PR 605 Lecture 39: Substitutes for and Neutralizers of Leadership

• School: Ball State University
• Department: Public Relations
• Course: PR 605
• Professor: Ingrid Cummings

Document Summary

One theory of leadership suggests that the actions of the leaders aren"t that relevant in a lot of different situations. Substitutes include things like experience and training that replace the need for support or ability of the leader to form structure. Governance in a work environment that doesn"t really have a boss is achieved through coworker accountability, who determine the composition of a team and sometimes even the pay that is received. Indifference to rewards given by an organization can neutralize these effects. Neutralizers make it impossible for the behavior of leaders to make a difference to the outcome of followers. Sometimes, there is a fuzzy difference between substitutes and neutralizers. If you"re working on an intrinsically enjoyable task, theory says leadership isn"t as important because you are motivated by the task. It makes you feel motivated when doing it.