The purpose of this research was to investigate the combined influence of the level of mental construal and the transactional-transformational leadership model on trust in the leader, on loyalty towards the leader, on employee motivation, and on respect towards the employee. In order to test the combined effect of temporal distance and leadership style, a study among 100 subjects has been conducted. A 2x2 between-subjects, factorial design with temporal distance and leadership style as the independent variables and trust, motivation, loyalty and respect as the dependent variables has been applied. Although for trust, loyalty and respect a small interaction effect could be found, it was not significant. It can thus be followed that there is no interaction effect of temporal distance and leadership style for the above- mentioned dependent variables. The non-existence of the effect could be due to additional unmeasured influences on the participants by other forms of psychological distance, the missing work experience of the subjects or that the homogenous sample did not allow for sufficient variation. These and other possible reasons are discussed in this paper. However, with regard to possible limitations of this study, future research is recommended in order to fully close this research gap.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Leadership theories
2.1 Transactional leadership
2.2 Transformational leadership
3. Construal level theory
3.1 Temporal construal theory
4. Hypothesis development
4.1 Trust in the leader
4.2 Motivation
4.3 Loyalty
4.4 Respect
5. Method
5.1 Design
5.2 Procedure
5.3 Measures
6. Results
6.1 Manipulation checks
6.2 Hypothesis testing
6.3 Discussion
7. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This study aims to examine the interaction between mental construal levels (as defined by temporal construal theory) and leadership styles (transactional versus transformational) to determine their combined influence on key employee outcomes such as trust, loyalty, motivation, and respect.
- Investigation of the transactional-transformational leadership model.
- Application of the Temporal Construal Theory (TCT) to management studies.
- Analysis of employee psychological responses to leadership communication.
- Evaluation of matching versus mismatching leadership styles and temporal frames.
- Empirical testing of hypotheses regarding employee trust, motivation, loyalty, and respect.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1. Temporal Construal Theory
Temporal Construal Theory deals with the temporal impact of distance, referring to how far away the object temporally is, from one’s perception. The farther away the object is from one’s current time perspective, the more reliant is the person on more abstract, more schematic representations, which is referred to as high-level construal. On the other hand, the closer the object is from the current perspective, the greater the reliance on more detailed and concrete representations, also known as low-level construal. The construal level theory has been supported in various studies and areas (Malkoc, Zauberman, & Ulu, 2005; Liberman & Trope, 1998).
Liberman and Trope (2000) apply the temporal construal theory to human decision making in that they assume decisions regarding events in the far future to be made based on only a few key decision factors as opposed to the more specific and detailed features, which guide decisions over events in the near future. Based on these differences in decision-making mindsets it can also be expected that people facing decisions over temporally near or far events value different characteristics in a leader. This in turn might lead to important consequences for firms, as different managers might be needed for different situations, depending on the time frame of employee tasks or projects. Managers could adjust their management style depending on such temporal distances or a firm might assign different managers to different tasks depending on the time frame of decisions. This perspective can add to what is commonly subsumed under the concept of visionary leadership. Being visionary is defined as “thinking about or planning the future with imagination or wisdom” (New Oxford American Dictionary, 2005). As specified earlier, this is related to transformational leadership. Despite of the idea of the future remaining undefined in this context, the visionary character of transformational leadership seems to imply high-level construal rather than low-level construal. Transactional leadership on the other hand is assumed to be more effective when it is connected to a short temporal distance. This leads to the assumption that transactional leadership can be more successful than transformational leadership if the time frame is short.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Introduces the research intersection of leadership and psychology, outlining the gap regarding the influence of mental construal on leadership effectiveness.
2. Leadership theories: Discusses the transactional and transformational leadership paradigms and the broader full range leadership theory.
3. Construal level theory: Explains the psychological principles behind how temporal distance affects abstract versus concrete thinking.
4. Hypothesis development: Connects leadership styles and temporal distance to propose hypotheses regarding trust, motivation, loyalty, and respect.
5. Method: Details the experimental 2x2 factorial design and the procedure used to manipulate student participants.
6. Results: Presents the empirical findings and manipulation checks, concluding that no significant interaction effects were found for the tested hypotheses.
7. Conclusion: Summarizes the study's findings and suggests that future research is needed to explore these relationships further.
Keywords
Temporal Construal Theory, Transactional Leadership, Transformational Leadership, Leadership Style, Psychological Distance, Employee Trust, Employee Motivation, Loyalty, Respect, Organizational Behavior, Management Literature, Full Range Leadership Theory, Experimental Design, Decision Making, Cognitive Construal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research explores the interaction between leadership styles and temporal mental construal to understand how these factors together influence employee attitudes and perceptions.
Which leadership theories are primary to this study?
The study primarily utilizes the transactional-transformational leadership model and the full range leadership theory.
What is the primary research question?
The main question is whether a specific leadership style is perceived as more effective depending on whether the employee is thinking about tasks in the near future or the far future.
What scientific method was applied?
A 2x2 between-subjects factorial experiment was conducted with 100+ undergraduate students to test the hypothesized interaction effects.
What aspects of employee performance are examined?
The researchers measured four dependent variables: trust in the leader, employee motivation, loyalty towards the leader, and respect for the leader.
What are the key themes of this research?
The key themes include the psychological distance of tasks, the effectiveness of visionary vs. transactional communication, and the application of cognitive theories to leadership development.
Why did the study not find statistically significant results for the hypotheses?
The author suggests that this may be due to the homogeneity of the sample (students without significant work experience), unmeasured psychological distance variables, or because these specific constructs are not as strongly linked as initially theorized.
What is the practical implication of this paper for managers?
While the study did not find the expected significant interaction, it provides an initial framework for conceptualizing how managers might align their leadership communication style with the time horizon of their subordinates' tasks.
- Quote paper
- Benjamin Zagel (Author), 2012, The combined influence of the temporal construal theory and the transactional-transformational leadership model, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/210739
