Leadership Style as a Variable in Research Administration

This article reports the relationship between leadership styles of laboratory directors in a government research organization and certain attitudes and motivations of the scientists within those laboratories. Three leadership styles were identified empirically: directive, laissezfaire, and participatory. The criterion variables were laboratory scores on value placed on research orientation, sense of progress toward research goals, and attitudes toward the laboratory director. The predicted results indicate that scientists working under a participatory leadership climate hold the most favorable attitudes and those working under a directive leadership climate hold the least favorable attitudes. Characteristics of the three leadership styles and methods of measuring them are discussed. The author is assistant professor of human relations and business administration in the University of Kansas.