The aim of this study was to determine the direction of associations
between perceived leadership styles of an immediate leader and
state anxiety among subordinates using time-lagged data from a
large and heterogeneous probability sample of Norwegian
employees. It was hypothesised that high levels of
transformational leadership would be associated with a decrease,
whereas high levels of laissez-faire leadership would be associated
with an increase, in subsequent levels of anxiety. Reciprocal
associations were also expected in that higher levels of anxiety
were hypothesised to be related to subsequent increase in reports
of laissez-faire, and decrease in reported exposure to
transformational leadership. The sample comprised 1149
Norwegian employees. The design was a two-wave full panel
study with a six-month time interval between the baseline and
follow-up assessments. Contrary to hypotheses, neither
transformational nor laissez-faire leadership were significantly
related to subsequent levels of state anxiety. In support of
hypotheses, baseline low levels of state anxiety were associated
with reporting the immediate leader as less transformational and
more laissez-faire six months later. In conclusion, the findings
challenge theoretical models that explain leadership as a one-way
superior–subordinate influence process.
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