Final answer:
Relationship-oriented leaders excel in moderately favorable situations because their human relations skills are crucial in nurturing teamwork and interpersonal relationships, which outweigh the need for control or rigid structure.
Step-by-step explanation:
Relationship-oriented leaders perform better in situations of intermediate favorability, largely because human relations skills are critical under these conditions. These leaders thrive when they can foster a positive team environment and ensure smooth interactions among group members. Their effectiveness is not rooted in the structural or directive aspects of their role but rather in their ability to nurture strong interpersonal relationships. For employees who require clarity in their roles but still benefit from a more personal touch, a relationship-oriented leader strikes the right balance, providing sufficient guidance while building rapport and trust within the team.
In situations of intermediate favorability, the tasks may be sufficiently defined, which means the need for a task-oriented leader to make things clearer (option b) is less critical. Furthermore, because the situation is neither highly favorable nor unfavorable, it doesn't require the leader to exert excessive control or power (option a), nor impose rigorous structure and task direction (option c). Instead, these are scenarios where the personal touch and team cohesion promoted by relationship-oriented leaders become pivotal (options d and e) in facilitating group performance.