CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW, AND THEORETICAL AND
2.7 Transformational Leadership
2) Make an annual action plan and approve to coordinate meetings (starting of a year).
3) Execution of the approved action plan.
4) Arrange a meeting each month.
5) Reviewing members’ performances in a monthly coordination meeting.
6) Communication and coordination innovation teams at different ministries, divisions, departments, districts, and upazilas /sub-district level.
7) Finalize yearly report before 31st of January each year.
8) Submit the yearly report to the cabinet division and publish it on specific websites.
increasingly getting attention, involves people’s high demands for attainment, ‘self- esteem’ and ‘self-actualization (Burns, 1978). This style of leadership is grounded on some assumptions: people are purposeful and trustworthy, and all people have an exceptional input (Bass 1990, Bass & Avolio, 1993). Caldwell (1987) specifies that:
“Transformational leadership in terms of the leader’s impact on the followers. On whom the followers feel trust, admiration, loyalty, and respect towards their leader and they are motivated to achieve beyond expectations” (Caldwell & Ancona,1987).
Thus, the leader can transform his or her followers with the following three things:
“leaders can attract their attention towards the importance and value of task outcomes, they can engage them to transcend their self-interests for the sake of the organization or team, leaders can also support their followers in achieving their higher-order needs” (Bass, 1985). These leaders have intellectual stimulation ability and with this ability they can motivate and encourage their supporters to think rationally and freely and this will help to adopt investigative and analytical thinking styles (Sosik, Avolio,
& Kahai, 1997) and also to have the vision-based motivational power that will help improve organizational innovation (Mumford & Gustafson, 1988) as well as the team’s innovation.
A significant number of scholars in their research found that TL can transform supporters’ roles and help to rise the commitment and appeasement of the followers for the group and organization (Riggio and Bass, 2006). The conception of TL is to reflect behavioral and acknowledgement in leaders to motivate followers more than self-interest. A proper theory and theoretical model was developed on TL in 1985 (Bass, 1990) and this model has four dimensions. Many scholars such as Bass (1995, 1999), Bass and Avolio (1994, 1995), Bass and Riggio (2006, pp. 6-7), Bass and Steidlmeier (1999), Smith et al. (2004), and Northouse (2016, p. 167) accepted that there are four behavioral dimensions of transformational leadership and they are:
charismatic role modeling or idealized influence (II), inspirational motivation (IM), intellectual stimulation (IS), and individualized consideration (IC). Each dimension is described next in brief.
2.7.1 Idealized Influence (II)
This dimension is used to describe the charismatic quality of a transformational leader by Bass (1985), where he defines charisma as a process of
influencing followers and creating strong emotions and accepting the vision of the leader. With this influence, a leader inspires loyalty, respect, and admiration among the followers and creates a collective sense of mission (Avolio & Bass,1995). Avolio and Bass further state that the followers of a transformational leader feel proud of their intimacy with the leader. Avolio (1999) emphasizes that when a leader becomes trustworthy and respected by his or her followers because he or she does ‘the right things’, he or she becomes a transformational leader. Thus, transformational leaders take an altruistic role models by engendering respect, admiration, and emulation on the part of followers. Northouse (2016) stated that “they express their confidence in the organizational vision and a sense of mission”. He also said that “they show a sense of purpose, determination, persistence, and trust in the followers and emphasize accomplishments”. Antonakis (2012) discussed transformational leadership as “the emotional component of leadership”. This type of leader is able to demonstrate a higher standard of ethical and moral conduct and also has an extraordinary capability to take risks.
According to Northouse (2016), the idealized factors are standardized by two mechanisms: the “Attributional Component refers to the attributions of the leader made by the followers based on perceptions”, and the “behavioral component refers to followers’ observations of leader behavior” (Northouse, 2016). Here the name of Nelson Mandela can be mentioned; the charismatic qualities of Nelson Mandela concentrated people’s attraction and response and he was able to transform the whole nation (Northouse, 2016).
2.7.2 Inspirational Motivation (IM)
Inspirational motivation means the caliber and skills of a leader to connect advanced prospects and focus efforts by using symbols and expressing imperative goals in an easy way (Bass 1990). It also represents the quality of a leader to articulate his or her vision in such an appealing way that the followers ‘own’ it (Piccolo &
Colquitt, 2006). The transformational leaders build enthusiasm among the followers showing their confidence and optimism at the time of articulating the vision (Yammarino & Dubinsky, 1994). Through this inspirational motivation, the leader transfers the appealing future dream to the supporters and directs them to accomplish
the aims and demonstrates confidence (Avolio, 1995). Team spirit is enhanced by this dimension (Northouse, 2016). So, in short, this dimension means that a transformational leader forms a clear vision for the organization and increases positive commitments for that vision and sparks enthusiasm to meet that vision.
2.7.3 Intellectual Stimulation (IS)
Bass (1990) defines innovation as follows: “For innovative and creative behavior, intellectual stimulation is the most important dimension which discusses the ability of the leader to promote rationality, intelligence, and careful problem solving”.
Bass (1985) also mentions that intellectual stimulation is a process where leaders emphasize increasing awareness about the problems and help to view problems in a new perspective that is related to helping followers become innovative. This dimension allows leaders to approach old problems in a new and novel way and this stimulates followers towards innovation (Bass & Avolio, 2002). This dimension also presents new thoughts and ideas and involve followers thinking critically, which encourages imagination and rethinking ability on the part of the followers. Here there is no scope to criticize errors or mistakes or failures publicly. In dealing with different issues, leaders encourage intuition and logic and thus they contribute as a coach and in terms of a mentoring role, together with individualized consideration.
2.7.4 Individualized Consideration (IC)
This means the capacity of a leader to concentrate individual attention, give a treat to each follower personally, offer to coach for the progress of the followers, and advise them accordingly (Bass,1990). The individual growth, progress, and achievement of the followers are specially treated by the transformational leader (Avolio & Bass, 2002). Through individualized consideration, a transformational leader develops a “one to one” relationship with his or her followers with the confirmation of similarities of each follower wanting ambitions and abilities (Avolio
& Bass, 2002). Thus, the followers are treated here “differently but equitably”
(Avolio & Bass, 1990). The transformational leader develops the followers by giving all sorts of support, encouragement, developmental feedback, and coaches them in a supportive environment (Bass, 1985).