CHAPTER FOUR SUPPORTIVE LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOR ©Prentice Hall 2006 4-1 Learning Objectives After reading this chapter, you should be able to the following:      Describe supportive leadership as an effective leadership behavior Explain why supportive leadership is important for individual followers and groups Describe some of the skills, traits, and sources of power a leader needs to develop to be an effective supportive leader Discuss some of the skills needed for effective listening, which is part of supportive leadership Describe several impacts leader supportiveness has on follower psychological reactions and behaviors ©Prentice Hall 2006 4-2 Learning Objectives (cont.) After reading this chapter, you should be able to the following:     Identify organizational situations where supportive leadership is especially effective Identify situations where supportive leadership is probably not effective Discuss how leaders can modify situations to increase the effectiveness of their supportive behaviors Understand how leaders can modify followers’ tasks to substitute for some supportiveness and still maintain positive follower attitudes and performance ©Prentice Hall 2006 4-3 Supportive Leadership Showing concern for the status, well-being and needs of followers; demonstrating a kind, considerate and understanding attitude regarding followers’ problems; and fostering followers’ professional development ©Prentice Hall 2006 4-4 Types of Supportive Leadership Behaviors Being Beingconsiderate considerate and and understanding understanding Helping Helpingfollowers followers develop developabilities abilities and andcareers careers Showing Showing concern concernfor for follower followerneeds needs SUPPORTIVE LEADERSHIP BEHAVIORS Being Beingfriendly, friendly, informative, informative,and and encouraging encouraging Being Beingsympathetic sympathetic to others’ to others’ problems problems Showing Showingtrust trust and and respect respect ©Prentice Hall 2006 4-5 Examples of Supportive Leadership    A military officer showed ongoing concern and respect for subordinate differences in cultural or racial values, life styles, and mores A supervisor was alert to personal problems of subordinates and, once aware of the problems, made a concerted effort to help the subordinate solve them A leader made a conscious effort to encourage and provide “air time” for everyone during staff meetings and to distribute privileges or choice task assignments equitably ©Prentice Hall 2006 4-6 Supportive & Nonsupportive Communication Supportive Nonsupportive • Problem-oriented • Person-oriented (naming) • Descriptive • Evaluative • Words & actions consistent • Incongruent words and actions • Encouraging • Puts people down • Specific • General–Vague • Interactive (listening) • One-way (telling) ©Prentice Hall 2006 4-7 Skills, Traits and Sources of Power for Effective Supportive Leadership Communication Communication Skills Skills Interpersonal Interpersonal Skills Skills Technical Technical&& Professional Professional Competence Competence SUPPORTIVE LEADERSHIP BEHAVIORS Expert Expert Power Power Referent Referent Power Power ©Prentice Hall 2006 Reward Reward Power Power 4-8 Facilitating and Limiting Conditions for Supportive Leadership Organization and follower characteristics  Style preferences of the leader's superior  The organizational mission or culture  Followers preferences for supportive leader behavior  Cultural preferences for supportive leader behavior ©Prentice Hall 2006 4-9 Supportiveness and Followers’ Behavior One important issue for leaders is whether they should provide more interpersonal support to some subordinates than others To be effective, a leader needs to adapt to different subordinates  One approach advocates that a leader should use interpersonal support as a reward  This approach is closely aligned with behavioral psychology and is based on the operant conditioning model of learning associated with B F Skinner The rationale is that the leader should show most concern and provide greatest encouragement for the best performers ©Prentice Hall 2006 4-10 Supportiveness and Followers’ Behavior (cont.) Using supportiveness as positive reinforcement does not address the needs of followers whose performance is less than desired These employees may need a concerned and encouraging leader to provide them with the confidence necessary to improve their performance   Tommy LaSorda, past manager of the Los Angles Dodgers, represents the approach which says that leaders should provide supportiveness as needed by individual followers rather than as a reward for high performance His supportiveness can be a “facilitating condition” stimulating improved follower performance ©Prentice Hall 2006 4-11 Situational Factors that Enhance Supportive Leadership TASK TASK CHARACTERISTICS CHARACTERISTICS FOLLOWER FOLLOWER CHARACTERISTICS CHARACTERISTICS •• low lowself-confidence self-confidence •• low self-esteem low self-esteem •• insecurity insecurity •• expectation expectationthat thatleader leader will be supportive will be supportive •• high highgrowth growthneeds needs SITUATIONAL SITUATIONALFACTORS FACTORS THAT THATENHANCE ENHANCETHE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF EFFECTIVENESS OF SUPPORTIVENESS SUPPORTIVENESS •• dissatisfying dissatisfying •• stressful stressful •• highly highlystructured structured •• requires requirescreativity creativity •• requires learning requires learning ORGANIZATIONAL ORGANIZATIONAL&&GROUP GROUP CHARACTERISTICS CHARACTERISTICS • • external externalconflict conflict • • newly formed newly formedgroup group • • cohesive cohesivegroup groupwith withshared sharedbeliefs beliefsin inleader leader • • formal plans, goals & procedures formal plans, goals & procedures • • mission missionemphasizing emphasizinghuman humanservices services authoritarian superior authoritarian superior âPrentice Hall 2006 4-12 Situational Factors that Neutralize Supportive Leadership Dogmatic Dogmatic Followers Followers Large LargeSize Size of ofGroup Group SITUATIONAL SITUATIONAL FACTORS FACTORSTHAT THAT NEUTRALIZE NEUTRALIZETHE THE EFFECTIVENESS EFFECTIVENESSOF OF SUPPORTIVENESS SUPPORTIVENESS Broad BroadTask Task Scope Scope High HighLevel Level Job Job ©Prentice Hall 2006 4-13 Situational Factors That Substitute for Supportive Leadership INTRINSICALLY INTRINSICALLY SATISYING SATISYINGTASK TASK ••Interesting Interesting ••Gratifying Gratifying ••Meaningful Meaningful SITUATIONAL SITUATIONALFACTORS FACTORS THAT THATSUBSTITUTE SUBSTITUTEFOR FOR SUPPORTIVENESS SUPPORTIVENESS FEEDBACK FEEDBACK DIRECTLY DIRECTLY FROM FROMTASK TASK ••Rapid Rapid ••Specific Specific ••Accurate Accurate HIGH HIGHDEGREE DEGREEOF OFIMPORTANCE IMPORTANCE PLACED PLACEDON ONORGANIZATIONAL ORGANIZATIONAL REWARDS REWARDS ••Pay Payraises raises ••Promotions Promotions ©Prentice Hall 2006 4-14 Process Model of the Supportive Leadership Process SITUATIONAL FACTORS INCREASING LEADER EFFECTIVENESS Enhancers • Dissatisfying or stressful job • Low follower selfconfidence, insecurity, or self esteem • Follower expectations or high growth needs • Structured work task • Complex creative task • External group conflict • New or cohesive group • Organization formalization • Organization mission • Authoritarian supervisor Substitutes • Importance placed on organizational rewards • Intrinsically satisfying tasks • Task feedback LEADER SUPPORTIVENESS • Concerned, trusting, & respectful of followers • Considerate, understanding attitude • Friendly, encouraging, & communicative • Fostering follower development SITUATIONAL FACTORS DECREASING LEADER EFFECTIVENESS Neutralizers • Dogmatic followers • Large size of group FOLLOWER/GROUP PSYCHOLOGICAL REACTIONS • Satisfaction of esteem & acceptance needs • Satisfaction with work & supervisor • Overall job satisfaction • Organizational commitment • Less stress & burnout • Group harmony & cohesion FOLLOWER BEHAVIORS AND OUTCOMES • Lower turnover, tardiness, absenteeism, & grievance rates • Increased individual & group performance ©Prentice Hall 2006 4-15 Applying the Model of Supportive Leadership DIAGNOSING THE SITUATION Are followers faced with high amounts of job stress, danger, or insecurity? Do followers’ lack self-confidence or have low self-esteem? Is followers’ group experiencing much external conflict, excessive rules and regulations, or highly authoritarian upper-level management? Does followers’ group have a human service function? If “yes” to one or more of these questions, then leaders’ supportive behaviors will probably be effective MODIFYING FOLLOWERS AND/OR SITUATIONS Leaders also act to: •Alleviate stressors, insecurities, and conflicts facing followers •Modify followers’ situations to increase intrinsic satisfaction and task feedback •Manipulate the reward system to improve follower attitudes and performance PROVIDING SUPPORTIVE LEADERSHIP Leader demonstrates supportive behaviors with followers by: • Showing concern • Being sympathetic, considerate, and understanding • Being friendly and informative • Encouraging two-way communication • Showing trust and respect Providing for career development âPrentice Hall 2006 4-16 ... should be able to the following:      Describe supportive leadership as an effective leadership behavior Explain why supportive leadership is important for individual followers and groups Describe...     Identify organizational situations where supportive leadership is especially effective Identify situations where supportive leadership is probably not effective Discuss how leaders can... Supportive Leadership Communication Communication Skills Skills Interpersonal Interpersonal Skills Skills Technical Technical&& Professional Professional Competence Competence SUPPORTIVE LEADERSHIP