Follower motive patterns as situational moderators for transformational leadership effectiveness.

While the study of leadership has been dominated by situational approaches for the past three decades (Fiedler, 1967; House, 1971; Kerr and Jermier, 1978; Howell and Dorfman, 1981; Schriesheim, Neider, Scandura, 1998; Shamir and Howell, 1999; Wofford and Liska, 1993; Yukl, 1998), little of the transformational leadership research and theory has considered situational moderators. A variety of situational aspects are covered by these theories, including leader-member relations, task structure, leader position power, follower ability level, follower locus of control, and follower authoritarianism. Whereas these approaches focus on different aspects of the situation, they converge on the conclusion that the effectiveness of leadership is situationally determined. In this study, we examine subordinate motive patterns as potential situational moderators of the effectiveness of transformational leadership. With the exception of the work of Howell and Avolio (1993) and Keller (1992), situational moderators of the effectiveness of transformational leadership have not been thoroughly examined. We do not contend that situational moderators are of greater significance for transformational leadership than for other leadership constructs; however, we believe that the role of situational moderators for transformational leadership is sufficient to require further research. In this article, we address two important leadership questions. Is transformational leadership universally effective or are there situational moderators which augment or limit its effectiveness? Is transformational leadership more appropriately viewed in terms of individual-level analyses or of multi-level analyses? First, we examine the literature on the potential moderators within the transformational leadership paradigm and on the appropriate level of analysis for transformational leadership. The present research examines the potential moderator effects of the need for autonomy and of growth need strength. In addition, we examine whether transformational leaders adapt their behaviors to different subordinates or behave the same way with all of them. The Transformational Paradigm Building on the work of Burns (1978), Bass (1985) defined transformational leadership and established a measurement instrument for the construct. From his perspective, transformational leaders motivate their followers to perform beyond normal expectations by transforming their thoughts and attitudes. They enlist their followers to buy into their vision and strive for its fulfillment. To accomplish this, transformational leaders exhibit the following kinds of behaviors: attributed charisma, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration (Bass and Avolio, 1994; Conger 1999). Attributed charisma refers to the role modeling leadership behaviors that gain admiration and trust. Leaders who are high in attributed charisma make personal sacrifices for others, remain calm in crises, go beyond self-interest for the good of the group, display competence, and are respected (Bass and Avolio, 1994). Inspirational motivation behaviors include envisioning and articulation of attractive future states of an organization so that followers have a sense of meaning and challenge in their work (Bass, 1985). Intellectual stimulation behaviors include questioning assumptions and refraining problems and approaching existing situations from a fresh perspective (Bass, 1985). Individualized consideration behaviors involve delegation, empowerment, support of subordinates, and paying special attention to each individual's needs, abilities, and aspirations (Bass, 1985). These behaviors compel followers to commit to and actively support the leader's vision, forsake the status quo in favor of innovative approaches, accept greater responsibility, and perform effectively. Potential Situational Moderators for the Transformational Leadership Paradigm To date, the limited research into potential situational moderators for the transformational leadership paradigm has been within the organizational characteristics domain. …