Goal orientation as a moderator between transformational leadership and workplace outcomes

by Salter, Nicholas P.

Jennifer Z. Gillespie, Ph.D., Advisor Transformational leadership has been linked to higher subordinate performance as well as to higher subordinate job satisfaction. Research suggests transformational leaders accomplish this by fulfilling subordinates’ needs. The present study suggests that because goals are considered by some to be concrete manifestations of needs, goals may be superior to needs when studying the effects of transformational leadership. Specifically, the present study hypothesizes that both mastery and avoidance goal orientation will moderate the transformational leadership – outcome relationship (both performance and satisfaction). Results were generally not supportive of the hypothesized relationships. iii