Transformational Leadership (Dissertation Sample)

Transformational leadership
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Abstract
Leadership is among topics of discussion in the social sciences category, specifically in organizational theory. From a general perspective, leadership is the act of mobilizing several activities aimed at achieving specified goals. This paper is going to focus on transformational leadership style as posited from the numerous analytical researches conducted. It will inculcate interviews to illustrate the practical aspect of this style of leadership.
Transformational leadership
Introduction
Leadership is a trending topic in the field of social sciences today. Khanka (2006) posits that leadership is a practice of manipulating numerous activities in an organizational setting to achieve the goals set. Several researches have been undertaken in this field with majority of the researchers investigating individual characteristics such as personal traits, skills, abilities, etc. (Colbert & Ilies, 2004; Campion & Morgeson, 2007). Research is undertaken in disciplines such as military, management, psychology and many others.
Within the aforementioned disciplines, it is clear that we derive four significant elements on the concept of leadership. These elements affirm leadership as a course of action entailing influence that occurs in a group, this course fosters achievement of goals enshrined in a common vision (Shaw, 2007; Shortell & Kaluzny, 2006).
Numerous theories have been developed explaining why some people become great leaders, and to aid leaders understand their relationship with their subjects towards organization’s objectives. These theories include Contingency Theory, Situational Leadership Theory, Path-goal Theory, Transactional Theory, Behavioural, and Trait Theory. Ebert and Griffin (2009) provides incredible illustrations on the nature of effective leadership.
However, due to changes in the business environment and in other fields, styles of leadership and their theoretical context have changed. This essay focuses on Transformational Leadership Theory.
Transformational leadership theory: Literature review
This leadership approach that changes the behavior of individuals and the social frameworks. According to Rumsey (2013), this type of leadership is the most widely researched style over many years. Transformational leadership fosters motivation and increases the morale of the followers, hence a realized improvement in their performance in various ways. According to Nissinen (2006), these ways include the notion of integrating the subject’s identity and inward personality to the mission in addition to identifying themselves to the organization. Good leaders are role models of their followers, inspire them and take into consideration their strengths and weaknesses. By understanding their strengths and weaknesses, the leader will be able to assign them tasks that will increase performance.
Background
Adams (2008) reviews Transformational Leadership theory as posited to Burns (1978) who first introduced the theory through a descriptive research on political leaders. He posits that in transformational leadership, the leaders, and the subjects closely work together to enhance motivation in the organization. One notable achievement by Burns was the establishment of two concepts that attempt to explain the relationships between transformational leadership and transactional leadership theories. He argued that traditional approach of leadership significantly changes people’s lives as well as organizations. This is because there is reconstruction of values along with changed follower expectations and aspirations.
Conversely, transactional leadership is dependent upon leader's persona, character and their capability to make changes through exemplary expression of the vision and the ever-challenging goals, rather than basing on a "give and take" relationship as in the case of transformational leadership. Burns goes further theorizing the mutual exclusivity of transforming and transactional leadership are mutually exclusive styles. Transactional leaders embrace the existing culture in the organization and therefore do not struggle to change whereas transformational leaders have an interest in changing the organizational culture at present.
English (2006) further elaborates the psychosomatic mechanisms touching the two leadership styles. Contrary to Burns, English used the term ‘transformational’ rather than ‘transforming.’ However, English included the former ideas to explain the measure of transformational leadership. He also looks at the motivational effects of the subjects. In this case, the measure is depicted from the influence of the leader on the followers Transformational leaders have respectful and loyal followers because of the qualities of the leader and thus, they are able to put in extra effort and achieve more than expected. To realize positive outcomes, the transformational leaders have a lot to offer his or her subjects rather than just letting them work for self-gain. He or she should endow them with inspiring mission and vision; in conjunction to allowing them feel they are part of the organization. He should transform and motivate the followers through his charismatic influence and intellectual stimulation. Additionally, a transformational leader should challenge and encourage followers to be creative and devices ways they can confront the status quo to bring about success.
To date, many researches have been carried out, and they suggest that both transformational and transactional leadership foretell performance outcome varieties includes individual, group and organizational level variables (Rumsey, 2013).The following four elements of transformational style of leadership are in practice:
1 Idealized influence: the leader respects the code of ethics by behaving according acceptable moral values and therefore instills confidence among followers.
2 Inspirational motivation: leaders articulate vision to his or her followers in a more appealing manner. The leader communicates optimism about future goals and thus inspires and builds confidence among the followers.
3 Intellectual stimulation: whereby leaders challenge organization’s norms, take risks and solicits the ideas of their subjects. Such leaders encourage creativity among the followers and enable them to think independently. The followers become innovative and creative.
4 Individualized consideration: the leader is concerned with each follower’s needs, including personal and professional development. The leader mentors and he is concerned with the desires of the subjects through listening to them, empathizing, and supporting them. This way, followers have intrinsic motivation for their tasks.
Researchers have made an effort to understand the psychosomatic mechanisms alluding to the impact of the style on the mind-set and behavior of followers. Storey (2004) argued that this style of leadership achieves its effects when the followers identify themselves with their leader and the organization in general. Kark; Shamir and Chen (2003) conducted an empirical research demonstrating that transformational leadership had had a great influence social and personal identity, however, the personal identity issue is more pronounced. Therefore, it means those who embrace transformational leadership influence their subjects through their person and behavior. Moreover, Kark, (2003) found out the issue of personal identity would predict dependence on the leader, hence vulnerability to the negative impacts. This is simply because dependence characterizes itself by looking at the leader as the sole provider of inspiration and guidance, other than of letting his subject’s exercise critical thinking and problem solving skills.
It should be considered that when making interventions to foster efficiency in transformational leadership, it should be well known that there is a probability of both positive and negative outcomes. For instance, if training has to be done, its design should advocate for follower identifying with their leaders socially rather than personally.
Developing dependence in the leader can also arbitrate the association that underlies amid leading by transforming and the performance in the organization (Wang & Chen, 2005). Exchanges between leaders and followers can help in building trust that is the basis of transactional style of leadership (Rumsey, 2013). Judge and Piccolo (2004) discovered that behaviors of the transactional style might be fundamental to the development of the transformational, therefore leading an augmented effect.
The Interviews
To illustrate transformational leadership theory, and to show how its elements are practiced, I interviewed two leaders on different occasions.
Interviewing Methodology
Interviews provide a qualitative approach to obtaining information. In my case, the rationale for choosing the interviewees based on their exemplary in the field of leadership. Furthermore, I considered the breakthroughs evident in their respective organizations. For the first interview, I chose a senor manager of an online affiliate marketing company. In the second interview, the interviewee I chose a director of a public service broadcaster. I organized these interviews as structured interviews, involving verbal questionnaires at the meeting places. With this, I had already prepared the questions I was to ask my respondents. This is of advantage considering that time is always limited, therefore making the process more quick. The questions I intended to ask my respondents are more of open-ended questions to enable them provide me a broader scope of their understanding of transformational leadership style in practice.
The rationale for choosing the two based on their e...