ASSOCIATION OF TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP BEHAVIORS, EFFICACY, AND PERFORMANCE IN ROTC CADETS

Abstract

Transformational leadership is when leaders inspire, motivate, influence, and stimulate followers to build a connection and common belief towards goals. Military leaders that engage in transformational leadership encompass behaviors that can build their followers' confidence to reach their full performance potential individually and collectively. Confidence is mentioned as one of the most needed psychological skills to succeed in cadets' field training experiences. In addition to exhibiting transformational behaviors, effective military leaders instill confidence in their followers. Confidence comes from several sources including evaluations of oneself (i.e., self-efficacy; SE), leaders (i.e., other efficacy; OE), and the whole group (i.e., collective efficacy; CE). In addition to confidence, leadership styles can impact performance including military soldier's abilities to meet challenges and perform tactical tasks. Unfortunately, very little evidence exists to support if ROTC cadets exhibit transformational behaviors and how these behaviors relate to their confidence and performance. The study's purposes were to (1) examine the relationship between transformational leadership behaviors and performance in ROTC cadets; and (2) examine whether efficacy mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and performance in ROTC cadets. We hypothesize (1) transformational leadership behaviors will have a direct relationship with performance; and (2) self-efficacy, other-efficacy, and collective efficacy will mediate the relationship between transformational leadership and performance. Within the Army ROTC program, 67 participants completed all the assessments which included transformational leadership, efficacy, and performance measurements. Historical data of the cadet's Army Combat Fitness Test that includes the maximum deadlift, standing power throw, hand release push-up-arm extension, sprint-drag-carry, plank, and two-mile run was used to measure performance. To test hypotheses, direct and indirect effects among transformational leadership, efficacy, and performance were analyzed alongside means, standard deviations, and correlation. Due to the nonsignificant direct correlations, the results did not support hypothesis 1. Using collective efficacy as the mediator, Hypothesis 2 not supported based on the strong negative indirect connections between the top three transformative leadership behaviors and Maximum Deadlift as the performance outcome. In conclusion, leadership behaviors might eventually affect a soldier's or cadet's performance and confidence in a mentally and physically.