Welcome to BUSI1323
Leadership in Organisations
Lecture 4: Dr Neela S.
Mühlemann
Power over or power through people? Lecturer in
Human Resource
Management and
Organisational Behaviour
Business School
What have we Interactionist perspective:
learnt last week? Effectiveness of task-oriented (autocratic) versus
socio-emotional (democratic) leaders is contingent
Context and on their match with the situation (Fiedler, 1965)
contingency approach
Relationship-oriented vs. task- Successful leadership is a function of
oriented leadership
Fiedler’s Least-preferred co-worker leader’s style
theory (task- or people-oriented leadership) and
type of situation
(leader-follower relationship, task structure, power)
Idea of the Contingency Approach
relates directly to our assignments!
Situatio
n
X
Person (Leade
r ship style)
=
Leadersh ip effec tive n e ss
What will we
learn today?
Learning Objectives Extend our understanding of
leadership by adding the follower-
leader relationship
Understand how we can influence
others and reward employees
4
Person-centred approach
What will we Perceptual approach
learn today? Context and contingency approach
Relationship-oriented vs. task-oriented leadership
Leadership approach Fiedler’s Least-preferred co-worker theory
and concepts Leader-Follower approach
French & Raven Power theory
Transactional leadership
Group approach
Inter-group approach
5
Social influence
How can we “a change in the belief, attitude, or behavior of a
influence person (the target of influence), which results
from the action of another person (an
others? influencing agent)”
French & Raven Social power
Power theory “the potential for such influence, the ability of
the agent or power figure to bring about such
change, using resources available to him or
her”
(French & Raven, 1959; Raven, 1965)
How can we Resources of Power
(5 Power Bases)
influence Reward power
others? Coercion power
French & Raven Legitimate power
Power theory Expert power
Referent power
(French & Raven, 1959; Raven, 1965)
Go to [Link]
Let’s develop your critical thinking:
Criticism on the Power approach
Emerging models of power are more generative:
Power more as a form of sharing, less as a form of
control
With the proliferation of social media and
accompanying technologies, power is networked.
Power stems from the collective rather than from the
individual.
Leader- Effort-Reward leadership
Emphasizes the social exchange and
Follower expectations between a leader and their
approach followers
Transactional Idea: Employees are motivated by reward
leadership and punishment.
Appealing to followers’ self-interest
Power of transactional leaders from
formal authority and responsibility
Contingent Rewards
How do Set SMART goals and link the goals to rewards
transactional
leaders lead? Active Management by Exception
Actively monitor the work of subordinates
Passive Management by Exception
Rewarding employees Intervene only when standards are not met
to influence and
motivate them Laissez-faire
provide an environment where the subordinates
get many opportunities to make decisions.
Let’s develop your critical thinking:
Criticism on the Transactional approach
Pro Cons
Goal achievement Focus on short-term goals
Motivation Limited innovation and creativity
Costly mistakes due to seldom feedback
Clearly defined structure and roles
Lack of motivation: Assumes that
Effectiveness subordinates can be motivated by
A measuring stick for success simple rewards.
Low morale and subordinates are
powerless
No sense of togetherness: Turmoil
among subordinates
Power over or “The desire for power is
power through inherent to the human
people? condition.
Those who use it to help
others achieve the mission
are regarded as leaders.
Those who hoard it for
Click on the picture to watch the video themselves fail to lead.”
Source Forbes Article:
[Link]
9/02/07/adam-grant-power-shared-is-power-
multiplied/?sh=4ace4b9c71c0
How can we Leaders can demonstrate empowering
leadership by
empower delegating authority to employees
people? promoting their self‐directed and
autonomous decision making
Empowering coaching
leadership sharing information
asking for input
(see Sharma & Kirkman, 2015, for a review)
Empowering leadership (EL) promotes
How can we Follower’s psychological empowerment
Trust in leader
empower Employee performance, organizational
people? citizenship behavior, and creativity at both
the individual and team levels.
Empowering
leadership
Source: Meta-analytic findings by Lee et al., 2017
DOI: 10.1002/job.2220
What should I read for more inspiration
(and knowledge)?
Essential Readings Optional Readings
Gabarro, J. & Kotter, J. 2005. Managing You
r Boss. Harvard Business Review. 83(1): 92- Atwater, L. E., & Yammarino, F. J. (1996). Bases of power in relatio
99. n to leader behavior: A field investigation. Journal of business and
psychology, 11(1), 3-22.
Dirik, D. Leader power bases and perceived leader effectiveness: c
onservation of gender stereotypes. Curr Psychol
40, 6175–6186 (2021).
Book Leadership in Organisations
by Gary Yukl
Click here for online
access to book.
Next week’s If you would meet a start-up
founder, what question would you
session topic ask him/her/their in regard to
leadership?
I have a dream
Go to [Link] and
ask your question now
What you will learn:
Next week’s
session topic Address the critique on the transactional
approach
Learn about the transformational approach to
I have a dream leadership
Understand how we can lead through visions
Learn about challenges of managing a start-
up.
THANK YOU
Dr Neela S.
Mühlemann
Lecturer in
Human Resource
Management and
Organisational Behaviour
Business School
Follow me on Twitter Follow me on LinkedIn
@NeelaMuhlemann [Link]/in/drnsmuhlemann
