Transformational Leadership Perspectives on Working in South Asian Organizations

The purpose of this action research is to explore transformational leadership (TL) perspectives from graduate students at a small private Canadian university on their work experience in South-Asian organizations. Responses were collected from participants through a questionnaire focusing on different attributes of TL with reference to the type of leadership style experienced by the participants in their organizations. Content analysis was then used to synthesize the findings showing South-Asian organizations having a higher inclination towards profit generation and goal accomplishment, rather than collaboration to transform both individuals and organizations. Another significant finding was the lack of employee motivation due to leaders not being inspirational and appreciating employees’ work. Along with motivation, South-Asian leaders were found not to be concerned about employee’s well-being and practiced unfair treatment. The recommendation based on the data produced from the questionnaire suggest organizations should have open communication and feedback by encouraging employees to voice their concerns with regards to the management, leadership style or any other factor. For future research, a quantitative study could be used to generate statistical data to further elaborate on the percentage of dissatisfied employees working in SouthAsian organizations.