Framework
Transformational versus transactional leadership
The question it answers
When taking over a team that needs to change, should a department head inspire people towards a new vision or hold them to clear targets and rewards?
- Origin
- Burns, 1978; Bass, 1985; Judge & Piccolo, 2004
- Diagram type
- Comparison table
- Level of analysis
- Individual
- Topics
- Strategy & leadership
Diagram
Transformational versus transactional leadership
| Criterion | Transformational | Transactional |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanism | Inspires; shifts values and expectations | Exchange: reward results, correct deviations |
| Strongest when | Direction must change | Direction is agreed and execution matters |
| Main risk | Personal dependence; weak control | Rigidity; little innovation |
| Pooled evidence | Strong correlation with effectiveness (Judge and Piccolo, 2004) | Contingent reward shows a comparable correlation |
Pitfalls
Pitfall
Reading them as mutually exclusive. Many studies show they complement each other.
Sources
References
Listed A–Z by author surname, Harvard style. A source with a DOI links to https://doi.org/…; one without links to its page or says plainly that it has no DOI.
- Bass, B.M. (1985) Leadership and performance beyond expectations. New York: Free Press.No DOIsearch.worldcat.orgSource page
- Burns, J.M. (1978) Leadership. New York: Harper & Row.No DOIsearch.worldcat.orgSource page
- Judge, T.A. and Piccolo, R.F. (2004) ‘Transformational and transactional leadership: a meta-analytic test of their relative validity’, Journal of Applied Psychology, 89(5), pp. 755–768.doi:10.1037/0021-9010.89.5.755Source page