Examining the Relationship Between Leadership Style and Job Satisfaction in a Contingent Fire Department Environment

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between Leadership Style and Job Satisfaction in a contingent fire department environment. This was a nonexperimental research study and it utilized a convenience sample of 94 (N = 94) participants. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ 5X-Short) was used to assess employee's perception of their supervisors’ leadership style while employee's job satisfaction level was assessed using the Abridged Job Descriptive Index (aJDI) and the Abridged Job in General (aJIG) (Bass & Avolio, 2004; Bowling Green State University, 2009). Transformational Leadership was the strongest predictor of Satisfaction with Work on the Present Job, Satisfaction with Supervision, and Satisfaction with the Job in General. The more the employee perceived their supervisor’s leadership behavior as Transformational the more satisfied the employee was with the work, supervision, and the job in general. Passive Avoidant Leadership was a predictor of Satisfaction with Work on the Present Job, Satisfaction with Supervision, and Satisfaction with the Job in General. The more the employee perceived their supervisor’s leadership behavior as Passive Avoidant the less satisfied the employee was with the work, supervision, and the job in general. The study concluded that Transformational Leadership was positively related to Job Satisfaction in a contingent fire department environment. An additional finding from the study shows that Passive Avoidant Leadership was negatively related to Job Satisfaction.