THE INFLUENCE OF TRANSFORMATIONAL MIDDLE LEADERS ON WORK-LIFE BALANCE

Work-life balance is a key indicator of employee satisfaction, retention, and social health as well as organizational creativity and productivity. These dual benefits for employee and employer have generated interest in promoting work-life balance. Supervisors who operate from a transformational leadership framework have been linked to greater work-life balance among employees (Lamm, 2011; (Kutilek, Conklin, & Gunderson, 2002). The role of a supportive organizational culture is also central (Lewis, 2001). In this study, Cooperative Extension Service agents (N = 1390) participated in a nationwide survey exploring the relationship between rated levels of transformational leadership among district directors, work-life balance, and work-life balance organizational culture. The results from confirmatory factor analyses indicate these three separate dimensions. The findings from the structural equation model demonstrate that all paths, except transformational leadership to personal life interference with work, are statistically significant. Work-life balance organizational culture is the largest contributor to the total effect of these associations. This study confirms that the supervisor and organizational culture join together to forge an important alliance of support for work-life balance among subordinates. Findings reveal the need for additional study of specific ways leaders foster positive work-life balance organizational culture