Leadership has been a mysterious and controversial topic of discussion. Researchers have attempted to discover what factors determine how a leader acts and what traits, abilities, behaviors, sources of power, or aspects of the situation determine the extent to which a leader is able to influence followers and achieve goals. of the group. To demystify leadership, many research findings and theories have emerged. One of these theories is the path-goal theory. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Path-goal theory deals with how leaders motivate their subordinates to achieve specific goals. The emphasis is on motivating the subordinate to improve their performance and satisfaction. To motivate subordinates, the leader's behavior must match the characteristics of the subordinates and the work environment. Path-goal theory assumes that subordinates will be motivated if they believe they can accomplish their work, if they believe their efforts will result in a certain outcome, and if they believe the outcome of their work is worth it. the punishment. This theory uses the expectancy theory of motivation to explain how a leader can influence the satisfaction and efforts of his or her subordinates. In other words, the path-goal leadership theory was developed to explain how a leader's behavior influences the satisfaction and performance of his or her subordinates. In the path-goal theory, the leader is expected to help the subordinate progress on the path to productivity or goals. . The leader can do this by setting goals, clarifying the path, removing obstacles, and providing support. The leader's role is to help subordinates work to stay on track to achieve desired goals. To do this, the leader used the following components of the path-goal theory: leader behaviors, subordinate characteristics, task characteristics, and motivation. The leader's behaviors are directive, supportive, participatory and success-oriented. These leader behaviors, according to Northouse (2018), affect the motivation of subordinates differently. In directive leadership, the leader sets clear and concise standards and rules, gives explicit instructions. The directive leader lets subordinates know what they are supposed to do and provides them with specific advice. I remember times when I had directive leaders. For example, after college, I joined the National Guard. During basic classes, the drill sergeant told us that we had to follow orders without question. He gave the orders and we executed them. When there were tasks to be performed, whether it was the correct way to put on a gas mask or salute an officer, the standards and instructions were clear and precise. There is no doubt that the drill sergeants demonstrated directive leadership. Supportive leadership cares about the well-being of subordinates. The supportive leader takes into account the needs of his subordinates and cares about their well-being. This type of leader takes care of their subordinates by creating a friendly and comfortable work environment. My family owned a bakery and a restaurant. My aunt who managed both was a very supportive leader. I saw her support an employee who was going through a difficult time while her mother was in the hospital. She helped a new employee from England acclimate to the island lifestyle. She supported the worker who workedin the wood oven because she knew how dangerous her job was. A leader who involves his subordinates in the decision-making process, consults them and takes into account their opinions and suggestions demonstrates participative leadership. My sister is the manager of a factory that makes filters for industrial air conditioners. She said that sometimes when there are defective products. She asked employees on the assembly line for their opinions. They also think about how they could improve productivity and reduce incidents of in-game errors. Northouse (2018) described the achievement-oriented leader as one who challenges subordinates to perform their jobs at their highest possible level. In achievement-oriented leadership, leaders have high performance expectations from their subordinates. Subordinates are rewarded if expectations are met. I have seen achievement-oriented leadership manifest in my workplace. Often we are told that if we complete a specific task we can leave early or not have a report on a day's planning. Additionally, bonuses are awarded to those who have met or exceeded expectations. In addition to leadership behaviors, subordinate characteristics and task characteristics are elements of path-goal theory. Subordinate characteristics define how a leader's behavior will be perceived by the subordinate in a given work context. Subordinates with a high need for affiliation will appreciate friendly, concerned leadership and a supportive leader would be ideal. Directive leadership would be best suited to subordinates who have a strong need for structure because they need task clarity and psychological structure. Subordinates who have an internal locus of control need participative leadership because it allows them to feel responsible for their work and an integral part of the decision-making process. Directive leadership works best for subordinates with an external locus of control. The directive leader will help alleviate subordinates' feelings of anxiety about external forces controlling their subordinates' situation. Job characteristics involve clearly structured tasks for subordinates, group norms, and an established system of authority. When all of these characteristics are in place, subordinates will have little or no need for the leader because the work will be motivating. However, if task characteristics are not in place, if tasks are repetitive, ambiguous, if authority systems are not strong, and if group norms are weak, then leadership must be involved to ensure and reinforce cohesion, defining roles and creating rules as well as providing support. structure and motivation. In path goal theory, the leader impacts the performance, satisfaction, and motivation of subordinates by rewarding goal achievement and removing obstacles to performance. The strengths of path goal theory are that it provides a useful theoretical framework, it integrates motivation, and it is practical. Some criticisms of path-goal theory are that it is complex and confusing, that it has only partial empirical support, that it explains the relationship between leadership behavior and worker motivation well, and that it it imposes many responsibilities on the leader and not on the manager. too little on subordinates. This could promote addiction. The Path-Goal Leadership Questionnaire is used to provide information to respondents on four different leadership styles:?