Leadership Theories

Application: Theories
Before delving into the specifics of leadership and organizational change, it may be wise to learn the overarching theories that explain the two concepts. While there currently are not an abundance of theories on organizational change, there are theories that inform organizational change. Such theories include open-system theory which describes a continual interaction between the organization and its environment. By comparison, theories of leadership are more well-established and empirically-researched. They can be categorized in eight major types. This week, you focus on contingency and charismatic theories of leadership, but you will review other types in upcoming weeks on leadership styles. Leadership style plays a key role in organizational change outcomes, another concept you will consider later in the course.
To prepare for this assignment:
• Review Chapters 4, 7, and 8 in the course text, Organization Change: Theory and Practice. Think about various theories and models of organizational change.
• Review Chapters 9 and 10 in the course text, Leading Organizations: Perspectives for a New Era, and take note of leadership theories that might explain various leadership styles.
• Using the Walden Library or the Internet, identify and research an organization that has gone through a significant organizational change for use for this assignment.
• Think about organizational change theories that may account for the change that occurred in the organization you selected.
• Consider which leadership theories might explain the actions of the leader in the organization you selected.
The assignment (4–5 pages):
• Describe the organization you researched for this assignment. Include a summary of the organizational change that occurred in the organization and a profile of the leader(s) involved in the change.
• Describe organizational change theories that account for the organizational change that occurred and explain why. Be specific.
• Describe one or more leadership theory(ies) that account for the actions of the leader(s) and explain why. Be specific.

• Course Text: Organization Change: Theory and Practice

o Chapter 4, “Theoretical Foundations of Organizations and Organization Change”
o Chapter 7, “Organizations Change: Research and Theory”
o Chapter 8, “Conceptual Models for Understanding Organization Change”
• Course Text: Leading Organizations: Perspectives for a New Era

o Chapter 9, “Charismatic Theory”
o Chapter 10, “Contingency Theories of Leadership”
Optional Resources
• Cherry, K. (n.d.). Leadership Theories–8 Major Leadership Theories. Retrieved June 21, 2010, from http://psychology.about.com/od/leadership/p/leadtheories.htm

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