Transformational Leadership Effectiveness, Mechanism Of Action And Its Dependencies

This article is firstly to investigate the existence of transformational leadership in different cultural contexts and the moderating effect of cultural contexts to the effectiveness of transformational and transactional leadership. Secondly, this article is to explore the mediators of effects of transformational leadeship to employees' attitudes in individual-level and performance behaviors and outcomes in group-level. Combining these two objectives, the article is trying to draw an all-around picture of transformational leadership in China.Two researches are conducted. Study one uses the data in classes to investigate the existence of transformational leadership in different cultural contexts. Study two researches the effects of transformational leadership, its mediators and the moderating effects of cultural contexts in the field.In study one, it shows that transformational leadership is more existed in collectivistic culture than in individualistic culture. Study two finds that transformational leadership positively influences employees' job satisfaction and organizational commitment in individual-level and group organizational citizenship behaviors in group-level. Psychological empowerment partially mediates the individual-level effectiveness while team identification and shared goals fully mediate the group-level effectiveness. Additionally, individualism passively and positively moderates the effectiveness of transformational and transactional leadership separately.Based on the results, this article suggests leaders to influence both from the individual-level and group-level to make team effective. The effect of transactional leadership is emphasized besides transformational leadership, especially in Chinese context. Meanwhile, contingent utilization of these two leadership styles is suggested in different cultural contexts.