Leadership style, hierarchical influence, and the satisfaction of subordinate role expectations: A test of Likert's influence proposition.

Examined the moderating effect of upward hierarchial influence on the relationship between supportive leader behavior and satisfaction of subordinate expectations and with the effect of 4 dimensions of leadership style. Contrary to previous theory and research, findings with 243 employees reveal little interaction between hierarchical influence and consideration. Leader consideration was found to have strong positive relationship to satisfaction in 11 out of 16 measures of subordinate role satisfaction, while initiating structure was positively related to 10. Leader technical competence was found to be significantly related to only 2 out of 16 role satisfaction measures, and leader decisiveness was found to have a rather pervasive effect on role satisfaction, bearing a significant positive relationship to 13 out of 16 satisfaction measures. The theoretical implications of the findings as related to likert's linking-pin theory and previous studies on leader behavior are briefly discussed. (19 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)