Transformational leadership as driver of sustainability: An employee perspective

Abstract

Leadership and sustainability are two related concepts that have gained a lot of interest in recent years among businesses in tough economic conditions. In the dynamic business market, the impact transformational leadership has on the sustainability of a business has become a popular topic of discussion. Research on the influence transformational leaders have on the employees of the business when aiming to achieve sustainability is important for the development of a dynamic workforce and is useful to leadership teams across the business market. Thus, the research identifies the influence of a transformational leader’s actions has in achieving organisational sustainability. Previous literature identifies the importance of transformational leadership and a business culture that focuses on employee development when aiming to achieve business sustainability. This qualitative research highlights the relationship between transformational leadership and organisational sustainability during tough periods in a business. A total of 5 participants’ data was collected from an employee group of top-level management in the transportation and supply chain management market from Unilogic Supply Chain and Logistics (USCL). The research made use of thematic coding to analyse the data gained from the in-depth interviews of the participants. The findings of the research indicated that transformational leadership had a positive influence on the sustainability of a business. Further, it was evident that a transformational leadership style assists in managing change within an environment, increasing the level of sustainability for the business.