Reference no: EM132400558

This is a "take home" test, which means grading will be based on the thoughtfulness of the answers, rather than the recitation of facts. Answer all eight of the questions; the average expected length of each answer is about one page, double-spaced - in other words,

1. The trait approach to leadership came under intense criticism in the 1940s. In the decades that followed, the emphasis in leadership thought turned to what leaders did rather than who they were. Does thinking about leadership traits still have relevance? How do leadership traits fit into modern (1980 and later) theories of leadership?

2. Hollander introduced the notion of idiosyncrasy credit. Explain what this means and give an example from one of the movies or your personal experience of this principle in operation.

3. Smircich and Morgan wrote that "leadership is realized in the process whereby one or more individuals succeed in attempting to frame and define the reality of others." What did they mean by this?

4. Both Fiedler's contingency theory and Hersey's situational theory are concerned with leader behaviors and situational contingencies. However, they diverge on their assumptions about the about the behavioral flexibility of leaders. Do you believe, like Fiedler, that people in general are best suited to lead with a particular style and effectiveness depends on the match between their preferred style and the situation, or, like Hersey, that people can effectively adapt their leadership style to fit the demands of different situations? Discuss.

5. Discuss how the path-goal theory of leadership is built upon the expectancy theory of motivation.

6. Discuss the nature of attraction to charismatic leaders and why some people would be more attracted to such leaders than others. Use theories and research covered in class to support your answer.

7. Bass contrasted transformational leadership with transactional leadership, claiming that transformational leadership could lead to "performance beyond expectations." Why should that be the case?

8. When modern bureaucratic systems emerged in the 19th century, they were seen as rational, technocratic, rule-governed, merit-based, and efficient replacements for the feudal hierarchies of the past. Yet, as described by Jackall and as illustrated in the movie Paths of Glory, bureaucracy as found in both corporate and governmental organizations suffers from its own corruptions. Can ethical leadership survive in these systems? If so, how?