The impact of follower leadership position on transformational leadership as moderator of the association between work-related ambiguity and job satisfaction
This two-part study examined if the buffering effect of transformational leadership on the association between work-related ambiguity and job satisfaction is contingent upon whether a follower holds a formal leadership position him/herself. Data from two separate surveys were employed: Study 1: A sa...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.970887/full |
| _version_ | 1811208936410316800 |
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| author | Morten Birkeland Nielsen Morten Birkeland Nielsen Jørn Hetland Anette Harris Guy Notelaers Johannes Gjerstad Johannes Gjerstad Ståle Valvatne Einarsern |
| author_facet | Morten Birkeland Nielsen Morten Birkeland Nielsen Jørn Hetland Anette Harris Guy Notelaers Johannes Gjerstad Johannes Gjerstad Ståle Valvatne Einarsern |
| author_sort | Morten Birkeland Nielsen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This two-part study examined if the buffering effect of transformational leadership on the association between work-related ambiguity and job satisfaction is contingent upon whether a follower holds a formal leadership position him/herself. Data from two separate surveys were employed: Study 1: A sample of 845 respondents from Belgium. Study 2: A national probability sample of 1,608 Norwegian employees. Study 1 showed that task ambiguity had a significant negative relation with job satisfaction, but that transformational leadership did only buffer the association between task ambiguity and job satisfaction among employees holding a formal position as a supervisor or manager. Study 2 extended Study 1 by adjusting for age and job tenure of subordinates as a confounding variable. Study 2 confirmed that transformational leadership had a significantly stronger impact on the observed association between role ambiguity and job satisfaction among respondents holding a supervisor or manager position. In conclusion, when considering job satisfaction as an outcome of work-related ambiguity, transformational leadership is mainly beneficial for followers holding a formal supervisor or manager position themselves. Our findings thereby question assumptions about the general effectiveness of transformational leadership. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T04:30:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-99f3269c27d647cc892d75fbc2e2945b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T04:30:21Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-99f3269c27d647cc892d75fbc2e2945b2022-12-22T03:47:57ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782022-09-011310.3389/fpsyg.2022.970887970887The impact of follower leadership position on transformational leadership as moderator of the association between work-related ambiguity and job satisfactionMorten Birkeland Nielsen0Morten Birkeland Nielsen1Jørn Hetland2Anette Harris3Guy Notelaers4Johannes Gjerstad5Johannes Gjerstad6Ståle Valvatne Einarsern7Department of Work Psychology and Physiology, National Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, NorwayDepartment of Psychosocial Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, NorwayDepartment of Psychosocial Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, NorwayDepartment of Psychosocial Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, NorwayDepartment of Psychosocial Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, NorwayDepartment of Work Psychology and Physiology, National Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, NorwayDepartment of Behavioural Sciences, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, NorwayDepartment of Psychosocial Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, NorwayThis two-part study examined if the buffering effect of transformational leadership on the association between work-related ambiguity and job satisfaction is contingent upon whether a follower holds a formal leadership position him/herself. Data from two separate surveys were employed: Study 1: A sample of 845 respondents from Belgium. Study 2: A national probability sample of 1,608 Norwegian employees. Study 1 showed that task ambiguity had a significant negative relation with job satisfaction, but that transformational leadership did only buffer the association between task ambiguity and job satisfaction among employees holding a formal position as a supervisor or manager. Study 2 extended Study 1 by adjusting for age and job tenure of subordinates as a confounding variable. Study 2 confirmed that transformational leadership had a significantly stronger impact on the observed association between role ambiguity and job satisfaction among respondents holding a supervisor or manager position. In conclusion, when considering job satisfaction as an outcome of work-related ambiguity, transformational leadership is mainly beneficial for followers holding a formal supervisor or manager position themselves. Our findings thereby question assumptions about the general effectiveness of transformational leadership.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.970887/fullmanagersdemandsresourceswell-beingattitudes |
| spellingShingle | Morten Birkeland Nielsen Morten Birkeland Nielsen Jørn Hetland Anette Harris Guy Notelaers Johannes Gjerstad Johannes Gjerstad Ståle Valvatne Einarsern The impact of follower leadership position on transformational leadership as moderator of the association between work-related ambiguity and job satisfaction Frontiers in Psychology managers demands resources well-being attitudes |
| title | The impact of follower leadership position on transformational leadership as moderator of the association between work-related ambiguity and job satisfaction |
| title_full | The impact of follower leadership position on transformational leadership as moderator of the association between work-related ambiguity and job satisfaction |
| title_fullStr | The impact of follower leadership position on transformational leadership as moderator of the association between work-related ambiguity and job satisfaction |
| title_full_unstemmed | The impact of follower leadership position on transformational leadership as moderator of the association between work-related ambiguity and job satisfaction |
| title_short | The impact of follower leadership position on transformational leadership as moderator of the association between work-related ambiguity and job satisfaction |
| title_sort | impact of follower leadership position on transformational leadership as moderator of the association between work related ambiguity and job satisfaction |
| topic | managers demands resources well-being attitudes |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.970887/full |
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