Developing relationships within an organization is a long-range effort which aims to develop the problem-solving potential of the organisation as well as its capability in managing the changes that it encounters from its external environment. Many factors can influence behaviours and relationships in organizational settings. Factors internal to the organization as well as the external factors matters. In an article written in 2005 by Barbuto and published in the Journal of Leadership and Organisational Studies, “Motivation and Transactional, Charismatic, and Transformational Leadership: A Test of Antecedents,” it studies connection between a leader’s motivation and the use of their leadership skills (i.e. transactional, charismatic, transformational) on the performance of their followers. The article posits the view that “the transforming leader is one who is able to lift followers up from their petty preoccupations and rally around a common purpose to achieve things never thought possible” (Barbuto, 2005, p. 450). This supports the idea that to be successful under the conditions resulting from the changes, developments, and challenges in today’s world of work, leaders must move away from a style of “managing” to a style of “leadership.” It is a fact that when organizations have done well, it can boost employee confidence and increase job performance and satisfaction. An organization’s requirement for management and leadership will change as the factors affecting the organization change.
In this study, Barbuto (2005, p. 448) collected data from 186 leaders working in a mixture of industries, governmental agencies and educational setting located in both rural and urban areas as well as their 759 raters. They participated in a twelve-month leadership-training program wherein their behaviours were quantified using the MLG-short form (Multi-factor Leadership Questionnaire) assessed by leaders and raters. Using the Motivation Sources Inventory, the sources of their motivation were also quantified. The results of the study were then analysed using the computer program SPSS. The results show “several significant findings from the analysis of the relationship between the Motivation Sources Inventory subscales and leaders’ transformational behaviour subscales, charismatic leadership, transactional leadership, and laissez-faire leadership” (Barbuto, 2005, p. 458). The results showed that the work motivation of leaders confirmed some link with leadership behaviours, but the associations commonly accounted for less than 5% variance. Leader’s self reports had a higher correlation to the five sources of motivation than that done by the raters.
The four dimensions of transformational leadership are: Charisma or idealized influence, Inspirational motivation, Intellectual stimulation, and Individualized consideration and these are well laid out in the literature of the study (Barbuto, 2005, p. 449). It described in detail the fact that a wide array of leadership model illustrates the allocation of leadership behaviours which range from the totally inactive (Laissez-faire) to transactional behaviours to transformational behaviours. The transformational leader has the ability to inspire the employees in an organisation setting to do more than what is expected of them. Transformational leadership theories are based on the emotional bond between the followers and the leaders and as a result of the leaders’ behaviour this creates an emotional and motivational arousal of followers. Laissez-faire leadership shows leaders “offer[ing] little support to their subordinates and are inattentive to productivity or necessary completion of the worker’s duties. Management-by-exception likewise do not get involved with the workers until these workers commit failures or deviations from the usual course of work” (Barbuto, 2005, p. 449). These theories have been extensively discussed by the author in the literature review of the study. It likewise provided the advantages and disadvantages of these approaches when applied to organizational settings.
Charisma has also been extensively discussed in the study and how it affects leaders. It is “believed to be the fundamental factor in the transformational process and is described as the leader’s ability to generate great symbolic power” (Barbuto, 2005, p. 450). There is an increasing body of research that supports this theory and shows positive relationships between charismatic leadership and high performance and satisfaction among the followers, signifying that the findings were valid and consistent to other research studies.
The leader-participants in this study have been given an understanding of leadership in human society and effective communication skill imperative for a leader, making the study relevant in its application to the real world setting. In the process, the leaders were exposed to various types, styles and methods of leadership as well as its relationship to religion, society, and gender. This study also gave the leaders the chance to acquire key insights, tools and communication skills for reaching optimal, sustainable and competitive positions in a variety of situations. This made them better equipped, more confident and comfortable to play a leadership role in their respective organizations.
These scenarios are shown in the results of the study wherein in general, the results show that motivation has presented some verification for promise as a precursor to full range leadership. Intrinsic process motivation correlated with transformational behaviours and this is a clear indication that leaders motivated by fun at work are more likely to self-repost an ideology consistent with transformational and charismatic leadership (Barbuto, 2005, p. 451). One key contributory factor to the success of transformational leadership is communication. Communication is key and essential to the whole group process. It can benefit the group and the organization as well, as it provides a framework for communication which can increase professional involvement, and can save repetition of actions and tasks.
The author in this study has provided for a comparison between how leaders self-assess their motivation and performances and how the raters assess the leaders’ motivation and performances. This can help eliminate any biases that the leaders themselves may have in assessing their performances and motivation. To be successful, organizations must develop a total system effort. It must include not only leaders and managers but the ordinary employees as well. Motivation is the key and it must be directed not only towards the leaders but the followers as well. Assessing the motivation of the leaders by themselves and by the raters also can help provide for a clearer picture of how motivation can help improve leadership. This gives further implications of the study’s relevancy in application and consistency with other studies.
Moreover, the findings of the study will help in the many tasks that organizations tackle everyday involving communication and leadership challenges like communicating with clients, making deals, engaging with business and social partners, accomplishing agreements, dealing with difficult people and clients. Management today has more and more been based on the ability to provide effective communication especially in situations wherein leaders are faced with difficult and rapidly changing business circumstances, and no longer premised on hierarchical authority.
The results of the study support the consistent view of human motivation and its role it plays in leadership formation and development. Human motivation must be studied in relation to other features or variables in leadership (Barbuto, 2005, p. 463). The significant differences in the study may be attributed to the nature of the gauge itself that was not intended to make a distinction between inspirational and charismatic influences. The results can offer as a guide for organizations in understanding more the behaviour of leaders. Barbuto (2005, p. 464) explained that the results basically show that leaders see the world in their own paradigm and expect everyone else to see the world the way they see it. By understanding this concept, solutions may be easier made for solving problems in organizations. Still there is room for further research in this area. The author in this study has not included many other factors that may influence motivation as an antecedent to leadership. It does not include career fit, educational training, work values and experiences and how it can affect motivation. These could significantly alter the results of the study. Human motivation must be studied in relation to other features or variables in leadership.