How does transformational leadership influence proactive customer service behavior of frontline service employees? Examining the mediating roles of psychological empowerment and affective commitment

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hemang Jauhari ◽  
Shailendra Singh ◽  
Manish Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Affective Commitment ◽  
Psychological Empowerment ◽  
Proactive Behavior ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
Service Behavior ◽  
Frontline Service Employees ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating roles of two variables of psychological empowerment and affective commitment of frontline service employees (FSEs) in the relationship between transformational leadership (TFL) and proactive customer service behavior (PCSB) of FSEs. Design/methodology/approach In a rigorous research design, the authors obtained data from 225 FSE-supervisor dyads working in a large Indian IT services organization. Analysis was done using structural equation modeling approach in LISREL 8.72. Findings As expected, affective commitment and psychological empowerment of FSEs fully mediated the positive relationship between TFL and PCSB of FSEs, even after controlling for age and tenure. The specified model explained 24 percent of the variance in PCSB of FSEs. Research limitations/implications As FSEs act as the face of a service organization, therefore their proactive behavior plays an important role in customer satisfaction. Enactment of TFL by supervisors fosters PCSB of FSEs. Therefore, organizations must develop TFL skills in their managers to psychologically empower FSEs and get them committed to a superior service delivery through PCSB. Originality/value The study is one amongst the few studies to explore the relationship between TFL and proactive behavior in the customer service domain. Additionally, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to examine the explanatory mechanisms through which transformational leaders foster PCSB of FSEs.

Does transformational leadership always matter in frontline service roles?

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 733-751 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keo Mony Sok ◽  
Phyra Sok ◽  
Lan Snell ◽  
Pingping Qiu
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Service Performance ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
High Level ◽  
Frontline Service Employees ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Frontline Service

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of frontline service employees (FSEs) motivation (enjoyment of work and driven to work) and ability (customer service ability) in the relationship between TFL and employee service performance. Design/methodology/approach This is a survey-based study which involves 534 FSEs and 135 supervisors in a hair salon setting. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings Results show that TFL is significantly related to employee service performance; this relationship is enhanced with the presence of driven to work; yet, it is neutralized with the presence of enjoyment of work. Further, the three-way interaction of TFL, enjoyment of work and customer service ability as well as TFL driven to work, and customer service ability are negatively associated with employee service performance. Practical implications The results advance service managers’ understanding of the importance of FSEs motivation and ability if they are to fully reap the benefits from their FSEs. The role of leader is not always effective in all situations. FSEs with high level of enjoyment of work and customer service ability would least rely on the guidance and support from the supervisors. Originality/value This research is one of the first to examine the role of subordinate’s characteristics (motivation – enjoyment of work and driven to work and ability – customer service ability) as the key moderators in the relationship between TFL and employee service performance.

scholarly journals Transformational leadership and employee outcomes: the mediating role of psychological empowerment

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saira Saira ◽  
Sadia Mansoor ◽  
Muhammad Ali
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Organizational Citizenship ◽  
Organizational Citizenship Behavior ◽  
Turnover Intention ◽  
Psychological Empowerment ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Citizenship Behavior ◽  
Employee Outcomes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to empirically test the mediating effect of psychological empowerment in the relationship between transformational leadership and two employee outcomes: organizational citizenship behavior and turnover intention.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected from 316 employees working in the textile industry to empirically test the proposed model.FindingsThe findings of this study indicate that psychological empowerment mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and both employee outcomes of organizational citizenship behavior and turnover intention.Research limitations/implicationsThis study suggests that organizations aiming to minimize turnover intention among employees should develop a transformational leadership style at the managerial level to enhance psychological empowerment among employees, which, in turn, will also improve organizational citizenship behavior.Originality/valueThis study proposes and tests the indirect effect of transformational leadership on organizational citizenship behavior and turnover intention via psychological empowerment.

scholarly journals Authentic and transformational leadership and innovative work behaviour: the moderating role of psychological empowerment

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matej Grošelj ◽  
Matej Černe ◽  
Sandra Penger ◽  
Barbara Grah
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Authentic Leadership ◽  
Psychological Empowerment ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Innovative Work ◽  
Innovative Work Behaviour ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Moderating Role

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse the moderating role of psychological empowerment on the relationships between authentic leadership and innovative work behaviour, as well as transformational leadership and innovative work behaviour.Design/methodology/approachWe have applied the mixed-method research on the selected case study. The quantitative field study was conducted on a sample of 126 employees in a multinational technological company. A series of paired sample t-tests were followed by a hierarchical regression analysis to test the hypotheses. The qualitative study consists of a content analysis of in-depth semi-structured interviews with four leaders.FindingsThe research provides further confirmation of the positive relationship between leadership and innovative work behaviour. Specifically, the results showed that psychological empowerment moderates the relationship between leadership (authentic as well as transformational leadership) and innovative work behaviour.Originality/valueThis paper contributed to leadership and innovation literature and provided insights in studying the boundary conditions on the relationship between authentic leadership, as well as transformational leadership, in stimulating innovative work behaviour through the moderating role of psychological empowerment. The added value is expanded by introducing the comparison of the two leadership theories.

scholarly journals Empowerment and initiative: the mediating role of obligation

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 662-677 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wajda Wikhamn ◽  
Marcus Selart
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Psychological Empowerment ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Proactive Behavior ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Personal Initiative ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which psychological empowerment and felt obligation can explain variations in personal initiative. Design/methodology/approach Employees from a Swedish organization participated in a web-based survey. Findings Psychological empowerment is important for enhancing proactive behavior at work, but its dimensions relate differently to personal initiative. Felt obligation mediates the relationship between psychological empowerment and personal initiative, but only for two dimensions of empowerment (meaningfulness and competence). Originality/value The paper contributes to our understanding of how employees’ feeling of obligation explains one form of proactive behavior. It also highlights the overlooked distinctiveness of psychological empowerment dimensions in predicting personal initiative at work.

Does one bad apple ruin a firm’s green brand image? Examining frontline service employees’ environmentally irresponsible behaviors

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (10) ◽  
pp. 2501-2521 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Zhang ◽  
Jintao Wu ◽  
Honghui Chen ◽  
Bang Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Brand Image ◽  
Frontline Employees ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
Brand Evaluations ◽  
Brand Perception ◽  
Frontline Service Employees ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Frontline Service

Purpose Drawing on the branded service encounters perspective, the purpose of this study is to investigate how frontline service employees’ environmentally irresponsible behaviors affect customers’ brand evaluations. Design/methodology/approach The research conducted two experiments. The first experiment explored the effect of frontline service employees’ environmentally irresponsible behaviors on customers’ brand evaluations via corporate hypocrisy. The second experiment explored the moderation effect of employees’ prototypicality and the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) among customers. Findings Experiment 1 indicates that for firms with a green brand image, frontline employees’ environmentally irresponsible behaviors result in customers’ perception that the firm is hypocritical, thus reducing their brand evaluations. Experiment 2 shows that employee prototypicality and CSR importance to the customer enhance the negative impact of frontline employees’ environmentally irresponsible behaviors on customers’ brand evaluations through customers’ perception of corporate hypocrisy. Research limitations/implications This study is one of the first efforts to explore how frontline service employees’ environmentally irresponsible behaviors affect customers’ responses. It helps understand the impact of frontline employees’ counter-productive sustainable behaviors on customers’ brand perception, as well as the relationship between CSR and employees. Practical implications This study suggests that firms’ green brand image does not always lead to positive customer response. When frontline employees’ behaviors are inconsistent with firms’ green brand image, it can trigger customers’ perceptions of corporate hypocrisy and thus influence their brand evaluations. Therefore, firms should train frontline service employees to make their behaviors align with the firms’ green brand image. Originality/value This study is one of the first efforts to explore how frontline service employees’ environmentally irresponsible behaviors affect customers’ responses. It helps understand the impact of frontline employees’ counter-productive sustainable behaviors on customers’ brand perception, as well as the relationship between CSR and employee.

Transformational leadership and trust in leadership impacts on employee commitment

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue Yuan ◽  
Haiyan Kong ◽  
Tom Baum ◽  
Yining Liu ◽  
Chao Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Organizational Commitment ◽  
Leadership Style ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Affective Commitment ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Positive Contribution ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Trust In Leadership ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This paper aims to explore the effects of leadership style and trust in leadership on employees’ affective commitment under the epidemic situation. Design/methodology/approach A total of 580 valid questionnaires were collected online targeting the hospitality and tourism employees working from home during the particular period of the COVID-19 Coronavirus crisis. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data with AMOS software. Findings The findings indicated that perceived transformational leadership was a positive predictor of trust in leadership and affective commitment. In addition to the positive contribution to commitment, trust in leadership also mediated the relationship between transformational leadership and organizational commitment. Originality/value The current study contributes to the literature on leadership and organizational commitment. The results of this study may provide a valuable guide to organizations, leaders and young employees.

Transformational leadership and change related voice behavior

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 357-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mari Svendsen ◽  
Thomas S. Joensson
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Affective Commitment ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Voice Behavior ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Moderated Mediation Model ◽  
Perceived Change ◽  
Cross Sectional Design ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between transformational leadership and voice during the change-planning process. The authors propose a moderated mediation model to investigate the relationship between voice, other change-related variables, and the boundary conditions of transformational leadership. Design/methodology/approach – The authors collected survey data from 124 employees and their leaders in a medical technology company in Norway. The organization was planning a major restructuring of its working procedures. The authors analyzed the data using PROCESS and a fixed effect approach. Findings – The results suggest that transformational leadership has no effect on change-related voice (CRV) by itself. However, there is an indirect effect through affective commitment to change. This effect is conditional on the employees’ level of perceived change impact. Research limitations/implications – The paper is limited by the cross-sectional design of the study. Other potential limitations are discussed. Originality/value – The paper is the first to explore the relationship between transformational leadership and CRV, and is thus interesting for practitioners who wish to increase the level of CRV from their employees. Furthermore, researchers interested in organizational change and proactivity constructs such as voice will also find the paper valuable.

scholarly journals How transformational leadership predicts employees’ affective commitment and performance

2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (9) ◽  
pp. 1901-1917 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neuza Ribeiro ◽  
İlhami Yücel ◽  
Daniel Gomes
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Affective Commitment ◽  
Individual Performance ◽  
Mediation Effect ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Mediation Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of transformational leadership (TL) on employees’ individual performance (IP) through the mediating role of affective commitment (AC). More specifically, it aims to understand how TL relates to employees’ AC, TL relates to employees’ IP, employees’ AC relates to IP and employees’ AC mediates the relationship between TL and employees’ IP.Design/methodology/approachA total of 476 Turkish healthcare professionals participated in this study. The mediation effect of AC in the relationship between TL and employees’ IP was tested by structural equation modeling.FindingsThe results indicate that AC mediates the relationship between TL and employees’ IP. In others words, transformational leaders promote employees’ AC which, in turn, increases their IP.Practical implicationsThis study suggests that organizations should select, develop and invest in leaders who adopt a TL style because they build a climate of admiration, loyalty, respect, participation and involvement for employees which will in turn enhance their commitment and performance.Originality/valueThis study responds to calls for research studies to explore the mediating mechanism in the TL process (Judgeet al., 2006), as the mediation effects explain the conditions in which TL is related to the favorable outcomes.

Transformational leadership and innovative work behavior

2014 ◽  
Vol 114 (8) ◽  
pp. 1270-1300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bilal Afsar ◽  
Yuosre F. Badir ◽  
Bilal Bin Saeed
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Psychological Empowerment ◽  
Work Behavior ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Innovative Work Behavior ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Self Construal ◽  
Innovative Work ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the mediating role of psychological empowerment and the moderating role of self-construal (independent and interdependent) on the relationship between transformational leadership and employees’ innovative work behavior (IWB). Design/methodology/approach – A total of 639 followers and 87 leaders filled out questionnaires from cross-industry sample of five most innovative companies of China. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the relations. Findings – Results revealed that psychological empowerment mediated the relationship between transformational leadership and IWB. The research established that transformational leadership positively influences IWB which includes idea generation as well as idea implementation. The results also showed that the relationship between transformational leadership and IWB was stronger among employees with a higher interdependent self-construal and a lower independent self-construal. Originality/value – This study adds to IWB literature by empirically testing the moderating role of self-construal and the mediating role of psychological empowerment on transformational leadership-IWB link.

The leadership of the school principal

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 352-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanket Sunand Dash ◽  
Neharika Vohra
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Style ◽  
Affective Commitment ◽  
Psychological Empowerment ◽  
School Context ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Job Crafting ◽  
Empowering Leadership ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Alienation ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The mechanisms through which superiors’ leadership styles and subordinates’ internal cognitions affect subordinates’ actual behaviour and attitudes are relatively unexplored in most contexts. This paper aims to bridge the gap by exploring the mediating effect of teachers’ cognitions (psychological empowerment) in the relationship between principals’ leadership style (empowering leadership) and teachers’ behaviour (job crafting) and attitudes (work alienation and organizational commitment). Design/methodology/approach Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used on data obtained from 624 teachers of primary classes in Indian private schools. Findings Psychological empowerment partially mediates the relationship between empowering leadership and job crafting and job crafting partially mediates the relationship between empowering leadership and work alienation and affective commitment. Work alienation partially mediates the relationship between job crafting and affective commitment. Empowering leadership has a direct effect on job crafting. Research limitations/implications Due to the lack of longitudinal data, causality cannot be established. Also, there are concerns about the factor structure of scales. Practical implications Principals demonstrating empowering leadership can help teachers become more proactive and feel more empowered, less alienated and more committed. More proactive teachers and less alienated teachers are more likely to engage in self-initiated professional development and collaboration, thereby improving the teaching-learning process. Though this study was done in the school context, it is believed that the findings can plausibly apply to managers/leaders who work with complex, ambiguous work and knowledge workers. Originality/value First, the study extends the research on job crafting by studying the relationship between leadership style (empowering leadership) and job crafting. Second, the identification of the mechanisms through which leaders (principals) can help subordinates (teachers) find meaning in work (reduction in alienation) and develop commitment is an original contribution.

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