Cognitive Resource Theory

Cognitive resource theoryThe cognitive resource theory ia leadership theory of industrial and organizational psychology developed by Fred Fiedler and Joe Garcia in 1987 as a reconceptualization of the Fiedler contingency model. The theory focuses on the influence of the leader's intelligence and experience on his or her reaction to stress.

Hypotheses under the theory• Leader IQ can contribute positively to team performance when the

leader is directive. That is, the group can benefit from the leader's experience only if they follow his/her guidance, especially regarding complex tasks.

• Stress moderates the relationship between IQ and performance. That is, intelligence is an asset in low and moderate stress situations; under high stress, intellectual skills can become impaired and detract from or have no effect on a group's performance.

• Leader experience is related positively to performance in high-stress situations but not in low-stress ones. That is, under high stress a leader can fall back on tried-and-true experiences they have acquired, and thereby help group performance. In low stress situations, they may rely too much on past experience.

Stress-Performance Chart