Alteridad : Revista de Educación (Dec 2013)
Impact of leadership styles on the institutional climate of the Unidad María Auxiliadora High School in Riobamba
Abstract
This article describes two variables that are key in any organization: leadership styles and institutional climate. I analyze different key factors that come into play: the influence that institutional climate and leadership has over members in an educational community. For this purpose, I examine various leadership theories by different authors that highlight the warmth and quality perceived by its members, theories that reflect people ́s behavior, manifested in a diversity of styles, which have been selected based on the classification proposed by Bass and Avolio in “Transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire leadership styles” (Estilos de liderazgo transformacionales, transaccionaes y de laissez-faire).The mixed qualitative and quantitative focus with a correlational descriptive reach, shows that leadership styles put into practice in an institution have an impact on its climate, generating a pleasant, motivating, happy, familiar environment with a sense of belonging; or a negative, discouraging, and indifferent one. The more democratic, participatory, and transformational the leadership style is, the warmer, more familiar, and trustworthy the institutional climate becomes.
