The aim of this study was to extend previous research using Bass's (1985) paradigm of leadership by examining the link between leadership style and organisational type. Organisations from both the nonprofit and private sectors in an Australian context were surveyed. An additional element of the study was to examine the methods and procedures leaders use to operationalise their leadership styles. The major findings were that: the transformational style of leadership was found to be more prevalent than the transactional or laissez-faire styles; leadership style was found to be independent of organisational type; and the methods leaders adopt to operationalise leadership are not dependent upon organisational type; moreover, they are related to an individual leader's style, preference, ability and life experiences.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Bass, B.M. (1985). Leadership and Performance Beyond Expectations . New York: Free Press.
2.
Bass, B.M. and Avolio, B.J. (1990). Manual for the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire . California: Consulting Psychologists Press.
3.
Bass, B.M., Avolio, B.J. and Goodheim, L. (1987). "Biography and the Assessment of Transformational Leadership at the World-class Level." Joumal ofManagement , 13, pp.7-19.
4.
Bass, B.M., Cascio, W.F. and O'Connor, E.J. (1974). "Magnitude Estimations of Expressions of Frequency and Amount." Joumal of Applied Psychology, 59(3), pp.313-320.
5.
Bennis, W.G. and Nanus, B. (1985). Leaders: The Strategies for Taking Charge. New York: Harper & Row.
6.
Burns, N. (1978). Leadership. New York: Harper and Row.
7.
Densten, I. (1995). The Relationship Between Leadership and Bumout in the Victoria Police Force. Masters Thesis (in progress), Monash University, Melbourne.
8.
Fiedler, F.E. (1967). A Theory of Leadership Effectiveness. New York: McGraw-Hill.
9.
Fondas, N. and Wiersema, M. (1994). Executive Newcomers: The Influence of Socialisation on CEO Role Orientation and Organisational Strategic Direction. Graduate School of Management Working Paper #ST94002, University of California, Riverside.
10.
Hater, J.J. and Bass, B.M. (1988). "Superiors' Evaluations and Subordinates' Perceptions of Transformational and Transactional Leadership." Joumal of Applied Psychology, 73(4), pp.695-702.
11.
Hede, A. and Wear, R. (1993). An Empirical Investigation of Australian Political Leadership. University of Southern Queensland, Paper presented to the Australian Political Science Association Annual Conference, at Monash University, September, 1993.
12.
Hollander, E.P. (1964). Leaders, Groups, and Influence. New York: Oxford University Press.
13.
House, R.J. (1971). "A Path-Goal Theory of Leadership Effectiveness ." Administrative Science Quarterly,16, pp.321-339.
14.
Howell, J.M. and Avolio, B.J. (1993). "Transformational Leadership, Transactional Leadership, Locus of Control, and Support for Innovation: Key Predictors of Consolidated Business Unit Performance." Joumal of Applied Psychology, 78(6), pp.891-902.
15.
Hughes, R.L., Ginnett, R.C. and Curphy, G.J. (1993). Leadership Enhancing the Lessons of Experience. Illinois: Irwin Inc.
16.
Koh, W.L., Terbog, J.R. and Steers, R.M. (1991). The Impact of Transformational Leadership on Organisational Commitment, Organisational Citizenship Behaviour, Teacher Satisfaction and Student Performance in Singapore. Paper presented at the Annual Academy of Management Meeting, Miami, Florida .
17.
Kotter, J.P. (1988). The Leadership Factor. New York: The Free Press.
18.
Louis, M.R. (1980a). "Career Transitions: Varieties and Commonalities ." Academy of Management Review, 5(3), pp. 329-340.
19.
Louis, M.R. (1980b). "Surprise and Sense Making: What Newcomers Experience in Entering Unfamiliar Organisational Settings." Administrative Science Quarterly,25, pp.226-251.
20.
Onnen, M.K. (1987). The Relationship of Clergy Leadership Characteristics to Growing or Declining Churches. Doctoral Dissertation, University of Louisville, Louiseville, Kentucky.
21.
Parry, K.W. (1992). Transformational Leadership: An Australian Investigation of Leadership Behaviour, Masters Thesis (unpublished), University of Southern Queensland.
22.
Parry, K.W. and Sarros, J.C. (1995). Transformational Leadership in Australia: How Different From the United States?ANZAM Journal (in press).
23.
Rosenbach, W.E. and Mueller, R. (1989). "Transformational and Transactional Leadership of Business, Church and Fire Service Executives." In Fallon, B. J., Pfister, H. P., Brebner, J. (Eds.) Advances in Industrial Organizational Psychology. North-Holland: Elsevier Science Publishers.
24.
Rost, J.C. (1991). Leadership for the Twenty-First Century. New York: Praeger.
25.
Santora, J.C. and Sarros, J.C. (1994). Followers' Views of Charismatic Leadership. Unpublished Manuscript, Essex County College, New Jersey.
26.
Seltzer, J. and Bass, B.M. (1987). Leadership is more than Initiation and Consideration. Paper, American Psychological Association, New York.
27.
Seltzer, J. and Bass, B.M. (1990). "Transformational Leadership: Beyond Initiation and Consideration." Joumal ofManagement, 16(4), pp.693-703.
28.
Smith, P.B. and Peterson, M.F. (1988). Leadership, Organisations and Culture, Beverley Hills, CA: Sage.
29.
Still, L.V. (1993). "Quo Vadis, Women in Management?" Women in Management Review, 8(3), pp. 4-11.
30.
Vroom, V.H. (1964). Work and Motivation. New York : Wiley.
31.
Waldman, D.A., Bass, B.M. and Einstein, W.D. (1986). "Effort, Performance and Transformational Leadership in Industrial and Military Settings." Joumal ofOccupational Psychology, 60, pp.177-186.
32.
Waldman, D.A., Bass, B.M. and Yammarino, F.J. (1990). "Adding to Contingent-Reward Behaviour. The augmenting Effect of Charismatic Leadership." Group and Organisational Studies, 15, pp.381-394.
33.
Yukl, G.A. (1989). Leadership in Organisations. (2nd Ed.), NewJersey: Prentice Hall.
