Fiedler and Chemers Revisted; Understanding the Implications of the Least Preferred Co-worker Scale

Abstract

The importance of succession planning and choosing the right candidate for the job cannot be underestimated. Having a conceptual framework for clear and honest evaluation of a candidate for an open position is a key factor in choosing the “best” one. Fiedler and Chemers work provides one matrix for determining a fit in terms of their Least Preferred Co-Worker scale. It is easy to check off minimum thresholds for education and experience. The evaluation of “fit” for the job is subjective and often laborious task. While many factors contribute to the success of a person in their job, the idea of knowing the best fit for a given situation is a credible and many times key assessment in selecting the eventual employee. The aim of this paper is to immerse the participants in a situation where they must determine the overall environment through the lens of Fiedler and Chemers’ Contingency Theory and select a new leader for the organization.