Leaders and their followers often have to operate in situations that differ from those encountered in the past. Managers should be aware of dissimilar situational levels (SLs) that vary in complexity and strength (Hughes et al., 2021). For example, being in a group project is likely to put me at the lowest SL, which focuses on tasks since each team member will have a distinct responsibility (Hughes et al., 2021). Students can be expected to put forth different amounts of effort, thus requiring diverse reward systems (RSs).
Learners are likely to be stimulated by specific RSs depending on whether they work alone or with their peers. Considering task SL, students can either have task autonomy or be involved with task interdependence (Hughes et al., 2021). The latter refers to a team member being able to complete their assignment on their own but having to coordinate the work with other participants of the project (Hughes et al., 2021). Accordingly, RSs in such a situation may be the ones that allocate rewards to students who finish their duties quicker than others while ensuring the high quality of the creation (Hughes et al., 2021). In comparison, when a learner has an individual project, they have task autonomy, meaning that the pupil has control over what and how they do (Hughes et al., 2021). In such a case, RSs are likely to distribute rewards based on whether the student completes their assignment before the deadline while following all the instructions (Hughes et al., 2021). Consequently, RSs will differ with respect to whether a learner operates independently or in a team.
To conclude, different RSs will be needed to encourage pupils to put effort into their assignments. RSs affecting the level of diligence students are likely to place forth when working with their peers are the ones that favor quick, high-quality performance. However, RSs should be different for learners who complete individual projects, with a focus on following deadlines and instructions. Therefore, every situation and SL requires distinct approaches to RSs.
Reference
Hughes, R., Ginnett, R., & Curphy, G. (2021). Leadership: Enhancing the lessons of experience (10th ed.). McGraw Hill.