Psychosocial model of transformational leadership : differences in leaders’ and subordinates’ perception

Introduction. Researchers and practitioners agree that leadership is a key subject of organizational performance in a competitive environment. In a comprehensive review of contemporary leadership theories in the West, transformational leadership was identified as the most highly valued (Yukl, 2002). However, the integrated analysis of antecedents and consequents in transformational leadership style is lacking. The purpose of the current study was to produce a psychosocial model of transformational leadership explaining leaders’ and subordinates’ perception. It was hypothesized that gender, age, value orientation and social factors (e.g., education and work experience) predicted transformational leadership style (self reported and perceived). Also according to results of previous research we predicted that transformational leadership style was correlated to factors of effective organizational performance (perceived and self-reported management effectiveness, subordinates’ job satisfaction, extra efforts and low intention to leave). Method. The sample consisted of 198 leaders (mainly middle management positions) and 438 subordinates from various Lithuanian organizations. All participants filled up the questionnaire consisting of Transformational Leadership Behavior Inventory (TLI), Rokeach Value Survey (RVS), and management effectiveness scale. Social factors were tapped by socio-demographic questions. Questions about job satisfaction, satisfaction with leader, extra efforts and intention to leave were added only to subordinates’ questionnaire. Results. Results of the study indicated that in leaders’ group more frequent use of transformational leadership, younger age and less expressed social value orientation predicted higher management effectivenessPsichologijos katedraSocialinių mokslų fakultetasVytauto Didžiojo universiteta