Se ha corroborado que el liderazgo transformacional (LT) es un fenómeno especialmente beneficioso para el éxito de las organizaciones y la salud de los trabajadores. Sin embargo, aún es incipiente el conocimiento sobre las variables específicas que lo favorecen, entre ellas las habilidades sociales (HHSS), por lo que el estudio se propuso identificar aquellos componentes conductuales de las HHSS implicados en cada dimensión del LT. Se realizó un estudio cuantitativo no experimental de corte transversal. Se utilizaron instrumentos de hetero-reporte para evaluar las variables en una muestra no probabilística de 326 trabajadores argentinos. Los resultados indicaron asociaciones significativas y positivas entre los componentes de HHSS y las dimensiones del LT (r = .450 - .760, p < .01). Mediante análisis de regresión lineal escalonada, se identificaron cuáles de los indicadores comportamentales de HHSS se encuentran implicados en la varianza de cada dimensión de LT. Entre estos se destacan los componentes comportamentales de HHSS contenido, oportunidad de reforzamiento y atención personal, por sobre el resto. Se discuten los resultados y sus implicancias, tanto teóricas como prácticas.
Habilidades sociales y liderazgo transformacional Abstract It has been confirmed that Transformational Leadership (TL) is a phenomenon especially beneficial for the success of organizations and the health of workers. This type of leadership is characterized by promoting the intrinsic motivation of the followers as well as their development and self-improvement, also to develop their leadership capacity. However, knowledge about the specific variables that favor it is still incipient, including Social Skills (SS). Although there are still not enough studies on it, the implication of social skills in the LT is unavoidable. Because the SS constitute the means by which the processes inherent to LT are put into practice such as communication, convincing others, motivating and instilling values in others by leaders. The available data has two main limitations. On the one hand, the previous studies reviewed addressed the relationship between SPH and LT globally, ignoring the specificity of the dimensions and components of one or both constructs. On the other hand, these studies have used self-report instruments, which imply a greater social desire bias. That is why this study is aim to identify those behavioral components of the SS involved in each dimension of TL. The study design was quantitative non-experimental cross-sectional.
Heteroreporting instruments were used to evaluate the variables (Transformational Leadership Scale of Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire and Social Ability Behavioral Assessment System) in a non-probabilistic sample of N = 326 Argentine workers from Cordoba city, of both sex (78.2 % male, 21.5 % female, 0.3 % without answer), aged between 25 and 76 years old (M = 45.41; SD = 9.73). The initial exploration of data was carried out considering measures of central tendency, dispersion, missing data, outliers, and assumption of normality. Subsequently, parametric correlation tests and stepped linear regression were performed. The data presented a normal distribution in all the items taking into account the results of asymmetry and kurtosis, data lost less than 5 %. The results indicated significant and positive associations between the SS components and the LT dimensions (r = .450 - .760, p < .01). Through stepwise linear regression analysis, it was identified which of the behavioral indicators of SS are involved in the variance of each dimension of LT. The results obtained in the present study corroborate the relationship between the specific behaviors of the SS and the different dimensions of the TL. In regard of Charisma, its variability presented significant associations with the components of content, opportunity for reinforcement, orientation, personal attention, intonation and fluency.
The variation of the Intellectual Stimulation component was explained in this study by the HHSS related to content, opportunity for reinforcement, answers to questions and intonation.
The components that had a significant impact on Inspiration are content, personal attention, facial expression, opportunity for reinforcement, answers to questions, speed and intonation.
Lastly, the variability of Individualized Consideration was explained in this study by personal attention skills, content, opportunity for reinforcement, facial expression and answers to questions. In general, it is observed that some variables have a crucial relevance in the variance of the LT. Based on these results, it is necessary to consider the relevance of the verbal and reinforcement components over other components. Although the results of this study require further research for its generalization, the theoretical and practical implications are remarkable.
In relation to the theoretical contributions, the reported results support the relationship between the SS and the LT, taking a further step towards the development of a discrete SS model based on the LT. This study has its practical implications since it facilitates the design of interventions and training programs in SS to promote TL, increasing effectiveness and efficiency.