Evaluate the effectiveness of substitutes for leadership Essay

Evaluate the effectiveness of substitutes for leadership - Essay Example One type of these factors is that of substitutes, which comprise subordinate, task, and organization characteristics. Subordinate characteristics can reduce the need for a leader because their instructions are either irrelevant or do not add value to the workplace. If employees have prior experience or training, then they likely possess the needed skills and knowledge to perform a task without input from a superior (Yukl, 2008, p.236). One example of a profession that would make use of this is that of professional sportsmen. Once they are able to perform to a high standard of play, the effectiveness of a leader, or coach, lessens. What highly skilled people like this need is a type of manager to get them to perform to the best of their abilities consistently. Task characteristics often don’t require a leader simply because of the mundane nature of the job. Low skilled labor jobs are likely to make leaders ineffective because employees are able to guide themselves. Feedback may still be an important part of a job, but it is not necessary for a leader to do this. It may be that a technologically advanced system can judge an employee’s work, or peer review could provide feedback from fellow employees. The key premise to this type of substitute for leadership is that subordinates are able to follow instructions by themselves and are high motivated individuals (Yukl, 2008, p.237) Organizational characteristics also can be used in place of a leader because the organization as a whole is more efficient than one person. Once employees because used to a company’s organizational structure and daily work tasks, there are many things that can be completed without consulting top management first. Also, the concept of team work can be enhanced so that group discussion can occur horizontally rather than vertically. Despite the number of leaders decreasing, the initial concept of what a leader was