Leader motivation identification: relationships with goal-directed values, self-esteem, self-concept clarity, and self-regulation

Abstract

Motivation tied to workplace performance is key to organizational effectiveness with visionary leadership. Identifying leaders on a spectrum of different motivation styles, culture values, self-concept clarity, self-esteem, and self-regulation factors may assist with company training goals and impact global organizational performance. The purpose of this study is to assess leader motivation through traits, cultural values, and behavior approaches including (1) motivation to lead (MTL)-style differences subsuming affective-identity, social-normative, and non-calculative styles; (2) the effect of MTL-style relationships to culture values, global self-esteem, and self-concept clarity; and (3) the effect of MTL styles to individual self-regulation subsuming goal-setting and impulse-control behaviors. Participants ( N = 1,121) self-reported work and military experiences with managerial or supervisory experience. Research evidence included culture values of power and self-direction which predicted the affective-identity style. The values of power, achievement, conformity, and security positively predicted the social-normative style. Leader self-regulation factors of goal-setting and impulse control were positively predicted by achievement, self-direction, conformity, and benevolence values. Tradition and security values negatively predicted goal-setting, and values of tradition, security, stimulation, and universalism negatively predicted impulse control. Meaningful differences were found between MTL styles with values, global self-esteem, and self-regulation factors. This study may assist with identifying potential organizational leaders through MTL assessment and leader training needs that are focused on goal-setting and self-regulation diplomacy.