The Bass Handbook of Leadership by Bernard M. Bass & Ruth Bass

Author:Bernard M. Bass & Ruth Bass
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Free Press
Published: 2008-06-01T04:00:00+00:00

Socioemotional versus Task Requirements

As was just observed, a distinction that is important for understanding what type of competence will be demanded of a leader is whether socioemotional or task requirements will be emphasized for leadership. This is the most frequent role differentiation that occurs in discussion groups. In groups, when the demands of the task are high, being liked does not contribute much to leadership and socioemotional skills are not highly valued (Slater, 1955). On the other hand, in social and personal development groups, such as therapy groups, sensitivity training groups, social clubs, and gangs, the socioemotional function is emphasized. As was concluded in Chapter 19, in most kinds of groups, both types of leadership usually need to be present. A. S. Miles (1970) reported that student leaders who rated high on both task ability and socioemotional ability were considered most influential. Empirically, the differentiation between the two types of abilities often is not found. For instance, Gustafson and Harrell (1970) observed relatively little differentiation between task and socioemotional roles in experimental groups. Similarly, V. Williams (1965) noted that some types of group structures were able to operate effectively without differentiating task specialists from socioemotional specialists. Kellet, Humphrey, and Sleeth (2002) noted that either or both could be identified as a leader.

To sort out the effects, Olmsted (1954) gave one set of groups instructions that were designed to induce socio-emotional concerns for group processes and the satisfaction of members. The directions given to the second set of groups emphasized the accomplishment of tasks and maintenance of impersonal relationships among members. The most talkative members in the task-directed groups talked longer than did their counterparts in the socioemotional groups, perhaps as the result of a group norm related to the intensity of participation. Task-directed groups tended to develop stable leadership status structures. Members of socioemotional groups continued to jockey for position for a longer time. Olmsted (1955) later found that the amount of agreement among members in discussion groups moderated the effects. In groups that achieved a high degree of consensus on solutions to problems. The highest participator (who was more likely to be a leader than a follower) usually received the highest rating for helping the group meet the requirements of its task. In low-consensus groups, the highest participator was not rated high.

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