Page 11 - Management 19 (2024), številka 1

Jakob Wieland An Exploration of Traditional
Erasmus student at the Faculty
of Management, Approaches to Leadership:
University of Primorska
jakob.wieland@uni-wuppertal.de Traits, Behaviours and
Weronika Busek
Erasmus student at the Faculty Contingency
of Management,
University of Primorska
weronika.busek2@gmail.com In this article, we explore the traditional theories of leadership, name-
ly the trait, behavioural and contingency approaches. Our aim is to
Błażej Nosal understand the practice of leadership research and the applicability of
Erasmus student at the Faculty leadership theory approaches. To achieve this, we devise an interview
of Management, questionnaire to explore leadership traits, behaviours and contingency
University of Primorska variables. We then pilot the questionnaire by conducting an interview.
blazej.nosal@edu.uekat.pl We find that the traditional approaches to leadership studies are rele-

Andreja Pegan vant to understand leadership. However, we note that the distinction be-
Faculty of Management, tween trait, behaviour and contingency approaches is not as clear cut as
University of Primorska presented in core leadership textbooks. The piloting process establishes
andreja.pegan@fm-kp.si that the interview questionnaire is suitable for exploring leadership and
can be applied in bachelor’s and master’s theses.
Keywords: management, leadership, contingency, behaviour, traits, stu-
dent research

Raziskovanje vodenja s tradicionalnimi modeli in teorijami:
model osebne značilnosti, vedenjska teorija in situacijska
teorija vodenja
Članek obravnava tradicionalne modele in teorije vodenja, in sicer mo-
del osebne značilnosti, vedenjsko teorijo ter situacijsko teorijo. Članek
razvije razumevanje o raziskovalni praksi vodenja z aplikacijo tradicio-
nalnih modelov in teorij vodenja. V ta namen oblikujemo vprašalnik za
raziskovanje osebnih značilnosti, vedenja in situacijskih spremenljivk
vodenja. Vprašalnik nato preizkusimo z izvedbo pilotnega intervjuja.
Ugotavljamo, da so tradicionalni pristopi še vedno pomembni in aktual-
ni za razumevanje vodenja. Hkrati ugotavljamo, da se teme prepletajo in
da je včasih težko razmejiti tematike tradicionalnih modelov ter teorij. V
diskusiji zaključimo, da je vprašalnik primeren za raziskovanje vodenja
na diplomski in magistrski ravni.
Ključne besede: management, vodenje, situacijska teorija, vedenjska teo-
rija, osebne značilnosti, študentsko raziskovanje
https://doi.org/10.26493/1854-4231.19.11-17

Introduction around the world, including the Master’s degree
Leadership is a skill and competence with uni- of Management at the University of Primorska in
versal importance in people’s lives. Anybody who Slovenia.
finds themselves in a position to guide and re- The purpose of this article is to explore the tra-
ward others, exercises leadership to some degree. ditional approaches to leadership studies, namely
Manifesting itself in various forms, whether at the trait approach, the behavioural approach, and
home, at the workplace, or in people’s free time, the contingency approach (Lussier and Achua
leadership has universal significance. Therefore, 2016; Yukl 2010). These three approaches are of-
it is not surprising it is taught in various courses ten referred to as the mainstream approaches to

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