Relationship between Transformational and Transactional leadership styles with performance metrics: A study of medical representatives in select pharmaceutical companies in India

Biswas, Debjyoti and Chaudhuri, Manodip Ray (2025) Relationship between Transformational and Transactional leadership styles with performance metrics: A study of medical representatives in select pharmaceutical companies in India. International Journal of Science and Research Archive, 14 (3). pp. 755-765. ISSN 2582-8185

In today's competitive business environment, the function of leadership has changed significantly because it is now the leader's unique responsibility to encourage people to gain an impetus for development to harness synergies, and to increase operational efficiency, thereby directing them to make the best use of resources. This study aims to assess the relationship between transformational and transactional leadership styles and the performance metrics of medical representatives in select pharmaceutical companies in India. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research collects quantitative data through structured surveys and qualitative insights from in-depth interviews with medical representatives and their managers. Performance metrics such as sales targets, incentive earnings, bagging rewards, and taking regular initiatives are analyzed to evaluate the impact of different leadership styles. The study hypothesizes that transformational leadership is characterized by valuing all ideas and skills of team members, inspiring superior performance and motivation & trust, while transactional leadership focuses on structured task achievement and rewards and quick decision-making abilities. Statistical analysis of the Spearman correlation matrix has been used, and the findings are that there exists a relationship between the Transformational and Transactional leadership styles and Performance metrics of Medical Representatives in select pharmaceutical companies in India.