“Path-Goal” Theory Presentation

“Path-Goal” theory, developed by Robert House, is a leadership theory which defends that the employees’ performance can be improved by the leader as long as this assures them and helps to achieve rewards wished by them as a consequence of the organizations’ goals fulfillment. This way, the leader should wage in the behavior clarification that the employees should have to reach the rewards. According to House, the subordinates’ performance results more effective if the leader clearly defines the task, provide training to the employees, help to work effectively and establish adequate rewards and directly related with the performance level. According to House’s “path-goal” theory there are four leadership behavior styles that allow the leaders to manipulate the motivational variables, namely: directive style, supporter, participative and guider. For the leader to have success, it’s necessary that he can adopt each one of the behaviors according to the situation at the moment.

The nature of the situation that the leader faces depends essentially from two groups of contingency factors:

. Environment characteristics: includes the type of task/work, the type of organizational structure and the work group;

. Subordinates characteristics: include the necessary control level, their experiences and their valences.

While the environment/task characteristics influence the employees’ behavior as to motivation, the subordinates’ characteristics affect their work satisfaction and acceptance of the leader. Adapting the leadership style to the two contingency factors groups, the leader can increase motivation and employees’ satisfaction in the work that they perform.

 

 

Translated from Portuguese by Susana Saraiva, Portuguese-English and English-Portuguese translation specialist. Contact: spams@sapo.pt.