Motivation for transformational leadership in two organizations

Abstract

A critical assumption of the leadership development literature is that leaders want to engage in effective leadership behaviors (Gilbert & Kelloway, 2014). Drawing on self-determination theory, I address the question of what motivates leaders to engage in effective leadership behaviors as defined by transformational leadership theory. Three studies addressed the research question. First, I conducted a cross-sectional validation study using a sample of 279 Salvation Army leaders in order to refine and validate the motivation for transformational leadership scale (Gilbert, Horsman, & Kelloway, 2014) and to examine its internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and leadership outcomes. Study Two examined the stability of the construct over a nine month time period using a sample of 58 Salvation Army leaders. Study Three examined the effects of motivation for transformational leadership on subordinate transformational leadership ratings using a sample of 37 leaders matched with 179 followers in the Salvation Army and Cumberland Health Authority. This research provides future researchers with a reliable and valid tool to measure motivation for transformational leadership and provides preliminary evidence of the nature of this new construct.