3.1.4 Least Preferred Co-worker (LPC)

Purpose 

The LPC instrument is based on the contingency model of leadership, which assumes that leadership style is fixed within each leader and that different situations require different leadership styles. The aim is to match a leader’s style with the requirements of the situation. The instrument assesses whether the leader prioritizes maintaining good personal relations or achieving productivity and task completion in their leadership approach. A high score indicates that the leader places importance on good personal relations, while a low score shows emphasis on productivity and tasks.

The participants chosen by researchers, and the theoretical concept, suggest that LPC is applicable to smaller organizations—or larger ones with varied environments, where low to middle managers can be matched with prevailing local leadership situations. Literature implies its usefulness where there are placements or selection choices to be made, and where there is no requirement or facility or intention to help, guide, train, or monitor leadership improvements. Because this theory assumes leadership style is fixed, the organization most suited to this instrument is one that does not train or develop leaders, is not under stress or changing, and needs a best fit from the start.”

Description 

Developed by Fred E. Fielder, the instrument comprises eighteen 8-point bipolar adjective scales (e.g., pleasant to unpleasant, open to closed, etc.). The LPC instrument measures a leader’s preferred leadership style based on their least preferred coworker. Although updated by Fiedler to become Cognitive Resource Theory, the LPC still enjoys support.

In terms of reliability and validity, field studies have generally supported the theory and the instrument, while laboratory studies have been less supportive. Reliability has been supported at alpha .64 and average internal consistency of coefficients of .88 (Rice, 1978). Other researchers, however, find some cause to question Fiedler’s interpretation of the LPC, with their results from the instrument suggesting a closer fit with a democratic-autocratic continuum.

Access 

The utilization of the instrument may necessitate the acquisition of permissions from authors. Users of this tool are advised to consult the original articles or directly contact the authors to ascertain the instrument’s availability and any associated permission requirements. Available online through academic journals and research databases, the tool can be accessed via the respective articles mentioned in the references section.

Reference

Fiedler, F. E. (1967). A theory of leadership effectiveness. McGraw-Hill.

Fiedler, F. E., & Chemers, M. M. (1984). Improving leadership Effectiveness (2nd ed.). Wiley Press.