Chapter 6| Path-Goal Theory 129 130 LEADERSHIP THEORY AND PRACTICE Through the years, Daniel has found that employees who work best in desktop publishing are a unique type of person, very different from those who work in duplicating. They are usually quite independent, self-assured, and self-motivated. In supervising them, Daniel gives them a lot of space, is available when they need help, but otherwise leaves them alone. Daniel likes the role of being the resource person for these employees. For example, if an employee is having difficulty on a customer’s project, he willingly joins the employee in if one of the staff is having problems with a software program, Daniel is quick to offer his technical expertise. Because the employees in desktop publishing are self-directed, Daniel spends far less time with them than Being the orchestra instructor at Middletown is challenging because it involves teaching music classes, directing the high school orchestra, and directing both the middle school and grade school orchestra programs. When dasses started, Martina hit the ground running and found she liked teaching, exhilarated by her work with students. After her first year, however, she is having misgivings about her decision to teach. Most of all, she is feeling troubled by how different students are in each of the three programs, and how her leadership does not seem to be effective with all the students. Running the elementary orchestra program is demanding, but fun. A lot of parents want their children to play an instrument, so the turnout for orchestra is really strong, and it is the largest of the three Middletown programs. Many students have never held an instrument before, so teaching them is quite a challenge. Learning to make the cornet sound like a cornet or moving the bow of a cello so it sounds like a cello is a huge undertaking. Whether it is drums, bass viol, dlarinet, or saxophone, Martina patiently shows the kids how to play and consistently compli- ments them every small step of the way. First and foremost, she wants each child to feel like he or she can “do it. She instructs her students with great detail about how to hold the instruments, position their tongues, and read notes. They respond well to Martina’s kindness and forbearance, and the parents are thrilled. The orchestra’s spring concert had many wild sounds but was also wildly successful, with excited chil- dren and happy parents Overall, Daniel feels successful with his leadership at The Copy Center. Profits for the store continue to grow each year, and its reputation for high-quality service is widespread. 1. According to path-goal theory, why is Daniel an effective leader? 2. How does his leadership style affect the motivation of employees at The Copy Center? How do characteristics of the task and the followers influence Daniel’s leadership? 3. 4. One of the principles of path-goal theory is to make the end goal The middle school orchestra is somewhat smaller in size and presents different challenges for Martina. The students in this orchestra are starting to sound good on their instruments and are willing to play together as a group, but some of them are becoming disinterested and want to quit. Martina uses a different style of leadership with the mid- dle schoolers, stressing practice and challenging students to improve their skills. At this level, students are placed in “chairs” for each instru ment. The best players sit in the first chair, the next best are second chair, and so on down to the last chair. Each week, the students engage in “challenges” for the chairs. If students practice hard and improve, they can advance to a higher chair, students who don’t practice can slip down to a lower chair. Martina puts up charts to track students practice hours, and when they reach established goals, they can choose a reward from “the grab bag of goodies, which has candy, trinkets and gift cards. Never knowing what their prize will be motivates the students, especially as they all want to get the gift cards. Although some kids avoid practice because they find it tedious and boring, many valuable to workers. What could Daniel do to improve follower moti- vation in this area? Playing in the Orchestra Martina Bates is the newly hired orchestra teacher at Middletown School District in rural Sparta, Kansas. After graduating from the Juilliard School of Music, Martina had intended to play violin professionally, but when no jobs became available, she accepted an offer to teach orchestra in her hometown, believing it would be a good place to hone her skills until a professional position became available. https://d2vlcm61l7u1fs.cloudfront.net/media%2F1f3%2F1f3a937e-0c43-43d9-960a-e9871c224027%2FphpdwfpsB.png