An examination of the MLQ and development of the transformational leadership questionnaire

Abstract

The transformational leadership dimension of the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ; Bass & Avolio, 1995) is the mostly widely used measure of transformational leadership. Due to past concerns of its inability to demonstrate dimensionality, the current study assessed the reliability and validity of the transformational leadership scale of the MLQ and devised the Transformational Leadership Questionnaire (TLQ). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on data obtained from 305 undergraduate students yielded ambiguous results when comparing a unidimensional and the intended five-factor model of transformational leadership underlying the MLQ. The internal consistency of the MLQ was acceptable to high. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of the TLQ demonstrated sufficient evidence of a four-component theory of transformational leadership, although a two-factor model also emerged. Using CFA on a second independent sample of 235 undergraduate students, the intended four-factor model fit the data moderately well compared to a unidimensional model but essentially the same compared to the two-factor model that emerged during the EFA. The internal consistency of the TLQ and individual subscales was high. Intended correlations supported the construct validity of the TLQ in most cases. Hierarchical regression analyses supported the ability of the TLQ subscales to incremental prediction in most cases. Although a competing two-factor model fit the data well, results provide favourable preliminary evidence of the construct validity, reliability, and dimensionality of the intended four-factor model of the TLQ.