Leadership Theory – The Vroom-Yetton Model
Leaders face many challenges when it comes to decision making and managing a team. There are many different models that have been developed to help leaders better understand and think critically when it comes to decision making. The Vroom-Yetton decision-making model is a structured decision-making framework that can help leaders choose the most effective leadership style to use based on the situation at hand. This model was developed by Victor H. Vroom and Phillip W. Yetton in 1973 and has been a valuable tool for leaders for decades.
The Vroom-Yetton Model takes into account numerous variables when deciding on the best style of leadership for a particular situation. These variables include the decision maker’s ability to influence the decision, the importance and complexity of the decision, how important is the quality of the decision versus the speed of making it, and finally the amount of leader-follower involvement. This model helps to emphasize the importance of situational context when making decisions.
The Vroom-Yetton Model is based on seven different leadership styles. Leaders can use one leadership style, several, or all of them according to the situation at hand. The seven leadership styles are: Autocratic I, Autocratic II, Consultative I, Consulative II, Group, Benevolent Authority, and Laissez-Faire. Each of the seven leadership styles have their own unique characteristics, ranging from the autocratic style where the leader makes all the decisions, to the laissez faire style where the leader provides minimal direction.
The model starts with the decision maker examining the situation and rating the amount of leader-follower involvement, importance and complexity of the decision, time constraint, and degree of influence the decision maker has on the outcome of the decision. The decision maker then moves to either of two paths.
The first path is the autocratic style. This style is used when the decision is relatively low in importance, there is a low amount of leader-follower involvement, and the decision maker has a high degree of influence over the outcome of the decision. This leadership style is the most directive and ensures that the decision is done quickly.
The second path is the participative style. This style is used when the decision is relatively high in importance and complexity, there is a high amount of leader-follower involvement, and the decision maker has a low degree of influence over the outcome of the decision. This leadership style is less directive, instead focusing on having group involvement.
Using the Vroom-Yetton Model, leaders are able to more accurately determine which leadership style is appropriate for a particular situation. This model eliminates the guess-work of which style of leadership to use, and helps ensure that the leader is choosing the most effective style for the situation. While the Vroom-Yetton Model may not be the only decision-making tool that leaders use, it is an important tool that can help maximize team effectiveness and help ensure that leaders are making the best decisions for their team and organization.
