Which trio are the three key factors in contingency theory?

Which trio are the three key factors in contingency theory?

• A. Motivation, morale, and performance
• B. Resources, funding, and staffing
• C. Leader-staff relationships, task structure, and position power
• D. Communication, trust, and culture

Answer: (C)

Contingency theory says leadership effectiveness depends on how well the leader’s approach fits the specific situation, not on applying one universal style. The situational factors that define that fit are leader-staff relationships, task structure, and position power. Leader-staff relationships reflect trust and rapport between the supervisor and followers, which makes it easier or harder for a leader to influence others. Task structure describes how clear, routine, and well-defined the work is, which affects how much guidance a leader needs to provide. Position power is the formal authority the leader has to reward, discipline, and control resources. Together, these three determine how favorable a situation is for a given leadership approach and thus explain why different styles succeed in different contexts. Other options point to outcomes (like motivation or performance) or to broader factors (resources, funding, staffing, culture, and communication), which matter but don’t define the core situational factors the theory uses.

Contingency theory says leadership effectiveness depends on how well the leader’s approach fits the specific situation, not on applying one universal style. The situational factors that define that fit are leader-staff relationships, task structure, and position power. Leader-staff relationships reflect trust and rapport between the supervisor and followers, which makes it easier or harder for a leader to influence others. Task structure describes how clear, routine, and well-defined the work is, which affects how much guidance a leader needs to provide. Position power is the formal authority the leader has to reward, discipline, and control resources. Together, these three determine how favorable a situation is for a given leadership approach and thus explain why different styles succeed in different contexts. Other options point to outcomes (like motivation or performance) or to broader factors (resources, funding, staffing, culture, and communication), which matter but don’t define the core situational factors the theory uses.