{"id":{"repo_id":"reykjavik","oai_identifier":"oai:skemman.is:1946/53466"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/reykjavik/oai:skemman.is:1946/53466","repository":{"repo_id":"reykjavik","name":"Reykjavík University","base_url":"https://skemman.is/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Employees’ Expectations of Leadership Style and Job Satisfaction : Generational Differences in the Icelandic Labor Market","abstract":"Leadership behavior has been identified as a key factor influencing employees’ job satisfaction and well-being. Previous research has primarily focused on employees’ perceptions of their current leaders rather than their expectations of leadership, that is, expectations regarding leader behavior. The present study examined employees’ leadership expectations, conceptualized through transformational and transactional leadership, and their associations with job satisfaction, as well as whether these associations differed across generational groups in the Icelandic labor market. Data were collected using an online self-report questionnaire from 132 participants with work experience in Iceland. The measures included job satisfaction and scales assessing expectations and perceptions of leadership, based on the Full Range Leadership Model, which includes both transformational and transactional leadership. The results indicated that both transformational and transactional leadership expectations were positively associated with job satisfaction. When examined simultaneously, only expectations of transactional leadership significantly predicted job satisfaction. When perceptions of current leadership were included, perceived transformational leadership was associated with higher job satisfaction, whereas perceived transactional leadership was not. Significant differences was not found across generational groups. These findings suggest that employees’ perceptions of their current leader may play a more central role in shaping job satisfaction than expectations alone, highlighting the importance of aligning leadership practices with employees’ expectations. Keywords: leadership expectations, perceived leadership, transformational leadership, transactional leadership, job satisfaction, generational differences","abstract_html":"Leadership behavior has been identified as a key factor influencing employees’ job satisfaction and well-being. Previous research has primarily focused on employees’ perceptions of their current leaders rather than their expectations of leadership, that is, expectations regarding leader behavior. The present study examined employees’ leadership expectations, conceptualized through transformational and transactional leadership, and their associations with job satisfaction, as well as whether these associations differed across generational groups in the Icelandic labor market. Data were collected using an online self-report questionnaire from 132 participants with work experience in Iceland. The measures included job satisfaction and scales assessing expectations and perceptions of leadership, based on the Full Range Leadership Model, which includes both transformational and transactional leadership. The results indicated that both transformational and transactional leadership expectations were positively associated with job satisfaction. When examined simultaneously, only expectations of transactional leadership significantly predicted job satisfaction. When perceptions of current leadership were included, perceived transformational leadership was associated with higher job satisfaction, whereas perceived transactional leadership was not. Significant differences was not found across generational groups. These findings suggest that employees’ perceptions of their current leader may play a more central role in shaping job satisfaction than expectations alone, highlighting the importance of aligning leadership practices with employees’ expectations. Keywords: leadership expectations, perceived leadership, transformational leadership, transactional leadership, job satisfaction, generational differences","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Marta Bríet Aðalsteinsdóttir 2002-"],"institution":null,"degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Háskólinn í Reykjavík"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2026,"date_issued":"2026-06-02T14:47:41Z","date_published":"2026-06-02T14:47:41Z","updated_at":"2026-07-27T20:39:26Z","subjects":["Sálfræði","Leiðtogar","Starfsánægja","Psychology","Leadership","Job satisfaction"],"languages":["en"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/1946/53466","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Háskólinn í Reykjavík"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Marta Bríet Aðalsteinsdóttir 2002-"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2026-06-02T14:47:37Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2026-06-02T14:47:37Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2026-06-02T14:47:41Z"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Sálfræði","Leiðtogar","Starfsánægja","Psychology","Leadership","Job satisfaction"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/1946/53466"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Leadership behavior has been identified as a key factor influencing employees’ job satisfaction and well-being. Previous research has primarily focused on employees’ perceptions of their current leaders rather than their expectations of leadership, that is, expectations regarding leader behavior. The present study examined employees’ leadership expectations, conceptualized through transformational and transactional leadership, and their associations with job satisfaction, as well as whether these associations differed across generational groups in the Icelandic labor market. Data were collected using an online self-report questionnaire from 132 participants with work experience in Iceland. The measures included job satisfaction and scales assessing expectations and perceptions of leadership, based on the Full Range Leadership Model, which includes both transformational and transactional leadership. The results indicated that both transformational and transactional leadership expectations were positively associated with job satisfaction. When examined simultaneously, only expectations of transactional leadership significantly predicted job satisfaction. When perceptions of current leadership were included, perceived transformational leadership was associated with higher job satisfaction, whereas perceived transactional leadership was not. Significant differences was not found across generational groups. These findings suggest that employees’ perceptions of their current leader may play a more central role in shaping job satisfaction than expectations alone, highlighting the importance of aligning leadership practices with employees’ expectations. Keywords: leadership expectations, perceived leadership, transformational leadership, transactional leadership, job satisfaction, generational differences","Leiðtogahegðun hefur verið talin mikilvægur þáttur í mótun starfsánægju og vellíðanar starfsmanna. Fyrri rannsóknir hafa þó að mestu leyti beinst að skynjun starfsmanna á yfirmönnum sínum fremur en væntingum þeirra til forystu, það er væntingum um hegðun stjórnenda. Markmið þessarar rannsóknar var að kanna væntingar starfsmanna til leiðtogunar, skilgreindar út frá umbreytingaforystu og framkvæmdaforystu og tengsl þeirra við starfsánægju, auk þess að skoða hvort þessi tengsl væru mismunandi milli kynslóða á íslenskum vinnumarkaði. Gögnum var safnað með rafrænni sjálfsmatskönnun frá 132 þátttakendum með starfsreynslu á Íslandi. Mælingar náðu til starfsánægju og kvarða sem meta væntingar og skynjun á forystu, byggða á Full Range Leadership líkaninu sem nær bæði til umbreytingaforystu og framkvæmdaforystu. Niðurstöðurnar sýndu að bæði væntingar til umbreytingaforystu og framkvæmdaforystu tengdust jákvætt starfsánægju. Þegar báðar tegundir væntinga voru skoðaðar samtímis reyndust einungis væntingar til framkvæmdaforystu spá marktækt fyrir um starfsánægju. Þegar skynjun á núverandi leiðtoga var tekin með í greiningu tengdist umbreytingaforysta aukinni starfsánægju, en framkvæmdaforysta ekki. Enginn marktækur munur fannst á milli kynslóða. Niðurstöðurnar benda til þess að skynjun starfsmanna á núverandi leiðtoga gegni mikilvægara hlutverki í mótun starfsánægju en væntingar einar og sér og undirstrika mikilvægi þess að samræma leiðtogahætti væntingum starfsmanna. Lykilorð: væntingar til leiðtoga, skynjaður leiðtogi, umbreytingaforysta, framkvæmdaforysta, starfsánægja, kynslóðamunur"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Employees’ Expectations of Leadership Style and Job Satisfaction : Generational Differences in the Icelandic Labor Market"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Háskólinn í Reykjavík"],"dc:creator":["Marta Bríet Aðalsteinsdóttir 2002-"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2026-06-02T14:47:37Z"],"dc:date.available":["2026-06-02T14:47:37Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2026-06-02T14:47:41Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Leadership behavior has been identified as a key factor influencing employees’ job satisfaction and well-being. Previous research has primarily focused on employees’ perceptions of their current leaders rather than their expectations of leadership, that is, expectations regarding leader behavior. The present study examined employees’ leadership expectations, conceptualized through transformational and transactional leadership, and their associations with job satisfaction, as well as whether these associations differed across generational groups in the Icelandic labor market. Data were collected using an online self-report questionnaire from 132 participants with work experience in Iceland. The measures included job satisfaction and scales assessing expectations and perceptions of leadership, based on the Full Range Leadership Model, which includes both transformational and transactional leadership. The results indicated that both transformational and transactional leadership expectations were positively associated with job satisfaction. When examined simultaneously, only expectations of transactional leadership significantly predicted job satisfaction. When perceptions of current leadership were included, perceived transformational leadership was associated with higher job satisfaction, whereas perceived transactional leadership was not. Significant differences was not found across generational groups. These findings suggest that employees’ perceptions of their current leader may play a more central role in shaping job satisfaction than expectations alone, highlighting the importance of aligning leadership practices with employees’ expectations. Keywords: leadership expectations, perceived leadership, transformational leadership, transactional leadership, job satisfaction, generational differences","Leiðtogahegðun hefur verið talin mikilvægur þáttur í mótun starfsánægju og vellíðanar starfsmanna. Fyrri rannsóknir hafa þó að mestu leyti beinst að skynjun starfsmanna á yfirmönnum sínum fremur en væntingum þeirra til forystu, það er væntingum um hegðun stjórnenda. Markmið þessarar rannsóknar var að kanna væntingar starfsmanna til leiðtogunar, skilgreindar út frá umbreytingaforystu og framkvæmdaforystu og tengsl þeirra við starfsánægju, auk þess að skoða hvort þessi tengsl væru mismunandi milli kynslóða á íslenskum vinnumarkaði. Gögnum var safnað með rafrænni sjálfsmatskönnun frá 132 þátttakendum með starfsreynslu á Íslandi. Mælingar náðu til starfsánægju og kvarða sem meta væntingar og skynjun á forystu, byggða á Full Range Leadership líkaninu sem nær bæði til umbreytingaforystu og framkvæmdaforystu. Niðurstöðurnar sýndu að bæði væntingar til umbreytingaforystu og framkvæmdaforystu tengdust jákvætt starfsánægju. Þegar báðar tegundir væntinga voru skoðaðar samtímis reyndust einungis væntingar til framkvæmdaforystu spá marktækt fyrir um starfsánægju. Þegar skynjun á núverandi leiðtoga var tekin með í greiningu tengdist umbreytingaforysta aukinni starfsánægju, en framkvæmdaforysta ekki. Enginn marktækur munur fannst á milli kynslóða. Niðurstöðurnar benda til þess að skynjun starfsmanna á núverandi leiðtoga gegni mikilvægara hlutverki í mótun starfsánægju en væntingar einar og sér og undirstrika mikilvægi þess að samræma leiðtogahætti væntingum starfsmanna. Lykilorð: væntingar til leiðtoga, skynjaður leiðtogi, umbreytingaforysta, framkvæmdaforysta, starfsánægja, kynslóðamunur"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/1946/53466"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:subject":["Sálfræði","Leiðtogar","Starfsánægja","Psychology","Leadership","Job satisfaction"],"dc:title":["Employees’ Expectations of Leadership Style and Job Satisfaction : Generational Differences in the Icelandic Labor Market"],"dc:type":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T20:39:26Z"}