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Transformational leadership, transactional leadership, and affective organizational commitment: a closer look at their relationships in two distinct national contexts

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  • Youngsam Cho

    (College of Business Administration, BERI, Gyeongsang National University)

  • Mannsoo Shin

    (International Business Department, Korea University Business School)

  • Tejinder K. Billing

    (Rohrer College of Business, Rowan University)

  • Rabi S. Bhagat

    (Fogelman College of Business and Economics, University of Memphis)

Abstract

This study compared the relationship between leadership style and affective organizational commitment (AOC) for Korean and U.S. employees, based on path-goal leadership theory and culturally endorsed implicit leadership theory. The results showed that the positive relationship between transformational leadership and AOC was stronger for U.S. employees than their Korean counterparts, whereas transactional leadership was positively related to AOC only for Korean employees. Also, we tested Bass’s (Leadership and performance beyond expectations, Free Press, New York, 1985) augmentation effect and House’s (Leadersh Q 7(3):323–352, 1996) negative moderating effect of the two leadership styles. Interestingly, our results differed from theirs in this cross-national context. The findings provide important theoretical and managerial implications.

Suggested Citation

  • Youngsam Cho & Mannsoo Shin & Tejinder K. Billing & Rabi S. Bhagat, 2019. "Transformational leadership, transactional leadership, and affective organizational commitment: a closer look at their relationships in two distinct national contexts," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 18(3), pages 187-210, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:abaman:v:18:y:2019:i:3:d:10.1057_s41291-019-00059-1
    DOI: 10.1057/s41291-019-00059-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    7. Francis Donkor & Zhou Dongmei & Isaac Sekyere, 2021. "The Mediating Effects of Organizational Commitment on Leadership Styles and Employee Performance in SOEs in Ghana: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(2), pages 21582440211, May.
    8. Francis Donkor & William Ansah Appienti & Ellen Achiaah, 2022. "The Impact of Transformational Leadership Style on Employee Turnover Intention in State-Owned Enterprises in Ghana. The Mediating Role of Organisational Commitment," Public Organization Review, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 1-17, March.
    9. Yucheng Zhang & Long Zhang & Jingtao Zhu & Chih-Hsing Liu & Mengxi Yang & Guangjian Liu, 2023. "Group leader emotional intelligence and group performance: a multilevel perspective," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 22(2), pages 570-592, April.
    10. Rekha Rao-Nicholson & Syed Mohyuddin, 2024. "The role of transformational leadership and institutional entrepreneurship in organizational change in Indian public organizations," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 23(2), pages 213-236, April.
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