Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine the difference between CEO leadership styles, as determined by Avolio and Bass's (1985) Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) of CEOs in service organizations of Orange County, California, and employees' ranking of Maister's (2001) nine organizational characteristics. Methodology. The methodologies used in this case study were descriptive, specifically causal-comparative, or ex post facto, used together with qualitative case elements, making it a mixed-methods study. Findings. Based on the perceptions of the CEOs and employees, the most important finding is that a significant difference existed between leadership styles and the nine organizational characteristics, suggesting that leadership style is not a predictor of how the organization performs at each organizational characteristic, and therefore not a predictor of financial success. Conclusions. Organizational success cannot be determined by leadership style alone. Though in most cases perceptions of leadership style were consistent with each group, there were gaps in the scoring that may explain leadership effectiveness. Recommendations. Further research should include expanding the geographical area to include different industries, an examination of the relationship between business cycles and questionnaire outcomes, a level of leadership awareness and understanding, and finally, a consideration of the personal employee attributes/lifestyles that may influence outcomes.