Leadership and Decision-making Styles: Are They Relevant for Employee Retention?

Abstract

The aim of this study is to relate leadership and decision-making styles with the intention of remaining in the organization. The study was conducted with employees of private companies in southern Brazil. The survey research method was used, with a sample of 324 respondents. Data were submitted to factor analysis, linear regression analysis and mean difference tests. The results indicate that the transformational style together with the strategic and rational decision making had the greatest explanatory power in the intention of the employees to remain in the organization. The study contributes to leadership and decision-making research: (i) by highlighting a predominance of rational decision-making style, despite initiatives to highlight the growing importance of intuition; (ii) by assessing leadership style from the perceptions of the employees, which eliminates possible self-evaluation biases and (iii) by raising new variables to be investigated in order to remain in the job.

Keywords: leadership styles, decision-making, intention to remain in the job, survey, Brazil

DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/10-2-03

Publication date: January 31^st 2020