Leadership Strategies: An Analysis of Path Goal Theory in Business

This report delves into the significance of Path Goal Theory in enhancing organizational performance by motivating employees. Propounded by Robert House, the theory emphasizes the leader's role in selecting the appropriate leadership style to align with employee needs and the work environment, ultimately achieving organizational objectives. The report highlights the importance of motivation and the various leadership styles including directive, supportive, achievement-oriented, and participative leadership. It explains how leaders can guide employees, provide support, and set challenging goals to boost their performance and satisfaction. The report concludes that Path Goal Theory is a valuable framework for leaders to effectively motivate subordinates and facilitate the achievement of organizational goals. The report includes references to support the analysis and findings.

Subject: Business Management
Topic: Leadership
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Date: 30-10-2018
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Effective leadership
Effective Leadership
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Introduction
The primary aim of this paper is to elucidate and portray the significance and role of path
goal theory in the organization that helps in improving and enhancing the performance and
productivity of the firm by motivating the workers.
Path goal theory
Path goal theory is propounded by Robert House to determine and evaluate the behavior
and attitude of people. The theory is based on the leader’s behavior or styles that is suitable and
adequate for the employees and work environment to attain organization’s goals and objectives.
The main motive of this theory is to increase and enhance the motivation, moral and loyalty of
the workers. It further helps in empowering and satisfying the employees in the workplace so
they become productive and effective member of the company. In this theory, it is assumed that a
manager compensates the employees for their issues and deficiencies. The path goal theory
renders enormous attitudes for managers or leaders to promote and provide support their workers
in attaining their aspirations and objectives in the competitive market. Leader behavior needs to
be considered in this theory. Motivation is a significant and unique factor in management and
plays a major role in path goal theory of leadership (Chemers, 2014). It explains that how
managers or leaders can encourage their workers in accomplishing their objectives and tasks.
Robert house investigated that leaders or managers can maximize and improve the motivation by
rewarding and compensating their workers globally.
Along with this, they should simplify which path or route to prefer to employment
towards the objectives and render spotlight of their workers by training and mentoring them and
keeping them on correct and appropriate track (Griffin, 2013). This will also help in maintaining
a favorable and unique working environment and culture at the workplace. According to this
theory, it is noted that leaders should focus on the several types of leadership behavior and
activities. This could vary per condition and employees, as long as they render focus and
motivation. This further permits leaders to employment on the organization’s targets, goals and
objectives but also mix these with company’s targets and success (Toolshero, 2018).
This leadership style depends on the management styles. The accurate and unique management
style depends on the conditions and the workers. The selected leadership theory or style is only
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permitted when it is acceptable by his/her worker and encourages and promotes them. It is a
responsibility of leaders to facilitate, reward and coach his workers (Koontz, 2010). The path
goal theory determines and analyses four leadership styles that include the following:
Directive leadership: Under this leadership style, the managers or leaders know exactly what
should be done, where, when and how tasks shall be conducted and what the exact time is that
means the leaders provide their workers with clear and effective direction and suggestions with
regard to procedures and explain them what predicted of them and how to perform tasks and
duties. The workers get close direction thus, this leadership style is more suitable and effective
for every inexperienced and ineffective workers who need assistance and to be analyzed on
regular basis (Iannello, 2013).
Supportive leadership: It is significant leadership style in which leaders pay a lot of attention to
the wellbeing and needs of their workers. Their behavior and activities are characterized by
being empathetic and friendly. The leaders treat their workers with respect and provide support
them when needed. This leadership style is essential in various circumstances in which the
workers have problems, do not believe in themselves or are temporarily dissatisfied and
demotivated.
Achievement oriented leadership: In this management style, the taxing goals and objectives are
set by the leaders. They expect success on the prior level from their workers and trust their
capability to manage and handle this. The workers who are able to employment fully separately
and have problem solving capabilities are effective and unique for their leadership style
(Antonakis & House, 2013).
Participative leadership: This leadership style is unique and dynamic because it helps in
making unique decisions within the organization. The leaders will organize this management
style specially when workers are highly involved in decision making and have specialist
experience and knowledge. Their suggestions and advices are invaluable to the leaders or
managers (Iannello, 2013).
Path goal theory
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(Source: Toolshero, 2018).
It shall be examined that path goal theory ensures that managers or leaders could improve
and enhance the outcomes and goals of the organization by influencing their workers and
directing them to their objectives and goals.
Conclusion
It is concluded from the above discussion that path goal theory helps in motivating and
promoting the subordinates effectively and efficiently. The leaders can make flexible the workers
in the organization for performing tasks and duties in a hassle free manner.
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References
Antonakis, J., & House, R. J. (2013). The full-range leadership theory: The way forward.
In Transformational and Charismatic Leadership: The Road Ahead 10th Anniversary
Edition (pp. 3-33). Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Chemers, M. (2014). An integrative theory of leadership. Psychology Press.
Griffin, R. W. (2013). Fundamentals of management. Cengage Learning.
Iannello, K. (2013). Decisions without hierarchy: Feminist interventions in organization theory
and practice. Routledge.
Koontz, H. (2010). Essentials of management. Tata McGraw-Hill Education.
Toolshero.,(2018). Path goal theory of leadership [Online], Retrieved from
https://www.toolshero.com/leadership/path-goal-theory-leadership/
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