Fiedler’s contingency theory places emphasis on matching the best leader to specific situations (Northouse, 2013). Within the contingency theory there are two leader styles depicted; task motivated and relationship motivated (Northouse, 2013). The styles are pretty self explanatory in that task motivated leaders aim for a goal and relationship orientated leaders place importance on building relationships (Northouse, 2013). Along with the two leader styles, contingency theory illustrates three situational variables; leader- member relations, task structure and position power. The ideal situation for an organization would be to have decent relations, set tasks and strong leader power (Northouse, 2013). Overall the key to this theory is to find the right leader for specific situations. A football coach would probably not very effective in leading a ballet class. The football coach needs to have the right situation for his style to lead in order to be effective. In any area of business, organization and even in everyday life, having an effective leader impacts productivity and communication.
The right leader can be instrumental or detrimental to the success of the organizations. For example, commanding officers (CO) in the Navy have the vital and arduous task of selecting the right individual as tactical action officer (TAO) (Earnhardt, 2007). Individuals selected for TAO need to have self-assurance in making split second decisions that can affect the United States military actions. The CO needs to make careful assessments of an individual before handing the TAO title over. The CO can implement the contingency theory in the process of proper TAO selection (Earnhardt, 2007).
Leadership on a global scale poses a bit of a quandary. One cannot assume basing personal leadership will be effective when dealing globally. The world includes multiple cultural dimensions which can result in lacking effective leadership. Executives from Fortune 500 companies have reported that 85% of their firms lack leaders with the ability to globally lead (Muczyk & Holt, 2008). We can no longer live in a selective view if we want to be effective leaders. “Because organizational cultures are influenced by national cultures, leadership approaches might be effectively tailored to align with national cultures (Muczyk & Holt, 2008). There has been research supporting acknowledgement that different cultures value different traits within a leader (Muczyk & Holt, 2008). Global organizations need to select proper leaders in which they have the capability to acknowledge differences in cultural situations. Executives will benefit from selecting leaders with a specific disposition and assign them to the culture they will be most effective in managing (Muczyk & Holt, 2008). Applying a global contingency model to global leadership will benefit organizations like the Fortune 500 companies. These companies might see an increase in effective leadership and production if they put the right leaders in place with the right culture.
The contingency theory being applied globally to include cultures of all kinds becomes a very complex study. It would be impossible to incorporate every possible culture within the global model. The need for more research is still needed to verify effective leaders to match cultures (Muczyk & Holt, 2008).
Earnhardt, M. P. (2007). Practical applications of five leadership theories on a U.S. naval vessel. Retrieved from Leadership Advance Online: http://www.regent.edu/acad/global/publications/lao/issue_11/earnhardt.htm
Muczyk, J. P., & Holt, D. T. (2008). Toward a cultural contingency model of leadership. Journal of Leadership & Orgaonizational Studies, 277- 287.
Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc.