An evaluation of the role of leadership on employees’ job satisfaction

Abstract

The construct leadership is an engrossing shared phenomenon that takes place in all organisations regardless of its business focus, financial performance, geography, philosophy or nationality. As a construct, leadership can be complex and equally diverse in organisations. Therefore the distinction between leaders and non-leaders creates controversial debates on the theory and practice of leadership in organisations. In this debate, employees as followers are seldom afforded the opportunity to evaluate the impact of leadership on their job satisfaction; especially in the twenty first century world of work. It is the aim of this study to evaluate the role of leadership on employees’ job satisfaction; using a sample of n= 80 participants who are employees of a debt collection division. Data was collected using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) and the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS). Descriptive and inferential analysis results indicate that there are significant relationships between transformational, transactional and laissez-faire leadership with job satisfaction dimensions. This study indicates that to improve employees’ job satisfaction it is essential that the current leadership in the organisation reflects an ideal or preferred leadership approach for its employees. Practical implications of the findings are discussed and recommendations for future research are explained.