Transformational Leadership

This chapter enumerates the results of the questionnaire regarding this study. Descriptive statistics is used in order to determine the characteristics of the employees and establish the control variables (Hilton, 2014). The other variables that will be tackled are in the results of questionnaire under the heading, leadership and work engagement. Thereafter, the paper will evaluate the research findings. The assessment will be helpful in assessing whether the findings conform to past information that had been documented.

Results of descriptive statistics

This helps us to summarize a given set of data and present it in a meaningful way. In this research paper probability sampling was used. There was a response rate of thirty-five percent among the sample chosen. This means that only 630 out of a sample of 1800 responded.

a) Gender

Ideally one would like to achieve a balance of 50/50 when it comes to sampling (Cleary et al, 2014). This could not be achieved when this research was being conducted. The reason for this is that the oil industry is known to be heavily male driven. Union Gas Limited shows similar results because it is in the oil and gas industry. The response rate also contributes to this result as we cannot tell whether the respondents who did not give their feedback are either female or male. The sample population had a gender distribution of 81% male and 19% female.

b) Age

Age is a critical factor in this study. Age helps in determining attitudes, beliefs. and also morale of the sample being studied (Cleary et al, 2014). This helps us understand more about the employees and makes it easier to analyze the information obtained. The age distribution from the study is as follows: 60% of the sample was between the age of 35-60 and 40% is between the ages of 20-34.

c) Highest level of education

Most people in this company have no college degree. This might be because the company is in an industry which requires an employee’s physical ability. Most people acquire skills on the job and get better with experience. The company has white collar professionals but not as many the blue collar ones. The corporate culture in the oil industry is expected to be different compared to other organizations. Most of the employees fall under the category of repair workers, technicians and service workers.

d) Title of job

Most of the people working in the organization are non-professionals. Engineers and chemists are fewer compared to the people who have joined the organization’s workforce and learnt skills on the job through apprenticeship.

e) Year(s) of service

Most people in this company have been with the company for 10-20 years. This helps us to know how loyal they are to the company. For the organization to maintain employee loyalty, it is imperative that they understand what creates positive emotion. Moreover, the manager should offer competitive compensation regardless of whether their peers are better at negotiating salaries. Additionally, Union Ltd can give employees more control through delegating.

Statistical analysis

The analysis is dedicated to setting out the results of the other two parts of the questionnaire which have a heading of leadership and work engagement. The various responses will be shown as we continue with this research paper. This part of the study helps explains the relationships that between the variables that are being studied in this research paper. The sample number of 630 provides results and conclusions which are valid and reliable (Cleary et al, 2014). Each of the variables was analyzed independently to ensure accurate results are recorded.

a) Leadership

The results of this survey were obtained using a questionnaire that had five-point scale Likert scale. The scale ranges from 0-4 whereby 0 represents ‘not all’ and 4 represents ‘very often’. Various factors in transformation leadership were analyzed and the following results were obtained from the questionnaires.

The first type of leadership that was examined is known as transformation type of leadership. Under transformational leadership, employees heavily rely on the leader to provide a sense of direction. Leaders also give the employees a chance to give their views pertaining a given matter (McCleskey, 2014). Moreover, these leaders create value and positive change in their followers with the aim of eventually developing them into leaders. A transformational leader motivates and boosts morale of the employee. They can do so by being a role model to the followers and inspiring them to take ownership of their work. Members are usually committed because the leadership is employee-oriented. The following components characterize transformational leadership.

Idealized influence – This occurs where a manager or a leader shows a charisma that influences his subordinates to want to become more them (McCleskey, 2014). In this scenario the leader would take risks, make good management decisions and have good character for the subordinate to adopt. The feedback that has been obtained from the surveys shows that the leaders at Union Gas Limited are good at influencing employees positively. If an employee is influenced positively then it is expected that the employee engagement in the company to be high. In this case, employees feel like they are learning new things and feel that the company has a sense of direction. Union Gas Limited is expected to undergo change smoothly. Although a majority of the employees said that their leaders were influencing them positively the younger generation working in the company did not agree. This should be looked at because they are the future leaders of the company. Managers should ensure that everyone is catered for and is given the right attention.

Inspirational motivation was also incorporated in the survey. Motivation is essential and it occurs where a leader is able to ensure that his subordinates feel like they have a sense of purpose, stay motivated and have confidence in what they are doing. Results related to this factor of transformation leadership were mostly positive. Employees of this company are inspired to be like their leaders. Some workers are driven by monetary rewards and others are motivated by the character of their leader. Most employees were attracted to the power and prestige that their leaders had. The effect of this is you have a workforce that is always working hard in order to get the top sit. This in turn is good for the company in the long run because when the people work hard the company also prospers. Women’s response on this was not very good. Women in the company felt a little bit less inspired. The reason could be that there are less women in the management team which makes them feel like it would be harder for them to rise through the company ranks. The management should ensure that women leadership is there because they can be instrumental in the growth and expansion of the company. Employee engagement is important. Some workers who joined the company through apprenticeship also have lower appreciation for inspirational motivation leadership. This is because it is so hard to enter the leadership position if you don’t have a college education in the organization.

Intellectual stimulation in this company is low. Intellectual stimulation is whereby a leader encourages creativity and independence among his/her followers. Independence among the workers is high. According to the survey, Union Gas Limited leadership is poor at intellectual stimulation. This explains the reasons why innovation is low at the company and very few innovations have come out the company. Moreover, the result affects the oil and gas industry. If creativity and independence is suppressed in an organization, the employees might feel trapped and demotivated. Such an attitude can be bad when the organization is undergoing changes as employment engagement is low. The younger generation would feel like they do not have place to channel their ideas. They also have the highest displeasure in this section of transformation leadership style. The professionals in the organization also feel like this is a hindrance to them as they are not allowed to put what they learnt in school to practice.

Consideration for individuals in this company is quite high. This is where a leader in an organization ensures that the needs and desires are met. Survey undertaken in this research showed that consideration is high. This is not a surprise as oil and gas industry is known to be one of the well-paying industries in Canada. Low skilled workers to professionals are compensated well for their work according to the survey taken. The employees in United Gas Limited are treated fairly by their leaders which makes them feel valued.

The survey also contained a study on transactional leadership style. This is where a leader uses the authority he has to ensure things run smoothly in an organization or business (Prasad & Junni, 2016). It is also used as a way resolve conflicts. The survey is meant to show us the results of using transactional type of leadership in United Gas Company. The questions on this part of the survey focused on the relationship between the leaders and employees of United Gas Company. Reward and punishment were given a close look. The findings of the survey found out that the employees in this company go through strict policy. If one goes against the rules of the company is punished heavily. Rewards are also available in the company but not followed up like punishments. One must have done a lot of good things before he or she is rewarded. This does not motivate workers to do a lot as they see that they have to do a lot when it comes to rewards but punishments come very easily.

Exception by passive manage is not common in United Gas limited. The leaders do not wait for a problem to occur then act. Employees of Union Gas see this as a positive trait as it helps the company to move forward. It also encourages employee engagement as an employer will be committed to the company if he or she is comfortable. Organizational change is also likely not to affect the company a lot if the problems are tackled before.

Mistakes are inevitable but United Oil Limited ensures that they are kept at bay and unnecessary mistakes are avoided. This ensures change in an organization is smooth. Employees also have a sense of security as they feel the leadership is responsible. The survey has shown that when it comes to non-passive and passive method of leadership style United Oil performs very well.

b) Work engagement

Work engagement helps the management to gauge whether employees are committed to their work or not (Bakker & Schaufeli, 2015). Employees should be highly engaged for the company can prosper. Leadership style plays a role in work management and it has been measured using three aspects. They include vigor, dedication and absorption. The survey was done using a five-point scale known as five-point Likert scale. The scale ranges from one to five. One representing ‘strongly disagree’ and five being ‘strongly agree’. High scores show that there is high employee engagement level while low score represent low employee engagement. The following elements were used in analyzing work engagement:

i. Vigor

Vigor can be used as a measure where we can be able to gauge the whether an employee has high work engagement qualities. Employers were asked questions based on resilience. The component is measured by their ability to work under challenging conditions. Most of the survey feedback showed that most employees in this company had high level of vigor in them. This in turn shows that the company can survive when faced with tough situations as employees are hard workers. High employee engagement helps United Oil Company to be stable and there is high work productivity. Employees under the age 30 showed lower vigor than those who are older. The reasons cited for the low score in terms of vigor is low maturity. Other young employees feel that they are not adequately accommodated. The company should ensure that they are motivated well to do work in the company. Less distraction from social media is likely to increase productivity. Overall, changes within the organization can either reduce or increase employee engagement in the company. Changes tend to destabilize operability within the organization.

ii. Dedication

In this section we measure whether an employee has high dedication using five elements (Bakker & Schaufeli,2015). Overall, the survey showed that there was high dedication among the employees. The results showed that most of them are actively engaged in their place of work by taking part in fundraising, sports and games. The leaders of the company ensures that the employees are dedicated to the company. According to the survey, most the employees want to become leaders at work and they are proud of their work. The review claimed that they promoted the company’s name whenever they went. However, 20 percent showed low dedication to their work. For a company of this magnitude, 20 percent is a substantial number as it can drag down the company. Employee dedication and engagement are key for the company to be able to tackle change in the organization swiftly. Women had a lower dedication rate compared to men. This might be due to other commitments at home/ To increase dedication among women, the organization should come up with policies that will favor them. For instance, in promoting women’s empowerment, it is critical to link them to the organization’s development agenda. The most obvious way to ensure dedication in the work place is to provide equal opportunities and ensure non-discrimination. Health and safety at the work environment is another concern. There should be zero tolerance to violence and sexual harassment. Lastly, continuous training and development will ensure that women have the right education to compete with their male counterparts.

iii. Absorption

Absorption measures whether the employees have been incorporated into the vision and mission of the organization. An employee needs to blend in with the company in order to be effective. If an employee feels left out then work productivity goes down. The questionnaire results showed that 80% of the employees in this company had blend in with the organization. 80 percent is a good number but United Gas Limited should aim higher to enable them to easily cope with challenges. Absorption also creates good relationships between employers and employees. The employees who joined the company through apprenticeship are the ones who are mostly affected by this as the absorption rate for them is lower than the experienced and long-serving employees. The organization should ensure everyone is well trained in order for them to fit well with the organization.

Summary on findings

In this section, it is evident that there is an association between the leadership approach and how the employees react to various forms of leadership. If the leadership style is not accommodating to the employees then they become difficult to manage (Egan, 2018). It is also clear that there are differing opinions between the young and older generations. Management should ensure that everyone is accommodated irrespective of their age. The women also have some difference in opinion in some sensitive areas regarding the leadership and management policies. The professionals in the organization argue that more should be done in terms of innovation, research and development. According to the survey they claim that the leaders have not fully captured this area. The workers who joined the organization through apprenticeship should also be made to feel a part of the organization. This is because without the organization would be anywhere, this includes the semi-skilled labor.

References

Ang, S., & Van Dyne, L. (2015). Handbook of cultural intelligence. Routledge.

Bakker, A. B., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2015). Work engagement. Wiley Encyclopedia of Management, 1-5.

Cleary, M., Horsfall, J., & Hayter, M. (2014). Data collection and sampling in qualitative research: does size matter?. Journal of advanced nursing, 70(3), 473-475.

Egan, B. (2018). See the whole employment engagement picture. HR Future, 2018(Sep 2018), 16-17.

Eldar, Y. C. (2015). Sampling theory: Beyond bandlimited systems. Cambridge University Press.

Hinton, P. R. (2014). Statistics explained. Routledge.

McCleskey, J. A. (2014). Situational, transformational, and transactional leadership and leadership development. Journal of Business Studies Quarterly, 5(4), 117.

Memon, M. A., Salleh, R., Baharom, M. N. R., & Harun, H. (2014). Person-Organization Fit and Turnover Intention: The Mediating Role of Employee Engagement. Global Business & Management Research, 6(3).

Prasad, B., & Junni, P. (2016). CEO transformational and transactional leadership and organizational innovation: The moderating role of environmental dynamism. Management Decision, 54(7), 1542-1568.

Schaufeli, W., & Bakker, A. B. (2016). Utrecht Work Engagement Scale: Preliminary Manual. Utrecht, Netherlands: Occupational Health Psychology Unit, Utrecht University; November 2003.