Leadership, Job satisfaction and Motivation to Lead in an Associative Context: A Cross-Sectional Study

As a form of collective organization of individuals who share common interests and whose actions are usually carried out in solidarity, associations have demonstrated unquestionable relevance in promoting social and economic development, especially at the local level, despite sharing in collaborative networks at the national and international levels. In the current context, non-profit organizations, such as associations and collectives, face growing challenges related to the scarcity of human resources and the internal satisfaction of their members, with a direct impact on the aging of the membership that performs leadership roles. In this context, the issue of generational leadership succession is frequent and an obstacle to the continuity of many associations. As a multifactorial phenomenon, this study aims to analyze the factors that contribute to greater motivation to lead, as well as the relationships between different leadership styles, job satisfaction, and motivation to lead within associations. To this end, a case study was conducted in the association movement of the municipality of Alcanena, Portugal, which is transversal to the association movement in general. This municipality is made up of 63 associations whose cultural themes and interests allow them to generate value-added scenarios not only within the municipality but also within the networks in which the municipality participates at the local, regional, national, and international levels. The organizations studied encompass diverse areas such as culture, sports, recreation, leisure, as well as citizenship and social responsibility. This study combined a qualitative approach, supported by semi-structured interviews, and a quantitative approach, supported by a previously validated questionnaire using the MLQ-5X, MSQ, and MTL scales for each of the dimensions under analysis. A convenience sample of 278 individuals was obtained from 63 associations, and eight semi-structured interviews were conducted. The analysis conducted in this cross-sectional study allowed us to assess the interconnection between leadership styles, motivation to lead, and job satisfaction. It is expected that the results achieved will constitute an important contribution to identifying the characteristics that lead to the recruitment of young leaders, as well as to reinforcing the importance of creating more collaborative and inclusive work environments in an associative context.