Strengths of Contingency Approach
Northouse (2007, p.117) highlights the major strengths of the Contingency Approach:
- Contingency theory has survived over the decades as a a valid and reliable approach how to achieve effective
leadership because it is grounded in
empirical research. Researchers who have followed Fiedler have validated contingency theory with their own research.
- Contingency theory has broadened the scope of leadership understanding
from a focus on a single, best type of leadership (e.g., trait
approach) to emphasizing the importance of a leader's style and the
demands of different situations.
-
Contingency theory has also been proved to have 'predictive powers' in
determining the type of leadership that is most likely to be effective
in particular contexts.
- Contingency theory suggests not to expect leaders to be equally
effective in all situations and therefore organizations should consider leaders in optimal situations according
to their leadership style.
- Contingency
theory supplies data on leadership styles that could be useful to organizations
in developing leadership profiles for human resource planning.
|
Sirje Virkus, Tallinn University, 2009