2.3.1 Transformational leadership (Independent Variable)

There have been a lot of definitions about transformational leadership that have been cited on written in some journal that have been done. Transformational leadership is defined as finding the energy in followers by creating an active interaction environment in the organization. Its objective is to increase the perception of success in the organization and to motivate the members (Bass, 2000). Some authors refer to charismatic leadership instead of transformational leadership. Previous research has indicated that team leaders engage in a variety of behaviors aimed at facilitating team functioning and performance (Morgeson, DeRue & Karam, 2010). Leaders also motivate the followers to realize organizational objectives by increase their confidence. They make the employees be disposed to deal with problems and difficulties to negotiate and they provide autonomy for them to increase their performance and efficacy (Bass, Avolio, Jung, & Berson, 2003). The concept of transformational leadership was introduced by James Macgregor Burns in 1978 in his descriptive research on political leaders, but its usage has spread into organisational psychology and management with further modifications by B.M Bass and J.B Avalio (Jung & Sosik, 2002).

 Currie and Lockett (2007) state about the transformational leadership as a leadership style for meeting the needs of followers and a leadership that is sensitive to differences. Most of school in Malaysia are modern school management considers the school organization as the focus of transformation. The leader has been necessary as the provider of this transformation and this leader has been expected to take on the role of transformational leader in schools (Bottery, 2001). Roleof transformational leadership behavior is quite important in keeping up with scientific knowledge and technology at school, the adaptation of the school to changing environmental conditions and increasing the quality of education (Leithwood, 1992). Transformational leadership

involves encouraging the team to manage its own tasks and developing the team’s to function effectively without direct intervention from the team leader, this form of leadership focuses on coaching the team and empowering its self-management (Morgeson et al., 2010). Transformational leadership can be defined from other research as inspire employees to commit to collective vision of the organization or leader through mentoring, challenging assignment, and problem solving ( Bass &Riggio, 2006) and also they said when the leader used this transformational leadership, the result will greater success. According to (Srithongrung, 2011) transformational leadership will influence long-term behaviour of employees in increase internal motivation in lieu of extrinsic incentives that only motivate when they are awarded which obviously occur infrequently.

Transformational leadership is the restructuring of the system to achieve mission and

vision and their responsibilities refreshed so that the goals could be

reached (Leithwood, 1992). Therefore transformational leadership aims to ensure that the employee identifies themselves with the goals of the organization (Podsakoff, Mckanzie, Moorman and Fetter, 1990). Another characteristic of transformational leadership is that it is effective on the followers. The followers trust the leader and as a result, the followersin this study such as students of a transformational leader show a tendency to do more than what is required of them (Yukl, 1999). According to Burns (1978) transformational leadership is a process in which leaders and their followers bring each other to a higher level of attitude and motivation. For this reason, it is necessary to firstly determine the mission, vision and strategies of the organisation and its responsibilities (Leithwood, Menzies, Jantz and Leithwood, 1996).

Transformational leaders as a transformational intermediary are those who can create and put into practice clear visions for the organisation, strenghthen its followers for higher standards, behave in order to have others’ trust in themselves(Northhouse, 1997). Leadership is not shaped independent of social culture. It has been found through studies that transformational leadership is weaker in eastern cultures (Leong and Fischer, 2010). The relationship between individuals with a traditional culture and transformational leadership is very little (Spreitzer, Perttula and Xin, 2005).

Bennis (1959) found that transformative leadership was a person’s capacity to raise another person’s consciousness, build meanings, and inspire human intent. Burns (1978) declared that transformational leadership was the continuous of self-interest by the leader and the follower to achieve a particular goal or outcome that gives benefit to everybody. So there is several theory that can be used in transformational leadership. Leithwood presents the most fully developed conceptualization of transformational leadership in relation to schools. There are dimensions associated with other conceptualizations of transformational leadership that are either absent (charisma) or are given quite different significance when compared to Leithwood’s model (Leithwood & Jantzi, 2001). He also being designed for schools from his own qualitative and quantitative. Then, Bass (1985) characterized also have built a model relationship into four qualities: idealized influence, inspiration, individual consideration, and intellectual stimulation. These have more recently been referred to as the four I’s (Bass & Avolio, 1993, 1994). Idealized influence means that follower's respect and admiration for the leader. Leaders try to influence the employee. Individualized consideration (IC), the leader cares about the individual followers' concerns and developmental needs. Next, intellectual stimulation (IS), the degree to which the leader provides followers with interesting and challenging tasks and encourages them to solve problems in their own way. Lastly, inspirational motivation (IM) is based on communication of expectations and followers' confidence in the leader's vision and values.

Researchers have been discussed transformational leadership as a contrast to transactional leadership and argued that these styles of leadership are not necessarily mutually exclusive, however, and that the same individual may vary his or her leadership style at different times or in different situations. Previous study prove that transformational leadership have proposed that transformational leadership has a positive influence on employee performance outcomes in contrast to transactional leadership (Nederveen Pieterse et al., 2009, Shin & Zhou, 2003; Zhang et al, 2011). The results of the study of Zhang and Bartol (2003) showed that transformational leadership is positively related with group creativity.