LEADERSHIP CHARACTERISTICS OF ... - Drake University

The results related to organizational effectiveness bode well for
hospital CEOs. Bass and Avolio (1 989) and Avolio and Bass (1 999) have
found that transformational leaders generate higher levels of commitment
from their followers than do transactional or passive-avoidant leaders.
Greater follower compliance is also evident if leaders are more
transformational than transactional (Patterson, Fuller, Kester, & Stringer,
1995). Morales and Molero (1 995) found, in an experimental research
design, that leaders are more legitimate in the eyes of the team if the
leader is viewed as transformational. In addition, they discovered that role
conflict and lower interpersonal relations improved when leaders improved
their transformational behaviors. Transformational leadership has strong
correlations with objective and subjective measures of performance and,
as such, hospital CEO leadership styles are likely to make a positive
contribution to the success of their organizations. These transformational
hospital leaders can, therefore, be considered a significant asset to their
organization.
The research of Bass and Avolio (2003) supports the need for
strength in both transactional and transformational leadership when
meeting the needs of an organization. Transactional leaders are said to
work within the constraints of the organization, whereas transformational
leaders change the organization (Bass, 1985; Waldman et al., 1990).
Organizations need the both leadership styles in order to succeed.