Transactional Leadership

Examples of Transactional Leadership in the following topics:

• Transactional Versus Transformational Leaders

  • Leadership can be described as transactional or transformational.
  • While transactional leadership operates within existing boundaries of processes, structures, and goals, transformational leadership challenges the current state and is change-oriented.
  • Transactional leadership promotes compliance with existing organizational goals and performance expectations through supervision and the use of rewards and punishments.
  • Transactional leadership reacts to problems as they arise, whereas transformational leadership is more likely to address issues before they become problematic.
  • Transactional leadership is more akin to the common notions of management, whereas transformational leadership adheres more closely to what is colloquially referred to as leadership.

• A Blended Approach to Leadership

  • The full-range leadership theory blends the features of transactional and transformational leadership into one comprehensive approach.
  • The full-range theory of leadership seeks to blend the best aspects of transactional and transformational leadership into one comprehensive approach.
  • Transactional leadership focuses on exchanges between leaders and followers.
  • Management researcher Bernard Bass developed the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ), consisting of 36 items that reflect the leadership aspects associated with both approaches.
  • Assess the intrinsic value of blending transactional leadership behaviors with transformational leadership behaviors

• Key Behaviors of Transactional Leaders

  • Transactional leadership satisfies lower-level needs but addresses those at a high level only to a limited degree.
  • As such, transactional leaders' behavior appeals to only a portion of followers' motivating factors.
  • Transactional leadership can be very effective in the right settings.
  • Coaches of sports teams are a good example of appropriate transactional leadership.
  • Results are the paramount concern to a transactional leader.

• Styles of Leadership

  • A leadership style is the manner and approach of providing direction, implementing plans, and motivating people.
  • The laissez-faire leadership style was first described by Lewin, Lippitt, and White in 1938, along with the autocratic leadership and the democratic leadership styles.
  • The transactional style of leadership was first described by Max Weber in 1947, and then later described by Bernard Bass in 1981.
  • Mainly used by management, transactional leaders focus their leadership on motivating followers through a system of rewards and punishments.
  • Narcissistic leadership is a common form of leadership.

• Fulfilling the Leading Function

  • Debate is fairly common about whether the use of these terms should be restricted and generally reflects an awareness of the distinction made by Burns (1978) between "transactional" leadership (characterized by emphasis on procedures, contingent reward, management by exception) and "transformational" leadership (characterized by charisma, personal relationships, creativity).
  • Management is often associated with the former and leadership with the latter.
  • In contrast to individual leadership, some organizations have adopted group leadership.
  • Others may see the traditional leadership of a boss as costing too much in team performance.
  • Different situations call for different leadership styles.

• Management versus Leadership

  • Though they have traits in common, leadership and management both have unique responsibilities that do not necessarily overlap.
  • The terms "management" and "leadership" have been used interchangeably, yet there are clear similarities and differences between them.
  • Managerial work tends to be more transactional, emphasizing processes, coordination, and motivation, while leadership has an emotional appeal, is based on relationships with followers, and seeks to transform.
  • This definition of leadership may create a negative bias against managers as less noble or less important: "Leader" suggests a heroic figure, rallying people to unite under a common cause, while "manager" calls to mind less charismatic individuals who are focused solely on getting things done.
  • Distinguish between managerial roles and responsibilities and leadership roles and responsibilities

• Leadership Model: The Ohio State University

  • The Ohio State University Leadership Study focused on identifying behaviors (as opposed to traits) which were indicative of a strong leader.
  • Leadership is a field of study (and core ability) which focuses on the ability of an individual or group to "lead" or guide other teams, people or even entire organizations. the evolution of the field of leadership is quite extensive, ranging from the following perspectives:
  • Each of these schools of thought are facets of what modern leadership theories try to take into account today, as varying perspectives on leadership are useful to keep in mind in the complex, global world of organizations.
  • The basic premise was that certain characteristics of individuals was the ideal indicator of success in a leadership role.
  • The Ohio State Leadership Studies touch upon this concept.

• Leadership and Gender

  • Studies on the role of gender in leadership success show mixed results.
  • In many areas of society, men have long dominated leadership positions.
  • Research reveals small but significant differences in the way men and women are perceived in leadership roles, their effectiveness in such positions, and their leadership styles.
  • Studies conducted in the 1980s and early 1990s found that women adopt participative styles of leadership and were more often transformational leaders than men, who more commonly adopted directive, transactional styles.
  • They found no distinction in types or degree of motivation or in leadership styles overall.

• Shared Leadership

  • Shared leadership means that leadership responsibilities are distributed within a team and that members influence each other.
  • Unlike traditional notions of leadership that focus on the actions of an individual, shared leadership refers to responsibilities shared by members of a group.
  • Shared leadership can involve all team members simultaneously or distribute leadership responsibilities sequentially over the group's duration.
  • Leadership roles may be assigned based on expertise and experience.
  • Team members consult each other in a group that employs shared leadership.

• Leadership Styles

  • Cohen, the senior vice president for Right Management's Leadership Development Center of Excellence, describes the engaging leadership style as communicating relevant information to employees and involving them in important decisions.
  • This leadership style can help retain employees for the long term.
  • Under the autocratic leadership style, decision-making power is centralized in the leader.
  • Bass used Burns's ideas to develop his own theory of transformational leadership.
  • Different situations call for particular leadership styles.