LEADERSHIP SKILLS
What Is the Leader Attribution Model?
Learn to navigate the potential impact and implications of leader attributions on followers
How a leader acts toward a subordinate can vary depending on whether the employee is perceived as competent and loyal or incompetent and untrustworthy.
This is part of the LMX theory discussed in “What Is the Significance of the Leader-Member Exchange?”
Attribution theory, on the other hand, looks at the cognitive processes used by leaders to determine the reasons for effective or ineffective subordinate performance and the appropriate course of action.
This article will discuss the attribution model and offer a list of solutions.
Two-Stage Attribution Model
The reaction of a leader/manager to poor performance is a two-stage process (Green et al, 1979)
Several studies validate the propositions of this model proposed by Green et al in 1979 (review by Martinko, Harvey, & Douglas, 2007).
- First Stage — At this stage, the leader/manager tries to determine the cause of poor performance.
- Second Stage — With more knowledge, the leader/manager then selects an…
