The Impact of Six Sigma Training on Leadership Effectiveness
Abdelkader Mazouz

Abstract
This study examines the relationship between the subordinates’ perception of the leadership styles and leadership effectiveness of newly trained Six Sigma professionals. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) was given to 150 recipients in aerospace business units at three different sites. It is of special interest to this industry which faces on-going reengineering processes to see the impact of Six Sigma training on the aerospace workers in terms of motivational needs and relationships between perceived leadership style and the self reported leader effectiveness behavior of the employees they supervise. The results showed a positive relationship on the outcome variables. Following Deming’s (1986) suggestion of instituting leadership focus, going beyond a managing-only perspective, into organizational effectiveness and quality improvement, a model (Mazouz, A and Hamamoto, 1999) was developed that integrated business conditions, customer values and transformational vision. This study gives food for thought about the impact and usefulness of transformational and transactional leadership styles and their impact on motivation, extra effort and satisfaction when using Six Sigma methodology in business quality improvement initiatives

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