Browne, Geoffrey Hooper

Thomas, A Ross

Hannah, William

1985

The purpose of this study is to examine leader behaviour, particularly leadership styles, of academic department heads in Thai teachers' colleges using as a basic framework the Situational Leadership Theory as developed by Hersey and Blanchard (1977) at the Centre for Leadership Studies, Ohio University. Situational Leadership Theory is based on a curvilinear, as opposed to a simple linear, relationship between task and relationship behaviour and maturity of followers. The theory attempts to provide leaders with some understanding of the relationship between effective styles of leadership and the maturity level of their followers. The study further attempted to investigate a number of other variables thought likely to influence choices of leadership styles. Such variables included Thai cultural traits, religious tenets, Western education and length of experience in position held. ... The research would have to be regarded as a pilot study only and its conclusions tentative. Although the department heads were observed as being generally effective in their leader behaviour in their daily work where their staff members were assumedly of limited range of maturity levels (moderately high to high), the non choice of all four possible leadership styles in the LEAD instruments indicates a strong potential that in real-life situations where staff members encompass all four maturity levels (low, moderately low, moderately high, high) much of their leader behaviour would be inappropriate and thus ineffective.

https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/12425

en

A Study of the Leader Behaviour of the Academic Department Heads in Thai Teachers' Colleges from the Standpoint of Situational Leadership Theory

Thesis Doctoral

Publication