach , a manager influences as a controller - using management instruments as control variables (e.g. management styles, management techniques, management tools) and taking into account the respective management situation (e.g. favorable or unfavorable for the employee) or the management goals (as Reference variable) the controlled (controlled system) in such a way that jointly achieved success (as a controlled variable) can occur. If the manager sees a discrepancy when comparing a given management goal and the success achieved, then, according to Neuberger, the manager's task is to influence the employee's behavior in such a way that this discrepancy is eliminated.
  • The systemic management approach or systemic leadership not only examines the interactions between managers and employees, but also includes the interactions between employees, colleagues, customers or suppliers in order to enable a better understanding of the many dimensions of leadership. According to Pinnow , the leader is only one of many contact factors that affect the person being led. Social systems are networks of actions, effects and consequential effects with a wide range of feedback loops. Based on their personality, systemic managers set development processes in motion and improve structures and relationships in organizations .

Psychological literature

  • M. Stippler, S. Moore, S. Rosenthal, T. Dörffer: Leadership - overview of approaches, developments, trends. (= Leadership Series ). Bertelsmann, 2011, ISBN 978-3-86793-322-3 .
  • RC Liden, J. Antonakis: Considering context in psychological leadership research. In: Human relations. Volume 62, Issue 11, Nov 2009, pp. 1587-1605.
  • JK Barge, GT Fairhurst: Living Leadership: A systemic constructionist approach. In: Leadership. Volume 4, No. 3, Aug 2008, pp. 227-251.
  • Heinz Schuler: Textbook of Personnel Psychology. 2nd Edition. Hogrefe, Göttingen u. a. 2006.
  • FP Morgeson, DS DeRue, EP Karam: Leadership in Teams: A Functional Approach to Understanding Leadership. In: Journal of Management. Vol. 36, 1, Jan 2010, pp. 5-39.
  • Peus et al: What is the value? Economic Effects of Ethically Oriented Leadership. In: Journal of Psychology. Vol. 218, No. 4, 2010, pp. 198-212.
  • AB Weinert: Organizational and Personal Psychology. 5th edition. Beltz, Weinheim / Basel 2004, ISBN 3-621-27490-1 .

Business literature

  • J. Berthel, FG Becker: Personnel Management. Stuttgart 2007.
  • HJ Drumm: Human Resources. 6th edition. Berlin / Heidelberg 2008.
  • O. Neuberger : Lead and let lead. 6th edition. Stuttgart 2002.
  • DF Pinnow : Leadership - what really matters. 6th edition. Wiesbaden 2012.
  • WH Staehle: Management. 8th edition. Munich 1999.
  • T. Tisdale: Leadership Theories. In: E. Gaugler, WA Oechsler, W. Weber (Hrsg.): Handwortbuch des Personalwesens. 3. Edition. Stuttgart 2004, Col. 824-836.
  • J. Weibler: Personnel management. 3. Edition. Munich 2016.
  • R. Wunderer : Leadership and Cooperation. 5th edition. Munich / Neuwied 2003.
  • R. Wunderer: leadership theories. In: W. Wittmann, W. Kern, R. Köhler, HU Küpper, K. v. Wysocki (Hrsg.): Concise dictionary of business administration. 5th edition. Stuttgart 1993, column 1323 ff.
  • Gary Yukl: Leadership in Organizations. 8th edition. Pearson, 2013, pp. 336-338.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ R. Wunderer: Leadership Theories. In: W. Wittmann, W. Kern, R. Köhler, HU Küpper, K. v. Wysocki (Hrsg.): Concise dictionary of business administration. 5th edition. Volume 1, Stuttgart 1993, column 1325.
  2. ^ O. Neuberger: Lead and let lead. 6th edition. Stuttgart 2002, p. 226 ff.
  3. ↑ H. Schuler: Textbook of Personnel Psychology. 2nd Edition. Göttingen 2006, p. 103.
  4. ↑ FW Nerdinger, G. Blickle, N. Schaper: Industrial and organizational psychology. 2nd Edition. Springer, Berlin / Heidelberg 2011, ISBN 978-3-642-16971-7 , p. 85.
  5. ↑ R. Wunderer: Leadership and Cooperation. Munich / Neuwied 2003, pp. 203 ff.
  6. ↑ J. Weibler: Personnel management. 3. Edition. Munich 2016, p. 309 ff.
  7. ^ J. Berthel, FG Becker: Personal Management. 8th edition. Stuttgart 2007, p. 120 ff.
  8. ^ RR Blake, J. Mouton: Behavioral psychology in the company. Düsseldorf / Vienna 1968.
  9. ^ HJ Drumm: Personalwirtschaft. 6th edition. Berlin / Heidelberg 2008, p. 422 f.
  10. ↑ J. Weibler: Personnel management. 3. Edition. Munich 2016, p. 332 ff.
  11. ^ J. Berthel, FG Becker: Personal Management. 8th edition. Stuttgart 2007, p. 150.
  12. ↑ J. Weibler: Personnel management. 3. Edition. Munich 2016, p. 329 ff.
  13. ↑ The four different leadership styles are based on the interplay of two coordinates: the type of relationship between supervisor and employee and the type of task distribution (Ralf Seidel: Unruly employees? - Mature leadership is the solution. ( Memento from January 1, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) March 26, 2013)
  14. ^ AB Weinert: Organizational and Personal Psychology. 5th edition. Weinheim 2004, pp. 475-478.
  15. ^ WH Staehle: Management. 8th edition. Munich 1999, p. 355 f.
  16. ↑ J. Weibler: Personnel management. 3. Edition. Munich 2016, p. 151 ff.
  17. ^ T. Tisdale: Leadership Theories. In: E. Gaugler, WA Oechsler, W. Weber (Hrsg.): Handwortbuch des Personalwesens. 3. Edition. Stuttgart 2004, column 835.
  18. ^ HJ Rahn: Compact personnel management. Munich 2008, pp. 123–151.
  19. ^ O. Neuberger: Lead and let lead. 6th edition. Stuttgart 2002, p. 56.
  20. ↑ DF Pinnow: Leadership: What really matters. 6th edition. Wiesbaden 2012.
  21. ^ O. Neuberger: Lead and let lead. 6th edition. Stuttgart 2002, pp. 593-640.