Researchers at the Ohio State University identified two major behaviors

The Ohio State Model of Leader Behavior (also called Ohio State Leadership Studies) is a survey framework on leadership studies conducted by a group of researchers to address the question of how behavior of a leader impacts on members of group's job performanceOpens in new window, and satisfactionOpens in new window.

A series of surveys on leadership behavior was conducted by researchers at the Ohio State UniversityOpens in new window to identify specific dimensions of leader behavior. The study narrowed a list of almost 2,000 leader behaviors into a questionnaire which they developed and labeled “Leader Behavior Description QuestionnaireOpens in new window (LBDQ)”.

The questionnaire contained 150 examples of definitive leader behaviors and was administered to employees. Hundreds of employees responded to behavior examples according to the degree to which their leaders engaged in the various behaviors.

The analysis of ratings resulted in two wide-ranging categories of leader behavior types, identified as consideration and initiating structure.

• Consideration describes the extent to which the leader exhibits concern for the welfare of the group and its members. It involves two-way communication, responding to the group’s needs by requesting opinions, beliefs, desires, and so forth. Group activities and discussions are consideration interventions.

  Further, consideration refers to establishing mutual trust between and among group members, showing respect and warmth. Establishing effective interpersonal relationships is part of consideration.

• Initiating structure describes the degree to which a leader organizes and defines the roles and activities of group members. It involves stating a goal and delineating what is to be done, how it will be done, when it will be done, where it will be done, and who is responsible for specific tasks. This leadership style involves one-way communication; the leader tells followers what to do in order to accomplish a goal.

Researchers have hypothesized that group performance would be maximized when a manager exhibits a leadership style that is high in both consideration and initiating structure.

When the two components of leadership are placed on separate axes and the window boxes are filled in, as the figure indicates below, four leader behavior styles result.

Ohio State model of leadership. Source: Paul Hersey, Kenneth H Blanchard, Management of Organizational Behavior: Utilizing Human Resources, ed 3, (1977, p 95).

The four quadrants in the Ohio State model can be explained as follows.

1. High structure/low consideration

   A leader primarily defines the task, explains to the group each person’s responsibility, and states when tasks should be done. One-way communication characterizes the leader’s behavior even though the low relationship behavior should be observable. The low relationship behavior is simply respect and warmth toward another and positive reinforcement after a goal is completed. No group decision making is included in this style.

2. High structure/high consideration

   A leader balances concern for the intricacies of getting a task accomplished with a concern for the beliefs, desires, and needs of the group. The leader might define a goal, designate what needs to be done and who has specific responsibilities, and invite questions or reactions. The leader’s original plan might be altered given the followers’ reactions. In this style of leadership, the leader is still in full control but group interaction is begun.

3. High consideration/low structure

   In this style, the leader’s primary concern is not the task and its various intricacies. Rather, concern for the process, for getting the group to work together effectively to accomplish the task. The leader still has some control over how the group accomplishes the task. In this style, for example, a leader might define the problem and ask the group members to make further decisions about how they will work together to accomplish the task.

4. Low structure and low consideration

   In this style, the leader maintains a low profile permitting followers to function within previously defined limits. At times, the leader may be available for consultation, to give direction, or for positive reinforcement. Such interaction is not planned on a regular basis but rather occurs as the need arises. This leader behavior style is delegation because control is shifted from the leader to the followers.

Additional studies that correlated the two leader behavior types (consideration and initiating structure), and impact on followers initially demonstrated that considerate leaders had a more positive impact on employee satisfaction than did structuring leaders.

For example, when leader effectiveness was defined by voluntary turnover or amount of grievances filed by followers, considerate leaders generated less turnover and grievances. But research that utilized performance criteria, such as group and productivity, showed initiating structure behavior was rated more effective.

Other studies involving aircraft commanders and university department heads revealed that leaders rated effective by followers exhibited a high level of both consideration and initiating structure behaviors, whereas leaders rated less effective displayed low levels of both behavior styles.

Early studies on leadership were done at Ohio State University using the Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire to identify the leader's observable behaviors. Ohio State study on leadership found two behavioral characteristics of leadership - people-oriented (consideration) and task-oriented (initiating structure) leadership style.

As leadership studies that were aimed at identifying the appropriate traits didn't yield any conclusive results,, Stogdill (1957) at the Bureau of Business Research at Ohio State University initiated ‘a series of researches on leadership in 1945. He, along with his colleagues, studied leader behavior in numerous types of groups and situations by using a “Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire (LBDQ)”.

Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire (LBDQ):

The Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire (LBDQ) was developed by the staff of the Personnel Research Board, The Ohio State University, as one project of the Ohio State Leadership Studies, directed by Dr. Carroll L. Shartle. LBDQ constituted of a list of 150 statements from their generated responses that included 1,800 statements. The resulting questionnaire is now well-known as the “LBDQ” or the “Leaders Behavior Description Questionnaire”. The LBDQ is published by the Bureau of Business Research, College of Commerce and Administration, The Ohio State University; Columbus, OH. The version presented below was copyrighted in 1957 and may still be ordered if you wish to use it.

The LBDQ’s list of questions was designed to measure nine different behavioral leadership dimensions. The LBDQ provides a technique whereby group members may describe the behavior of the leader, or leaders, in any type of group or organization, provided the followers have had an opportunity to observe the leader in action as a leader of their group. LBDQ questions given below are only for research and knowledge purposes.

SN	Leader Behavior Description	Factors
1	S/he does personal favors for group members.	Consideration
2	S/he makes her/his attitudes clear to the group. A B C D E	Initiating Structure
3	S/he does little things to make it pleasant to be a member of the group.	Consideration
4	S/he tries out his new ideas with the group.	Initiating Structure
5	S/he acts as the real leader of the group.	Not Used
6	S/he is easy to understand.	Consideration
7	S/he rules with an iron hand.	Initiating Structure
8	S/he finds time to listen to group members.	Consideration
9	S/he criticizes poor work.	Initiating Structure
10	S/he gives advance notice of changes.	Not Used
11	S/he speaks in a manner not to be questioned.	Initiating Structure
12	S/he keeps to her/himself.	Consideration
13	S/he looks out for the personal welfare of individual group members.	Consideration
14	S/h assigns group members to particular tasks.	Initiating Structure
15	S/he is the spokesman of the group.	Not Used
16	S/he schedules the work to be done.	Initiating Structure
17	S/he maintains definite standards of performance.	Initiating Structure
18	S/he refuses to explain her/his actions.	Consideration
19	S/he keeps the group informed.	Not Used
20	S/he acts without consulting the group.	Consideration
21	S/he backs up the members in their actions.	Consideration
22	S/he emphasizes the meeting of deadlines.	Initiating Structure
23	S/he treats all group members as her/his equals.	Consideration
24	S/he encourages the use of uniform procedures.	Initiating Structure
25	S/he gets what s/he asks for from her/his superiors.	Not Used
26	S/he is willing to make changes.	Consideration
27	S/he makes sure that her/his part in the organization is understood by group members.	Initiating Structure
28	S/he is friendly and approachable.	Consideration
29	S/he asks that group members follow standard rules and regulations.	Initiating Structure
30	S/he fails to take necessary action.	Not Used
31	S/he makes group members feel at ease when talking with them.	Consideration
32	S/he lets group members know what is expected of them.	Initiating Structure
33	S/he speaks as the representative of the group.	Not Used
34	S/he puts suggestions made by the group into action.	Consideration
35	S/he sees to it that group members are working up to capacity.	Initiating Structure
36	S/he lets other people take away her/his leadership in the group.	Not Used
37	S/he gets her/his superiors to act for the welfare of the group.	Not Used
38	S/he gets group approval in important matters before going ahead.	Consideration
39	S/he sees to it that the work of the group members is coordinated.	Initiating Structure
40	S/he keeps the group working together as a team.	Not Used

How the Study was conducted?

The studies were conducted on Air Force Commanders and members of bomber crews, officers, non-commissioned personnel, civilian administrators in the Navy Department, manufacturing supervisors, executives, teachers, principals and school superintendents and leaders of various civilian groups. As part of the study, the LBDQ was administered to these various groups of individuals which ranged from college students and their administrators, private companies including military personnel. One of the primary purposes of the study was to identify common leadership behaviors. The LBDQ was administered in a wide variety of situations.

They did not have any satisfactory definition of leadership. They also did not think leadership is synonymous with `good' leadership. After compiling and analyzing the results, the study led to the conclusion that there were two groups of behaviors that were strongly correlated. The Ohio State studies examined leaders’ task versus people orientation. Two dimensions of; leadership continually emerging from the study were `consideration' and the other was ‘initiating structure’. These were defined as Consideration (People Oriented behavioral Leaders) and Initiating Structure (Task Oriented Leaders). 

Consideration – People Oriented: 

Consideration reflects the extent to which individuals are likely to have job, relationship characterized by mutual respect for subordinates, ideas and consideration of subordinates, feelings. You may like to describe it as the behavior of the leader indicating friendship, mutual trust, respect and warmth in the relationship between the leader and his group members. The people oriented leaders are focusing their behaviors on ensuring that the inner needs of the people are satisfied. Thus they will seek to motivate their staff through emphasizing the human relation. People oriented leaders still focus on the task and the results; they just achieve them through different means. 

Examples of observed behavior of the leader under consideration are as follows: 

Consideration:

• The leaders find time to listen to group members
• The leader is willing to make change
• The leader is friendly and approachable
• The leader is Encouraging
• The leader is observing
• The leader is listening
• The leader provides coaching and mentoring 

Initiating Structure – Task Oriented: 

Initiating structure reflects the extent to which individuals are likely to define and structure their roles and those of their subordinates towards goal attainment. In other words, it is the behavior of the leader which deals with the relationship between him and the work-group and tries to establish well-defined patterns of organization, channels of communication and method of procedure. The task concerned leaders are focusing their behaviors on the organizational structure, the operating procedures (S.O.P.) and they like to keep control. Task-oriented leaders are still concerned with their staff motivation; however it's not their main concern. 

Examples of observed behavior of the leader under initiating structure are as follows: 

Initiating Structure:

• The leader assigns group members to particular tasks
• The leader asks the group members to follow standard rules and regulations
• The leader lets group members know what is expected of them
• The leader initiates
• The leader organizes
• The leader clarifies
• The leader works towards information Gathering 

Prescribed Activity:

In the above example of items check how frequently as a leader you engage yourself by marking A(Always), O(Occasionally) or N(Never), against each one of the items in the list of statements given above. This may help you to know your own style of leadership. One can do this exercise by observing and judging the behavior of the leader in a work situation.

Conclusions from the Study: 

Conceptually, the Ohio State studies helped to shift the focus of the field from a universal trait approach to a more situational, behavioral-based view. The Ohio State studies contributed a model of programmatic construct, validation and investigation, and provided future researchers with useful research instruments. These studies, attempted to find what behaviors substantially accounted for most of the leadership behavior described by employees.  Beginning with over a thousand dimensions, researchers narrowed the list to two explained above. Both factors were found to be associated with effective leadership.  Followers of leaders who are high in consideration were more satisfied with their jobs; more motivated, and had more respect for their leader.  Leaders who were high in initiating structure typically had higher levels of group and organization productivity along with more positive performance evaluations. The findings of the LBDQ indicate that a successful leader will possess a strong ability to be considerate of others, as well as an ability to initiate structure. In the workplace this might be a manager who is very personable and understanding, but is also able to set expectations and guidelines that require workers to be motivated, efficient, and able to produce high-quality work.

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The open systems model of leadership acknowledges the influence of the environment on organizations. An open system regularly exchanges feedback with its external environment. The environment also provides key resources that are necessary to sustain and lead to change and survival. Leadership in an open system should focus on influence, open communication, and patterns to control expanding the number of variables created by external dynamics.

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