Transformational leaders: bridging the gap between goal ambiguity and public value involvement

Conventional wisdom suggests that ambiguous goals result in undesirable consequences for organizations. However, little research examines the connections between ambiguity, public values, and organizational decisions. We explore the connections between goal ambiguity and the application of public values when making organizational decisions by accounting for transformational leadership. We evaluate the mechanisms through which transformational leaders connect goal clarity and public values. Findings suggest individuals who view leaders as highly transformative view clear goals as promoting public values. Alternatively, individuals who view leaders as lacking transformative traits view clear goals as hampering the application of public values to organizational decisions.