| Recruiting is one of the prominent human resource challenges facing organizations today. One of the notable qualities of leadership is to motivate subordinates to work more effectively and achieve increased production. This quantitative method and correlational design study investigated the leadership styles of six U.S. Navy Recruiting Districts utilizing Bass and Avolio's 2004 Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-5X). Data analysis from 706 received questionnaires supported Bass's Full-Spectrum Leadership model that transformational leadership was more effective than transactional leadership within Navy Recruiting. Results indicated strong positive correlation for transformational leadership r(101) = .84, p < .01 and weak positive correlation for transactional leadership r(101) = .21, p < .01 to recruiting production. The results also supported Bass's position that the best of leadership is both transformational and transactional with regard to perceived outcomes scores of extra effort, effectiveness, and job satisfaction. However, these perceived outcomes scores did not translate into the highest recruiting production. The recruiting production results suggested it was singularly the transformational leader that drove recruiting production vice a transactional leader augmented with transformational leadership. Two recommendations are provided to Navy Recruiting Command. First, leaders need a clear understanding of their leadership attributes. Surveying leaders and subordinates with an instrument similar to the MLQ-5X will provide this baseline. The baseline will identify weaknesses, which appropriate training can overcome. Prioritization of identifying current leader's leadership attributes and conducting appropriate training should be given to second-tier leaders as these leaders demonstrated the lowest leadership scores, perceived outcomes scores, and production results. Second, screen leaders for appropriate transformational leadership skills prior to placement into positions of authority. Three future research areas are recommended. First, replicate this study with a longitudinal study that averages perceptions of leadership attributes over time to provide a clearer picture of the leader's actual leadership style. Second, conduct a quasi-experiment by controlling the composition of the leadership hierarchy and align leaders with similar strengths to examine the additive impact that the entire leadership hierarchy has on production. Third, examine the relationship of leadership attributes to recruiter production of all four branches of the military within a single geographic area. |
