Leadership Consultant Jeff Whippo talks in detail about Fiedler’s Contingency Model, according to which Situational Favorability signals the amount of control a leader has over his or her followers. He shares that Fiedler classified three sub-elements in determining favorability:

 Leader-Member Relations
 Task Structure
 Position Power

Whippo describes leader-member relations as the most powerful of the sub-elements in determining overall situational favorability. What is measured is whether the relationship between the leader and the followers is generally cooperative and friendly or antagonistic and difficult. He says that when leaders rate leader-member relations high, they have the support of their followers and can therefore rely on their loyalty.

Jeff Whippo defines task structure in that the leader must objectively assess whether there are detailed descriptions of products, standard operating procedures, or objective indicators of how well the tasks are being completed. He explains that high level of affirmative responses to task structure indicates higher structure of the task.

Jeff concludes by elluding that the weakest of the three sub-elements is position power. He says that titles of authority, the authority to administer rewards and punishments, and the legitimacy to conduct performance appraisals on followers have greater position power than leaders that lack these elements. Additionally, when the relative weights of these three components are taken together, they can be used to create a continuum of situational favorability.

About Jeffery D Whippo

Jeffery D Whippo is a professional educator and developer of people, teams, and leaders. He is a well-educated professional who has attended California Coast University, Boston University, California State Polytechnic University, Community College of the Air Force, and Citrus College. He also worked as a Combat Intelligence Specialist for the USAF for almost 4 years. He contributes to a number of charitable causes including The Jimmy Fund, Junior Diabetes, Goodwill, and American Veterans.

Jeffery is an avid learner who loves to study ancient history and psychology. He is also a veteran member of the VFW.