The Effect of Transformational and Transactional Leadership Perceptions on Feedback‐Seeking Intentions

Abstract

This paper explores the relationship between leadership style as operationalized by trans‐formational/transactional leadership (Bass, 1985) and feedback‐seeking behavior. Participants (n= 132) were presented with a vignette describing either a transformational or a transactional leader. Leadership style (transformational leader) was significantly related to higher feedback‐seeking intentions. Further, controlling for manipulated leadership style, participants' perceptions of leader consideration behaviors resulted in higher feedback‐seeking intentions. These findings suggest that not only does exposure to a certain leader affect feedback‐seeking behavior, but also perceptions of certain characteristics of a leader's behavior are important. These findings explain one potential mechanism through which transformational leaders might affect the development of their subordinates and raises interesting implications for leadership coaching.

Challenges for the Theory and Practice of Business Coaching

“…The review found some limited evidence that coachee motivation expressed through amount of effort invested and an open attitude to change (Audet & Couteret, 2012) in the coaching and self-efficacy are important characteristics linked to positive coaching outcomes (Anderson, 2013;Baron & Morin, 2010;Berg & Karlsen, 2012;Blackman, 2006;Bozer, Sarros, & Santora, 2013;De Haan, Duckworth, Birch, & Jones, 2013;Levy et al, 2002). It is important to note that most, but not all, of the coachees in the 111 studies reviewed were high achievers and/or took on the coaching voluntarily, suggesting little variation in motivation and confidence was available to be examined limiting conclusions.…”

“…Seven concepts or theories emerged from those studies that did explicitly use a theory or concept to guide their research including: psychotherapy (Wasylyshyn, Gronsky, & Hass, 2006), cognitive behaviour therapy (Cleary & Zimmerman, 2004), approaches designed to improve self-efficacy (Baron & Morin, 2010;Evers, Brouwers, & Tomic, 2006), mindfulness (Spence, Cavanagh, & Grant, 2008), concepts related to leadership (Konczak, Stelly, & Trusty, 2000;Levy, Cober, & Miller, 2002), action learning (Douglas & McCauley, 1999) and the use of attitude and behaviour change theories from the field of persuasive communication (Blackman, 2008(Blackman, , 2010. Cox et al (2014) argued that concepts from adult learning offered potential for coaching practice and could be linked to many of the existing theories used in practice.…”

Leadership and Knowledge Sharing

“…This leadership style tends to emphasize extrinsic rewards, such as monetary incentives and promotion (Jung et al, 2008). Transactional leaders prefer to avoid risk, and focus on efficiency (Levy et al, 2002). Transactional leadership is comprised of three dimensions which are contingent reward, management-by-exception active, and management-by-exception passive.…”

Conceptualizing leadership perceptions as attitudes: Using attitude theory to further understand the leadership process

“…Broadly speaking the theory suggests that a more favorable attitude, stronger subjective norms, and greater perceived control should create stronger intentions to perform a related behavior. transformational leadership has been shown to lead to increased feedback-seeking intention (Levy, Cober, & Miller, 2002), whilst perceptions of leader integrity is associated with lower intentions to commit unethical acts (Peterson, 2003). Various leadership perceptions have been associated with followers intention to quit the organization, such as LMX (e.g.…”