IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/sagope/v10y2020i1p2158244019899085.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Transformational Leadership and Job Performance: The Mediating Role of Work Engagement

Author

Listed:
  • Fong-Yi Lai
  • Hui-Chuan Tang
  • Szu-Chi Lu
  • Yu-Chin Lee
  • Cheng-Chen Lin

Abstract

This study proposed that transformational leaders use various behaviors to provoke followers’ organizationally beneficial behaviors (e.g., better task performance and helping behaviors) through ignition of followers’ work engagement. That is, employees who inspired by transformational leadership are more likely to immerse themselves in the work, and, in turn, this is likely to result in better task performance and helping behaviors. In this study, we adopted a multitemporal and multisource research design to reduce the consideration of common method variance. Hypotheses were tested on a sample of 507 nurses working in 44 teams. The hierarchical linear regression analysis showed that, after controlling for several relevant variables (e.g., leader–member exchange [LMX], role-based self-efficacy, and transactional leadership) and several participants’ demographic variables (e.g., gender, age, and education), work engagement still mediates the positive relationship among transformational leadership, job performance, and helping behavior. Strengths, limitations, practical implications, and directions for future research are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Fong-Yi Lai & Hui-Chuan Tang & Szu-Chi Lu & Yu-Chin Lee & Cheng-Chen Lin, 2020. "Transformational Leadership and Job Performance: The Mediating Role of Work Engagement," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(1), pages 21582440198, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:sagope:v:10:y:2020:i:1:p:2158244019899085
    DOI: 10.1177/2158244019899085
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2158244019899085
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/2158244019899085?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hui Li & Nazir Sajjad & Qun Wang & Asadullah Muhammad Ali & Zeb Khaqan & Shafi Amina, 2019. "Influence of Transformational Leadership on Employees’ Innovative Work Behavior in Sustainable Organizations: Test of Mediation and Moderation Processes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-21, March.
    2. Wang, An-Chih & Chiang, Jack Ting-Ju & Tsai, Chou-Yu & Lin, Tzu-Ting & Cheng, Bor-Shiuan, 2013. "Gender makes the difference: The moderating role of leader gender on the relationship between leadership styles and subordinate performance," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 122(2), pages 101-113.
    3. Boas Shamir & Robert J. House & Michael B. Arthur, 1993. "The Motivational Effects of Charismatic Leadership: A Self-Concept Based Theory," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 4(4), pages 577-594, November.
    4. Guadalupe Vila-Vázquez & Carmen Castro-Casal & Dolores Álvarez-Pérez & Luisa Del Río-Araújo, 2018. "Promoting the Sustainability of Organizations: Contribution of Transformational Leadership to Job Engagement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-17, November.
    5. Alfes, Kerstin & Shantz, Amanda & Truss, Catherine & Soane, Emma, 2013. "The link between perceived human resource management practices, engagement and employee behaviour: a moderated mediation model," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 42345, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Kan Jia & Tianlun Zhu & Weiwei Zhang & Samma Faiz Rasool & Ali Asghar & Tachia Chin, 2022. "The Linkage between Ethical Leadership, Well-Being, Work Engagement, and Innovative Work Behavior: The Empirical Evidence from the Higher Education Sector of China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-15, April.
    2. Guangyi Xu & Jianji Zeng & Hongli Wang & Chen Qian & Xinran Gu, 2022. "How Transformational Leadership Motivates Employee Involvement: The Roles of Psychological Safety and Traditionality," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(1), pages 21582440211, February.
    3. Niko Sudibjo & Siti Aulia & HG Retno Harsanti, 2022. "Empowering Personal Knowledge Management Among Teachers in Indonesia: A Multi-Faceted Approach using SEM," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(1), pages 21582440221, March.
    4. Mohamad Azrin Ahamad & Kadir Arifin & Azlan Abas & Mahfudz Mahfudz & Muhammad Basir Cyio & Muhammad Khairil & Muhammad Nur Ali & Ilyas Lampe & Muhammad Ahsan Samad, 2022. "Systematic Literature Review on Variables Impacting Organization’s Zero Accident Vision in Occupational Safety and Health Perspectives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-28, June.
    5. Eckhaus Eyal, 2021. "The Fourth Dimension of Happiness and Work Satisfaction," Management & Marketing, Sciendo, vol. 16(2), pages 118-133, June.
    6. Dr. Khan Sarfaraz Ali & Professor Dr. Mezbah-Ul-Islam & Tamanna Nowrin Azam & Lt. Cdr. (Retd.) Wares-Ul-Matin, 2021. "Influence of Job Engagement on Transformational Leadership Style and Organizational Performance," iRASD Journal of Management, International Research Alliance for Sustainable Development (iRASD), vol. 3(1), pages 14-21, june.
    7. Phyu Phyu Zaw & Yoshi Takahashi, 2022. "Effect of Transformational Leadership on Contextual Performance Mediated by Work Engagement and Moderated by Mindful Awareness," Merits, MDPI, vol. 2(4), pages 1-17, September.
    8. Ali Falah Dalain, 2023. "Nurturing Employee Engagement at Workplace and Organizational Innovation in Time of Crisis With Moderating Effect of Servant Leadership," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(2), pages 21582440231, May.
    9. Nguyen Hai Thanh & Nguyen Van Quang & Nguyen Ngoc Anh, 2022. "The relationship between leadership style and staff work engagement: An empirical analysis of the public sector in Vietnam," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-12, December.
    10. Jolly Sahni, 2021. "Employee Engagement Among Millennial Workforce: Empirical Study on Selected Antecedents and Consequences," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(1), pages 21582440211, March.
    11. Ioana Gutu & Daniela Tatiana Agheorghiesei & Alexandru Tugui, 2022. "Leadership and Work Engagement Effectiveness within the Technology Era," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-25, September.
    12. Jin Cheng & Kunlin Li & Ting Cao, 2023. "How Transformational Leaders Promote Employees’ Feedback-Seeking Behaviors: The Role of Intrinsic Motivation and Its Boundary Conditions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-25, November.
    13. Nguyen Hai Thanh & Nguyen Van Quang, 2022. "Transformational, Transactional, Laissez-faire Leadership Styles and Employee Engagement: Evidence From Vietnam’s Public Sector," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(2), pages 21582440221, May.
    14. Afriyadi Cahyadi & József Poór & Katalin Szabó, 2022. "Pursuing Consultant Performance: The Roles of Sustainable Leadership Styles, Sustainable Human Resource Management Practices, and Consultant Job Satisfaction," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-20, March.
    15. Magdy Sayed Ahmed Abolnasser & Ahmed Hassan Abdou & Thowayeb H. Hassan & Amany E. Salem, 2023. "Transformational Leadership, Employee Engagement, Job Satisfaction, and Psychological Well-Being among Hotel Employees after the Height of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Serial Mediation Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-27, February.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Reem S. Al-Mansoori & Muammer Koç, 2019. "Transformational Leadership, Systems, and Intrinsic Motivation Impacts on Innovation in Higher Education Institutes: Faculty Perspectives in Engineering Colleges," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(15), pages 1-26, July.
    2. Zhenjiao Chen & Yaqing Liu, 2020. "The Effects of Leadership and Reward Policy on Employees’ Electricity Saving Behaviors: An Empirical Study in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-15, March.
    3. Mara Del Baldo & Maria-Gabriella Baldarelli, 2017. "Renewing and improving the business model toward sustainability in theory and practice," International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility, Springer, vol. 2(1), pages 1-13, December.
    4. Justin J. P. Jansen & Gerard George & Frans A. J. Van den Bosch & Henk W. Volberda, 2008. "Senior Team Attributes and Organizational Ambidexterity: The Moderating Role of Transformational Leadership," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(5), pages 982-1007, July.
    5. Matthias Graf & Sebastian Schuh & Niels Quaquebeke & Rolf Dick, 2012. "The Relationship Between Leaders’ Group-Oriented Values and Follower Identification with and Endorsement of Leaders: The Moderating Role of Leaders’ Group Membership," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 106(3), pages 301-311, March.
    6. Tilahun Kidane Diko & Shabnam Saxena, 2023. "Antecedents and outcome of employee engagement: Empirical study of Ethiopian public higher education institutions," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 3(8), pages 1-30, August.
    7. Vatankhah, Sanaz & Javid, Elyeh & Raoofi, Ali, 2017. "Perceived organizational support as the mediator of the relationships between high-performance work practices and counter-productive work behavior: Evidence from airline industry," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 107-115.
    8. Gayoung Kim & Woo Jin Lee, 2021. "The Venture Firm’s Ambidexterity: Do Transformational Leaders Boost Organizational Learning for Venture Growth?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-15, July.
    9. Nadir Kolachi, 2015. "Effective Factors of Diversified HR and Relationship Management: A Qualitative Case Study on TokyaTech, NY," International Journal of Business and Management, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 11(1), pages 242-242, December.
    10. Wunhong Su & Liuzhen Zhang & Chao Ge & Shuai Chen, 2022. "Association between Internal Control and Sustainability: A Literature Review Based on the SOX Act Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-30, August.
    11. Pawan V. Bhansing & Erik Hitters & Yosha Wijngaarden, 2018. "Passion Inspires: Motivations of Creative Entrepreneurs in Creative Business Centres in the Netherlands," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, vol. 27(1), pages 1-24, March.
    12. Gregorio Sánchez-Marín & Gabriel Lozano-Reina & Mané Beglaryan, 2022. "HRM Policies and SMEs Performance: The Moderating Role of CSR Orientation," Central European Business Review, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2022(1), pages 85-110.
    13. Wei Sun & Ang Xu & Yufan Shang, 2014. "Transformational leadership, team climate, and team performance within the NPD team: Evidence from China," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 31(1), pages 127-147, March.
    14. Shao-Long Li & Fang Sun & Mingze Li, 2019. "Sustainable Human Resource Management Nurtures Change-Oriented Employees: Relationship between High-Commitment Work Systems and Employees’ Taking Charge Behaviors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(13), pages 1-15, June.
    15. Weipeng Lin & Jingjing Ma & Qi Zhang & Jenny Chen Li & Feng Jiang, 2018. "How is Benevolent Leadership Linked to Employee Creativity? The Mediating Role of Leader–Member Exchange and the Moderating Role of Power Distance Orientation," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 152(4), pages 1099-1115, November.
    16. Francis Donkor, 2022. "Do Transformational Leaders Affect Employee Performance and Normative Commitment Through General Self-Efficacy? Analysis in Ghanaian Public Sector Organizations," Public Organization Review, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 707-723, September.
    17. Chih-Hsing Liu & Quoc Phong La & Yen-Ling Ng & Rullyana Puspitaningrum Mamengko, 2023. "Discovering the Sustainable Innovation Service Process of Organizational Environment, Information Sharing and Satisfaction: The Moderating Roles of Pressure," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-26, July.
    18. Mavis Chen & Carol Lin & Hsing-Er Lin & Edward McDonough, 2012. "Does transformational leadership facilitate technological innovation? The moderating roles of innovative culture and incentive compensation," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 29(2), pages 239-264, June.
    19. Miguel A. Hernandez, 2019. "Unveiling International New Ventures’ Success: Employee’s Entrepreneurial Behavior," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-32, August.
    20. Nasser Saad Al Kahtani & Sulphey M. M., 2022. "A Study on How Psychological Capital, Social Capital, Workplace Wellbeing, and Employee Engagement Relate to Task Performance," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(2), pages 21582440221, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:sagope:v:10:y:2020:i:1:p:2158244019899085. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.