Linkages Between Transformational Leadership, Work Meaningfulness and Work Engagement: A Multilevel Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Purpose The issue of employee engagement has increasingly become a focus of concern in public management practice. Based on the theory of purposeful work behavior, integrative theory of employee engagement and Pratt and Ashforth’s typology of work meaningfulness, this study proposes and examines the mediating effects of two types of meaningfulness between transformational leadership and work engagement and the moderating effects of transformational leadership on the relationship between two types of meaningfulness and work engagement. Patients and Methods By adopting a multilevel cross-sectional design, this study examines assumed mediation and moderation effects. The data collection was conducted anonymously by means of an online survey. A total of 261 local police officers from 32 police stations were recruited in professional training programs as a sample. Results The analysis reveals that both meaningfulness in work and meaningfulness at work positively mediate the relationship between transformational leadership and work engagement. Transformational leadership moderates the relationship between meaningfulness at work and work engagement rather than the relationship between meaningfulness in work and work engagement. There are no other significant effects of sex, age or length of service. Conclusion Work meaningfulness transmits and combines the effect of transformational leadership to impact work engagement. These findings not only confirm the critical role of work meaningfulness proposed by the theoretical frameworks of the theory of purposeful work behavior, integrative theory of employee engagement and Pratt and Ashforth’s typology of work meaningfulness, but also further extend and clarify the role of and difference in two substructures of work meaningfulness (ie, work meaningfulness in work and at work) in the context of the linkage between transformational leadership and work engagement.

Factors Affecting Teachers’ Work Engagement: The Case of Private School Teachers in Jakarta Metropolitan, Indonesia

“…Teachers' work engagement (WE) is an essential aspect of achieving the success of school organizations. WE is positive psychology experienced by a person, which is reflected in emotional, cognitive and physical involvement in carrying out work enthusiastically and with energy (Meng et al, 2022). Furthermore, employees who have high WE can manage positive energy and inspiration from various activities into useful resources at work (Bakker et al, 2020).…”

Transformational Educational Leadership Effect on Staff Members Engagement: The Mediating Impact of Intrinsic Motivation

“…Research outcomes concluded that transformative leadership is associated with staff member's engagement (Meng et al, 2022). Transformational leaders inspire their staff members to achieve elevated success by establishing a good-looking and thrilling apparition, setting challenging goals, being positive and optimistic and emphasizing group job (Anggiani, 2022).…”

Mediating effect of work-life balance towards leadership style and work engagement

“…To increase work-life balance, the leader must create an open dialogue with employees so that when stress begins to interfere with work, the leader can provide the flexibility needed so that employee work engagement is maintained (Lee et al, 2021). Behavioral theories state that efforts aimed at achieving the desired thing can be translated by external social work characteristics into work meaningfulness that plays a key role in influencing work outcomes (Meng et al, 2022) which of course work engagement effectiveness among employees in the public sector is increasingly a topic of great concern ( Mandu et al ., 2020).…”

“…For employees in the public sector, the level of work engagement high can push quality of public services (Meng et al, 2022), the government needs employees which provides quality and timely services as form community satisfaction and expectations . For that, leader must understand the most suitable leadership style for implemented by employee's government.…”

“…Transformational leadership exhibits a set of enduring interpersonal behaviors in influence and motivate employees to build vision and self-confidence (Meng et al, 2022). Transactional leadership focuses on work through an exchange process that prioritizes organizational goals (Jensen et al, 2018), by motivating employees to complete employee work related to rewards and punishments (Gemeda & Lee, 2020) which shows that transactional leadership can also be effective because they tend to be task-focused (Lee et al, 2021).…”