Administration and Management in Criminal Justice. Chapter 7: Leadership

Transcription

1 Administration and Management in Criminal Justice

2 What is Leadership Very difficult to define; no agreement on definition Two characteristics of leadership Influencing members of a group Directing the group s effort toward the achievement of organizational goals

3 What do Leaders do? How is Leadership Behavior Explained? Some examples They change follower behaviors They overcome resistance They work toward the achievement of goals The coordinate ideas, people, and resources How do we explain leadership behavior? Traits Behaviors Contingency theories Transactional leadership Change leadership theories (e.g., transformational leadership)

4 Trait Theories: Overview Certain characteristics or traits are assumed to be linked with effective leadership Implication Leaders were born rather than made since characteristics were inherent in person Examples Honesty Integrity Sense of achievement Self confidence People skills

5 Trait Theories: Criticisms and Current Status Focused on what people are rather than what they do A police office is promoted to sergeant based on exam scores. Does their intelligence necessarily translate into strong leadership behaviors? Research has not consistently found links between traits and leadership

6 Behavioral Approaches: Overview Focus on actual leadership behavior rather than characteristics Ohio State University studies identified two different dimensions of leadership behavior Consideration: tend to employee needs; caring; two way communication Initiating structure: set goals and standards of performance; focused on completing task Problem: studies could not determine best combination of behaviors that resulted in positive outcomes

7 Contingency Theories Also referred to as situational theories Summary There is no one best style of leadership The best style depends (it is contingent upon) the situation Examples of contingency theories (differ based on the contingencies or variables considered) Fiedler s contingency theory Hersey and Blanchard s contingency theory Path-goal theory Vroom and Yetton s model

8 Fielder s Contingency Theory Two leadership styles: determined by least preferred co-worker scale (positive description=relationship; less positive=task) Relationship-oriented: similar to consideration Task-oriented: similar to initiating structure Contingency variables Group atmosphere Task structure Position power

9 Fielder s Contingency Theory (cont d) Operation When all contingencies are favorable or unfavorable, a leader should adopt a task-oriented style. When contingencies are mixed, a relationship-oriented approach should be used. Criticisms The LPC measure suggests that leadership is one dimensional (a person is high in one style or the other) LPC score is a trait that does not change much; a person s style is fixed

10 Hersey and Blanchard s Contingency Theory Leadership styles Telling Selling Participating Delegating Contingencies Psychological readiness: are followers willing/eager/confident to perform task? Task readiness: are followers able to perform task?

11 Hersey and Blanchard s Contingency Theory (cont d) Telling Selling Participating Delegating Low readiness: Moderate readiness: High readiness: Very high readiness Worker lacks skills & is unwilling to perform Worker may be unable but is eager/willing to learn Worker has skills (able) but lacks confidence Worker is both able and willing

12 Path-Goal Theory Leadership behavior Supportive: open, friendly Directive: telling workers what to do Participative: consults workers; allows them to participate in decision-making Achievement-oriented: trust workers to be highly productive Contingencies Personal characteristics of group members: skill, abilities, willingness to perform Work environment: clarity of task; power Style depends on contingencies as examples illustrate Unclear task requires directive behavior Achievement-oriented style used when workers are confident and able to perform task

13 Vroom and Yetton s Model Leadership involves effective decision-making Quality of decisions determines whether goals are achieved Including subordinates in decision-making can improve process Amount of subordinate involvement depends upon a variety of factors including: Amount of information available to subordinates Amount of time available to make decisions

14 Transactional Leadership Theory Focuses on interaction between leader and followers Two interaction processes Contingent reward leadership: manager helps subordinate reach goals by providing structure, support, goals Management by exception: manager interacts only when subordinate deviates from expectations (e.g., violates standards) Active Passive

15 Change Leadership Theories Rather than just focus on how leaders and groups interact, these theories focus on how leaders can change an entire organization Examples (collectively called outstanding leadership theories) Charismatic leadership Transformational leadership

16 Charismatic Leadership Generate organizational change by having personality characteristics that draw people in (motivating/inspiring) Earn the trust and confidence of followers Motivate followers to aspire to higher levels of motivation (recall Maslow s hierarchy)

17 Transformational Leadership Leaders work to change the organization by motivating subordinates to achieve higher levels of performance Process for inspiring subordinates Increase their awareness of the importance of the task Make them aware of their own need for growth and development Motivate them to fulfill their growth and development needs and be a part of the organization s success Additional elements: inspirational motivation; intellectual stimulation; idealized influence; individualized consideration

18 Leadership Styles One of the most famous examples of leadership style is the Managerial Grid (Blake and Mouton) Two axis in the grid Concern for people (consideration) Concern for results (initiating structure) Combinations result in five leadership styles Team management: high people, high results Control and dominate: low people, high results Yield and comply: high people, low results Balance and compromise: mid-range people and results Evade and elude: low people and low results

19 Leadership Skills The assumption is that these can be developed through training/education Derived from the Competing Values Framework Clan skills: interpersonal skills Adhocracy skills: address future issues and promote change (e.g., create a vision) Hierarchy skills: manage time/stress, keep control Market skills: motivate others; manage external relationships

20 Criminal Justice Organizations Generally dominated by authoritarian (transactional) leadership approaches A growing body of research suggest that criminal justice workers prefer more transformation or participative styles Results in higher productivity and job satisfaction