Introduction to the Contingency Model

Before I compare and contrast the Contingency Model and the Situational Leadership Theory, I think it is important to understand the basis for each.
I find it easiest to retain information in bullet point form.......so without further ado.....The Contingency Model:

Contingency Model

-          Fiedler’s contingency model postulates that the leader’s effectiveness is based on ‘situational contingency’ which is a result of interaction of two factors: leadership style and situational favorableness (later called situational control). 

o   Leadership Style:

§  Least preferred co-worker (LPC) scale, an instrument for measuring an individual’s leadership orientation.

§  Describe the person with whom they have worked least well, using a series of bipolar scales of 1 to 8 (friendly vs. unfriendly, cooperative vs. uncooperative, supportive vs. hostile, etc.)

§  The responses to these scales (usually 18-25 in total) are summed and averaged

§  High score = human relations orientation, Low score= indicates task orientation

§  The Least Preferred Coworker (LPC) scale is actually not about the least preferred worker at all, instead, it is about the person who takes the test; it is about that person's motivation type.

§  Critics point out that this is not always an accurate measurement of leadership effectiveness.

o   Situational Favorableness:

§  The contingency theory allows for predicting the characteristics of the appropriate situations for effectiveness.

§  Three situational components determine the favorableness of situational control:

·         Leader-Member Relations, referring to the degree of mutual trust, respect and confidence between the leader and the subordinates.

·         Task Structure, referring to the extent to which group tasks are clear and structured.

·         Leader Position Power, referring to the power inherent in the leader's position itself.

§  Fiedler found that:

·         Low-LPC leaders are more effective in extremely favorable or unfavorable situation

·         High-LPC leaders perform best in situations with intermediate favorability.

-          The contingency model suggests that improving effectiveness requires changing the situation to fit the leader.

-          An example to apply this theory:

o   Task-oriented leadership would be advisable in natural disaster, like a flood or fire. In an uncertain situation the leader-member relations are usually poor, the task is unstructured, and the position power is weak. The one who emerges as a leader to direct the group's activity usually does not know subordinates personally. The task-oriented leader who gets things accomplished proves to be the most successful. If the leader is considerate (relationship-oriented), they may waste so much time in the disaster, that things get out of control and lives are lost.