Abstract
Fiedler has recently proposed that the direction of the relationship between the leadership personality trait LPC and group productivity is mediated by the favorability of the atmosphere in the group in which leadership is exercised. One crucial aspect of this so-called contingency model is the manner in which the favorability of a group's atmosphere for the exercise of leadership is measured. Fiedler's measure of favorability, while empirically valid, does not allow for determination of the general properties of favorable groups. This paper demonstrates that groups classified as favorable in Fiedler's usage of this term are characterized by many general group dimensions including intimacy, hedonic tone, potency, cohesiveness, participation, polarization, stratification, and flexibility. The dimension called “favorability” is specifiable in terms of many basic dimensions of groups and appears to be a fruitful concept for basic group research.
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