Followers' phenomenological field as an explanatory framework to Fiedler's situational favorability dimension

Fiedler's contingency model (FCM) is based on the assumption that the interaction between leader's characteristics (leader's LPC) and the controllability of the situation determines followers' productivity. The present paper, based on Lewinian analysis, suggests that followers' productivity is determined by followers' goals and motivations. These goals and motivation are partially determined by the situation and partially by the followers' perception of the situation. The leader is only a part of this. To demonstrate this claim a role play study was conducted. Subjects received a description of a leader (high or low LPC) and information about the followers' motivation in the situation. Four sets of situational conditions, characterized by octants 1, 4, 5, and 8 of the FCM were used. The dependent variable consisted of subjects' predictions of followers' productivity. It was hypothesized that the correlations between the projected group's productivity and leader's LPC would not be lower those that obtained by Fiedler, although the situational variables were replaced by information about followers' motivation. The hypothesis was confirmed.