A HIERARCHICAL CONSTRUCT OF SELF‐MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO QUALITY OF WORK LIFE AND PERCEIVED WORK GROUP EFFECTIVENESS

Abstract

This study validates the self‐management leadership theory as operationalized by the Self‐Management Leadership Questionnaire (Manz & Sims, 1987) in a large telephone company. The sample for this study is 390 self‐managing and 412 traditionally managed employees and 94 external leaders from 58 self‐managing and 60 traditionally managed teams. Results support Manz and Sims' 6‐factor pattern at the first‐order level, and in addition, identify a common second‐order factor. The hierarchical factor structure is invariant in employee and leader samples drawn from both self‐managing and traditionally managed work teams, suggesting that the construct of self‐managing leadership is similar for members and leaders of both types of teams. Respondents perceive slightly more self‐management leadership behaviors in the self‐managing than the traditional work teams. Respondents evaluate self‐managing work teams as more effective than traditional work teams, and this difference is moderate in size. Self‐managing leadership behaviors are positively associated with QWL (mainly employee satisfaction) and self‐rated effectiveness for both self‐managing and traditional teams. In general, self‐managing work teams are not that different from traditionally managed groups in the relationship of self‐managing leadership to outcomes. We conclude that self‐management leadership is a hierarchical concept, constituted of specific strategies as well as a general orientation toward empowering employees. These leadership behaviors are applicable to managing both traditional and self‐managing work teams.