Abstract:

Transformational leadership is often lauded as an ideal approach to addressing the demands of the complex global business environment. The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was to understand the nature of employee motivation with regard to leadership styles and the role of transformational leadership in Egyptian business organizations. Seventeen Egyptian professionals were interviewed regarding their experiences with organizational leaders; their perceptions of the ideal organizational leader; their feelings about the tenets of transformational leadership; and how leadership styles influence their job performance, satisfaction, and the achievement of their career-related goals. This study yielded not only information that can make it easier to lead and motivate employees in Egyptian business organizations, but also led to the development of a theory for the ideal leadership style for Egyptian employees.