Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T02:52:46.828Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Transformational Leadership in the Local Police in Spain: a Leader-Follower Distance Approach

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 July 2014

Octavio Álvarez ,
Marisol Lila ,
Inés Tomás  and
Isabel Castillo
Octavio Álvarez*
Affiliation:
Universitat de València (Spain)
Marisol Lila
Affiliation:
Universitat de València (Spain)
Inés Tomás
Affiliation:
Universitat de València (Spain)
Isabel Castillo
Affiliation:
Universitat de València (Spain)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Octavio Álvarez. Faculty of Psychology, Department of Social Psychology. Avd. Blasco Ibañez, 21. 46010. Valencia (Spain). Phone: +34–963864577. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Based on the transformational leadership theory (Bass, 1985), the aim of the present study was to analyze the differences in leadership styles according to the various leading ranks and the organizational follower-leader distance reported by a representative sample of 975 local police members (828 male and 147 female) from Valencian Community (Spain). Results showed differences by rank (p < .01), and by rank distance (p < .05). The general intendents showed the most optimal profile of leadership in all the variables examined (transformational-leadership behaviors, transactional-leadership behaviors, laissez-faire behaviors, satisfaction with the leader, extra effort by follower, and perceived leadership effectiveness). By contrast, the least optimal profiles were presented by intendents. Finally, the maximum distance (five ranks) generally yielded the most optimal profiles, whereas the 3-rank distance generally produced the least optimal profiles for all variables examined. Outcomes and practical implications for the workforce dimensioning are also discussed.

Keywords

policetransformational leadershiprankleader-follower distanceSpain
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 17 , 2014 , E42
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Álvarez, O., Lila, M., & Castillo, I. (2012). Los estilos de liderazgo de la policía local de la Comunidad Valenciana: Una aproximación desde la Teoría del Liderazgo Transformacional [Leadership styles of the local police of Valencian Community: An approach from the Transformational Leadership Theory]. Anales de Psicología, 28, 548–557. http://dx.doi.org/10.6018/analesps.28.2.148951 Google Scholar
Antonakis, J., & Atwater, L. (2002). Leader distance: A review and a proposed theory. The Leadership Quarterly, 13, 673–704. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1048-9843(02)00155-8 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Antonakis, J., Avolio, B. J., & Sivasubramaniam, N. (2003). Context and leadership: An examination of the nine-factor full-range leadership theory using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. The Leadership Quarterly, 14, 261–295. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1048-9843(03)00030-4 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Avolio, B. J., & Bass, B. M. (1991). The full range leadership development programs: Basic and advanced manuals. Binghamton. NY: Bass, Avolio & Associates.Google Scholar
Avolio, B. J., & Yammarino, F. J. (2002). Transformational & charismatic leadership: The road ahead. Greenwich, CT: JAI.Google Scholar
Avolio, B. J., Sosik, J. J., Jung, D. I., & Berson, Y. (2003). Leadership models, methods, and applications. In Borman, W., Ilgen, D. R. & Klimoski, R. K. (Eds.), Handbook of psychology: Volume 12 industrial and organizational psychology (pp. 277–307). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley & Sons.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Avolio, B. J., Zhu, W., Koh, W., & Bhatia, P. (2004) Transformational leadership and organizational commitment: Mediating role of psychological empowerment and moderating role of structural distance. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 25, 951–968. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/job.283 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bass, B. M. (1985). Leadership and performance beyond expectations. New York, NY: Free Press.Google Scholar
Bass, B. M., & Avolio, B. J. (1995). MLQ Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire: Sampler set. Redwood City, CA: Mind Garden.Google Scholar
Bass, B. M., & Riggio, R. E. (2006). Transformational leadership (2 nd Ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chun, J. U., Yammarino, F. J., Dionne, S. D., Sosik, J. J., & Moon, H. K. (2009). Leadership across hierarchical levels: Multiple levels of management and multiple levels of analysis. The Leadership Quarterly, 20, 689–707. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2009.06.003 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Densten, I. L. (2003). Senior police leadership: Does rank matter? Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 26, 400–418. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/13639510310489467 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hannah, S. T., Uhl-Bien, M., Avolio, B. J., & Cavarretta, F. L. (2009). A framework for examining leadership in extreme contexts. The Leadership Quarterly, 20, 897–919. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2009.09.006 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Howell, J. M., & Shamir, B. (2005). The role of followers in the charismatic leadership process: Relationships and their consequences. Academy of Management Review, 30, 96–112. http://dx.doi.org/10.5465/AMR.2005.15281435 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lowe, K. B., Kroeck, K. G., & Sivasubramaniam, N. (1996). Effectiveness correlates of transformational and transactional leadership: A meta-analytic review of the MLQ literature. The Leadership Quarterly, 7, 385–425. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1048-9843(96)90027-2 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Molero, F., Recio, P., & Cuadrado, I. (2010). Transformational and transactional leadership: An analysis of the factor structure of the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) in a Spanish sample. Psicothema, 22, 495–501.Google Scholar
Murphy, S. A., & Drodge, E. N. (2004). Four I's of police leadership: A case study heuristic. International Journal of Police Science and Management, 6, 1–15. http://dx.doi.org/10.1350/ijps.6.1.1.34461 Google Scholar
Rippy, K. M. (1990). Effective followership. Police Chief, 57, 22–24.Google Scholar
Robbins, S. (2004). Comportamiento organizacional [Organizational behavior]. Naulcalpan de Juarez, México: Pearson Educación.Google Scholar
Shamir, B. (1995). Social distance and charisma: Theoretical notes and an exploratory study. The Leadership Quarterly, 6, 19–47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/1048-9843(95)90003-9 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yammarino, F. J. (1994). Indirect leadership: Transformational leadership at a distance. In Bass, B. M. & Avolio, B. J. (Eds.), Improving organizational effectiveness (pp. 26–47). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar