The relationship between leadership and employee job satisfaction in a military community

Abstract

Organizations use different metrics to measure performance. Employee job satisfaction is one indicator of organizational effectiveness. Research has found that leadership directly influences employee job satisfaction. The purpose of this quantitative research study was to examine the relationship between leadership and employee job satisfaction in a military community. Bass and Avolio’s (2004) full-range leadership theory served as the foundation for the research. The elements of this leadership style (transformational, transactional, and passive/avoidant) comprised the independent variables. Job satisfaction formed the dependent variable. The study required the administration of two composite surveys. The Leader survey was comprised of the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) Form 5X Short and a demographic questionnaire. The Employee survey was comprised of the MLQ Form 5X Short, the Spector (1994) Job Satisfaction Survey, and a demographic questionnaire. The participants included military and MWR civilian leaders as well as MWR civilian employees from U.S. Army garrisons in Europe. Three hundred eighty-one participants successfully completed one of the two surveys. The study employed Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and multiple regression analysis to assess the bivariate relationship between employee job satisfaction and the elements of full-range leadership. The study results indicated a statistically significant correlation between each element and employee job satisfaction. Additionally, the regression analysis illustrated different degrees of job satisfaction prediction, depending on the element of full-range leadership being applied. Transformational leadership among military and MWR civilian leaders contributed more positively to MWR employee job satisfaction than the other leadership elements.