The contingency model of leadership: An extension to emergent leadership and leader's sex

• Published in: Organizational behavior and human performance 1978-01, Vol.21 (2), p.220-239
• Main Author: Schneier, Craig Eric
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0030-5073
• DOI: 10.1016/0030-5073(78)90051-X

Fiedler's ( Fiedler, F. E. A theory leadership effectiveness New York: McGraw-Hill, 1967 ) contingency theory of leadership was both developed and has been tested solely in situations characterized by appointed leaders. The theory has also rarely, if ever, been tested for female leaders. A field study was designed to extend the contingency model to situations in which leaders emerged from their groups (i.e., no leader was designated a priori) and to assess its predictability in this situation for both male and female leaders. Forty-two task groups were used in a field situation deduced to be Octant II in Fiedler's (1967) model. Key methodological criticisms of past contingency model research were addressed in the present design in order to enhance internal validity. Those persons who emerged as leaders of their groups had LPC scores significantly ( p < .001) lower than nonleaders and had the lowest LPC scores in 74% of the groups. Essentially similar LPC scores were found for male and female emergent leaders, thus producing the lone statistically significant correlation between LPC and group performance in Octant II of the contingency model, including developmental and antecedent research. An additional analysis, relating LPC scores, cognitive complexity, and emergent leaders' behavioral characteristics, showed that leaders were cognitively simple but remained task oreinted. This finding directly conflicts with Fiedler's ( Fiedler, F. E. Human Relations, 1972 25, 391–412) “goal hierarchy” explanation of the underlying meaning of the LPC score. Implications of the findings for leadership situations in applied settings and directions for future research are noted.