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Dissertation
The relationship between the leadership behavior of library supervisors and the performance of their professional subordinates
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Drexel University
Jun 1984
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00009982
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the leadership behavior of library supervisors and the performance of their professional subordinates. The research was based on Robert J. House's Path-Goal Theory of Leadership. The research hypothesized a triple interaction among Initiating Structure, Task Structure and Need-for-independence on subordinate Performance. Specifically, the hypotheses predicted that under high Task Structure, the Initiating Structure-Performance relationship would be more positive for subordinates with low Need-for-independence than for subordinates with high Need-for-independence. Under low Task Structure, the Initiating Structure-Performance relationship would be strongly positive regardless of the subordinate's Need-for-independence. It was further hypothesized that the reason for this triple interaction was a low relationship between Initiating Structure and Expectancy-II and between Initiating Structure and Intrinsic Activity Value for high Need-for-independence people under high Task Structure. Questionnaires were sent to 865 professional librarians in academic libraries in Pennsylvania and states contiguous to Pennsylvania. Performance evaluation questionnaires were also sent to their supervisors. The questionnaire to subordinates included the Initiating Structure and Consideration portions of the Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire-Form XII, and several other scales, including some which were self-constructed based on an analysis of the jobs of Reference Librarians and Catalogers. Data analysis was by moderated regression analysis and subgroup analysis. Results showed (1) that Need-for-independence did not function as a moderating variable between Initiating Structure and Performance. (2) The effect of Task Structure as a moderating variable was the opposite of the effect predicted by traditional Path-Goal Theory. The Initiating Structure-Performance relationship was higher under high Task Structure than under low Task Structure. (3) Subgroup analysis suggested the possibility of a curvilinear moderator effect in some groups. (4) Intrinsic Activity Value was the only intervening variable to mediate the relationship between Initiating Structure and Performance; it did not mediate the Initiating Structure-Task Structure interaction. It was conjectured that the high educational level of the subjects may have been responsible for the results being opposite to Path-Goal Theory. Also, it may be that librarians as a group have low Need-for-independence.
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Details
- Title
- The relationship between the leadership behavior of library supervisors and the performance of their professional subordinates
- Creators
- Christina Wolcott McCawley
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- xii, 199 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- School of Library and Information Science (1978-1984); Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991021888733304721