A study of 445 lecturers and 138
principles sought to determine the satisfaction level of college staff with
leadership use of directive or supportive management styles. Research by Awan, et. al. (2011) helps define
how college management perception is influenced by employee’s locus of control.
Even though the results support the general theory’s premises it does indicate
that extremes of participative or directive leadership behavior can have a
negative impact on the functioning of the organization.
Locus of control relates to the
belief that either the person or the environment is responsible for personal
influence. A person who has an internal locus of control believes that they
have influence over the environment while a person with an external locus of
control believes that the environment has control over them. This
interpretation of the self within the environment impacts behavioral choices
one makes and their motivation level.
The research question is, “What is the relationship between locus of control and
subordinates’ outcomes, who work under directive and participative leaders,
holding constant the effect of principals’ role ambiguity and stress?” In other
words, how does internal and external locus of control influence subordinate
performance under directive or participative leaders?
The study
focused on college professors, assistant professors, associate professors, and
lecturers in Pakistan. Leadership behavior and subordinate characteristics were
assessed through questionnaires. Three aspects of directive leadership and
participative leadership were used during the assessment ranging from low to
high.
The study
found that directive leadership was associated with leader acceptance by those
with an external locus of control and less accepted by people with internal
locus of control. Likewise, the study found that a moderate participative
leadership had a positive impact on job expectancies of those with an internal
locus of control. When leadership was highly supportive it negatively impacted
the satisfaction of employees that maintained an external locus of control.
The results
generally support path-goal theory in colleges. However, the extremes of
leadership appear to be an issue here. Too much of a good thing appears to
create lower satisfaction among employees. Too high directive and too high participative
leadership styles appear to negatively impact their environments. The key may
be to balance these extremes based upon the pendulum of locus of control found among
employees within the organization. Some employees may need to be told what to
do while others drawn into the management decisions.
Awan, et. al, (2011). Locus of
control as moderator of relationship between leadership behaviors of principles
and their faculty outcomes: a path-goal approach. International Journal of Social Sciences & Education, 1 (4).
