Surprising Outcome. Melbourne University. From the SelectedWorks of Derek J Ambrose Dr. Smartpublicleadership, Smartpublicleadership

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1 elbourne University From the SelectedWorks of Derek J Ambrose Dr 2012 Surprising Outcome Smartpublicleadership, Smartpublicleadership Available at:

2 2012 SURPRISING OUTCOE IN AUSTRALIAN PUBLIC SECTOR TRANSFORATIONAL LEADERSHIP RESEARCH Gender analysis different outcome to previous research. Could this be unique to the Australian Public Sector? Copyright 2013: Smartpublicleadership: All rights reserved Dr. Derek Ambrose FCPA, FCTA, FCIS, FCSA, FIPA, CAHRI, IBAL SARTPUBLICLEADERSHIP PTY LTD

3 SURPRISING OUTCOE IN AUSTRALIAN PUBLIC SECTOR TRANSFORATIONAL LEADERSHIP RESEARCH Gender level differences in research are common; however, in recent research conducted by Doctor Derek Ambrose (2009) using the quantitative methodology and an established questionnaire instrument, with the construct validity and reliability already established provided an unusual contrary to other published research The research used the quantitative approach which provided the following advantages over the qualitative method of interview such as: the questionnaire is time efficient for participants to respond to; answers can easily be coded and sorted for analysis; the process is private and participants cannot easily be identified; data collection is streamlined; and in most cases questionnaire formats already exist which can be modified to suit the context of the study (Neuman, 2006). The survey questionnaire used is a known instrument and, therefore, conveys a number of advantages. Given the information covered in the literature review the survey instrument facilitates the needs of that research and provides a solid platform from which to evaluate the results. The Transformational Leadership Questionnaire- Public Sector Research Version questionnaire was chosen as it had been used by Alimo-etcalfe & Alban-etcalfe (2006) to investigate transformational leadership in the United Kingdom public sector. An important factor in quantitative research is the size of the sample; that is, to ensure that the sample size has relevance and is representative of the population. From previous research and studies, the minimum likelihood for estimation has found to provide valid results with a sample size totalling 100 respondents. However, 100 respondents measured against the total population of approximately 148,000 in the Australian Public Sector (APS) is considered too small to be an adequate reflection and have relevance for findings (Neuman, 2006). To facilitate a good analysis it is important that the sample size be significant, similar to what Tabachnick & Fidell (1996) describe, that is samples of 300 are considered to be good and 500 to be very good, with 1,000 to be excellent. In consideration of sample size, Tabachnick & Fidell (1996) note

4 samples of 100 to be poor, with sample sizes becoming too large at 2,000 from a practical resourcing aspect. A minimum sample size was set at 500 respondents, representing a response rate of 17%, which is considered a representative sample by oser & Kalton (1983) Hair, Anderson, Tatham & Black (1998) Davis (2005) and Neuman (2006). Doctor Ambrose s research achieved a sample size of 792, which is considered to be very good by Tabachnick & Fidell (1996). APS Gender level differences The mean value of all the transformational leadership and outcome variable scales, were determined for females and males to understand if there were any gender differences. The mean values for the responses to the five transformational leadership scales and five outcome variables are presented in Table 1 below; ean values of scales for females and males. Scale Female (F) ale () 1. Showing genuine concern F 2. Networking & Achieving F 3. Enabling F 4. Being Honest & Consistent F 5. Being accessible F 6. Achievement F 7. otivation F 8. Satisfaction with Leadership F 9. Stress F 10. Commitment F ean Standard Deviation N = 437 F, 355 Source: Ambrose, Scale numbers one to ten; represent transformational leadership and outcome variable scales The Vertical Scale is measured from 1= Strongly disagree, 2= Disagree, 3= Slightly disagree, 4= Slightly agree, 5= Agree, 6 = Strongly agree. Transformational Leadership Scales 1. Showing Genuine Concern 2. Networking and Achieving 3. Enabling 4. Honesty and Consistency 5. Being Accessible

5 Outcomes 6. Achievement 7. otivation 8. Satisfaction with Leadership 9. Stress 10. Commitment The table above illustrates the mean and standard deviation gender differences, which showed that all the transformational leadership scales, and variable outcomes were statistically different except for the networking and achieving scale and being honest and consistent scales. As in the previous analyses, the mean values of all the outcomes, apart from commitment, are below the neutral point (3.5) suggesting a rather negative perception of transformational leadership behaviour as measured by the outcomes. The low outcome values have been a consistent feature of Doctor Ambrose s research, and when the survey sample has been subdivided, it has still remained evident. The statistically significant differences in all but one of the five outcome variables, scales with the lower mean values, suggests that females and males may be responding differently to the leadership being shown in the workplace. There are some statistically significant differences being reported for the first four outcome scales, but not for commitment. The means and standard deviations are also consistently lower for males, although marginal, throughout the transformational leadership scales and the outcomes. Figure 1: Graphical presentation of gender mean values. Gender Differences ean Value Scales F Source: Ambrose, Scale numbers one to ten; represent transformational leadership and outcome variable scales

6 The Vertical Scale is measured from 1= Strongly disagree, 2= Disagree, 3= Slightly disagree, 4= Slightly agree, 5= Agree, 6 = Strongly agree. Transformational Leadership Scales 1. Showing Genuine Concern 2. Networking and Achieving 3. Enabling 4. Honesty and Consistency 5. Being Accessible Outcomes 6. Achievement 7. otivation 8. Satisfaction with Leadership 9. Stress 10. Commitment Figure 1. shows that the perceptions of both females and males track the same for all 10 scales and that there is very little difference in the mean values reported by females and males for all the transformational leadership scales. There are no statistically significant gender differences in the mean values of the transformational leadership scales suggesting that both females and males have the same perception of leadership. This implies that leadership experience is the same for both males and females and no one group is being singled out. The mean standard deviations for all scales for both females and males are similar which suggests that the spread of responses for both groups were similar. This further supports the inference that both males and females, who participated in this survey, perceive leadership as being the same thing. As there were no statistically significant differences in transformational leadership behaviours experienced by females and males, both females and males have the same perception of leadership. Other research (Rosener, 1995, 1996; Bass et al. 1996; Alimo-etcalfe, 1998) established that female and male leaders do display different managerial and leadership behaviour, whereas female managers believed that they are more innovative and better at getting the tasks completed than their male counterparts. However, Wyse & Vilkinas (2004) supports the finding of this hypothesis, where it was found that female and male, APS executives, had similar perceptions of leadership roles. This is important because it demonstrates that leadership in the APS is experienced without discourse to gender. Therefore, it would appear that neither sex has an advantage over the other in leadership and outcomes in the workplace that may skew results. It is also interesting to note there are more APS male

7 executives than females, which perhaps means that the male specific traits are being practiced more widely. There are further implications for this result as it suggests that equal opportunity and equality of experiences in the APS is occurring. However, in consideration of the previous hypothesis, where low levels of transformational leadership are experienced if at all, it clearly indicates that men and women are behaving similarly. This is a downside, because it suggests that women have adopted the same approach to leadership as men, rather than the more positive aspects of leadership such as displaying more intuitive, empathetic and interactive behaviours (Van der Boon, 2003). This finding has now lead to a problem in that, gender neutrality in the APS, has lead to less desirable traits of leadership behaviour being displayed in the APS.

CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY In this chapter, the researcher will elaborate the methodology of the measurements. This chapter emphasize about the research methodology, data source, population and sampling,