Frans Cilliers

Leadership styles and associated personality traits: Support for the conceptualisation of transactional and transformational leadership

The full range model of leadership includes laissez-faire behaviour, transactional leadership, and transformational leadership. The model conceptualises leadership in terms of the behaviours associated with various styles and this conceptualisation has been empirically supported. In this article the personality traits of managers exercising different leadership styles are explained in terms of, and add to, the description of these styles. Members of a management team were assessed in terms of their preferred leadership styles and two groups were identified. Some of the managers relied on both transformational behaviours and active transactional behaviours with an absence of behaviours associated with passive styles. The rest of the managers used behaviours associated with all the styles. An integrated personality profile was compiled for each manager. Definite trends were observed when comparing the profiles of the managers in the two leadership groups. Transformational leadership was defined in terms of the interpersonal more than the visionary aspect of leadership with interpersonal styles and work and social ethics being emphasised. Behaviours associated with transactional leadership as well as with more passive styles were also noted. The findings provide further support for the conceptualisation of leadership in terms of the full range model of leadership.

Perceived leadership style and employee participation in a manufacturing company in the democratic republic of Congo

This study examined the relationship between the perceived leadership style (measured by the leader behavior descriptive questionnaire) and employee participation (measured by the employee participation survey), and looked at how individuals differ with respect to these variables in terms of demographical factors such as gender, age, educational level and functional department. A crosssectional survey was conducted with a convenience sample of 200 employees from a manufacturing company in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The results indicated that the participants’ perceptions of a leader’s behavioral style have a significant influence on their perceptions of employee participation. The study further found that male participants perceived their leader’s style significantly more positive than their female counterparts. Participants’ with master’s and doctoral degrees were significantly more positive about the level of employee participation than the participants with undergraduate levels qualifications. Participants in the exploitation management department were significantly more positive about their leaders’ style than those in the other functional departments. The findings add new knowledge that may be used to inform human resource practitioners in the development and coaching of leaders and employees in manufacturing companies.

Perceived ethical leadership: Its moderating influence on employees’ organisational commitment and organisational citizenship behaviours

This study investigated the extent to which employees’ perception of ethical leadership moderated their organisational commitment and organisational citizenship behaviour. A non-probability purposive sample (N = 839; females = 32%) of employees in a railway organisation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) participated in the study. They completed the following measures: the Organisational Commitment Scale (OCS), the Organisational Citizenship Behaviour Questionnaire (OCBQ) and the Ethical Leadership Scale (ELS). Stepwise hierarchical regression analysis was utilised to determine the influence of employees’ perceptions of the relationships between their self-reported organisational commitment and organisational citizenship behaviour. The results indicated employee perceptions of the integrity, fairness and honesty aspects of ethical leadership to explain their affective, continuance and normative aspects of organisational commitment and organisational citizenship behaviour. The results also showed that employee perceptions of high ethical leadership influenced their willingness to engage in positive organisational commitment such as psychological attachment, work continuance, normative commitment and also their organisational citizen behaviours such as altruism, conscientiousness, courtesy and civic virtue. By implication, leaders with high ethical conduct have the potential to positively stimulate the commitment of employees towards supporting the organisational values and mission.

Ethics culture and ethics climate in relation to employee engagement in a developing country setting

The study investigated the relationship between employees’ perceived workplace ethics culture and climate variables and their level of engagement. A non-probability sample (N = 839; females = 32%) was permanently employed in a railway organisation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The research constructs were measured using the Corporate Ethical Virtues (CEV) Scale, Ethical Climate Questionnaire (ECQ), and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). A canonical analysis indicated that the participants’ perceived workplace ethics culture and workplace ethics climate were significantly and positively related to their level of engagement. Structural equation modelling indicated a moderate fit between the workplace ethics culture, workplace ethics climate and employee engagement canonical variate constructs. The findings provide evidence that individuals perception of work ethics culture and work ethics climate explain their level of work engagement.

Social defense structures in organizations: how A lack of authorization keeps managers from moving to transformational leadership

The systems psychodynamic perspective was used to explore the functioning of a management team at one of the plants of a South African production company experiencing change. The focus was on the impact of social defenses on the leadership style being exercised. During a day long consultation session with the team a dynamic of control and dependency was observed. The transactional culture that can be regarded as “normal,” in this environment, actually became part of a defense strategy, resulting in dependency and a lack of authorization that limited the use of transformational leadership. A lack of clarity in terms of role and boundary definitions furthermore resulted in a struggle in terms of interrelatedness and a lack of interdependent functioning at a systems level.

Workplace ethics culture and work engagement: The mediating effect of ethical leadership in a developing world context

This study examined the mediating effect of ethical leadership on the relationship between workplace ethics culture and work engagement among employees in a railway transport organisation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The sample consisted of permanently employed staff in a railway organisation in the DRC (n = 839; females = 32%). The employees were required to complete the Ethical Leadership Scale (ELS), the Ethical Corporate Virtue model (ECV) and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). Mediating regression analyses were conducted to predict work engagement from workplace ethics culture, partialling out ethical leadership. The results show that workplace ethics culture had a significantly positive effect on work engagement. The results further indicated that workplace ethics culture, through the mediation of perceived ethical leadership, had a significantly positive effect on the work engagement dimensions of vigour, dedication and absorption. The findings provide evidence that ethical leadership plays a crucial role in shaping workplace ethics culture and employees’ level of work engagement in an emerging country work setting.

The role of spirituality in coping with the demands of the hospital culture amongst fourth-year nursing students

Abstract The aim of this research was to describe the role of spirituality in coping with the demands of the hospital culture amongst fourth-year nursing students. Qualitative, descriptive, hermeneutic interpretive research was done. A case study of 14 female Canadian nursing students was asked to write an essay on their experiences of the demands of the hospital culture. Content analysis was used and positive psychology served as the interpretive lens. Trustworthiness and ethicality were ensured. The findings indicated that although the nursing students expressed themselves in religious and spiritual words, they did not significantly illustrate the theoretically associated intra-, interpersonal and sacred behaviours to be referred to as being spiritual in their experience as a care giver in the hospital culture. They also did not illustrate behaviours linked to other positive psychology constructs such as sense of coherence, resilience, engagement or emotional intelligence. Rather, the nursing students experienced identity crises. Recommendations for the inclusion of mentoring in the curriculum of nursing students were formulated.

Perceived ethical leadership in relation to employees' organisational commitment in an organisation in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between ethical leadership and organisational commitment. A cross-sectional quantitative survey approach was used, with a non-probability purposive sample of 839 employees from a railway organisation in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The results indicate that ethical leadership perceptions have a significant influence on the level of organisational commitment. The study further indicated that ethical leadership predicted employees’ affective, continuance and normative and overall commitment. These results add new insights to the construct of business ethics by showing that a positive perception of ethical leadership by employees is an important consideration in enhancing their organisational commitment.The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between ethical leadership and organisational commitment. A cross-sectional quantitative survey approach was used, with a non-probability purposive sample of 839 employees from a railway organisation in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The results indicate that ethical leadership perceptions have a significant influence on the level of organisational commitment. The study further indicated that ethical leadership predicted employees’ affective, continuance and normative and overall commitment. These results add new insights to the construct of business ethics by showing that a positive perception of ethical leadership by employees is an important consideration in enhancing their organisational commitment.

Symbolism associated with Leadership in South Africa: A systems-psychodynamic perspective

ABSTRACT This article focuses on the symbolic representations projected onto and into leaders in the South African organisational context. The aim is to explore the symbolic roles of leaders and the behavioural impact thereof. The research is conducted from a systems-psychodynamic perspective and a qualitative, explorative, social phenomenological study was conducted in an attempt to identify, analyse, describe and determine the impact of symbolic roles on leaders. The results seem to indicate that a number of symbolic roles, based on the diversity dimensions of race (black and white) and gender (male and female) and their different configurations, can be identified. The results are presented in the form of a number of working hypotheses on the impact of the symbolic roles on the conflict, identity, boundaries, authorisation, roles and tasks of leaders (CIBART).