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Connecting the dots: How parental and current socioeconomic status shape individuals’ transformational leadership

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  • Duan, Jinyun
  • Ren, Xiaoyun
  • Liu, Zhengguang
  • Riggio, Ronald E.

Abstract

Leadership development has been characterized as an ongoing process that continues throughout a lifetime. From a long-lens perspective, this study aims to investigate how leaders’ early family socioeconomic environment influences their later transformational leadership. According to the social cognitive theory of social class, we propose that parental socioeconomic status (SES) promotes transformational leader behaviors via a positive psychological state. In the current study with 171 leaders and 684 matched subordinates, results indicated that high parental SES boosted leaders’ transformational behaviors by increasing their psychological capital, but this relationship was assuaged for leaders with high current SES. These findings contribute to the literature on transformational leadership, emphasize the importance of early life factors in leader emergence and development, and have implications for leadership development and future research.

Suggested Citation

  • Duan, Jinyun & Ren, Xiaoyun & Liu, Zhengguang & Riggio, Ronald E., 2022. "Connecting the dots: How parental and current socioeconomic status shape individuals’ transformational leadership," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 51-58.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:150:y:2022:i:c:p:51-58
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.06.014
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ye Luo & Linda J. Waite, 2005. "The Impact of Childhood and Adult SES on Physical, Mental, and Cognitive Well-Being in Later Life," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 60(2), pages 93-101.
    2. Karlijn Massar & Natalie Kopplin & Karen Schelleman-Offermans, 2021. "Childhood Socioeconomic Position, Adult Educational Attainment and Health Behaviors: The Role of Psychological Capital and Health Literacy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-10, September.
    3. Gavin Turrell & John W. Lynch & George A. Kaplan & Susan A. Everson & Eeva-Liisa Helkala & Jussi Kauhanen & Jukka T. Salonen, 2002. "Socioeconomic Position Across the Lifecourse and Cognitive Function in Late Middle Age," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 57(1), pages 43-51.
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    Cited by:

    1. Zhengguang Liu & Zhenkun Liang & Cheng Wang & Wenjun Bian, 2025. "Being a Parent Helps Being a Benevolent Leader: A Mixed-Method Approach," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 197(4), pages 761-784, April.
    2. Loignon, Andrew C. & Scheaf, David J., 2025. "Rags to riches or falling from grace: Gestalt characteristics of income mobility, core self-evaluations, and career success," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    3. Canterino, Filomena & Guerci, Marco & Cirella, Stefano & Shani, Abraham B. (Rami), 2024. "The intertwined effect of HRM practices and transformational leadership on employees’ attitudes in an M&A context: Evidence from a collaborative and mixed-methods study," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 46-56.
    4. Urrila, Laura & Eva, Nathan, 2024. "Developing oneself to serve others? Servant leadership practices of mindfulness-trained leaders," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).

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