Subscale Item
Rotated
component matrix loadings
Q1 Discusses and describes ……….. for the
work unit .830
Q2 Helps work unit members to clearly see how ….. work
unit's short term goals and plans .827 Q4 Provides performance feedback to ensure the work
unit is doing the job
.786 Q5 Makes sound ……. decisions .681 Q8 Gives information to work unit members at the right
time .722
Q14 Gives work that suits each member's abilities .621 Q15 Gives work that ………… .732
In te ract ive l ea d er ski lls
Q52 Shows work unit members where the company
……….. .713
Q19 Clearly and quickly tells a member who is not working well, ………, without making it worse
.696 Q30 Helps members to see how to work differently and
better .766
Q31 Convinces members they can do their jobs better
than they thought possible .765 Q32 Shows clearly ………
by doing their jobs better than they thought possible
.753 Q35 Persuades members ………. best
efforts .752
Q56 Shows and/or encourages new ways to …………... of company products and services
.438 In te rf o rmat ive l ead er ski ll s
Q57 Shows and/or encourages ………
of company products and services .471 Q45 Socialises with customers, subcontractors, suppliers,
senior managers and others who are important to the work unit
.753 Q46 Talks to and ………… from important outsiders
about ……….………. enhance its performance
.865 Q47 Talks to important outsiders with the aim of getting
what the work unit needs to succeed (budget monies, equipment, training, and other resources)
.810 S tr at egic Inf lue nc e
Q49 Influences important outsiders to ……… the work unit .827
Note: Cronbach alpha coefficients for each subscale reading down the table are 0.9137, 0.8530, and 0.8524. Only loadings above 0.30 are displayed
Factor analysis report. Table 5.12 displays the results of the SPSS output obtained from factor analysis of data concerning leader skills. Following advice from Pallant (2001), and from Tabachnick and Fidell (1996), these results are reported as follows. Items were subjected to principal components analysis after assessing whether data were suitable for factor analysis. Inspection of the correlation matrix revealed the presence of most coefficients of 0.3 and above, and many were substantially higher. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin value was 0.787, exceeding the recommended value of 0.6. Bartlett’s test of sphericity reached statistical significance (p = 0.01), supporting the factorability of the correlation matrix.
Principal components analysis revealed the presence of three components, with fewer items measuring each than conceptualised originally (Appendix C). These components were subsequently named as the subscales listed in Table 5.12. Reading down the table, these components had initial eigenvalues of 7.876, 2.459, and 1.416, explaining 41.45 per cent, 12.95 per cent, and 7.45 per cent of the total variance, respectively. Inspection of the screeplot showed a clear break after the third component. Varimax rotation was performed to help interpretation of these three components. The rotation solution still showed the presence of a tripartite structure, with the three components showing generally excellent loadings, with two items showing only fair loadings (Tabachnick and Fidell 1996). All items loaded on only one component. With this solution, the number of high (> 0.80) and relatively high loading marker variables reassures that the otherwise fairly lean sample size was sufficient, and more so since the research intent was exploratory.
The three factor solution explained a total of 61.85 per cent of the variance. However, the distribution of the variance explained was adjusted after rotation. Reading down the table, the components now contributed 26.31 per cent, 20.30 per cent, and 15.24 per cent of the explained variance. The results of this analysis support the use of the three sets of items as separate leader skill subscales. The interpretation of the three components was consistent with the Reality Management Theory of leadership proffered in this thesis (ss. 3.3 and 3.4).
Leader Interaction Skills Inventory. Table 5.12 is therefore an SPSS output table showing an overall tripartite scale of leader skills, where each subscale operationally measures a discrete leaderskill dimension, and where the items comprising each subscale do not overlap with those of the other two scales in accord with the dual criteria mentioned at the start of this chapter and explained earlier (s. 4.5.1). That is, a key
finding of factor analysis was that interactive, interformative, and strategic influence
leader skills are independent dimensions, based on the stringent 0.30 and uniqueness
criteria. Multicollinearity was not a problem. Taken together, the corresponding
subscales comprise a larger instrument for measuring leader skills in a business context. This instrument is named the Leader Interaction Skills Inventory (LISI) to distinguish it from other scales in the literature and from its parent described as the Leader Action Characteristics Set (s. 3.3.1). Although considered exploratory, the LISI demonstrates initially respectable reliability coefficients, and, as shown shortly (s. 5.5), sound construct validity.
Interactive leader skills. Table 5.12 shows scale information in operational terms regarding a new skillset named interactive leader skills. This is considered a specific skillset associated with transactional leadership within a business context. It replaces the transactional leader skillset adduced from the literature. Interactive leader skills are defined as a coherent set of leader skills that are attributed with regard to present business realities via mutual definition of the situation by leader and followers, and that may be learned and displayed differentially by individuals.
Interformative leader skills. Table 5.12 also summarises relevant scale data on the newly named interformative leader skills, which are seen as associated with transformational leadership within a business environment. This replaces the transformational leader skillset. Interformative leader skills are defined as a coherent set of leader skills that are attributed with respect to future business realities via mutual definition of the situation by leader and followers, and that may be learned and displayed differentially by individuals.
Strategic influence leader skills. Table 5.12 further shows a modified item cluster measured strategic influence. These are leader skills to the extent that they impact upon attribution of the leader mantle. Contrary to interactive and interformative leader skills, however, this skillset does not directly involve interactions of leader and followers. The interactive aspect is de-emphasised accordingly, as this relates to externally significant others. Strategic influence skills are defined as a coherent set of leader skills that are imputed by followers regarding definitions of the situation in the external environment on behalf of the business work unit (at least putatively), but with implicit career enhancement potential and/or purposes, and that may be learned and displayed differentially by individuals.
Strategic influence and personal networking skills. Tables 5.12 and 5.13 contain relevant data on strategic influence skills and personal networking skills, including quite acceptable Cronbach alphas of 0.8524 and 0.8152, respectively. These data are considered jointly to explain a decision to omit personal networking in favour of strategic influence in subsequent statistical analyses.