IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2021i1p233-d711393.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Transformational Leadership and Employee Job Satisfaction: The Mediating Role of Employee Relations Climate and the Moderating Role of Subordinate Gender

Author

Listed:
  • Chiyin Chen

    (Glorious Sun School of Business and Management, Donghua University, West Yan’an Road 1882, Shanghai 200051, China)

  • Xinyi Ding

    (Glorious Sun School of Business and Management, Donghua University, West Yan’an Road 1882, Shanghai 200051, China)

  • Jiachen Li

    (Glorious Sun School of Business and Management, Donghua University, West Yan’an Road 1882, Shanghai 200051, China)

Abstract

Scholars have paid extensive attention to transformational leadership for decades. However, existing studies still lack ample discussions on the underlying mechanism and boundary conditions of its influence on employee job satisfaction. This study proposed a moderated mediation model based on social exchange theory. We collected survey data from 211 frontline employees to verify our hypotheses. The results showed that transformational leadership was positively associated with employee job satisfaction via the mediation role of the perceived employee relations climate. Furthermore, the relationship between transformational leadership and the employee relations climate, as well as the indirect relationship between the two, was demonstrated to be more significant for male employees. This study offered a new account of the mechanisms of transformational leadership and clarified a boundary condition for its effectiveness.

Suggested Citation

  • Chiyin Chen & Xinyi Ding & Jiachen Li, 2021. "Transformational Leadership and Employee Job Satisfaction: The Mediating Role of Employee Relations Climate and the Moderating Role of Subordinate Gender," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-14, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2021:i:1:p:233-:d:711393
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/1/233/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/1/233/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Albert Puni & Sam Kris Hilton & Benedicta Quao, 2020. "The interaction effect of transactional-transformational leadership on employee commitment in a developing country," Management Research Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 44(3), pages 399-417, October.
    2. Aydogmus, Ceren & Metin Camgoz, Selin & Ergeneli, Azize & Tayfur Ekmekci, Ozge, 2018. "Perceptions of transformational leadership and job satisfaction: The roles of personality traits and psychological empowerment §," Journal of Management & Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 24(1), pages 81-107, January.
    3. Hugo Asencio, 2016. "Leadership, trust, and job satisfaction in the public sector: A study of US federal employees," International Review of Public Administration, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(3), pages 250-267, July.
    4. Muhammad Asif & Arif Jameel & Abid Hussain & Jinsoo Hwang & Noman Sahito, 2019. "Linking Transformational Leadership with Nurse-Assessed Adverse Patient Outcomes and the Quality of Care: Assessing the Role of Job Satisfaction and Structural Empowerment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-15, July.
    5. Danica Bakotić & Ivana Bulog, 2021. "Organizational Justice and Leadership Behavior Orientation as Predictors of Employees Job Satisfaction: Evidence from Croatia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-16, September.
    6. Simon Ho & Annie Li & Kinsun Tam & Feida Zhang, 2015. "CEO Gender, Ethical Leadership, and Accounting Conservatism," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 127(2), pages 351-370, March.
    7. Meng Xi & Shuming Zhao & Qin Xu, 2017. "The influence of CEO relationship-focused behaviors on firm performance: A chain-mediating role of employee relations climate and employees’ attitudes," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 34(1), pages 173-192, March.
    8. Yuzhong Shen & Chuanjing Ju & Tas Yong Koh & Steve Rowlinson & Adrian J. Bridge, 2017. "The Impact of Transformational Leadership on Safety Climate and Individual Safety Behavior on Construction Sites," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-17, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Wei-Li Wu & Yi-Chih Lee, 2020. "Do Work Engagement and Transformational Leadership Facilitate Knowledge Sharing? A Perspective of Conservation of Resources Theory," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-17, April.
    2. Alaa Mansour Zalata & Collins Ntim & Ahmed Aboud & Ernest Gyapong, 2019. "Female CEOs and Core Earnings Quality: New Evidence on the Ethics Versus Risk-Aversion Puzzle," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 160(2), pages 515-534, December.
    3. Huakang Liang & Ken-Yu Lin & Shoujian Zhang & Yikun Su, 2018. "The Impact of Coworkers’ Safety Violations on an Individual Worker: A Social Contagion Effect within the Construction Crew," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-21, April.
    4. Saskia L. Shirley & Jennifer Feitosa, 2024. "Challenging Assumptions: Gender, Peer Evaluations, and the Broken Rung in Leadership Trajectories," Merits, MDPI, vol. 4(3), pages 1-14, August.
    5. Jihyeon Oh & Dae Hee Kim & Daehwan Kim, 2023. "The Impact of Inclusive Leadership and Autocratic Leadership on Employees’ Job Satisfaction and Commitment in Sport Organizations: The Mediating Role of Organizational Trust and The Moderating Role of," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-13, February.
    6. Ranger, S. & Kenter, J.O. & Bryce, R. & Cumming, G. & Dapling, T. & Lawes, E. & Richardson, P.B., 2016. "Forming shared values in conservation management: An interpretive-deliberative-democratic approach to including community voices," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 21(PB), pages 344-357.
    7. Muhammad Asif & Arif Jameel & Noman Sahito & Jinsoo Hwang & Abid Hussain & Faiza Manzoor, 2019. "Can Leadership Enhance Patient Satisfaction? Assessing the Role of Administrative and Medical Quality," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-14, September.
    8. Laura Neumeyer & Anna Gründler & Anna-Luisa Stöber, 2023. "Don’t Worry, Be Happy—Does the CEO’s Personality Mitigate the Negative Effect of Financial Constraints on Employee Satisfaction?," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 75(1), pages 71-98, March.
    9. Qingfeng Meng & Wenyao Liu & Zhen Li & Xin Hu, 2021. "Influencing Factors, Mechanism and Prevention of Construction Workers’ Unsafe Behaviors: A Systematic Literature Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-22, March.
    10. Aguir, Iness & Boubakri, Narjess & Marra, Miriam & Zhu, Lu, 2023. "Gender diversity in leadership: Empirical evidence on firm credit risk," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    11. Islam Shainima & Hari Pramono & Suliyanto Suliyanto & Setyanto Refius & Suroso Agus & Bahauddin Khalid Md. & Iftakhar Nayma, 2024. "Transformational Leadership in Indonesian Diversified-Cultural SME Sector: An Investigation of the Settlement Criteria of Job Performance," Studia Universitatis „Vasile Goldis” Arad – Economics Series, Sciendo, vol. 34(3), pages 79-107.
    12. Fatoki Olawale, 2023. "Participative Leadership and Employee Job Satisfaction: The Mediating Effects of Psychological Empowerment and Work Engagement," Foundations of Management, Sciendo, vol. 15(1), pages 161-176, January.
    13. Oliver Lukason & María-del-Mar Camacho-Miñano, 2020. "Corporate Governance Characteristics of Private SMEs’ Annual Report Submission Violations," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-19, September.
    14. Byung-Jik Kim & Se-Youn Jung, 2019. "The Mediating Role of Job Strain in the Transformational Leadership–Safety Behavior Link: The Buffering Effect of Self-Efficacy on Safety," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-14, April.
    15. Tarek Abdelfattah & Mohamed Elmahgoub & Ahmed A. Elamer, 2021. "Female Audit Partners and Extended Audit Reporting: UK Evidence," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 174(1), pages 177-197, November.
    16. Awaisra Shafiq & Abid Hussain & Muhammad Asif & Jinsoo Hwang & Arif Jameel & Shahida Kanwel, 2019. "The Effect of “Women’s Empowerment” on Child Nutritional Status in Pakistan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-9, November.
    17. Faiza Manzoor & Longbao Wei & Muhammad Asif & Muhammad Zia ul Haq & Hafiz ur Rehman, 2019. "The Contribution of Sustainable Tourism to Economic Growth and Employment in Pakistan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-14, October.
    18. Ayman Issa & Mohammad A. A. Zaid, 2023. "Firm's biodiversity initiatives disclosure and board gender diversity: A multi‐country analysis of corporations operating in Europe," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(7), pages 4991-5007, November.
    19. Belval, Erin J. & Bayham, Jude & Magstadt, Shayne, 2024. "Retention of highly qualified wildland firefighters in the Western United States," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    20. Giovanna Campopiano & Patricia Gabaldón & Daniela Gimenez-Jimenez, 2023. "Women Directors and Corporate Social Performance: An Integrative Review of the Literature and a Future Research Agenda," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 182(3), pages 717-746, January.

    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:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2021:i:1:p:233-:d:711393. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.