Question

Gretchen does not take her employees' opinions into consideration when making departmental decisions. Rather, Gretchen makes it clear to her employees that she makes decisions and employees could be consistently written up if performance and goals are not met. Which of the following answers best describe Gretchen's experience with her role models, also known as parental authority?

A) Permissive

B) Flexible

C) Dismissive

D) Authoritarian

Answer 1

Gretchen's approach to not taking employee opinions into consideration and strictly applying rules aligns with an Authoritarian style of leadership, mirroring a similar authoritarian parental authority style identified by Baumrind.

Step-by-step explanation:

The behavior of Gretchen towards her employees suggests she is influenced by an Authoritarian style of either parental authority or leadership which typically involves strict rules, high expectations for compliance, and little warmth or input from others. Diana Baumrind's research identified this as one of the four key parenting styles, where authoritarian parents place high value on conformity and obedience, with little flexibility or responsiveness to children's needs. Gretchen's approach to making departmental decisions without considering her employees' opinions and using threats of disciplinary action reflects an authoritarian style in leadership as well, which can be effective in certain situations but may also risk alienating employees.