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THE IMPACT OF LEADERSHIP STYLES ON R&D TEAM PERFORMANCE AND THE MEDIATING ROLE OF KNOWLEDGE SHARING

Purpose: This study aims to examine the impact of leadership styles, specifically on transformational leadership and transactional leadership in R&D team performance of researcher in UniversitiTeknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM). Further, this study was to examine the impact of knowledge sharing on R&D team performance as mediating variables. 
Methodology: The survey method was adopted to carry out the research. A structured Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) was used for data collection. R&D team performance was assessed based on measures of performance. Regression and Correlation statistical techniques were used to analyze the data elicited from one hundred seventy two (172) randomly selected respondents. 
Main Findings: It was revealed from the study that while transformational leadership style had a positive impact on R&D team performance; transactional leadership style also had a positive impact on R&D team performance. It was also revealed from the study that knowledge sharing have significant and positive relationship with mediate both transformational leadership and transactional leadership on R&D team performance. 
Implications/Applications: This research shows that R&D teams also can use the full range leadership styles although there are comparisons of uniqueness that exists in the R&D teams with other contexts. This is because leading an R&D team requires the leader to possess certain skills in addition to technical expertise, such as spreading information regarding technical advances, being knowledgeable regarding current professional activities and possessing strategic planning skills in an innovative climate where the team is not permanent or lasts only for a short period of time. This research confirmed that leadership styles led to significant team performance benefits such as an increase achievement of technical objectives, efficiency of resource utilization and other achievements. 
Novelty/Originality: This study has successfully extended the full leadership literature by conceptualizing how the transformational leadership and transactional leadership styles positively impact the R&D team's performance. Hence, the findings in this study may be beneficial and act as a framework or a limitation for other studies.