The Role of Relevant Experience and Intellectual Ability in Determining the Performance of Military Leaders: A Contingency Model Explanation

Abstract

A field study involving 79 army combat officers in middle echelon leadership positions was conducted to evaluate the role of relevant experience and intellectual ability in predicting leadership performance. Biographical and organizational data were the primary measures used to ascertain the relevance of leader experience. This represents a departure from previously used methodology which considered only the leaders' organizational tenure in determining experience levels. Results shed light on the components of Fiedler's Contingency Model of Leadership Effectiveness supporting the hypothesis that task- and relationship-motivated leaders make effective use of their experience only in situations which match their leadership personality. The study also suggests a plausible relationship between the leader's cognitive resources and leader behaviors.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1984
Accession Number
ADP003303

Entities

People

  • Patrick J. Bettin

Organizations

  • United States Military Academy

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Applied Psychology
  • Army
  • Cognitive Complexity
  • Department Of Defense
  • Education
  • Interpersonal Relations
  • Leadership
  • Leadership Training
  • Motor Skills
  • New York
  • Psychological Phenomena And Processes
  • Psychology
  • Task Performance And Analysis
  • Training
  • United States
  • United States Military Academy

Fields of Study

  • Business
  • Psychology

Readers

  • Organizational Psychology.
  • Systems Analysis and Design