Leadership style of Armenian academic libraries

Abstract

The present exploratory study was undertaken to focus on the correlation of leadership styles and library effectiveness. Having summarized the findings of various researches and theories on leadership, particularly Transformational, Transactional and Laissez-faire, this paper aims at making an attempt to study the leadership style of academic libraries by implementing a foreign instrument (Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire) in Armenia, respectively by indicating the most appropriate style by four indicators. Moreover, taking into account the leadership styles proposed by Bass and Avolio, which is Transformational, Transactional and Laissez-faire, to follow library statistical dynamics and the impact on library effectiveness and to examine whether there are any significant changes in the library because of leadership style and what was the outcome of these changes in comparison with other libraries (of the same type). Having analyzed the major findings of this study, it is possible to conclude, that both hypotheses were proved, so far leadership style does matter in the library effectiveness. Finally the findings indicated that the leadership style of directors has different effects on different indicators within the same library. Also the same library indicator changes because of leadership style.