Leadership style and job satisfaction: A developing economy perspective

Abstract

Research has suggested a relationship between leadership style and job satisfaction. This paper examines this relationship in the context of a developing country, viz., South Africa. The objective of the paper is to assess the relationship between the two variables as well as the influence of biographical variables on leadership style and job satisfaction. The survey was based on the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire and the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. The results suggest a significant correlation between the three leadership styles, viz., transformational leadership, transactional leadership and laissez-faire leadership, and job satisfaction. There were no significant differences between the biographical variables and the three leadership styles.