The article Leadership-Style Effects at Two Managerial Levels in a Simulated Organization by J.G. Hunt provides meaningful insights into leadership and how it applies to the workplace. The article provides a summary of a quantitative research study into the impact of leadership styles on team performance and satisfaction. This research wanted to determine, using empirical data, the relationship between leadership and performance and satisfaction. It also aimed to determine the impacts of different leadership styles across various levels of management. In the research, twenty-six teams, each led by an executive, worked together to solve a difficult challenge. Every group was split into two divisions, each with a manager and two direct reports. Based on scores given by team members on Fiedler’s Least Preferred Coworker (LPC) scale, the groups were assigned to one of four management structures.
The results show that a combination of leadership styles at the executive and manager levels in an organization has minimal impact on team performance (Hunt, 1971). However, the research also shows that this leadership style has better results when a leader is aware of the needs associated with executive and management leadership than when they have one form of leadership in their arsenal (Hunt, 1971). The implications of this study are that leaders with high LPC scores, meaning they are more relationship-oriented, tend to perform better in their tasks. The teams whose leaders registered high LPC scores also had the most productive sessions. The vice versa of this is also true. Teams whose leaders have low LPC scores, meaning they are more task-oriented, tend to have poorer performance when compared to their counterparts (Hunt, 1971). This shows the impact that relationships have on performance. The article also emphasizes training in different leadership styles and adaptability to different situations. It encourages a change in leadership style depending on the situation (Hunt, 1971).
This article provides a lot of insights into leadership. In contemporary times, the emphasis on relationships in business has become a key moment in research (Hunt, 1971). One of the lessons I learned from this article is the need for a relationship-oriented partnership in business. I have had the pleasure of experiencing leadership from a task-oriented manager and a relationship-oriented manager, and I know how smoothly it works for the latter. The article presents an instance where relationship-oriented management is more effective, as evidenced by the high LPC scores. This was one of the best lessons I learned from the article.
I also learned that this is not universal. Depending on the situation, a leader should be able to switch between task orientation and relationship orientation (Hunt, 1971). For team cohesion, relationships are key. You cannot be close and connected if there is no relationship. Teams are also more motivated and committed if they have invested emotionally in the team. However, it is essential to note that while these factors are important, there are times when accomplishing a task is more important than any emotional feeling (Hunt, 1971). While motivation and commitment are vital, they mean something if the task is accomplished. This is why a balance between tasks and relationships is key.
The main lesson from this article is that not every tactic is universally applicable. While water coolers are a reasonable entity in the workplace, as they help bond and share vital information, they become a hindrance if they are done in excess and no work is done. This is why a healthy balance is critical. I also learned that the leader does not have to be your friend for him to be effective. In the contemporary world, there has grown increasing contempt and disdain for leaders who are serious and bureaucratic. While I would not advocate for this leadership style, I have learned that there are situations where this style of leadership is applicable and should be utilized.
References
Hunt, J. G. (1971). Leadership-style effects at two managerial levels in a simulated organization. Administrative Science Quarterly, pp. 476–485.
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