Contingency Theory Of Leadership In Criminal Justice Organizations

Behavioral approach suggest that effective leadership depends on how leaders interact with their subordinates. The behavioral approach also emphasizes how leaders get subordinates to accomplish organizational tasks, a process known as initiating structures (Stojkovic, Kalinich, Klofas 2015 p.194). In the late 1940s, an Ohio State study concluded that leadership could be examined on the two dimensions of consideration and initiating structure. Consideration is the leader’s expression of concern for subordinates’ feelings, ideas, and opinions about job-related matters. These leaders are concerned about employees, develop trust-between leaders and subordinates, and more often than not develop good communication as well (Stojkovic, Kalinich,

Contingency theorists believe that examining various situational variables is central to understanding leadership in organizations. This approach is very useful for studying leadership in criminal justice. Fiedler’s contingency model and the path-goal theory, both have distinctive elements that contribute to our understanding of leadership in criminal justice organizations Stojkovic, Kalinich, Klofas 2015 p.198). According to Fiedler, the leadership process is constrained by three major situational dimensions. First, leader-member relations are the level of trust and the degree of likability the leader enjoys with subordinate groups. Second, what the task of the organization is. According to Fiedler “it is the degree to which the task is spelled out or must be left nebulous and undefined.” Third, position power is the leader’s ability to exercise power in the organization (Stojkovic, Kalinich, Klofas 2015 p.199). Path-goal theory suggests that the interaction between leader behavior and the situational aspects of the organization is important. According to path-goal theory, effective leadership is situational and does not depend on a single style or theory (Stojkovic, Kalinich, Klofas 2015 p.202). This theory argues that leadership is linked to an expectancy theory of motivation, which suggest that the leader’s behavior directly influences the actions of employees if it is a source of satisfaction for them (Stojkovic, Kalinich, Klofas 2015