Empowering leadership: leading people to be present through affective organizational commitment?

Abstract

This study tested a mediation model in which empowering leadership was negatively related to three withdrawal behaviors: lateness, absenteeism, and turnover intention, with affective organizational commitment as a mediator. With 294 full-time US employees, results from structural equation modeling indicated that empowering leader behaviors at one time were positively related to estimates of affective organizational commitment at a second time, which in turn was negatively related to absenteeism and turnover intention at a final time. Additionally, no significant direct effect was found between empowering leadership and withdrawal behaviors, further supporting the mediation model. However, neither empowering leadership nor affective commitment influenced followers' lateness. Empowering leadership, which provides employees with autonomy and developmental support, may have a favorable effect on employees' decisions to attend and stay in the organization, as well as their affective reaction to the organization in the form of psychological commitment. This study extended prior research models by examining a full range of withdrawal behaviors in relation to empowering leadership and showed that commitment may explain why empowering leader behaviors can affect employees' retention decisions.

Antecedents of Organizational Commitment: A Review of Personal and Organizational Factors

“…It was found that employee's training affects positively organizational commitment and it ultimately reduces turnover and turnover intentions [11]. The results of the investigation of [12] developmental support offered to employees and it was found that they have a favorable effect on affective organizational commitment and turnover intentions [13].…”

“…As far as the relationship between organizational commitment and leadership is concerned, it has been observed that leadership behavior is a significant predictor of affective organizational commitment and this ultimately reduces the withdrawal behavior of lateness [13]. In the same respect it was found that transformational leadership increases employee's organizational commitment [17].…”

“…Autonomy is found to significantly and positively influence organizational commitment [12] [24]. Leadership empowerment in the form of autonomy on the job has a favorable effect on affective organizational commitment and turnover intentions [13]. A study of the relationship between autonomy and organizational commitment revealed that the degree of autonomy given on the job is a strong predictor of organizational commitment [24].…”

Does Authorization Have to Be Omnipotent? The “Double-Edged Sword” Effect of Empowering Leadership on Employee’s Behavior

“…A large number of studies have shown that by giving employees the power and opportunity to participate in decision-making, empowered leaders can stimulate the intrinsic motivation of employees and thus improve their positive work attitudes and behaviors. For example, employee satisfaction (Biemann, Kearney, & Marggraf, 2015;Kim & Beehr, 2018), work performance (Amundsen & Martinsen, 2014;Lee, Willis, & Tian, 2018) and innovation behavior (Amundsen & Martinsen, 2014) and so on. Although many studies have supported the positive effects of empowering leadership, recent studies have also found that empowering leadership may lead to potential negative effects, with adverse effects on employees and organizations (Humborstad & Kuvaas, 2013;Li, Chiaburu, & Kirkman, 2017).…”

Existem relações entre qualidade de vida no trabalho, comprometimento organizacional e entrincheiramento organizacional?

“…Vêm sendo amplamente estudadas as relações afetiva (comprometimento organizacional) e instrumental (entrincheiramento organizacional) como contrapontos mútuos ou elementos complementares, bem como o que as explica e o que delas se origina (BALSAN et al, 2015;KIM;BEEHR, 2018;MEYER;HERSCOVITCH, 2001;MEYER;STANLEY;PARFYONOVA, 2012). No entanto, a percepção das práticas organizacionais ligadas a essas diferentes espécies de vínculo é uma lacuna a ser estudada.…”