Insights to Argumentativeness in Relation to Leadership Style and Job Satisfaction: Using Employees’ Sport Organizations as an Illustration

Abstract

Aim of the study is to: a) reveal statistically significant differences in argumentativeness, leadership style and employee satisfaction between gender and age, b) explore the relationship between perceived superiors’ argumentativeness, leadership style and self-reported employees’ job satisfaction, c) investigate the influence of argumentativeness on leadership style and employee satisfaction in sport organizations and d) propose an employees’ and superiors’ typology. The sample consisted of 211 Greek employees of sport organizations. According to MANOVA’s findings, statistically significant differences were observed between gender and age in perceived superiors’ argumentativeness, leadership style and self-reported employee satisfaction. Perceived superiors’ argumentativeness was negatively related to autocratic leadership style, self-reported employees’ salary and promotion. There was a positive significant relationship between superiors’ argumentativeness and democratic leadership style, employees’ work conditions, work content, immediate superior and organization as a whole. Regression analysis revealed that perceived superiors’ argumentativeness could significantly predict the variables of democratic leadership style and employees’ work conditions, work content and immediate superior. Distinct types of relations between employees and superiors are the “unitarist” and the “individualist”.