Path †Goal Theory and the Jeanne Lewis Case Essay

In the Path-Goal surmisal of attractionship, the leader is effective when their personal manner has an impact on motivation. Follower enjoyment and performance abide be improve by offering rewards for goals, clarifying the mode to goal achievement, and removing impediments to task execution. Path-Goal Theory is link to the Expectancy model, which concludes that tribe argon do if they see their efforts contri entirelying to a desire goal. The expression of the follower and the leader are linked, so the correct application of the Path-Goal Theory let ins recognizing the situation of the follower and adopting a comparable leader behavior.Jeanne Lewis held several distinct roles during her betrothal at Staples, Inc. (Suesse, 2000). There are iv leader behaviors in the Path-Goal model, each of which was employ by Lewis at different generation and in different situations. The pursuit examples include a discussion of Lewis behavior, how her behavior relates to the Path-G oal model, employees reception to Lewis behavior, and how the employees behavior relates to the Path-Goal Theory. doing lead In 1994 Lewis was promoted to New England Director of Operations, inheriting an musical arrangement lacking in strong leadership, but with knowledgeable employees.Lewis replaced some employees, set strong-growing performance goals and challenged employees. These actions are indicative of the Achievement leadership style, wherein the leader is both demanding and supportive, sets thought-provoking goals, seeks continuous improvement, expects exalted performance, and encourages workers to assume more(prenominal) responsibility (Woolard, 2009). Lewis employees responded with attachd motivation debut new training programs and setting high goals for themselves.This behavior is representative of the Path-Goal theory wherein following adopt high goals leading to improve satisfaction and performance (Hersey, 2008, p. 00). The Achievement loss leadership st yle is used when there is a lack of job challenge in the follower. Directive Leadership Lewis was then travel to Merchandising, an new(prenominal) area in which she had no identify work experience. With no clip for her reports to teach her the ins and outs of merchandising, Lewis adopted the style of a Directive Leader and told her provide to devise it and fix it fast. The Directive Leader tells what is expected, how and when to do it and communicates how the task fits in with new(prenominal) tasks in the organization. The response from her employees to this style was favorable.They grow their thinking beyond just the equal of the product and the selling price, developing strategical thinking which resulted in a multiply of the direct product positivity. Lewis boss, Richard Gentry, remarked, Jeanne demonstrated that you can be a good merchant but you can also be strategic and think outside of the four walls (Suisse, 2000, p. 5). The impact to the follower of the Directive leadership style is clarification of the path to the goal. The employees expand their thinking to encompass the broad go in their path to expected building block performance. certificatory LeadershipWhen Lewis was selected to replace the departing decision maker Vice President of Marketing, Todd Krasnow, she once again had to adapt her leadership style in response to her team. Lewis was placed in manoeuver of retail merchandise and small pipeline to learn the ropes during Krasnows final metre at Staples. The department was comprised of two different assemblages marketing and an in-house denote agency. When she challenged a marketing program with the direct, rough and tumble style she was accustomed to using in her earlier assignments in operations and merchandising, the person presenting the persuasion was devastated.Lewis would have to adopt a Supportive style or would have mass leaving my office in diswholee and end up accomplishing nothing. Lewis do an effort to b e approachable, with an open adit policy. In this situation, where the follower lacks self confidence, a Supportive or Relationship behavior is needed. The Supportive Leader demonstrates concern for the intimately being of chase and is open and approachable. Employees responded favorably to her change in style. Supportive leader behavior has in it the objective to increase confidence in the follower, thereby change magnitude their productivity and performance. Participative LeadershipWhen merger plans with percentage Depot were blocked by the courts, the Staples watchfulness team refocused on growth and profit powerfulness of the Staples stain. In Lewis mind, the marketing department was the brand champion and primeval support for other departments. The department was divided, however, with a marketing and advertising side that did not operate in concert. Lewis remarked, the thought I would go domicil with at night was, if they knew more, then they would do a better job. L ewis began holding staff meetings in an attempt to appoint discipline and decision making and break blast the wall between the departments. I was knocked out(p) that while we had this huge marketing compute that everyone shared, no one knew what the other people were doing (Suesse, 2000, p. 8). A Participative Leader approaches the task in a consulting, group-wise manner. They share work problems and tap suggestions in an effort to include the entire organization in the decision-making process. Lewis expanded meetings with direct reports in an attempt to increase group interaction and encouraged advertising managers to share their work across business unit boundaries.This style changes reward and clarifies the needs of the followers. In Lewis case she was able to get key stakeholders in differing departments to buy in to more strategic thinking. Jeanne Lewis was given ever change magnitude responsibility at Staples due to her ability to adapt her leadership style to fit out the changing needs of her subordinates. By following the Path-Goal Theory, Lewis was able to harness the power of her followers and achieve success for the organization.