Exploring the dimensions to understand leadership within organizations.

ABSTRACT

The paper aims to understand the leadership dimensions within organizations.

This study helps us to identify which all leadership dimensions are present
within organization. Simple Random sampling was used to collect data from
100 employees currently working in IT sector out of which 53 are females and
47 are males. Data was analysed using Independent sample T-test and
correlation within the dimensions. The Cronbach’s alpha of the questionnaire
was found to be 0.827. Further it was observed that the result obtained after
testing the correlation between the dimensions, it was observed that the
dimensions have strong correlation. Independent T-test was applied on the
dimensions relating each dimension with the demographic factor, here gender
is taken for comparing the dimensions. The results indicated that the
dimensions are substantially present within the organization.
Keywords: Leadership, Leadership dimensions

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Leadership

Leadership dimensions helps organization in specialising in the

performance, productivity, efficacy, and development of the employees.
Leadership dimensions helps in developing and empowering and engaging
employees to perform and bring out best of their potentials so that the
employees are able to contribute to their organisation. Organisation’s
success lies in the capability and energy of its people (Marston, 2011).
Leadership refers to the ability of an organization’s management to set and
achieve its goals, take quick and conclusive action, beat the competition
and inspire others to perform as well. Leadership provides direction to an
organization. Employees needed to know the direction in which they are
moving and what and who to follow to reach the destination. Leadership
helps in showing their workers how to efficiently and effectively perform
their responsibilities and regularly supervise the completion of their tasks
(Leithwood, 2016).
Moreover, leadership is also about setting an example for the followers,
by being excited and committed to their work, being highly motivated to
learn new things, and helping others in both individual and team tasks.
Effective leadership requires strong character. Leader manifest honesty,
ethics and values, trustworthiness and integrity. Strong and effective

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 leadership requires clear communication skills. Leaders speak to and listen
to members, respond to their questions and concerns, and are empathetic
to their issues and concerns. Leaders use effective and clear
communication skills for moving the organization forward and achieving
new levels of success (Higgins, 2005).
Leadership is indistinguishable to management, but it is also different
from management. Northouse (2010) postulated that the management’s
function is to provide order and consistency to organization’s whereas
leadership’s function is to produce change and movement. Effective
leadership sees where the organization is headed and plans the steps
required to get there. Effective leaders visualize what could possibly
happen, by following trends in the industry, and take risks to grow
business. An efficient leader shows optimism and provides positive
energy for the members of the organization. True leaders are helpful by
nature and truly concerned about others well-being. Efficient leaders find
answers to challenges and are the first ones to reassure and inspire
employees when things do not go as per the plan. The term leadership
signifies images of powerful and dynamic individuals who have victorious
armies direct corporate kingdom (Zaleznik, 2004).
1.2 Theoretical Concepts of Leadership

Today researchers have shifted their studies from traditional trait

and personality-based theories to more realistic and applicable
theories of leadership i.e. situational theory of leadership.
(Amanchukwu, 2015)
2.1. Conceptual Framework
2.1.1 “Great Man” theory
According to this theory the leadership qualities and capabilities
are inherent. It states that all the great leaders are born, not made.
These theories strongly believe in portraying leaders as heroic,
mythic and these leaders are destined to rise to leadership when
needed. The name of this theory is referred to great man as,
because at that time 1930 primarily, leadership was thought of
primarily as a male quality.

2.1.2 Trait theory

This theory is similar to the great man theory and emphasized
mainly upon inherent quality or traits that make them suited for
leadership. Trait theories identifies specific personality or
behavioural characteristics that are commonly shared by leaders.

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 This theory lacks situational traits and focused on ascribed abilities
which does not link individual traits to leadership effectiveness.

2.1.3 Contingency theory

There are four well known contingency theories – Fiedler’s
contingency theory, path-goal theory, Vroom – Jago decision
making leadership model and situational leadership model. These
theories suggest that key contingency factor affects leader’s choice
of leadership style which is further related to task related maturity
of the subordinate. This theory classifies behaviour into two
domains i.e. task oriented and relationship- oriented behaviours.

2.1.4 Transformational leadership

This theory focuses on the importance of leaders’ charisma to
leadership effectiveness. The main emphasis is on how leaders
accomplish extraordinary tasks against all odds, for instance
turning around a falling company or founding a successful
company. This theory also highlights upon the importance of
leaders inspiring and aspiring subordinates, dedication,
determination, accomplished loyalty through articulating a clear
and captivating vision.

2.1.5 Transactional leadership

They are also called as exchange theories of leadership and are
focused upon transactions made between the leader and the
followers. This theory emphasis upon the importance of mutually
positive beneficial relationship. Transactional leaders are most
efficient and effective when they develop a mutual reinforcing
environment where the organization goal and individual goal are
in sync.

2. METHODOLOGY

3.1 Research design:

In order to study the leadership dimensions within organizations, an
exploratory research was adopted. In exploratory research the main
objective is to explore the insights of a problem by focusing on discovery

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of ideas and thoughts. Following are the dimensions mentioned that are
used for conducting the research:
3.1.1 Trust and transparency:
This is the most important factor that helps in building the relationship
between leaders and employees. Transparent leaders promote feedback and
communicate all the information consciously to the employees. Leadership
styles are unpredictable and are perception of their respective
effectiveness. One leadership dimension that is effective and works
efficiently for one organization might not be as effective or efficient for
another organization (Bass, 2008)
3.1.2 Affirming:
Affirming leaders help employees to keep themselves motivated to work
and push the employees to work exceeding their potentials so that they can
help in attaining organizational goals. Unlearn: let go of past success to
achieve extraordinary results. The author in this book states the importance
of unlearning traditional, unfit practices that are not useful for the current
situation (O'reilly, 2018).
3.1.3 Resolute:
Resolute leader is highly determined and consistent. These leaders have
inner strength and they help people by encouraging them. This style of
leadership is purposeful and these leaders are committed to their work and
employees. These leaders do no avoid problems or make excuses for
problems. A resolute leader keeps a longer view in mind and prepare team
for future challenges. Good to Great, states the importance of leadership is
not just humility and modesty. It is about determination and achieving
organization goals (collins, 2001).
3.1.4 Awareness of self and others:
Awareness of self and others is also an integral part in leadership. A leader
should firstly be aware of his/her strengths, preference, attributes and
weaknesses. Effective and ineffective leadership, the author emphasised
upon the main components that differentiate effective and ineffective
leaders. According to the author there are successful leaders who are
effective and there are also successful leaders who are ineffective. A
relevant leader will always try to strike a balance in achieving
organizational goals as well as goals of its team members (Parr, 2017).
3.1.5 Communicating the vision:
Communicating your vision, your job as a leader is to create commitment
towards your organization’s vision. In order to achieve this as leader you
need to communicate the vision in such a manner that this vision matters
to employees (Cartwright, 2006). Fundamentals of leadership:

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communicating a vision. A great vision for change is as good as by what
means and at what time it is communicated. Developing, defining and
creating the vision of an organization is the most crucial and difficult task
(Harris, 1997).

Sample Size:
A questionnaire based on the study was circulated via mail and through
other sources. 100 questionnaires were filled by the employees of the
organization.
Target Population:
For this study the target population was employees currently working in IT
organization.

3.2 Research instrument:

Data source:
The main source of data used in this study is the primary data, collected by
the employees currently working in the organization filled the
questionnaire. The secondary data for this research used included research
papers, articles, online journals and other websites.

Data collection Techniques:

The questionnaire comprises 22 questions. All the 22 statements are scored
using Likert scale to examine the response of the respondents. A scale
plotting 1) Strongly Disagree 2) Disagree 3) Neutral 4) Agree 5) Strongly
Agree where the scale started from the first was scored 1 and the latter as
5.

Scale:
A questionnaire comprising of 22 questions were scored on a 5point Likert
scale to examine the response of the respondent. A scale plotting 1)
Strongly Disagree 2) Disagree 3) Neutral 4) Agree 5) Strongly Agree
where the scale started from the first was scored 1 and the latter as 5.

Sampling Techniques:
A simple random sampling technique was used for this study.

3.3 Data Analysis Procedure:

The SPSS, Statistical Package of Social Sciences software version 19.0 was
used to carry out statistical analysis, correlation and independent sample t-
test have been conducted to fulfil the objectives of the study.

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3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

1. Mean and standard deviation

The outcome obtained from the table of total mean and standard deviation
table of the variable trust and transparency within organisation (Mean=
3.2475) depicts that this variable is present in the organisation. As most of
the respondents are non-committal that their leaders practice trust and
transparency within organization. In organisation trust and transparency is
the foundation that helps in building the relationship between leaders and
employees. On the other hand, it was also seen that communicating the
vision to the employees was at neutral stage which implies majority of
employees have neutral view regarding this variable. Trust and
transparency can affect the employee’s behaviour and performance in an
organization (Williamson, 2014).
The outcome obtained from the table of man and standard deviation table
of the variable communicating the vision within organisation (Mean=2.99)
depicts that the employees are non- committal to this variable. The
employees feel that the leaders in the organisation are fully not able to
communicate the organisation’s vision to the employees. Leadership in
organisation is much more than the common image that a layman holds.
Leadership is the ability to lead, inspire, aspire and direct teams in an
organization. Leaders are required to keep the message going, in order to
achieve this leader is required to understand how they can get their
organization’s vision out there? (Cartwright, 2006).
2. Correlation
From the results of correlation, it can be observed that the variables have a
strong relationship among them, which implies that if we change one
variable it will inversely affect another variable. Hence, we can say that the
leadership dimensions that we have taken as variable in study is partially
present in the organization. Leadership has a considerable impact on
organization’s current performance and accomplishment of future goals.
Studies have now moved from analysing whether leadership matters or not
to the question under when and what circumstances leadership matters
(Araujo-Cabrera, 2016).
3. Independent sample t-test
From the result of independent sample t-test we can observe that the
dimensions of leadership have no significant difference between male and
female. This test depicts that the male and female has given similar

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 weightage to all the dimensions of leadership. So, for now it is not possible
to differentiate leadership dimensions on the basis of gender for this
research. Studies have shown difference between male and female task
fulfilment styles and communal styles (Miller, 2003).

4. CONCLUSION

FINDINGS

Finings of this research shows that the dimensions are partially present within the
organization. Moreover, almost more than half of the respondents were towards the
statement that their managers are in favour to promote trust and transparency within
the organization. Similarly, other dimensions like communicating the vision to the
employees and traits of an affirming leader didn’t had much presence in the
organization which we can observed as the respondents were non-committal to the
statements (Williamson, 2014).
The findings represented that the dimensions identified trust and transparency, resolute
leader and awareness of self and others can be seen within the organizational
leadership as per the choices made by the respondents. Whereas dimensions like
affirming leader and communicating the vision of the organization to the employees
didn’t had much presence in the organization (Sugerman, 2011)