Leadership Styles of Rural Leaders in the Context of Sustainable Development Requirements: A Case Study of Commune Mayors in the Greater Poland Province, Poland

Agnieszka Springer,Arnold Bernaciak,Katarzyna Walkowiak

doi:10.3390/su12072676

Agnieszka Springer, Arnold Bernaciak + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/su12072676

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Abstract

In the context of sustainable and durable development postulates, local leadership and rural governance is a matter of particular importance. As a local leader, the commune mayor should have a vision of the commune’s development and possess the ability to influence the citizens and involve them in the process of realizing that vision. Such a manner of governance is the essence of transformational leadership, which, according to the multifactor model developed by Bass and Avoilo, facilitates the achievement of positive organizational and social results. The authors’ research is an attempt to answer the question about the style of governance adopted by the political leaders of rural communes in Poland and its links with their engagement in social activation and the use of participatory tools. A survey was conducted on a sample of 49 commune mayors from the Greater Poland Province (43%) using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) and a questionnaire about public participation developed by the authors. The results indicate that components of transactional leadership predominate among commune mayors from the Greater Poland Province. Transformational leadership, which is largely based on the leader’s charisma, is exhibited much less frequently. At the same time, the majority of commune mayors use only the most basic forms of participation, without going beyond the requirements specified in the provisions of the law. Those commune mayors who rely more strongly on transformational leadership more often use public participation techniques as well.

Highlights

In Poland, rural areas are inhabited by over one-third of the population, which generates roughly a quarter of GDP
The results show that the frequency of using transformational leadership techniques varies significantly; the least used techniques are Idealized Influence connected with Attributes and Individualized Consideration
The predominance of transactional leadership components contributes to their perception as strong leaders who are prepared to implement the necessary changes; on the other, it requires us to ask about the directions of these changes and whether they fulfil the needs of the local community and the demands of the modern world, including the postulates of sustainable and durable development in particular

Summary

Introduction

In Poland, rural areas are inhabited by over one-third of the population, which generates roughly a quarter of GDP. Since the political and economic transformation of 1989, both the level of development and the living conditions in rural areas have improved considerably. Rural areas in Poland are much diversified throughout the country [1] and provide a different standard of living than cities. Among the key problems and challenges facing local authorities are demographic problems and the ageing society, a lack of innovations in rural areas, the much-needed diversification of activities [2,3], or a low quality of social capital, among other things. Local communities in rural areas have a certain unique potential that, with the use of appropriate, effective policy covering social, economic, and environmental aspects, can be used by the local authorities to promote local sustainable development. The foundation of which is the ability to build good relations with stakeholders (inhabitants, entrepreneurs, non-governmental organisations, etc.) and the use of social potential, is considered to be an essential factor that affects the functioning of local communities and their success

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