You will hear a lecture about self-regulatory focus theory and leadership.
First, you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40.
Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.
Today I'll discuss self-regulatory focus theory and how leaders' actions can influence the way followers respond to situations.
The theory developed by Torrey Higgins proposes that at any moment people are motivated either to move towards pleasure or to avoid pain.
These basic motives produce different kinds of goals.
Promotion goals emphasize achievement while prevention goals center on avoiding punishment.
In any particular situation, our thoughts may lean towards promotion or prevention.
Two factors determine the stronger focus.
The first is chronic and derives from personality.
Each individual has an underlying tendency towards one type of goal.
The second is situational, meaning that our surroundings can shift us towards either set of goals.
For example, time spent with a friend makes us more likely to anticipate pleasure and pursue promotion goals.
By contrast, while completing an important assignment for a boss, we usually concentrate on preventing mistakes and adopt prevention goals.
Research shows that our current focus changes how we think.
Under a promotion focus, people picture their ideal selves and consider their aspirations and potential gains.
Because they pay less attention to possible losses, their thinking becomes more positive and they feel inspired to change.
Under a prevention focus, people consider the person they ought to be and what others expect from them.
Their attention turns to obligations.
This can increase anxiety and encourage them to avoid situations involving possible loss.
Having explained the two focuses, I'll consider how leadership behavior, or leadership style, can shape the focus.
Followers adopt in a given situation.
Leadership discussions often distinguish transformational from transactional leaders.
Transformational leaders concentrate on the development of their followers.
Their words and actions emphasize change and they passionately express a clear vision.
This encourages followers to imagine future possibilities and adopt a promotion focus.
Transactional leaders, in contrast, establish clear structures that specify exactly what followers must do.
Although they explain the rewards for following instructions, they place greater emphasis on punishment or the loss of rewards when behavior does not improve.
By stressing the consequences of errors, they inspire a prevention focus.
Neither focus is inherently superior.
A designer working in a field that demands innovation will probably benefit from promotion focus.
Prevention focus encourages caution and high quality work, making it suitable for occupations such as surgery.
The central finding is that leaders' actions can strongly influence which focus people bring to a situation.
That is the end of part four.
You now have one minute to check your answers to part four.