Answer:
According to Fiedler’s contingency theory of leadership, leader behaviors are hard to change, and people oriented leaders perform best in intermediately favorable situations
The swimwear department at Roobeezy, a discount clothing store, is a mess. The six employees absolutely hated their last manager, and they aren’t very fond of each other. There is a great deal of confusion in the department, because the last manager asked her employees to do their own displays, but she didn’t give them any training or instruction in good display practices. The employees have complete freedom to do whatever they want, but they have no idea how to approach the job. Last week, they took a bunch of mannequins, dressed them in bikinis, and hung them on the front of the store, violating six city ordinances. Fortunately, for the manager you hire, the employees still have some respect left for the title of department manager.
Who should you hire?
Madison is a fun-loving leader who wants the best for her employees. She will pull the group together by organizing group get-togethers and outings and by making sure that every employee feels like he or she has the right to speak up.
Abigail is a no-nonsense leader with a strong background in sales and merchandising. She will pull the group together by implementing training, giving directions, and making sure that everyone knows exactly what they are expected to do. Fill in the blanks with the words given.
In this situation, it is appropriate to choose a ________________(task oriented, relationship oriented) leader, because the situation is____________ (very unfavorable, very favorable, intermediatly favorable) . Leader-member relations are _________________ (good, poor) , task structure is________________ (structured, unstructered) , and leader position power is_______ (weak, strong)
Explanation:
It is appropriate to choose a task oriented leader due to the current unfavorable situation in the clothing store. Leader-member relations are poor and task is unstructured. The only positive is that leader position power is strong.
You should hire Abigail as she will train the employees and give instructions in areas where they are currently lacking direction. Given the strong leader position power present in this situation, her task-oriented approach will influence the six employees to focus on tasks and eliminate the employee's confusion.
Her no-nonsense attitude will ensure that even if the employees do not get along, it does not affect their approach to their job or their output.
