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Transformational Leadership, Achievement Motivation, and Perceived Stress in Basic Military Training: A Longitudinal Study of Swiss Armed Forces Publisher



Sefidan S1, 2 ; Pramstaller M1, 2, 3 ; La Marca R1, 4 ; Wyss T5 ; Roos L5 ; Sadeghibahmani D6, 7, 8 ; Annen H2 ; Brand S7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Authors
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Authors Affiliations
  1. 1. Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Zurich, 8050, Switzerland
  2. 2. Military Academy, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich, Birmensdorf, 8903, Switzerland
  3. 3. Praxis Pramstaller, Seestrasse 107, Uetikon am See, 8707, Switzerland
  4. 4. Clinica Holistica Engiadina, Centre for Stress-Related Disorders, Susch, 7542, Switzerland
  5. 5. Swiss Federal Institute of Sport Magglingen SFISM, Magglingen, 2532, Switzerland
  6. 6. Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, 94305, CA, United States
  7. 7. Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders (ZASS), Psychiatric University Hospital Basel, Basel, 4002, Switzerland
  8. 8. Sleep Disorders Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, 67146, Iran
  9. 9. Substance Abuse Prevention Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, 67146, Iran
  10. 10. School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 25529, Iran
  11. 11. Division of Sport Science and Psychosocial Health, Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Basel, 4052, Switzerland

Source: Sustainability (Switzerland) Published:2021


Abstract

In Switzerland, military service is a civic obligation for all adult male citizens, and thus, leadership style can be particularly challenging. The present study investigated the impact of superiors’ leadership styles on recruits’ achievement motivation, organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), and perceived stress during their Basic Military Training (BMT). To this end, a total of 525 male recruits (mean age: 20.3 years) recruits were assessed both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. At the start of BMT (baseline), at week 7, and at week 11, participants completed a series of selfrating questionnaires covering demographic information, achievement motivation, organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), perceived stress, and their superiors’ leadership styles (transformational, transactional und laissez-faire). Longitudinally, scores for achievement motivation and OCB showed no significant difference between baseline and the 11th week. In a group comparison, the group experiencing higher transformational leadership (from week 7 to week 11) had the highest scores for achievement motivation and OCB, and the lowest scores for perceived stress, all at week 11. Exploratively, achievement motivation and OCB at baseline were associated with transformational leadership and transactional leadership at week 7 and week 11. Perceived stress at baseline correlated only with transformational leadership but not with transactional leadership, both at week 7 and week 11. Transformational leadership style fostered achievement motivation and OCB in Swiss military recruits and protected them from stress, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
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