Skip to main content

Participative Versus Directive Leadership Styles


A study of 445 lecturers and 138 principles sought to determine the satisfaction level of college staff with leadership use of directive or supportive management styles.  Research by Awan, et. al. (2011) helps define how college management perception is influenced by employee’s locus of control. Even though the results support the general theory’s premises it does indicate that extremes of participative or directive leadership behavior can have a negative impact on the functioning of the organization.

Locus of control relates to the belief that either the person or the environment is responsible for personal influence. A person who has an internal locus of control believes that they have influence over the environment while a person with an external locus of control believes that the environment has control over them. This interpretation of the self within the environment impacts behavioral choices one makes and their motivation level. 

The research question is, “What is the relationship between locus of control and subordinates’ outcomes, who work under directive and participative leaders, holding constant the effect of principals’ role ambiguity and stress?” In other words, how does internal and external locus of control influence subordinate performance under directive or participative leaders?

The study focused on college professors, assistant professors, associate professors, and lecturers in Pakistan. Leadership behavior and subordinate characteristics were assessed through questionnaires. Three aspects of directive leadership and participative leadership were used during the assessment ranging from low to high.

The study found that directive leadership was associated with leader acceptance by those with an external locus of control and less accepted by people with internal locus of control. Likewise, the study found that a moderate participative leadership had a positive impact on job expectancies of those with an internal locus of control. When leadership was highly supportive it negatively impacted the satisfaction of employees that maintained an external locus of control. 

The results generally support path-goal theory in colleges. However, the extremes of leadership appear to be an issue here. Too much of a good thing appears to create lower satisfaction among employees. Too high directive and too high participative leadership styles appear to negatively impact their environments. The key may be to balance these extremes based upon the pendulum of locus of control found among employees within the organization. Some employees may need to be told what to do while others drawn into the management decisions.

Awan, et. al, (2011). Locus of control as moderator of relationship between leadership behaviors of principles and their faculty outcomes: a path-goal approach. International Journal of Social Sciences & Education, 1 (4).

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Meaning of A Boundless Moment by Robert Frost

A Boundless Moment by Robert Frost He halted in the wind, and — what was that Far in the maples, pale, but not a ghost? He stood there bringing March against his thought, And yet too ready to believe the most. "Oh, that's the Paradise-in-bloom," I said; And truly it was fair enough for flowers had we but in us to assume in march Such white luxuriance of May for ours. We stood a moment so in a strange world, Myself as one his own pretense deceives; And then I said the truth (and we moved on). A young beech clinging to its last year's leaves. The poem is one of seasons changing and the cycle of life. Each May the bloom comes out and brings life to the death of winter. The poem is about a single moment when the characters see that life has changed. The layers of meaning can be deep but on the surface it appears Robert Frost is discussing nature and its cyclical momentum.   Everything in nature moves through patterns. The poem indicates that

Art Review: The Kiss by Gustav Klimt

The Kiss is Gustav Klimt’s most famous and well known painting. Produced in 1908 in Vienna, Austria and incorporated oil and gold life on the canvas ( 1 ). This was unique for his time and represents both tile works with Asiatic influence. The painting and the romance it brings forward is still wonderment to onlookers. The picture depicts a passionate relationship between a man and woman in a sort of perfect place.  The couple is embracing, bodies entwined, wearing robes of wealth and decadence. It provides linear constructs of the Art Nouveau style and the movement of arts with crafts ( 2 ). The male is square and masculine while the woman painted is in curves to represent femininity. The couple is a pair with the woman and man equal in stature. They are in a field of flowers and appear to rise above it.  To many this painting represents the concept that love has no bounds. Social position or worldly wealth cannot hide what goes on under the fancy clothes and standard m

The Nine Parries of Saber Fencing

The Parry is important for defending against attacks and offers an opportunity to counter attack. Without learning parries it will be difficult to effectively compete in fencing. Your body will be generally open to seasoned fencers. Practicing defending against attacks using multiple parries is important for creating the highest levels of competitive skill. The most common parries used are Parry of Four, Parry of Six, Parry of Seven, and Parry of Eight ( 1 ). They are designed to protect your right side, left side, lower stomach, middle of your stomach. They are parries designed to cover the core areas of your body and help you defend against the majority of fencing attacks.   Prime: Stops a cut to the chest. Seconde: Stops a low cut to the flank Tierce: Stops high cut to the flank Quarte: Stops high cut to the chest. Quinte: Stops cut to head. Sixte : Stops cut to head. Septime: Stops cut to back. Octave: Stops cut to flank. Neuvieme: Protects Back Mic