TY  - JOUR
AB  - Purpose Empirical tests of Hersey and Blanchard’s situational leadership theory (SLT) have demonstrated that the assessment of follower competence and commitment, critical contextual features dictating optimal leadership style, poses several problems in testing the validity of this theory. As well, most previous studies have used leader rating as the only information source in making these assessments. The purpose of this paper is to use the degree of agreement between leader rating and follower self-rating to determine follower competence and commitment, and consequently an optimal leadership style.Design/methodology/approach Survey data collected from both supervisors and employees in business organizations in Norway were analyzed to test the predictions put forward in SLT.Findings The results show that SLT principles are supported when leader rating and follower self-rating are congruent. However, no support was obtained for Blanchard’s suggestion to apply followers’ self-ratings of competence and commitment in the case of discrepant ratings of follower development level. But data do support the contention that leader assessment would be a better basis for providing followers with appropriate direction and support.Originality/value So far SLT has been a very popular but as yet under-researched theory. An important contribution of the present study is by making SLT an evidence-based theory, as opposed to just being intuitively sound. As such, the authors think SLT in an updated “convergent” version should be applied in organizations and taught in leadership development programs.
VL  - 39
IS  - 5
SN  - 0143-7739
DO  - 10.1108/LODJ-01-2018-0050
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-01-2018-0050
AU  - Thompson Geir
AU  - Glasø Lars
PY  - 2018
Y1  - 2018/01/01
TI  - Situational leadership theory: a test from a leader-follower congruence approach
T2  - Leadership & Organization Development Journal
PB  - Emerald Publishing Limited
SP  - 574
EP  - 591
Y2  - 2024/05/07
ER  -