Identify and explain the two dimensions of leadership described in the Ohio State Studies

The behavioral theories view leadership as a set of actions that people can be trained in.

The Ohio State Model of Leader Behavior (also called Ohio State Leadership Studies) is a survey framework on leadership studies conducted by a group of researchers to address the question of how behavior of a leader impacts on members of group's job performanceOpens in new window, and satisfactionOpens in new window.

A series of surveys on leadership behavior was conducted by researchers at the Ohio State UniversityOpens in new window to identify specific dimensions of leader behavior. The study narrowed a list of almost 2,000 leader behaviors into a questionnaire which they developed and labeled “Leader Behavior Description QuestionnaireOpens in new window (LBDQ)”.

The questionnaire contained 150 examples of definitive leader behaviors and was administered to employees. Hundreds of employees responded to behavior examples according to the degree to which their leaders engaged in the various behaviors.

The analysis of ratings resulted in two wide-ranging categories of leader behavior types, identified as consideration and initiating structure.

Consideration describes the extent to which the leader exhibits concern for the welfare of the group and its members. It involves two-way communication, responding to the group’s needs by requesting opinions, beliefs, desires, and so forth. Group activities and discussions are consideration interventions.
Further, consideration refers to establishing mutual trust between and among group members, showing respect and warmth. Establishing effective interpersonal relationships is part of consideration.
Initiating structure describes the degree to which a leader organizes and defines the roles and activities of group members. It involves stating a goal and delineating what is to be done, how it will be done, when it will be done, where it will be done, and who is responsible for specific tasks. This leadership style involves one-way communication; the leader tells followers what to do in order to accomplish a goal.

Researchers have hypothesized that group performance would be maximized when a manager exhibits a leadership style that is high in both consideration and initiating structure.

When the two components of leadership are placed on separate axes and the window boxes are filled in, as the figure indicates below, four leader behavior styles result.

Ohio State model of leadership.

Source: Paul Hersey, Kenneth H Blanchard, Management of Organizational Behavior: Utilizing Human Resources, ed 3, (1977, p 95).

The four quadrants in the Ohio State model can be explained as follows.

High structure/low consideration
A leader primarily defines the task, explains to the group each person’s responsibility, and states when tasks should be done. One-way communication characterizes the leader’s behavior even though the low relationship behavior should be observable. The low relationship behavior is simply respect and warmth toward another and positive reinforcement after a goal is completed. No group decision making is included in this style.
High structure/high consideration
A leader balances concern for the intricacies of getting a task accomplished with a concern for the beliefs, desires, and needs of the group. The leader might define a goal, designate what needs to be done and who has specific responsibilities, and invite questions or reactions. The leader’s original plan might be altered given the followers’ reactions. In this style of leadership, the leader is still in full control but group interaction is begun.
High consideration/low structure
In this style, the leader’s primary concern is not the task and its various intricacies. Rather, concern for the process, for getting the group to work together effectively to accomplish the task. The leader still has some control over how the group accomplishes the task. In this style, for example, a leader might define the problem and ask the group members to make further decisions about how they will work together to accomplish the task.
Low structure and low consideration
In this style, the leader maintains a low profile permitting followers to function within previously defined limits. At times, the leader may be available for consultation, to give direction, or for positive reinforcement. Such interaction is not planned on a regular basis but rather occurs as the need arises. This leader behavior style is delegation because control is shifted from the leader to the followers.

Additional studies that correlated the two leader behavior types (consideration and initiating structure), and impact on followers initially demonstrated that considerate leaders had a more positive impact on employee satisfaction than did structuring leaders.

For example, when leader effectiveness was defined by voluntary turnover or amount of grievances filed by followers, considerate leaders generated less turnover and grievances. But research that utilized performance criteria, such as group and productivity, showed initiating structure behavior was rated more effective.

Other studies involving aircraft commanders and university department heads revealed that leaders rated effective by followers exhibited a high level of both consideration and initiating structure behaviors, whereas leaders rated less effective displayed low levels of both behavior styles.

The Ohio State Studies on Leadership is one among the behavioral theories of leadership. A gaggle of researchers at Ohio State University conducted an in-depth study of leadership behavior and effectiveness. The essential purpose of this study was to spot the independent dimensions of leader behavior and to work out the effect of those dimensions on work performance and satisfaction.

After the Ohio State Studies, they found the 2 dimensions of a leader’s behavior, 1st is initiating structure and 2nd is a consideration.

Initiating structure refers to the extent to which a pacesetter (leader) probably going to line goals, define and structure his or her roles, define and organize the task which his followers need to do, specifies work relationships and directions, and regulates the performance of his group members. Leaders scoring high initiating structure could achieve high productivity or performance.

Consideration is defined because of the extent to which the leader features a supportive work relationship characterized by warmth and mutual trust, good relations, and respect for feelings, ideas, and suggestions of group members. there’s a robust concern for follower’s comfort, well-being, status, and satisfaction. The leader is friendly, approachable, and treats subordinates fairly.

These two leadership dimensions also can be represented within the following diagram:

Describing the above diagram:

1 – Leaders retreats to a generally passive role of allowing the situation to take care of itself.
2 – Leader strives to promote group harmony and social needs satisfaction.
3 – The leader strives to achieve a productive balance between getting the job done and maintains a cohesive friendly workgroup.
4 – Leader devotes primary attention to getting the job done. And, personal concerns are strictly secondary.

The Ohio State Studies’ two leadership orientations are independent of every other. That is, a pacesetter could also be high in both, high in one while low on the other or low on both. However, the studies concluded that the mixture of high consideration and initiating structure in leader behavior were likely to end in high productivity and satisfaction at an equivalent time.