LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOR AND JOB SATISFACTION OF MEDICAL TECHNOLOGISTS: A PATH-GOAL APPROACH (INITIATION OF STRUCTURE, CONSIDERATION, TASK STRUCTURE, ROLE AMBIGUITY

This inquiry focused on one avenue of reducing laboratory costs through an investigation of factors associated with job satisfaction of medical technologists. Counterproductive behaviors such as voluntary turnover, professional attrition and occupational stress have been cited as resulting from dissatisfaction with leader behaviors. Path-Goal Theory of Leadership served as the theoretical framework. Relationships between leader behaviors, consideration and initiation of structure, and job satisfaction were hypothesized to be moderated by task structure and role ambiguity.;Members of the American Society for Medical Technology, residing in Region 4, and employed fulltime, comprised the target population (n = 1574). A 1 in 4 systematic sample of 400 was selected from the population for participation in the study. The Job Descriptive Index was used to determine perceived satisfaction with supervision, work, pay, promotion, and co-workers. An overall measure of job satisfaction was obtained by summing the facet scores. Perceived leader behaviors were measured by the Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire-Form XII. The Task Structure Scale by Lynch and the Role Ambiguity Scale by Rizzo et al. were used to measure task structure and role ambiguity respectively.;Data were collected via a mailed, self-administered questionnaire. An initial mailing and one follow-up mailing were conducted. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients, Fisher coefficients, partial correlation coefficients, multiple regression and canonical analyses. The .05 level was used in testing significance of all statistics.;Failure to support the hypotheses was indicated by results of data analyses. Results further indicated that technologists, as a group, perceived low levels of job satisfaction when compared to national norms. Technologists, as a group, perceived a low level of role ambiguity and moderate levels of task structure, leader consideration, and leader initiation of structure.;In conclusion, task structure and role ambiguity did not moderate the hypothesized relationships between leader behaviors and technologists' job satisfaction. Upon reanalysis of the data, support was found for the influence of Levinson et al. theory of life stages upon the job satisfaction of medical technologists.