THE RELATIONSHIP OF LEADERSHIP STYLE TO EDUCATION ATTAINMENT AND LEADERSHIP TRAINING OF RETAIL MANAGERS IN SOUTHWEST OHIO by David Jackson Copyright 2020 A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Business Administration Franklin University ABSTRACT This study employed a quantitative research design utilizing a survey instrument to gather data related to the leadership style of leaders in the retail industry. The research evaluated the general concepts of the transformational leadership style, which includes personality and motivational concepts (Williams, Raffo, & Clark, 2018). This study utilized the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (Form 5X), or the MLQ 5X, developed and validated by Bruce Avolio and Bernard Bass and widely accepted as the standard instrument to measure the level of transformational leadership style applied (Northouse, 2019). From the questionnaire, the study evaluated the relationship between the education level and the level of transformational leadership style implemented. The study also evaluated the relationship between organizational provided leadership training and the use of these leadership styles as well as a combination of the two variables. The survey was accessible online and provided anonymity to the participants. The population and sampling were from US-based retail store managers from the malls in the Southwestern Ohio area. This sample was random and based on the proximity to the primary location of the researcher. The data was statistically analyzed using regression analysis and multivariate regression analysis to determine the probability (p-value) compared to an alpha of 0.05. The coefficient of determination (r2) was used to determine the effect the independent variables (IV) have on the dependent variable (DV). An evaluation of the relationship when the variables are combined will look at the p- value of the F statistic to determine if the relationship is significant. The results indicated that each IV, as well as the combination of both IVs, had a statistically significant relationship to the DV. iii DEDICATION I would like to dedicate this dissertation to my loving wife, Jodi Jackson, whose patience, support, encouragement, and love allowed me the time and resources to take this doctoral journey. I am blessed to have such a devoted spouse that worked with me to ensure we were both able to maintain our personal, professional, and academic priorities. I hope to provide her with the same support as she continues her academic journey; we truly have a great partnership. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express my extreme gratitude to my doctoral committee for all of the support, input, and feedback they provided as I worked through this doctoral journey. I am incredibly appreciative for all of the support provided by Dr. Ken Knox, my chair, and mentor. His encouragement, guidance, patience, and support kept me going when I was not sure I would continue. He was a strong presence for me and 'talked me off the ledge' on more than one occasion. To Dr. Charles Fenner, my committee member and driving force for this study, thank you for helping to refine this study and how it was presented in this dissertation. Your feedback, suggestions, and recommendations were critical for this study's success, and I learned more about my topic and the dissertation process through my interaction with you. I would also like to thank Dr. Beverly Smith, my final committee member, for being supportive and insightful throughout this process to help create a better flow of information. I would also like to thank Dr. Jennifer Harris for his selfless support and assistance with the various statistical applications required to complete this study's analysis and hypotheses testing. Dr. Harris helped to research and resolve issues and was available to me as an invaluable resource for this study even though she was not an official member of my committee. I would also like to thank the other Franklin students that stayed in contact with me through this process. Finally, I would like to thank my mother and apologize that I was not as focused when I began college after high school. It took a while, and I thank you for being there for me as much as you could. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Contents ................................................................................................................................. Page Abstract .................................................................................................................................. …iii Dedication.............................................................................................................................. …iv Acknowledgment .................................................................................................................. …v List of Appendices ............................................................................................................ x List of Tables .................................................................................................................. xi Chapter 1: Introduction ..................................................................................................... 1 Background of the Problem .................................................................................. 2 Problem Statement ....................................................................................................... 4 Purpose of the Study .................................................................................................... 5 Population and Sample ................................................................................................ 7 Significance of the Study ............................................................................................. 7 Nature of the Study ...................................................................................................... 8 Research Questions/Hypotheses ............................................................................... 10 Questions ......................................................................................................... 10 Hypotheses ...................................................................................................... 11 Theoretical Framework .............................................................................................. 12 Definition of Terms .................................................................................................... 16 Assumptions, Limitations, and Delimitations .......................................................... 17 Assumptions .................................................................................................... 17 Limitations ....................................................................................................... 18 Delimitations ................................................................................................... 19 vi Chapter Summary ....................................................................................................... 19 Chapter 2 Literature Review ....….…………………………………….…………….…21 Title Searches and Documentation .................................................................. ……21 Leadership Research and Articles ............................................................................. 22 Early Theories ................................................................................................. 22 Transformational Leadership ......................................................................... 27 Transactional Leadership................................................................................ 31 Laissez-Faire Leadership ................................................................................ 33 Theoretical Framework................................................................................... 36 Germinal Literature Studies ........................................................................... 37 Literature Gap ............................................................................................................. 42 Retail Leadership Studies .............................................................................. 42 Leadership Style and Education.................................................................... 47 Conclusions ................................................................................................................. 52 Chapter Summary………………………………………………………………53 Chapter 3 Research and Methodology………………………………….………….…...55 Research Method and Design Appropriateness ....................................................... 56 Research Design Literature........................................................................................ 59 Research Questions/Hypotheses ............................................................................... 64 Question ......................................................................................................... 64 Hypotheses ................................................................................................... 65 Population and Sample .............................................................................................. 66 Population ..................................................................................................... 66 vii Sample Size .................................................................................................. 67 Sample Type