Transformational leadership and the dissemination of organizational goals: A case study of a telecommunication firm.

Abstract We examined how the leadership style of top and middle-level managers in a large telecommunications organization was related to their effectiveness in conveying strategic organizational goals. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, we found that transformational leaders perceived organizational goals as prospector oriented and were rated as more effective communicators by their direct reports. We examined research questions regarding the methods by which transformational leaders disseminate organizational goals. An exploratory analysis indicated that managers who reported to transformational leaders tended to have higher agreement on the strategic goals of the organization. Leaders who were effective communicators had direct reports who were more familiar with the goals of the organization. We discussed implications for linking transformational leadership with the strategic roles of leaders.

[1]  Svjetlana Madzar,et al.  Subordinates' information inquiry: exploring the effect of perceived leadership style and individual differences , 2001 .

[2]  H. Tsoukas.  The Validity of Idiographic Research Explanations , 1989 .

[3]  P. Flood.  Managing Strategy Implementation , 2000 .

[4]  Scott B. MacKenzie,et al.  Common method biases in behavioral research: a critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. , 2003, The Journal of applied psychology.

[5]  D. Hambrick,et al.  Book Review: Human Resources, Personnel, and Organizational Behavior: The Executive Effect: Concepts and Methods for Studying Top Managers , 1990 .

[6]  K. Klein,et al.  Levels Issues in Theory Development, Data Collection, and Analysis , 1994 .

[7]  A. Strauss,et al.  The discovery of grounded theory: strategies for qualitative research aldine de gruyter , 1968 .

[8]  F. Yammarino,et al.  Ceo Charismatic Leadership: Levels-of-Management and Levels-of-Analysis Effects , 1999 .

[9]  Bernard M. Bass,et al.  Interpersonal communication in organizations , 1982 .

[10]  L. Donaldson.  Strategic Leadership: Top Executives and Their Effects on Organizations , 1997 .

[11]  M. Arthur,et al.  The Motivational Effects of Charismatic Leadership: A Self-Concept Based Theory , 1993 .

[12]  Randy Hirokawa,et al.  Toward a Communication Competency Model of Group Leadership , 1989 .

[13]  J. Gill.  Hierarchical Linear Models , 2005 .

[14]  R E Miles,et al.  Organizational strategy, structure, and process. , 1978, Academy of management review. Academy of Management.

[15]  K. Hatten,et al.  Further evidence on the validity of the self typing paragraph approach: Miles and snow strategic , 1995 .

[16]  Badrinarayan Shankar Pawar,et al.  THE NATURE AND IMPLICATIONS OF CONTEXTUAL INFLUENCES ON TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP: A CONCEPTUAL EXAMINATION , 1997 .

[17]  Charles C. Snow,et al.  Top-Management Agreement and Organizational Performance , 1982 .

[18]  P. Dorfman,et al.  Culture Specific and Cross-Culturally Generalizable Implicit Leadership Theories: Are Attributes of Charismatic/Transformational Leadership Universally Endorsed? , 1998 .

[19]  L. James,et al.  Estimating within-group interrater reliability with and without response bias. , 1984 .

[20]  Danny Miller,et al.  Understanding the Leader-Strategy Interface: Application of the Strategic Relationship Interview Method , 1993 .

[21]  Danny Miller,et al.  Psychological and Traditional Determinants of Structure. , 1986 .

[22]  S. Shortell,et al.  Perceptual and archival measures of Miles and Snow's strategic types: a comprehensive assessment of reliability and validity. , 1990, Academy of Management journal. Academy of Management.

[23]  B. Bass.  LEADERSHIP AND PERFORMANCE BEYOND EXPECTATIONS , 1985 .

[24]  Stephanie L. Castro,et al.  Data analytic methods for the analysis of multilevel questions: A comparison of intraclass correlation coefficients, rwg(j), hierarchical linear modeling, within- and between-analysis, and random group resampling , 2002 .

[25]  Jacob Cohen.  Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences , 1969, The SAGE Encyclopedia of Research Design.

[26]  C. C. Snow,et al.  Measuring Organizational Strategies: Some Theoretical and Methodological Problems , 1980 .

[27]  Cynthia G. Emrich,et al.  Images in Words: Presidential Rhetoric, Charisma, and Greatness , 2001 .

[28]  R. Hooijberg,et al.  Strategic leadership research: Moving on , 2000 .

[29]  Edwin A. Locke,et al.  A longitudinal study of the relation of vision and vision communication to venture growth in entrepreneurial firms. , 1998 .

[30]  Cecilia M. Falbe,et al.  Influence tactics and objectives in upward, downward, and lateral influence attempts. , 1990 .

[31]  Kevin B. Lowe,et al.  Effectiveness correlates of transformational and transactional leadership: A meta-analytic review of the mlq literature , 1996 .

[32]  T. Jick.  Mixing Qualitative and Quantitative Methods: Triangulation in Action. , 1979 .

[33]  D. Hofmann,et al.  Using hierarchical linear modeling to investigate the moderating influence of leadership climate , 2002 .

[34]  Bruce J. Avolio,et al.  Full leadership development : building the vital forces in organizations , 1999 .

[35]  B. Bass,et al.  Re‐examining the components of transformational and transactional leadership using the Multifactor Leadership , 1999 .

[36]  B. Avolio,et al.  Impact of Transformational Leadership on Follower Development and Performance: A Field Experiment , 2002 .

[37]  Scott B. MacKenzie,et al.  Transformational leader behaviors and their effects on followers' trust in leader, satisfaction, and organizational citizenship behaviors , 1990 .

[38]  D. Harris.  Organizational Linkages: Understanding the Productivity Paradox, , 1997 .

[39]  R. Yin.  Case Study Research: Design and Methods , 1984 .

[40]  S. Zaccaro,et al.  The nature of organizational leadership: An introduction. , 2001 .

[41]  I. Nonaka,et al.  The Concept of “Ba”: Building a Foundation for Knowledge Creation , 1998 .

[42]  Paul S. Goodman,et al.  Individual and Organizational Productivity: Linkages and Processes , 1994 .

[43]  Karlene H. Roberts,et al.  The nature of organizational leadership , 1967 .

[44]  Bruce J. Avolio,et al.  Transformational and Charismatic Leadership: The Road Ahead , 2002 .

[45]  William H. Glick,et al.  Fit, Equifinality, and Organizational Effectiveness: A Test of Two Configurational Theories , 1993 .

[46]  R. J. House,et al.  Does Leadership Matter? CEO Leadership Attributes and Profitability under Conditions of Perceived Environmental Uncertainty. , 2001 .

[47]  R. J. House,et al.  The Social Scientific Study of Leadership: Quo Vadis? , 1997 .

[48]  William McKinley,et al.  Organizational Decline and Adaptation: Theoretical Controversies , 1993 .

[49]  Robert H. Buckman.  KNOWLEDGE SHARING AT BUCKMAN LABS , 1998 .

[50]  R. N. Kanungo,et al.  Charismatic leadership in organizations , 1998 .

[51]  Thomas W. Lee,et al.  Using Qualitative Methods in Organizational Research , 1998 .

[52]  Alan Bryman,et al.  The importance of context: Qualitative research and the study of leadership , 1996 .

[53]  J. Kotter,et al.  Corporate Culture and Performance , 1992 .

[54]  F. Yammarino,et al.  Identifying Common Methods Variance With Data Collected From A Single Source: An Unresolved Sticky Issue , 1991 .

[55]  Scott D. Johnson,et al.  Examining the Relationship Between Listening Effectiveness and Leadership Emergence , 1998 .

[56]  Albert A. Cannella,et al.  Contrasting Perspectives on Strategic Leaders: Toward a More Realistic View of Top Managers , 1997 .