Situational Constraints on Transformational versus Transactional Leadership Behavior, Subordinates' Leadership Preference, and Satisfaction

Abstract

The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (Bass, 1985) was administered to police officers in New Zealand (Study 1) and to employees of three companies in Taiwan (Study 2). Results showed that siruational constraints affected actual leader behavior, as well as leadership preference scores. The results indicated that mechanistic organizations such as the police force do not necessarily foster transactional leadership. Leadership in the Taiwanese companies was equally transformational and transactional. Preferences for the transformational leadership style were evident in both samples, although Taiwanese employees had a greater liking for transactional leaders. Finally, discrepancy scores between actual and preferred leader ratings may have less efficacy in predicting subordinate satisfaction than scores of actual leader behavior alone.