Transformational Leadership - Article Review Essay Example

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Hur, Y., Van den Berg, P. T., & Wilderom, C. P. (2011). Transformational leadership as a mediator between emotional intelligence and team outcomes. The Leadership Quarterly, 22(4), 591-603. doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2011.05.002

Identify potential examination committee members. No preference.

Hi, Jonathan,

I appreciate the effort you put into your paper. I do think that you need to update and revise your paper, however. A lot of your responses were quite brief and I think you should consider going in and providing more in-depth discussion to demonstrate doctoral-level depth of thought.

Initially, some of the areas that need more work include:

1. Body of knowledge

2. Theory used in the study

3. Methodological design

4. Variables (though the authors did not provide an obvious definition, they provided quite a bit of information on the variables and how they were measured. You need to be fairly thorough here. This is an area where Dr. Guzman frequently focuses on).

5. There is also a need for a much more detailed analysis with many of the sub headings that followed.

6. You also need to be very specific in your evaluation of the resulting values from the analysis. During your oral exam you are going to be asked details about the analytical methods and results. You'll likely be asked details about SEM analysis, factor loadings, model goodness of fit indicators, p values, and Betas. You'll also be expected to know a bit about hierarchical linear modelling as well and why the authors used this procedure.

You should reflect an understanding of these concepts in your written exam as well.

If you need to bone up on some of these concepts, I'd recommend considering utilizing Youtube tutorials. They are quite helpful for understanding statistical procedures.

"Using leadership theory we examined whether transformational leadership mediates the link between the emotional intelligence of team leaders and three outcomes as perceived by followers: leader effectiveness, team effectiveness, and service climate. Data were collected from 859 employees, working in 55 teams in a South Korean public-sector organization and results were analyzed at the group level. All variables were modeled in a path diagram and tested using hierarchical regression analysis and structural equation modeling. Same-source bias in the findings was controlled for by randomly splitting the sample into three separate groups. The results show that transformational leadership mediates the relationships between emotional intelligence and leader effectiveness, as well as between emotional intelligence and service climate, although not between emotional intelligence and team effectiveness. Practical implications of the findings are discussed, together with limitations and ideas for future research."

1.1. General description of problem and area of research (context of study)

While the study of leadership has a longer history of investigation over emotional intelligence, literature has shown that the two have reached the status of what could be the yen and yang of organizational studies. In the study Transformational leadership as a mediator between emotional intelligence and team outcomes the author engages in the continued investigation of the mediation between emotional intelligence and leadership and how it impacts the team (Hur, Van den Berg, Wilderom, 2011).

More specifically and based on literature review, authors propose that emotional intelligence is fundamentally linked with transformational leadership. Moreover, this correlation between the two has a significance impact on team performance and service climate (Hur, et al, 2011). This according to the article ultimately leads to better customer service (which assumes higher organizational profits whether tangible or intangible.

1.2. Specific research question

In this article one research question is presented for examination: How do leaders with high emotional intelligence exert their influence in work related contexts? Hur, et al, 2011, go on to provide a break out of this question; "how do leaders with a better awareness, assimilation, understanding, and managing of own emotions and those of others affect organizational outcomes?"

1.3. What is this study supposed to add to the Body of Knowledge?

Given the number of investigations of emotional intelligence and transformational leadership as well as transactional leadership, the authors intent is to show the external validity of the tested theories in non-Western cultures (Hur, Van den Berg, Wilderom, 2011). Based on this context, the authors' discussions of the mediating role of transformational leadership is a significant contribution to the body of knowledge through the additional information to the theory of emotional intelligence. This is substantiated by the fact that the findings of this particular study give a detailed explanation as to why leaders who are high on emotional intelligence are rated more effective by their followers, especially in matters such as shaping better service climates.

In a similar regard, another significant contribution made through this study is based on the findings relating to transformational leadership. For instance, this study substantiates that transformational leadership acts as the mediator in the relationship between service climate and emotional intelligence. Thus, based on these findings, the current study in more than one way, contributes to the body of language through providing empirical evidence for this specific proposition through the establishment of transformational leadership as a substantial mediator between emotional intelligence and team outcomes. In a nutshell, the current study adds to the already existing literature by offering an understanding of the relatively high correlations between the regulation of emotions and the dimensions of transformational leadership. This provides further insight into the relationship between the overall emotional intelligence and transformational leadership.

2.1. Model (what predicts what, at the conceptual level)

Reviewing the article, it's clear authors are committed to providing a clear understanding of the research intent. It's presented using path diagram and positions the variable transformational leadership as the mediator between emotional intelligence and the outcome variables of leader effectiveness, team effectiveness and service climate.

2.1. Graphic version of model

2.2 Theory/ies used in the study.

In the study, transformational leadership theory is the focus highlighting the degree of which a leader influences or motivates followers. According to this theory, the type of leadership approach embraced by a certain leader ought to cause changes in both the individuals as well as the social systems. In the military, leadership is defined as "the process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation while operating to accomplish the mission and improve the organization." Field Manual 6-22, U.S. Army. This definition supports the theory of transformational leadership within this study.

2.2.1 Major hypotheses.

Hypothesis 1. The emotional intelligence of a team leader is positively related to transformational leadership.

H1 was developed from the growing body of knowledge derived from researchers Barling, Slater, & Kelloway, 2000; Leban & Zulauf, 2004; Mandell & Pherwani, 2003) showing the association between emotional intelligence and transformational leadership. From the work of Palmer, Walls, Burgess, and Stough (2001) correlations between emotional intelligence and the traits found under the umbrella of transformational leadership theory (pg. 592).

Hypothesis 2. Transformational leadership is positively related to (a) leader effectiveness, (b) team effectiveness, and (c) service climate.

H2 comes as transformational leadership suggest positivity from leaders. Specifically, when a leader takes the time exercise individualized focus such as coaching and mentoring subordinates potentially positive results are gained. Additionally, an example is given that one on one encouragement from leaders assist subordinate in dealing with feelings of negativity, frustration and finding solutions to problem resulting in constructive outcomes and improved work performance (pg.592).

Hypothesis 3. Transformational leadership mediates the relationship between emotional intelligence and (a) leader effectiveness, (b) team effectiveness, and (c) service climate.

H3 derived from past studies of linkages between emotional intelligence and transformational leadership, emotional intelligence and 3 team outcomes leader effectiveness, team effectiveness, and service climate. The authors sought to explore the mediation of transformational leadership between emotional intelligence and the 3 team outcomes based on literature research showing the Australian bank industry experiencing better long and short-term performance based on leader perception (pg. 593).

2.3. Methodological design

The design of the study was focused on 859 employees from public-sector organizations in South Korea. The data was collected using the most cost efficient method of e-mail. Data collection tool consisted deployed using surveys and analysis performed using regression analysis, path-analytic model.

2.4. Variables' definitions and measures. Validity and reliability of the scales.

Emotional Intelligence:

Khur, Y., Van den Berg, P.T., and Wilderom, C.P. (2011) quote Salovey and Mayer (1990, p.189), defined emotional intelligence as: "the sub-set of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one's own and others' feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one's thinking and actions."

Transformational leadership:

Definition not provided for this variable.

Leader effectiveness:

Definition not provided for this variable.

Service climate:

Definition not provided for this variable.

2.5. Control factors/variables (if any) - implemented experimentally and/or statistically

Authors, took steps to prevent same-source bias (SSB) in the findings which would confine the study. According to Podsakoff & Organ, (1986), SSB relatio...