Cognitive Resource Theory
The cognitive resource theory states the influence of the leader's resources on his or her reaction to stress. The cognitive resources of a leader are experience, intelligence, competence, and task-relevant knowledge. Stress is common in resource managing situations, and this cognitive theory emphasizes how intelligence and experience are each best under different stress situations. This theory is the reconceptualization of the Fiedler model.
In the early 1990s, the original model of Fiedler was re-conceptualized by Fiedler and his associate Joe Garcia, as Cognitive Resource Theory. In this model, the focus has been laid on the role of stress as a form of situational un-favorableness and how a leader’s intelligence and experience influence her/his reaction to stress.
What is meant by cognition?
Cognition is the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses. Good examples of cognition are learning and our ability to reason through logic. Cognitive processes use existing knowledge and generate new knowledge. Cognitive processes are analyzed from different perspectives within different contexts like psychiatry, psychology, education, philosophy, and computer science.
Cognitive Resource Theory of Leadership
The Contingency Model developed by Fiedler was criticized for its lack of flexibility and also over the accuracy of the LPC scale. Fiedler then went on to develop the Cognitive Resource Theory (CRT) which takes into account the personality of the leader, degree of situational stress, and group-leader relations.
The assumption behind this theory is that stress impacts the ability to make decisions. It is the enemy of rationality and a leader cannot think in a logical and analytical manner if she/he is under a high level of stress. According to this proposition, the importance of a leader’s intelligence and experience to effectiveness differs under low and high-stress situations.
Fiedler and Gracia state that a leader’s intellectual ability correlates positively with performance under low stress but negatively under high stress. And conversely, a leader’s experience correlates negatively with performance under low stress but positively under high stress.
Thus, according to Fiedler and Gracia, the level of stress in a situation, determines whether an individual’s intelligence or experience will contribute to leadership performance.
Predictions of Cognitive Resource Theory
The Cognitive Resource theory predicts that the leader's abilities and intelligence can aid organizational success only when leaders adopt a directive leadership style, the situation is stress-free, the group members are supportive and the task requires high intellect. These attributes are discussed below:
1. Directive Approach
When a leader is better in cognitive abilities like intelligence, planning, and decision-making, he must follow a directive approach to improve the overall performance of the team. He needs to communicate to the group what to do, to ensure his plans and decisions are implemented, hence improving the overall performance of the group.
When the group and the people on the group are better than the leader in cognitive abilities, then the leader should choose a non-directive approach. He should seek ideas from the group and identify the best approach/idea and move ahead with the same.
A leader's cognitive ability contributes to the performance of the team only when the leader uses the directive leadership style.
2. Impact of Stress
Stress has a direct co-relation with intelligence and decision quality.
When there is a low stress, then intelligence is fully functional and makes an optimal contribution.
When there is high stress, natural intelligence does not make any difference, but may also have a negative effect.
3. Supportive Group Members
A leader's abilities will contribute to group performance only when group members are supportive of the leader and his goals. In such a situation leader's directions can be easily followed and implemented.
4. Cognitively Demanding Tasks
The intellectual abilities and intelligence of the leader can only be utilized efficiently in difficult, cognitively demanding tasks.
What are the practical applications of Cognitive Resource Theory?
The theory proposes the style of leadership required depending on three variables – the degree of stress, situational control, and task structure.
Leaders should be trained on stress management so that a leader's intellect can be most effectively utilized and also to train leaders to take a directive approach when their knowledge will benefit the group but a less directive approach when group member abilities will contribute to performance.
Based on this theory, for a given situation, depending on the level of the stress, leaders can decide on whether to rely on intelligence or on experience. For low-stress situations, one should rely on intelligence; however, for high-stress situations, one should rely on experience.
In high-stress situations, leaders who are more experienced will produce more quality results. In high-stress situations, rational solutions are generally not available and hence intelligence will not be able to support the decision-making process, whereas previous experience can allow the leader to react.
What are the cognitive resources of the self?
The cognitive resources of a leader refer to their experience, intelligence, competence, and task-relevant knowledge. A leader's knowledge can contribute to performance if it is efficiently communicated, hence requiring a directive leader and also a compliant group that is willing to undertake the commands of the leader.
Related Links
You May Also Like
-
The Systemic Approach to Leadership
The systemic approach to leadership looks at the organization as a whole and focuses on the understanding of the organization as a system. Moving to systems thinking demand managers to view organizations as organic systems. Leaders are also part of this complex system which is constantly undergoing change and evolving. The leaders need to manage the relations and networks within these systems by acting with systemic awareness.
-
In the field of communication studies, there are numerous models. No one model is suitable for all purposes and all levels of analysis. Some common models are known as Lasswell Model, George Gerbner Model, David Berlo Model, Shanon and Weaver Model, Osgoods Model, and Schramm Model. All these describe the four components of the communication process, namely, the source (communicator), the message, the channel, the receiver (audience).
-
Reciprocal influence theory also known as reciprocal determinism is authored by Albert Bandura and states that an individual's behavior influences and is influenced by both the social world and personal characteristics. Three factors that influence behavior are the environment, the individual, and the behavior itself. Certain leader behaviors can cause subordinate behaviors and reciprocal influence on the leader by the group.
-
Leadership Participation Inventory (LPI)
Kouzes and Posner introduced the Leadership Participation Inventory model of Transformational leadership. This model is also known as Kouzes and Posner's Leadership Challenge Model. They identified five practices of exemplary leadership - Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enabling Others to Act, and Encourage the Heart.
-
The four theory of leadership was formulated after studying hundreds of leaders and the model includes four basic dimensions of effective leadership - support; interaction; facilitation; goal emphasis, and work facilitation. This model was tested as a predictor of an organization's effectiveness.
-
Certain generally accepted truths or principles of communication are important to consider when communicating with others. These principles hold true for all people in every culture. By understanding these principles, you will experience greater communication effectiveness. An effective communication system is one that achieved its objectives. Communication is effective where there are no barriers to communication.
-
Contingency Theories of Leadership
Contingency theories of leadership focus on both the leader's persona as well as the situation/environment in which that leader operates. These theories consider the context of leadership which means whether or not the leadership style suits a particular situation and states that a leader can be effective in one circumstance and a failure in another one. A leader will be most effective when he applies the right leadership style to a given situation and environment around him. Contingent leaders are flexible and adaptable.
-
Investment Theory of Creativity
Sternberg in the year 2006, proposed the investment and confluence theory focused on understanding creativity. According to the investment theory, creativity requires a confluence of six distinct but interrelated resources known as intellectual abilities, knowledge, styles of thinking, personality, motivation, and environment. It emphasizes that creativity is not about one thing, but about a system of things.
-
The multiple linkage model states that leadership effectiveness is based on six variables. Multiple variables of a leader's behavior and situation have a linkage to the performance of the individual follower and work unit performance. The theory is based on the notion of the link between the organization process and managerial influence.
-
Servant Leadership is a recent revolutionary theory of leadership that focuses on leaders achieving authority rather than power. A servant leader considers the needs of others and tries to serve the followers by becoming a servant first. Servant leadership is leading with a desire to better serve others.
