Archetypes In Organizational Behavior

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Another theory deals with the concept of archetypes. According to this approach, the actions of leaders tend to be rather predictable depending on their archetypes. In 1989, Pearson mentioned six archetypes, which may be related to the stages of maturity of a person: the innocent, the orphan, the martyr, the wanderer, the warrior, and the magician (Northouse, 2004). When people first start their lives, they start in a state of innocence, but eventually they move to the next stages and behave according to the other archetypes. Northouse (2004) illustrates the differences in the archetypes explaining that in the presence of danger the wanderer flees, the martyr suffers for others and the warrior fights. The stereotypical leader is best exemplified …show more content…

2.1.1.5 Team leadership. In addition to the established linear hierarchical structures, organizations relay on teams to work in specific projects. Examples of teams are task forces, committees, and any other group of people working together in a project (Northouse, 2004). As the people responsible for the success and completion of assigned projects, team leaders have to be able to make sure that the tasks are performed and that the members can work well …show more content…

The two internal to the organization are performance and maintenance. Performance refers to the fact that the tasks are completed and the objectives are achieved. Maintenance refers to the fact that the members can work in harmony, in the same direction, as a team and not as an array of individuals. The external area is the environment. The first job of the leader is to monitor the internal and external factors and the next step is to take actions, which can be corrective or preventive. 2.1.1.6 Path-goal theory. This theory is built on the assumption that the most important function of a leader is to make sure that the followers stay motivated (House, 1996). According to this theory, the best way to motivate the followers is by defining goals, clarifying the path, removing obstacles, and providing support. The main components of this theory are the leader behavior, the personality traits of the group members, and the task characteristics (House, 1996). When the group members are dogmatic or authoritarian and the tasks are ambiguous, unclear, or complex, the leader should adopt a directive leadership; that is, clearly defining the tasks and being strict enforcing the