Twenty-seven supervisors were asked to rate their leadership behaviour and their attitudes about working with offenders and corrections in general. More than 100 offenders were also asked to rate a variety of factors including their supervisor's leadership behaviour and credibility. The more supervisors indicated that they used active leadership behaviours, the more positive their attitudes about corrections. Further, the more active the supervisor's leadership behaviour, the more offenders were motivated by work, found work meaningful, felt responsible for their work and were absorbed in their jobs. Finally, the more offenders believed that their supervisors used active leadership behaviours, the more supervisors were considered to be credible, trustworthy and competent, and the more willing the offender was to exert extra effort.
Supervisors can influence the meaning of work.
Moving from research to practice The skills required for any job can be organized into a three-layer pyramid. The base is made up of adaptive skills, which are learned through work and life experience. These skills include many of the factors identified in the Conference Board of Canada's Employability Skills Profile, such as being a reliable worker or a team player. The second level focuses on functional skills. The levels of the pyramid reflect the degree to which the skills are transferable.