Victor H. Vroom

Originally published in 1960, this study was carried out as part of the research of the Organizational Behavior and Human Relations Program of the Institute of Social Research. The primary purpose was to determine the effects of participation in decision-making on people with different personality characteristics. It was hypothesized that equalitarians and individuals with strong independence needs would be more positively affected by the opportunity to participate in making decisions than authoritarians and people with weaker independence needs. The results, based on data derived in an actual industrial setting, confirmed the hypothesis. The theoretical implications of the findings are discussed.

Originally published in 1960, this study was carried out as part of the research of the Organizational Behavior and Human Relations Program of the Institute of Social Research. The primary purpose was to determine the effects of participation in decision-making on people with different personality characteristics. It was hypothesized that equalitarians and individuals with strong independence needs would be more positively affected by the opportunity to participate in making decisions than authoritarians and people with weaker independence needs. The results, based on data derived in an actual industrial setting, confirmed the hypothesis. The theoretical implications of the findings are discussed.

It has become a truism that "leadership depends upon the situation," but few behavioral scientists have attempted to go beyond that statement to examine the specific ways in which leaders should and do vary their behavior with situational demands. Vroom and Yetton select a critical aspect of leadership style-the extent to which the leader encourages the participation of his subordinates in decision-making. They describe a normative model which shows the specific leadership style called for in different classes of situations. The model is expressed in terms of a "decision tree" and requires the leader to analyze the dimensions of the particular problem or decision with which he is confronted in order to determine how much and in what way to share his decision-making power with his subordinates.Other chapters discuss how leaders behave in different situations. They look at differences in leadership styles, and what situations induce people to display autocratic or participative behavior.

Why do people choose the careers they do? What factors cause peopleto be satisfied with their work? No single work did more to makeconcepts like motive, goal incentive, and attitude part of theworkplace vocabulary. This landmark work, originally published in 1964, integrates thework of hundreds of researchers in individual workplace behavior toexplain choice of work, job satisfaction, and job performance.Includes an extensive new introduction that highlights and updateshis model for current organization behavior educators and students,as well as professionals who must extract the highest levels ofproductivity from today's downsized workforces.