Findings

A text query was run on the obtained questionnaire responses to start the replies analysis.

It searched instances of preset terms connected to the noted topics. In order to guarantee precise

word identification and counting, each response was carefully reviewed. Through this detailed

evaluation process, it was possible to pinpoint themes that were more strongly felt by the

participants, providing insightful information about the key ideas emphasized in their responses.

I identified the following eight themes from the answers and discussions of the

participants, P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6, P7, P8, P9, P10: (a) what is participating employees'

perception of the sense of commitment developed by their managers, (b) what is participating

employees' perception about their managers playing a role model to them, (c) what is

participating employees' perception about their managers having the vision, (d) what is

participating employees' perception about their managers taking risks, (e) what is participating

employees' perception about their abilities and skills developed by their managers, (f) what is

participating employees' perception about the creativity developed by their managers, (g) what is

participating employees' perception about their managers being supportive, and (h) what is

participating employees' perception of the adaptability of their managers?

Figure 2 shows the frequency of each term connected to the topic in the participants' (P1,

P2, P3, P4, P5, P6, P7, P8, P9, P10) replies. The popularity of each theme among the participants

was then quickly and thoroughly understood by interpreting the word frequency data into a

visual representation using bar graphs.

Fig 2.

Word Frequency Distribution

 40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
en el ry g s
vit
y ve at
e
od na kin tie rti
itm si o ta ili ti o -d
m - Ab ea pp t- o
m le Vi isk Cr Su
Co
m Ro R Up

Managers Developed Commitment

As the first question, I asked the participants to consider their work experience in Iran

and express their perception of their managers at their workplace developed the employees’

commitments. I also asked them to explain their answers briefly and, by presenting an example,

explain why they felt so. I received four negative answers from p1, p2, p3, p4, and five positive

answers from p5, p6, p7, p8, p9, p10. Moreover, P10 had both positive and negative experiences

as he worked at two different workplaces. He explained his answer as follows:

I had a manager who was passionate about our shared goals and motivated us by setting

clear expectations and recognizing our achievements. This created a positive work

environment where everyone felt valued and inspired to contribute to the team's success.

On the other hand, I have also worked under managers who were more focused on their

personal gain and did not prioritize the well-being and development of their employees.

This led to a lack of motivation and commitment among the team, ultimately hindering

our ability to achieve our goals. Overall, I believe transformational leadership can have a

significant impact on the success of an organization.

It aligns with Northouse's (2019) claim leaders need to value and respect every individual to

create a sense of commitment among employees. Furthermore, the survey shows almost half of

the managers in Iran need to implement this trait to prevent bad feelings in employees and,

consequently, less efficiency in the organizations.

Managers Played Role Model

Regarding the second question, participants P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6, P7, P8, P9, and P10

were asked to reflect on their opinions about the characteristics of their managers in Iran if they

acted in ways employees would follow as role models, or if there were flaws and misbehavior in

them. P1, P2, P5, P6, P7, P8, and P9 believed their managers had an inspiring feature in

embracing changes, so they followed their managers to improve their professional manners to

high ethical behavior (Northouse, 2019). Three participants, P3, P4, and P10, observed several

defects in their managers' leadership and personal character. P3 expressed her perception as:

Managers' actions and demeanors can influence their subordinates' attitudes and behavior,

affecting their overall success. Unfortunately, not my managers did not have the abilities

or character traits required to lead well. They could not cultivate or model positive

characteristics and harmed their staff. It may show itself in several ways, such as poor

communication, a lack of encouragement or direction, or a failure to offer opportunities

for improvement.

Thus, while the role model trait is more effectively applied in Iran than commitment, gaps such

as effective communication and increased incentives still need to be addressed (Rowe &

Guerrero, 2019).

Managers Being Visionary

 Describing a visionary as an ability for leaders to have a realistic, achievable, and

measurable vision for the team, I asked participants to give feedback on their Iranian managers'

plans for the organization's future. Surprisingly, P1, P3, P4, P5, P8, P10 mentioned no plans to

expand the company or compete in the market. They also added it originated from Iran's bans

and critical economic situations, resulting in restriction of Iran's market, no possibility for

International transactions, and development of their market. However, P2, P6, P7, P9 were

satisfied with their managers' actions based on their status quo. P2 replied as follows:

I can't label Iranian managers as highly forward-thinking due to Iran's unpredictable

economic and work conditions. Planning is challenging due to frequent changes. Despite

this, efforts like anticipating training needs and updating IT systems show adaptation

attempts. Yet, the absence of an effective promotion system based on performance

indicates predictive weaknesses, causing job dissatisfaction in Iran's organizations.

I concluded exemplary leadership is essential for building a solid foundation. However, more

than simply having leadership traits and skills is required to implement successful leadership

traits. As a result, while some Iranian managers aim for TL, outside elements are equally

essential for success (Sonmez Cakir & Adiguzel, 2020).

Managers' Ability to Take Risk

The talent of leaders to take measured risks in well-informed judgments. It entails

weighing prospective advantages against potential drawbacks and being open to exploring new

areas or avenues for the company's and its personnel's sake. Inspiring innovation, accepting

change, and promoting a culture of development and adaptation all depend on this capacity

(Northouse, 2019). When I asked participants to evaluate their managers’ ability in this case,

seven of them, P2, P5, P6, P7, P8, P9, P10, indicated the positive performance of their managers.
However, still P1, P3, P4 shared they did not observe any critical decisions made by their

managers or severe actions. In other words, this feature, compared to the previous traits, is

notably applied in most Iranian organizations.

Managerial Influence on Exceeding Abilities

TL implemented procedures to foster development, enhance welfare, and boost team

spirit (Northouse, 2019). They influence subordinates by inspiring and encouraging them to meet

corporate objectives (Bass & Avolio, 1995). As a result of improvement, employees feel better

since they learn new skills, increasing job satisfaction. In this regard, P1, P2, P3, and P4

explained their employers had not given them opportunities for advancement or self-

improvement. Given their years of experience, although gradually becoming adept at their jobs

and remaining up-to-date, their efforts felt insufficient. Managers did not actively promote such

possibilities unless compelled by governmental regulations. Meanwhile, six participants, P5, P6,

P7, P8, P9, P10, expressed satisfaction with their knowledge and skills being improved by

Iranian managers and how they felt more confident a year after working there.

Managers Boost Creativity

Creative leaders are able to apply an original approach to addressing problems and use

fresh concepts developed alone and jointly with others to motivate followers to change and take

action, coming up with new ideas and solutions to the problems (Rowe & Guerrero, 2019). I

received seven positive replies from P1, P4, P5, P6, P7, P9, P10, and three negative answers

from P2, P3, P8 for this question. P1, P5, P6, P7, P8, and P9 believed their leaders inspired them

by finding solutions to the issues. However, amongst positive answers, P4 and P10 believed their

leaders did not inspire them in a specific way; however, they had permission to act freely and

differently from the defined approaches as long as they met the requirements and reached the
goal. In other words, P4 and P10 used innovative and different approaches to do the tasks on

their own and felt freedom, resulting in creativity and boosting new ideas. The explanations from

different participants highlighted how creative leaders had the capacity to enthuse and motivate

their subordinates through original problem-solving, fostering new ideas, and allowing

innovative approaches, ultimately leading to the generation of new concepts and solutions (Rowe

& Guerrero, 2019).

Managers Showing Sympathy

Empathy is necessary for transformational leaders to convey to their followers they care

about their needs and accomplishments (Bass, 1985). It also allows leaders to connect with their

team members on a deeper level than is often possible, resulting in effective leadership. Empathy

enables leaders to read and understand people's emotions, enabling them to carry out crucial

leadership tasks (Mooradian et al., 2011). The participants had different experiences regarding

sympathy. P2, P5, P6, P7, P8, P9, P10 replied their manager was understanding, and they felt

connected. However, P1, P3, P4, criticized their managers' behaviors and believed they did not

show any support and sympathy, even posing another barrier for them when they faced

difficulties. Meanwhile, P8, mentioned his opinion as follows:

Managers can provide a safe space for employees to voice their concerns, offer

suggestions, and provide feedback. Although this behavior is complicated in the

governmental company where I worked, people always respect trustworthiness and

reliability among their coworkers and try to be good listeners to other employees'

difficulties.

Considering three negative experiences and receiving 30% negative feedback, empathy needs to

be promoted.
Adaptability of Managers

To successfully navigate the intricacies of a constantly changing society, transformational

leaders must possess the adaptability attribute (Bass & Riggio, 2006). This characteristic relates

to a leader's ability to adapt and flourish in changing market trends, emerging technology, and

dynamic surroundings. Strong adaptation abilities allow leaders to quickly review tactics in the

face of uncertainty, pivot when required and successfully guide their people through changes

(Avolio et al., 2009). As expected, examining the answers revealed being up-to-date was the

weakest characteristic of Iranian managers. Four participants, P1, P6, P7, P10, noted their

manager was willing to embrace the latest methods of the world, while P2, P3, P4, P5, P8, P9,

stated their workplace facilities were old and did not adapt to modern practices. These

viewpoints were rooted in the belief the sanctions, and the country's current situation did not

allow managers to keep up with the latest technologies and apply them. Moreover, some

indicated their managers could not adapt tasks during the COVID-19 pandemic and provide a

situation for employees to work remotely. P5 explained:

Iran sanctions created obstacles to international market competition. Some sectors didn't

substantially rely on cutting-edge technology, like the food industry, acquired a

competitive advantage. Despite the obstacles, local businesses in these industries were

able to satisfy local demand and keep up their competitiveness, demonstrating

perseverance in their own markets.

In the end, a leader must handle unavoidable problems by skillfully utilizing available resources.

It becomes clear developing flexibility and imaginative thinking is a crucial quality has to be

emphasized (Brown, 2018).