Path–goal theory

Path-goal theory is a theory of leadership that shows the impact of a leader's behavior on employee or subordinate motivation, satisfaction, effort, and performance. The framework for path-goal theory was developed in the 1970s by Martin Evans and Robert House. The theory suggests that effective leaders are able to clearly identify behaviors, or paths, that will lead to desired rewards, or goals, for an employee or group as a whole. Path-goal theory argues that subordinates are motivated by their leader. Ultimately, for a leader to do well, he or she must be able to identify for his or her employees how to achieve certain goals. The theory focuses on individuals' personal goals, perceptions of the goals of the organization as a whole, and effective paths toward achieving those goals.

Background

Path-goal theory was first introduced by Evans in 1970 and was later expanded upon by House and his colleagues from 1971 to 1974. This form of leadership has its roots in the expectancy theory of motivation. The expectancy theory suggests that a person's behavior can be predicted based on how much he or she believes his or her job performance will lead to various outcomes.

House, in particular, furthered that theory by explaining that one of the main functions of a leader is to increase the payoffs for employees when they reach their goals by clearly identifying and clarifying the path, reducing obstacles, and increasing opportunities for personal satisfaction. The theory views the function of a leader as a supplemental one, meaning the leader serves as a source of reward and satisfaction for the employees or as a way to get to future rewards. A leader under path-goal theory would also add to the motivation that the organization as a whole provides by clarifying goals, explaining the way to achieve those goals, and supporting the group as a whole.

Another component to House's path-goal theory is that the effect of leadership is determined by the situation involving the employee, the environment, and current pressures and demands. Ultimately, under the path-goal theory, leader behavior should vary based on the nature of the task and on whether that task is routine or complex.

Overview

Path-goal theory is about how leaders motivate their employees or followers to achieve certain goals. The theory emphasizes the relationship between a leader's style or behavior and the characteristics of the followers and their organizational setting. House's model identified four main types of leader behavior:

• directive leadership
• supportive leadership
• participative leadership
• achievement-oriented leadership

With directive leadership, leaders let their subordinates or followers know what they are expected to do or accomplish. Directive leaders provide specific guidance on what is to be done and how to do it. They set performance standards and ensure that their employees follow set rules, guidelines, and schedules. In directive leadership, leaders make sure to explain their role as the leader of the group.

Supportive leaders are easily approachable and concerned with the need and well-being of their employees. Supportive leaders treat their followers as equals and will ensure the working environment is as stress-free as possible.

Participative leadership is a behavior in which leaders encourage participation from their employees. Participative leaders will consult followers about the task at hand or other work-related issues and try to use their ideas in the decision-making process.

Leaders that are achievement-oriented work to set challenges and goals for their employees. They emphasize high performance and show confidence in the ability of their followers to achieve these high standards.

Regardless of which behavior leaders use, many variables, or contingency factors, can still affect their success. Path-goal leadership theory identifies two main variables: the personal characteristics or traits of employees and environmental pressures and demands.

When looking at the followers, or employees, two key factors to consider are their personal satisfaction and their perception of their own abilities when it comes to the task at hand. Do the employees like their jobs? Have tasks been explained in ways that allow employees to feel confident in their abilities to complete them? Do the employees see their leader's behavior as a source of immediate or future satisfaction? Do they have the appropriate level of training to complete the job? These are all factors that leaders must take into account when determining how to motivate their followers to achieve a desired goal.

The path-goal theory of leadership has identified five major variables when looking at environmental pressures and demands:

• task ambiguity
• task difficulty
• job quality
• job interdependency
• worker control over the job

If the task at hand is ambiguous, or not clear, employees may struggle to complete it correctly or in the appropriate amount of time. The same holds true for task difficulty. If a job is above employees' skill level, they may not be able to complete it and grow frustrated. A leader in the path-goal model would clearly identify the directions and ensure that employees are able to complete the task for the goal to be reached.

Job quality is another key component when considering environmental pressures. Is the job boring, stressful, or dangerous? Is it satisfying work that employees can feel good about? Path-goal theory suggests that lower-quality jobs need more leadership because employees in these positions need more motivation to achieve set goals.

Interdependency and worker control over the job are the final factors when considering the environment of a job. If a job requires more interdependency, or a number of employees working together, it will require more leadership. Jobs in which many people work together to reach a goal will need a high level of coordination from the leader to ensure that work is not repeated or missed. The opposite holds true if workers have a high level of control over their jobs. If employees can take more control or ownership in the job and work on their own, less leadership is needed.

Ultimately, path-goal theory suggests that leaders can change their style, or behavior, to meet the demands of particular situations. The theory places more emphasis on the employees or followers and shows that leadership allows the personal goals of employees to align with the goals of the organization. Leaders can motivate employees to achieve the goals of the organization, resulting in their own personal satisfaction.

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