How Leadership Affects Follower Satisfaction: The Federal Case

This study focuses on the effect of leadership in the federal government. Using a slightly revised version of Bass\u27s Full Range Leadership Model, the study examines the influence of transformational leadership, transactional leadership, and combination of the two on the perception of leadership effectiveness and follower satisfaction in the federal government. To establish if this revised model is consistent with federal employees\u27 perception of effective leadership, if leadership in the federal government increases follower satisfaction, and if both the transactional and transformational leadership are important to followers\u27 perception of leadership and their satisfaction, data from the 2002 Federal Human Capital Survey was used. Multiple regression analyses were conducted using transactional leadership, transformational leadership, and a combination of the two as independent variables and perceived leadership effectiveness and follower satisfaction as the dependent variables. Control variables that accounted for personal demographics (gender, minority status, and supervisory status) and organizational/job dimensions (pay, benefits, career path, personal fulfillment of the job, the physical conditions, organizational training, workplace flexibilities, coworkers and communication) were also included. Results indicate that the revised model does capture federal employees\u27 perception of effective leadership, that leadership does increase follower satisfaction in the federal government, and that both transactional and transformational elements are important to this perceived effectiveness and follower satisfaction