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From Academic Leadership Empirical Research Abstract
A study of relationship between consequences of leadership and transformational leadership style of the presidents of Iranian universities and Institutions of Higher education The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between consequences of leadership and transformational leadership style of presidents of universities and institutes in Tehran, and 30 presidents in Tehran and 102 raters (subordination of presidents ) responded to third edition of multifactor leadership questionnaire MLQ (Leader and rater version). The data were analyzed by taking into consideration both descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage and mean) and Pearson correlation, the result of this study showed the existence of a meaningful and positive correlation between three consequences of leadership (extra effort, effectiveness, satisfaction)and transformational leadership style. Key words: Consequences of leadership, extra effort, effectiveness, satisfaction, transformational leadership.
Nasrin noorshahi faculty member of institute for research and planning for higher education Tehran IRAN.
Mohamad yamany dozi sarkhabi full professor of shahid beheshty university Tehran IRAN.
Introduction All through history, leadership has been a part of human societies. When leadership is considered as a function, it is an important dimension of management whose presence and existence depends on several skills which can be taken as methods or styles of leadership and guidance on the part of a group of people in order to achieve a certain goal (Bennett and Anderson, 2003). A survey of literature shows changes in the paradigm of leadership studies. Helen Gunter, in "Leaders and Leadership in Education" quotes Becher when she considers leadership studies as soft and applied knowledge and believes the field to be dealing with complicated human relationships and interactions and that it is judged based on practical principles as well as moral codes. (Gunter, 2001) Thus, suggestions derived from leadership theories must not only be efficient, but also according to moral codes. The efficiency of leadership theories is generally evaluated with regards to outcomes of the application of skills, dimensions and properties suggested by them. For instance, three consequences of leadership including the generation of extra effort among coworkers, effectiveness and their satisfaction can be viewed as three important factors in evaluation of practical efficiency of different leadership styles. (Bass & Avolio, 1994) Transformational leadership style, including the new competencies of leadership such as sense making, ability to deliver, inter organizational representation, has been known as one of the effective leadership styles in recent theories. It is composed of four dimensions: ideal influence. inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and individualized consideration. (Storey, 2004). Considering the present challenges facing educational organizations, this style has been introduced as the appropriate one in accordance to the current conditions of the universities. (Maccadory, 2004, Nicolina, 2003) (Webb, 2003) Therefore, the main issue in this study is to find out the extent to which the four dimensions of transformational leadership are applied by the presidents of universities in Tehran; and if there is any correlation between dimensions of this leadership and the consequences of leadership (extra effort, effectiveness and satisfaction) on the part of the mentioned presidents Theoretical basics of the research: James MacGregor Burns founded the theory of transformational leadership in 1978 by differentiating the two kinds of leadership: transactional vs. transformational. According to Burns, a transformational leader causes and creates transformation; his values include ultimate ones such as liberty, justice and equality. Such leaders elevate their followers to a higher level of morality and spirituality. In short, the secret or the axis of transformational leadership is, according to Burns, "to lead people to self improvement"(Burns, 1979). Burns viewed the two kinds of leadership, i.e. transactional and transformational, as two separate poles in a construction. Bass developed this view. He believed in transactional leadership, the main ideas is that when a job, or the environment around the followers fail to create and maintain due motivations or satisfaction, the leader will take action through clarification and explanation of the functional criteria; in other words, by expressing what he expects from his followers and what they will receive in return. Thus, while the transactional or interactional leader motivates the followers to act as he expects them to, a transformational leader will motivate them towards extra effort. Transformational leadership comprises identification with the leader and creation of a common vision or horizon. And in this type of leadership the relationship between the leader and the follower is beyond a simple give-and-take (prize for obedience) one. (Bass & Avolio, 1994) Transformational leader defines the need to change, then introduces a new image or view of the future and next create a commitment to this image among his followers. Bass regards the two styles of transactional and transformational leadership as separate dimensions which a leader may possess. The theory of transformational leadership predicts an emotional-affectionate dependence between the followers and the leader. Transformational leaders actually elevate their followers' tendencies and inclinations and raise their ambitions. (Denchatog & Muijen, 1997) According to Bass, developmental processes comprise of empowering, achieving higher levels of needs and therefore elevation in the level of motivation and finally improvement and promotion of morality. Consequently, three key words may be recognized in this theory: motivation, empowering, and morality (quoting Dvir, Shamir, 2003). Unlike or contrary to some of the leadership theories that make their leaders out of their followers' weakness and dependence on them, transformational leaders do not rely on their followers' weakness and dependence, but rather they tend to increase their independence and persuade them to think independently and critically. These leaders try to raise the level of self-efficacy, self-confidence and self-managing ability. Another basic attempt of such leaders is increasing creativity and risk-taking ability. (Popper & Mayseless, 2000) Manifestations of the characteristics mentioned as the base of transformational leadership theory are well noticeable in the four dimensions of such leadership style. Such that in Ideal influence dimension these leaders put the others' needs before theirs, avoid using their power for self interests, expound standards of high spirits, emphasize confidence, put forth moral values, pay attention to the moral consequences of decisions, increase positive attitude and viewpoint and introduce a perspective. (Griffin, 2003) The dimension of Inspirational motivation is related to abilities and properties such as forming a future image, challenging the followers by setting high standards, stimulation, meaning and challenge, using symbols and introducing ideas and moving their followers minds and emotions. The dimension of Individualized consideration by the leader occurs when he has a developmental tendency towards his coworkers and considers each of them as an independent identity, while paying attention to their individual needs. In this dimension, the leader treats each of his followers as a unique individual. He cares about his followers' growth and improvement and takes actions accordingly. (Quoting Rafferly & Griffin, 2004) The dimension of Intellectual motivation consists of behaviors which help enhance and improve the followers' skills and ability to think about old issues in new modern ways. In fact, the leader, by using this dimension, attempt to increase his followers' ability to conceptualize, comprehend and introduce and produce new improved solutions. (Bass & Steidlmeiere, 1999). The leader's attempt to motivate his followers towards innovation and recreation is placed in this dimension (Popper & Mayseless, 2000). Bass and Avolio, in the means they introduced for evaluation of dimensions of different styles of leadership titled multifunctional leadership survey, have provided for the possibility of assessing the three consequences of leadership which result from the benefits of using different styles including extra effort, effectiveness and satisfaction. Based on extra effort, the leader has been able to create conditions in which his staff and coworkers show extra effort and has also been able to persuade his coworkers to try to achieve more and increase their tendency to more effort and work. Based on the consequence of effectiveness, the leader has been effective in meeting his coworker's' needs and creating conditions which give more power to them; he has also succeeded in meeting organizational needs. Further, based on the consequence of satisfaction, the leader has been able to use satisfactory methods (according to his coworkers) in his job and thus keep his staff happy while working with them. Golding Alston Albert in his doctorate dissertation in 2003 has tested the transformational leadership theory in Jamaica's work environments. According to his findings, there is a dependant relationship between individual considerations and the consequence of satisfaction. (Albert, 2003) Metgha dorathy Mercy in 2004 studied leadership styles in higher education institutes. The findings showed that professors recognized the leadership styles of their managers as somewhat transformational and somewhat transactional (Mercy, 2004). Arculi Nicolina in 2003, in a research, surveyed the rate of suitability of transformational leadership style in educational-scientific environments and institutions. The findings of this research showed that there is a positive relationship between transformational leadership and the consequence of effectiveness (Nicolina, 2003). Kerry Web, in 2003, in his doctorate dissertation investigated the extent of compatibility of leadership behavior of the presidents with their followers' job satisfaction and motivation for extra effort and effectiveness in Evangelical colleges and universities. The findings showed that a combination of transformational and transactional behavior can better predict the job satisfaction and effectiveness in leadership, in comparison to transformational behavior alone (Webb, 2003). Bommer and Baldwin in 2004, in their research found that the leaders whose counterpart leader group has more transformational behavior are more inclined to show transformational behavior (Bommer & Baldwin, 2004). New challenges facing higher education institutions at present need certain leadership skills such as creating a perspective, cooperation, empowerment, innovation and recreation, legalizing and observing moral principals. These skills respond to new leadership efficiency including meaning-making, value-making, ability to create change, and inter organizational representation (power to unify and solidify and power of coalition) accordingly, one of the recommended styles for higher education institutions is transformational leadership. (Webb, 2003) So far, in Iran's higher education institutions, there has been no investigations of this result and the fact that transformational leadership can be related to the increase in the mentioned leadership consequence. Therefore, the following questions in this research are meant to explore this relationship. Research questions:
1. To what extent do the four dimensions of transformational leadership (i.e. ideal influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration) exist in the leadership style of the presidents of Tehran's higher education institutions and universities? 2. To what extent do the three leadership consequences (extra effort, effectiveness and satisfaction) exist in the leadership consequences on the presidents of Tehran's higher education institutions and universities? 3. Is there a correlation between the four dimensions of transformational leadership and the three consequences of leadership of the presidents of Tehran's higher education institutions and universities? Research methodology: This research is of the descriptive-correlative type and in it the four dimensions of transformational leadership including ideal influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and individualized consideration and the three leadership consequences, (i.e. extra effort, effectiveness and satisfaction) between the presidents of Tehran's higher education institutions and universities have been investigated. After that, the correlation among the above dimensions and consequences have been calculated. This research has benefited from consensus of the society of the presidents of Tehran's higher education institutions and universities including 30 presidents. For every university president, 3 or 5 people (randomly) of their immediate coworkers (including vice-presidents, deans, department managers) have taken part in the study, the total of which comes to 102 (presidents and coworkers in total are 132 people). The research has used the third edition of multifactor leadership questionnaire MLQ form 5x, which has been designed and developed by Bass and Avolio and includes 44 statements and is arranged based on the 5 options scale by Leikert and has been set in two editions related to the leaders and coworkers. An individual's style of leadership is evaluated based on the average of his own score and his coworkers. At first, with the help of two specialist translators in the filed of the management literature, the third edition of MLQ was translated and the tool was carried out on an pilot study over 20% of the people under study as well as their immediate coworkers. After receiving the feedback of this experimental study, the statements and options were corrected and the final version designed. The questionnaire related to the presidents was filled out in a personal meeting of 30 to 40 minutes. Parallel to this, the questionnaire belonging to the immediate coworkers of each institution's president's was distributed among them and retrieved after two weeks through post or personal contacts. According to the instructions of MLQ for every manager or president, 3 to 5 immediate coworkers must fill out the questionnaire. (Bass, Avolio, 2004). Thus, the data from the 30 presidents' questionnaire and the 102 coworkers' questionnaires have been analyzed through the SPSS software with methods of descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation including frequency and percentage. Each president's score is obtained out of the average of his mark and the mark received from his coworkers. Findings: A). The presidents' score in four dimensions of transformational leadership: based on the data in table 1, the majority of the studied presidents have gained: a high score in ideal influence dimension (50%), in inspirational motivation dimension (53.33%) an medium score, in intellectual stimulation dimension (50%) an average score and in the individual consideration dimension (46.66%) a low score. The score of the highest percentage of the presidents (46.66%) in the transformational style is medium. The scores have been calculated as follows: The criteria was the average of score of the group under study according to the method of intergroup norm. And the scores above the average are considered as high and those around the average as medium, and the ones below the average as low. This was done to control the influence of cultural factors and the tendency to average and low scores among the attendants. Table 1- comparison between the frequency of the presidents under study according to their scores in dimensions and style of Transformational leadership
B) The presidents' score in three consequences of leadership ( extra effort, effectiveness, satisfaction): Based on the data in table 2 , the highest percentage of presidents (%36.66) in the consequence of extra effort gained high score, in the consequence of effectiveness (%50) gained medium score, and in the consequence of co-workers satisfaction (%60) gained average score. Table 2- comparison the frequency percentage of the studied presidents based on their scores in the three consequences of leadership
C) Correlation between dimensions of transformational leadership style and leadership consequences of the studied presidents Based on the data in table 3, there is a correlation among all the four dimensions of the transformational leadership and three consequences of leadership. The highest amount of correlation (0.849) is observable between individual considerations and satisfaction. And the lowest correlation is between inspirational motivation and extra effort. Table 3- Pearson correlation of transformational leadership dimensions and three leadership consequences
Conclusion and argument: The finding that the majority of the presidents' scores was high in the dimension of ideal influence considering behavioral characteristics related to this dimension, may be noted as a point of strength in the emphasis on confidence and moral values and their attention to the moral consequences of their decisions. While the being medium of the majority of their scores in the dimensions of inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation, calls for more consideration of the behavioral characteristics such as forming a future image, challenging and moving their co-workers' mind and emotions as well as these presidents' attention to innovation and creativity. The fact that the majority of their scores were low in the individual considerations, noting its fundamental role in the transformational leadership, calls for special attention and shows lack of enough attention on the part of these presidents to the abilities and strengths and shortcomings and independent identity of their followers. Overall, the total score of the majority of these presidents in transformational leadership has been medium ,The effect of background factors and the presidents' working environment should not be ignored. Bommer and Baldwin, in 2004, studied the effects of some of the factors and background variables on transformational leadership. Their findings showed that those leaders whose counterpart leading group had more of transformational leadership, showed a greater tendency towards transformational leading behavior. Thus, organizations and organizational backgrounds and social environments have been important factor in the formation of the type of leadership style. (Bommer & Baldwin, 2004). That a considerable percent of the studies presidents gained a higher than average score in extra effort, is a strong point, and that their scores in satisfaction and effectiveness have been average shows that they need more effort to improve these two consequences. This finding of the present research, that there is a positive correlation between transformational leadership and the consequence of effectiveness, is in accordance with the findings of Arculi Nicolina's research in 2003. Also, the finding that there is a positive correlation between individual considerations and satisfaction (which is the strongest one in this research) is in accordance with the findings of Alston Albert (2003). Since the characteristics of individual considerations, such as attention to individual needs, independent identity, and believing in their independence according to the hierarchy of needs , is one of the basic human needs shows that the leaders’ and the managers' attention to this have an great role in their satisfaction. This expectation was confirmed by the findings of this research. In general, the accompaniment of all three leadership consequences and the four dimensions of transformational leadership in the present research is in accordance with the findings of Webb's research (2003), and clearly confirms the present theories in literature because in different cases transformational leadership has been recommended to the present organizations as one accompanied by leadership effectiveness and satisfaction. The expected relations between consequences of leadership and transformational leadership based on the existing theories and literature are shown in diagrams A and the relations observed between these two construct are shown in diagram B. Diagram A – the expected relation between dimensions and consequences of leadership based on the research literature
Diagram B- the relation observed between dimensions and consequences based on the present research
A comparison between the two patterns, this result will be obtained that in the community under study shows that the role of the dimension of individual considerations has been weak in the formation of transformational leadership. Meanwhile, the expected correlation (based on literature) is observable between transformational leadership dimensions and leadership consequences in the present study. In a general analysis of the present findings it is essential to take the following point into consideration. 1. the findings must be considered with regards to the effects of background factors especially the macro atmosphere of the society in which these universities and higher education institutes are working. 2. The effect of the atmosphere and organizational culture of each of the institutions and universities on the formation of the dimensions of the presidents' style of leadership is very important. 3. The community of the presidents in Tehran can be considered, with a little caution, as a sample of the macro-community of presidents of universities and higher education institutes of all the country. Overall, based on the mentioned findings the following suggestions and proposals may be put forward. Suggestions and proposals: 1. considering the noticeable effect of individual considerations dimension (paying attention to their independent identity of coworkers, needs, talents, capacities, strengths and weaknesses) on consequences such as extra effort, satisfaction and effectiveness and considering the fact that higher education institutions have special properties which differentiate them from other non-educational organizations, improvement in this dimension among the university presidents needs special attention both as a criterion in appointing them to the position and as a criterion in their functional evaluation. 2. Based on the recommendation and the fact mentioned in point 1, is suggested that a data bank be established containing the experiences and evaluations of the university presidents as a support for election and appointment of presidents. 3.Dimensions of transformational leadership consisting of ideal influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation transformable into skills and competencies such as communication skill, the ability to influence others, the ability to encourage and improve creation and innovation, the ability to trust others and the like, have important roles in the success of organizational presidents specially university presidents. Therefore, it is recommended that a special training section be established in order to educate university presidents in this respect. This section can be a subdivision of university human resource planning and work under the title of university presidents resource plan. 4. Informing the presidents of higher education institutions of the effect of features and skills comprising dimensions of transformational leadership and its effect on the useful consequences of leadership such as extra effort, satisfaction, can be one of the important tasks of the above mentioned section. 5. The vital importance of the role of the university presidents in the present conditions and the fast and complicated era of information lies in the preserving of moral and humanitarian aspects of management. Ignoring these aspects can have irretrievable damages to the system of educational management in the country. Because the sensitivity of the beneficiaries and the lead players in higher education system including students, university professors, graduates and parents considering the nature of their tasks, calls for more attention to be paid to the observation of moral and human coeds. 6. Considering the significance of receiving feedback in the process of improvement, it is inevitable as well as crucial to provide a circular feedback background from the main beneficiaries of the organization, university or higher education institution, by the university president in dimensions and consequences of leadership. 7. In the faculty development department which functions through holding workshops and professors' training courses, attention should be paid to introducing workshops based on new leadership and management theories. This can create necessary potentials for university leaders among the professors. 8. Considering the effectiveness of background factors on the formation of leadership styles, attempts should made in order to build an environment appropriate for freedom of practice and academic independence , the health of organizational atmosphere, without tension and based on lateral trust, enhancement of values such as respecting individual's identity, avoiding mistrust and cynicism , monopoly, belief in plurality and variety and acceptance of different ideas in university environment, can set the grounds for the formation of appropriate styles of leadership among university managers and presidents. References : 1- Bennett Nigel, & Anderson Lesley (2003) Rethinking Educational Leadership. London: sage publication. 2- Gunter, Helen M. (2001); Leaders and Leadership in education, sage publications. 3- Bass Bernard M & Avolio Brucej. 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