Graduation Year
2012
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
M.A.
Degree Granting Department
Mass Communications
Major Professor
Kelly Werder, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Scott Liu, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Michael Mitrook, Ph.D.
Keywords
communication, employment, performance, transactional, transformational
Abstract
Ideally, an employee will attempt to perform a task at his or her best ability in order to complete a work task appropriately. However, there are several factors that affect how an employee approaches a task. Two such factors are the understanding an employee has on how his or her supervisor may evaluate performance of the task and the supervisor's leadership style. This study focuses on the effect task evaluation knowledge (TEK) and different leadership styles have on an employee's attitude toward performing a task. By using a 2x2 (transformational/transactional leadership by limited/increased amount of information communicated) experiment, participants were tested on the degree to which their attitude changes based on TEK and leadership style. Results, based on ANOVA testing and regression analysis, indicated that leadership styles had the most direct effects on a participant's attitude toward a task. Specifically, transformational leadership styles had a positive effect on all attitude measures toward a task while transactional leadership styles had a negative effect on the attitude measures. Also, TEK did not show any significance toward attitudes. Implications of these results for future research on measuring attitudes toward a task in the workplace are provided.
Scholar Commons Citation
Abitbol, Alan, "Effects of Task Evaluation Knowledge and Leadership Style on Employee Attitude Toward a Task" (2012). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/3940
