How Followers and Leaders can Make a Difference: Evidence from U.S. Federal Agencies

Recent leadership studies point to the importance of taking followership into account when assessing leadership effectiveness. Accordingly, we develop and test a theoretical framework in which to examine the moderating role of participative versus directive leadership in the relationship between followership behaviors and job satisfaction. Focusing on data drawn from the 2012 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS), the study finds strong evidence that the effects of followership behaviors on job satisfaction were contingent on leadership styles. More importantly, the results showed that followers who actively engage in their work and demonstrate a high level of independent critical thinking derived greater job satisfaction where participative leadership was higher. By contrast, the role of participative leadership may be perceived as less effective when knowledge sharing and cooperation among employees already exists. This study offers insights into how leaders should interact with followers, and identifies the situations in which a particular leadership style can have positive consequences for employee job satisfaction.