Criticisms of the Behavioral Approach

Along with its strengths, the behavioral approach has several weaknesses. First, the research on the behavioral approach has not adequately shown how leaders’ behaviors are associated with performance outcomes. Researchers have not been able to establish a consistent link between task and relationship behaviors and outcomes such as morale, job satisfaction, and productivity.

Another criticism is that this approach has failed to find a universal style of leadership that could be effective in almost every situation. The overarching goal for researchers studying the behavioral approach appeared to be the identification of a universal set of leadership behaviors that would consistently result in effective outcomes. Because of inconsistencies in the research findings, this goal was never reached. Similar to the trait approach, which was unable to identify the definitive personal characteristics of leaders, the behavioral approach has been unable to identify the universal behaviors that are associated with effective leadership.

The difficulty in identifying a universal style may be due to the impact of contextual factors. For example, there is a strong situational element that impacts whether one leadership behavior or another is more effective. Another criticism of the behavioral approach is that it implies that the most effective leadership style is the high–high style (i.e., high task and high relationship). Although some researchers suggested that high–high managers are most effective, that may not be the case in all situations.

Certain situations may require different leadership styles; some may be complex and require high-task behavior, and others may be simple and require supportive behavior. At this point in the development of research on the behavioral approach, it remains unclear whether the high–high style is the best style of leadership. A final criticism is that most of the research undertaken on the behavioral approach has come from a U.S.- centric perspective, reflecting the norms and values of U.S. culture.

More recently, a small number of studies applying behavioral leadership concepts to non-U.S. contexts have been undertaken. Results show that different cultures prefer different leadership styles than those often espoused or favored by current U.S. management practice.