Military Employee Perceptions of Leadership Style, Leadership Substitutes, and Initiating Structure

Transformational leadership, leadership substitutes, and initiating structure have been shown to influence employee satisfaction, job performance, and motivation. However, few researchers have empirically examined how these 3 variables collectively influence employees or how these measurements can relate to strategic planning as a process in public or military organizations. The theoretical framework of this quantitative study was based on substitutes for leadership theory; the purpose was to address the gaps in leadership literature regarding initiating structure, leadership through the subordinate perspective, and how this information might be beneficial in the implementation of strategic planning as a process in a public or military organization. One hundred eleven participants from both supervisory and nonsupervisory positions from an Army Reserve unit in Fort Knox and Fort Campbell, Kentucky provided demographic information and answered questions from the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire 5X, the Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire, and the Substitutes for Leadership Questionnaire. Bivariate correlations and multiple regression testing showed charismatic leadership and intellectual stimulation significantly predicted employee perception of leadership style. Professionals and senior leaders charged with strategic planning for public or military organizations can use the measurements in this study to assess and determine what type of process best integrates strategic planning as part of day-to-day activities for employees. This knowledge can be used to implement changes that contribute to continuity in the face of senior leadership rotations, and mitigate the resulting detrimental impact on strategic planning in the military.