| Two strategies for achieving congruence between leadership style and environmental demands are explored: adjusting style to fit situations and adjusting situations to fit style. These themes are integrated within a person-environment fit framework as different strategies that managers use. The investigator refers to these as the Behavioral Chameleon and the Situational Engineer strategies. Research explored whether locus of control, behavioral flexibility (measured by self-monitoring, range of interpersonal capabilities, and cognitive flexibility), proactive personality, and Machiavellianism are related to these strategies. Hypotheses predicted that Behavioral Chameleon strategies are positively related to behavioral flexibility and internal locus of control, and negatively related to Machiavellianism. Situational Engineer strategies were expected to be positively correlated with proactive personality, Machiavellianism, and internal locus of control. Hypotheses also predicted that individuals categorized into four quadrants based on combinations of tendencies to use the two strategies would respond differently to the personality variables. The following differences between quadrants were expected: Quadrant 1 (low Behavioral Chameleon-low Situational Engineer)—external locus of control, low behavioral flexibility, and low proactive personality; Quadrant 2 (high Behavioral Chameleon-low Situational Engineer)—internal locus of control, high behavioral flexibility, and low Machiavellianism; Quadrant 3 (high Behavioral Chameleon - high Situational Engineer)—internal locus of control, high behavioral flexibility, and high proactive personality; Quadrant 4 (low Behavioral Chameleon-high Situational Engineer)—internal locus of control, high proactive personality, and high Machiavellianism. Participants included 59 managers, 32 MBA students, and 76 undergraduate students who completed the personality instruments and a decision making task that measured their likelihood of using Behavioral Chameleon and Situational Engineer strategies. Results supported hypothesized relationships between the Behavioral Chameleon approach and some measures of behavioral flexibility. Support was also found for the hypothesized relationship between the Situational Engineer strategy, and both proactive personality and Machiavellianism. Hypotheses regarding locus of control were not supported. Predicted differences between quadrants on proactive personality and self-monitoring were partially supported, but little support was found for other expected differences. |
