Does transformational leadership stimulate user orientation? Evidence from a field experiment

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Bro, Louise Ladegaard; Jensen, Ulrich Thy
• 署名单位: Arizona State University; Arizona State University-Downtown Phoenix
• 刊物名称: PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0033-3298
• DOI: 10.1111/padm.12612
• 发表日期: 2020
• 页码: 177-193
• 关键词: public-service motivation; CHARISMATIC LEADERSHIP; prosocial impact; performance; BEHAVIOR; need

摘要

While doing good for specific citizens and users is often considered a powerful motivator among public service employees, little research has rigorously evaluated how public managers can promote individualized prosocial motivation. We follow recent studies on the behavioural implications of 'user orientation' to explore how public managers can use a specific leadership strategy-transformational leadership-to reinforce employees' individualized prosocial motivation. Combining a field experiment with 80 childcare centre managers and survey reports from their 590 preschool teachers, we assess the effect of a transformational leadership training programme on user orientation. The results show a positive effect on user orientation three months after the training programme but no persistent effect 15 months after the intervention. This implies that, at least in the short term, public managers can use transformational leadership behaviours to stimulate user orientation.