Abstract
The leadership style in organizations play a fundamental role in employee performance, including employee motivation. Among the different leadership styles at the disposal of leaders in an organization is transformational leadership. This leadership style has gained significant popularity and attention, presumably because of its productive, innovative, as well as supportive nature. Transformational leadership transformational leadership is characterized by contractual exchanges between leaders and their subordinates. The exchange involve the creation and maintenance of beneficial social relationships based on four primary dimensions. These constituents are inclusive of idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulations, and individualized consideration. Idealized influence is fundamental in the sense that a leader can use his or her charisma to influence followers. This study focuses on the identified dimensions and the manner in which they affect employee motivation.
Introduction
Background
Leadership refers to an individual’s ability to influence a group towards the realization of an organization’s predetermined objectives. For this reason, leaders in an organization play a significant role in shaping the attitudes of the members towards creativity and job performance. Leaders have the means of power necessary for running organizations, which is an indication that their impact on employees is significant. The leadership style they use plays a fundamental role in employee performance, including employee motivation. Among the different leadership styles at the disposal of leaders in an organization is transformational leadership. This leadership style has gained significant popularity and attention, presumably because of its productive, innovative, as well as supportive nature.
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For the last few years, it has been witnessed that transformational leadership is an important aspect of leadership that is associated with the performance of an individual and the organizational performance. According to Ahmad, Abbas, Latif, and Rasheed (2014), researchers that have been involved in exploring transformational leadership include the aspect of the motivational aspect of this leadership style in their studies. On the same note, it would be vital to assess the different dimensions of transformational leadership and its effect on employee motivation. In line with this provision is the idea that unlike other types of leadership, the foundation of transformational leadership is its influence in terms of transmuting different primacies and the values of subordinates towards the achievement of more than their expectations (Ahmand, Abbas, Latif, & Rasheed, 2014). Literature on transformational leadership has identified a number of positive effects on the motivation of subordinates.
Statement of the problem
A considerable number of researchers have conducted various studies on the manner in which transformational leadership affects the performance and motivation of employees in an organization. While these studies focus on the influence of transformational leadership on the performance of employees, few of them look into the individual component factors of this type of leadership on the performance of employees. For this reason, it is essential to look into the manner in which the component factors of transformational leadership can influence the performance of employees, including their motivation to perform their duties in the workplace.
Purpose of the study
The fundamental purpose of this study relates to the need to look into the effects of transformational leadership on the motivation and performance of employees in a given organization. In this regard, the study will focus on the features of transformational leadership and relationship of these features on the relationship between leaders and their followers. Studies on the behaviors of transformational leaders propose that the activities of leaders practicing transformational leadership focus on creating a common vision through the development of clear and expressive objectives that permit employees to exercise dependable behavior (Ahmand, Abbas, Latif, & Rasheed, 2014). For this reason, it is essential to look into the manner in which this leadership style affects the performance of employees in terms of the manner in which it motivates them towards optimal performance in their jobs.
Significance of the study
There is a possibility of arguing that there is a limitation regarding the existing studies on the significance of transformational leadership in an organization. Most of the available studies focus on the effects of using transformational leadership for innovation within organizations rather than addressing the need to instill creativity within the employees (Abou-Moghli, 2018). For this reason, it is vital to address the characteristics necessary for considering an individual as a transformational leader. Conversely, it will be vital to examine the significance of leaders in terms of the manner in which they affect the performance, motivation, and the general well being of employees in an organization. In line with this provision is the need to evaluate the relationship between transformational leaders and their impact towards ensuring that employees attain the predetermined objectives of an organization.
Literature review
A considerable number of studies have highlighted the importance of using transformational leadership to promote the development of an organization (Engelen et al., 2015). Most of these studies focus on the idea that this style of leadership relies on the harmonious working relationship existing between the leaders and their subordinates. In this case, leaders work together with their subordinates to improve the motivation levels and the drive to perform predetermined duties. In spite of the leadership style chosen for a particular organization, there is a possibility of taking note of the difference between other leadership styles and the transactional approach. According to Hamstra, Van Yperen, Wisse, and Sassenberg (2014), transformational leadership is characterized by contractual exchanges between leaders and their subordinates. In this case, leaders use the transformational leadership style to maintain beneficial social relationships between them and their subordinates. In this regard, transformational leadership is associated with different dimensions that are inclusive of idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulations, and individualized consideration.
The transformational leadership style influences individuals in several ways, which is also an indication that the outcomes of the organization might not be the same. For instance, Choi Goh, Adam, and Tan (2016), argue that transformational leadership can influence subordinates on facets such as their job satisfaction, their level of their commitment to the organization, and their performance. The influence is a derivative of the overall goal of transformational leadership, which focuses on the personal ideologies and values of individual employees, consequently making it possible for them to evolve into different levels of aspirations by utilizing the dimensions identified previously.
Within the context of this study, it is necessary to look at the concept of creativity in relation to transformational leadership. In this case, different studies focus on the idea that creativity is valuable, which means that its utilization within an organization is likely to lead to beneficial innovations (Abou-Moghli, 2018). Innovation through creativity is one of the avenues through which an organization can realize success and achieve competitive advantage. In addition, the ability of an organization to accept challenges is one of the integral factors that can determine the motivation of the employees and the achievement of organizational success (Abou-Moghli, 2018). Creativity in this case relates to the ability of individuals within the organization to produce new ideas that can ensure the achievement of innovative development. For this reason, it is important for the leadership style governing the operations of the organization to undergo an evolution in terms of creating room for the creativity of the employees. The allowance is not only essential for motivating the employees to be creative, but it also paves way for innovative growth within the organization.
In the light of the identified provisions, it is possible to take note of the fact that transformational leadership enables organizational development through innovation. The causal factors that can be attributed to the development emanates from the feelings of trust and respect that the subordinates of transformational leaders experience, which is a factor that motivates and inspires them to perform to the best of their abilities (Abou-Moghli, 2018). In the light of the identified possibilities, the effectiveness of transformational leadership depends on the notion that transformational leaders have the capability of inspiring their employees to do their best to increase their standards of performance. The spillover effect of the inspiration is that the employees will be in a position of developing creative solution to different issues that the organization might be undergoing. Men (2014) corroborates this argument by indicating that transformational leadership is a vital element that can elevate the satisfaction of employees within a particular organization.
As identified earlier, the constituents of transformational leadership include idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulations, and individualized consideration. The transformative leadership approach utilizes these constituents to encourage the innovative growth of employees affiliated with a particular organization. The ability of transformational leaders to influence subordinates to be creative is a provision that is widely lauded in different research studies. In this case, the creative growth of employees significantly contributes to the degree of innovation within the organization.
Idealized influence
This dimension of transformational leadership focuses on the fact that leaders are responsible for providing the organization’s vision, mission and inspiration necessary for the achievement of the organization’s goals (Bass, Riggio, & Conger, 2013). The identified qualities are necessary for ensuring that the leader acts as a role model to the followers. In this case, subordinates are likely to be proud of a leader that displays the identified qualities, which might influence them to follow the decisions made and determined by the leader (Bass, Riggio, & Conger, 2013). The fundamental characteristics of transformational leaders that use this dimension is that they are consistent and determined to handle some of the issues they face. In this case, when the transformational leaders maintain the qualities associated with idealized influence, they are likely to incorporate elements that are attributed to their ability to influence their followers or subordinates.
According to Julian Barling (2014), when a leader can keep this trait, he or she becomes a risk taker. However, such leaders display a high level of stable communication when making business transactions. On the other hand, they are highly likely to display high ethical principles and determination in their conduct (Ciulla, 2014). These traits could be used to indicate that under this dimension, a leader is likely to feel that his or her subordinates are respectful, which is one of the elements that can influence the subordinates to work towards fulfilling the mission of the organization. In such an environment, followers are inclined to accomplish their assignments accordingly. For this reason, they will be motivated to work towards surpassing their targets. In this way, transformational leaders motivate their followers positively.
Inspirational motivation
The primary method through which transformational leaders can motivate their followers is through acting as role models. In this case, transformational leaders should be in a position of accepting challenges. Their attitude towards the different challenges encountered in an organization can inspire the followers to achieve the predetermined goals effectively. Through transformational leadership, a leader in an organization should be in a position of explaining the meaning of the different challenges faced, which might require having face-to-face meetings with the followers to motivate them towards mitigating the challenges faced (Jensen, Moynihan & Salomonsen, 2018). The transformational leaders should have the skills necessary for motivating their followers to achieve optimum results. In this case, the leaders should tell the followers about the future affairs of the organization, which will make them aware of the future objectives and the vision of the organization. By communicating these objectives, the followers are likely to be in a position of committing to the goals of the organization.
The communication process is necessary for displaying the leader’s courage as well as a model that subordinates look up to for stimulation. This provision calls for the need for transformational leaders to encourage the subordinates to commit themselves to getting more than they would require for their self-interest (Raynolds, Chatfield, & Outward Bound, Inc., 2007). When the leaders in an organization encourage their subordinates to express some of their new ideas, the subordinates are likely to be free to express their ideas since they will feel that the leaders provide them with the support they need (Rath & Conchie, 2008). The inspiration allows the subordinates to develop creative solutions to some of the problems being encountered, which is necessary for smoothening the troubleshooting process (Abou-Moghli, 2018). The solutions developed allow for organizational growth.
Intellectual stimulations
Transformational leaders are capable of motivating followers in a novel way. In this case, they have the ability to encourage and harness their creativity, which is a trait that can influence the followers to become good decision makers. To stimulate the intelligence of their followers, transformational leaders focus on the reasoning behind every action they take, including the actions taken by their followers (Burns, 2004). In this case, transformational leaders can be able to direct their followers to work towards finding solutions to the problems being encountered in the organization. They direct the followers logically instead of using the traditional setup. By using the logical way of solving organizational problems, the leaders place their subordinates in a position where they can be creative, logical, as well as critical.
Creativity is something that could be considered as revitalizing. In most cases, leaders think that their subordinates have the potential of realizing their goals. Transformational leaders recognize the creative followers in their group. Despite the recognition, transformational leaders do not criticize the followers when they fail to act according to their desire. Instead, they use intellectual stimulation to encourage the followers to increase their ability to think in a unique manner, consequently leading to the development of novel ideas, including the enhancement of the skills required to resolve experienced dilemmas (Ahmand, Abbas, Latif, & Rasheed, 2014). Conversely, by stimulating followers intellectually, leaders challenge the status quo, which is a factor that can encourage the use of high imaginative levels. Under such a situation, the followers are compelled to focus on given tasks without taking note of other external factors. In this case, transformational leaders focus more on the aspect of problem solving initiatives that can lead to the motivation of the employees.
Individualized consideration
This dimension of a transformational leader inspires them to coach and train subordinates, consequently stimulating their experiences. In this regard, a leader should pay attention to the needs and contribution of a follower on an individualized level. In such a case, the follower is likely to feel happy and comfortable when the leader directs them individually (Ahmand, Abbas, Latif, & Rasheed, 2014). Individualized consideration enables the follower to feel capable of accomplishing a given task, which is necessary for achieving the desired goal of the organization. This dimension accounts for the fact that leaders act as a coach for the organizational team since he or she trains the followers to achieve the desired organizational goals. In such a case, the followers are likely to be recognized and rewarded for their efforts.
The implementation of this dimension requires face-to-face communication. According to Ahmand, Abbas, Latif, and Rasheed (2014), when a leader communicates with his or her subordinates face-to-face, the communication mechanism will be fruitful for the working environment. The individualized consideration dimension of leadership can consequently enhance the capability of a leader to pay attention to the ideas and concerns of individual followers, transmit their project or work, and make them feel that they can acquire more experience by acting rather than speculating (Ahmand, Abbas, Latif, & Rasheed, 2014). In such cases, leaders provide the followers with discretionary powers necessary for fulfilling their work needs. Conversely, they provide followers with the opportunity to act according to the provided direction, which means that they will be in a position of dedicating their time for work due to the discretionary feeling and the testing of their capabilities in the working environment. For this reason, the subordinates are likely to feel motivated to work towards achieving their objectives.
Conclusion and recommendations
In conclusion, it is essential to point out that transformational leadership is the leadership styles that is more likely to motivate employees, consequently compelling them to achieve the predetermined goals of the organization. Transformational leadership transformational leadership is characterized by contractual exchanges between leaders and their subordinates. The exchange involve the creation and maintenance of beneficial social relationships based on four primary dimensions. These constituents are inclusive of idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulations, and individualized consideration. Idealized influence is fundamental in the sense that a leader can use his or her charisma to influence followers. The inspiration dimension provides subordinates with the opportunity to develop creative solutions to the issues being encountered in the organization. The dimension of individualized consideration revolves around the idea that transformational leaders have the opportunity to assume their position as mentors. Intellectual stimulation focuses on the process where the transformational leader stimulates and motivates followers to develop unique approaches and innovative solutions to issues being encountered in an organization.
Following the different elements discussed, a plausible recommendation for a leader in an organization would involve acquiring the skills necessary for the implementation of different provisions that characterize transformational leadership. In this case, leaders in an organization should strive to use this leadership style to motivate their employees to realize organizational growth through innovative mechanisms. When a leader in an organization engages in inspirational behavior, which might be inclusive of the articulation of a compelling vision, expressing confidence and optimism towards the employees, referencing the organization’s core values, and emphasizing on the collective identity of individuals, the employees will be more motivated to achieve the goals of the organization. On the other hand, the followers are likely to set value-congruent objectives that will ensure their commitment to the organization.
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