The linkages between hierarchical culture and empowering leadership and their effects on employees’ work engagement: Work meaningfulness as a mediator.

Abstract

This research stems from the notion that organizational factors, such as leadership styles and organizational culture, can influence employee behavior. Although empowering leaders have been shown to have a positive influence effect on their employees, hierarchical culture can also influence employees' behavior in the opposite direction. In order to investigate their concurrent effects on employees, this study tested the effect of hierarchical culture and empowering leadership on work engagement via work meaningfulness. The study was undertaken among 134 employees from 28 teams from private organizations using a longitudinal survey. We hypothesized that, while hierarchical culture at Time 1 (T1) would decrease work meaningfulness at Time 2 (T2), empowering leadership at T1 would enhance work meaningfulness at T2. We also predicted that work meaningfulness would mediate empowering leadership and work engagement. Overall, the results supported the notion that empowering leadership increases work engagement via work meaningfulness. However, we were unable to find support for the view that hierarchical culture reduces work engagement.

Job Resources as a Mediator Between Management Trust Climate and Employees’ Well-Being: A Cross-Sectional Multilevel Approach

“…As an indirect effect, employees become more engaged with their jobs and therefore more productive. This finding shows how job resources lead to higher levels of engagement and thus higher levels of energy and passion for one's work (Lee, Idris, & Delfabbro, 2016). So far, research in this area, especially by scholars who only use the JD-R model to explain the relation between job characteristics and engagement, has only been conducted at the individual level (Schaufeli & Bakker, 2004).…”

“…It shows how a positive working environment can improve employees' motivation (Lee et al, 2016). Dulebohn, Bommer, Liden, Brouer, and Ferris (2012) commented on the low levels of trust in collectivist countries that also have high power distance.…”

Empowering leadership and meaningful work: the mediating role of learning goal orientation

“…Notably, Kim and Beehr () found that empowering leadership had a positive influence on meaningful work. Lee et al () also reported the positive relationship between empowering leadership and meaningful work. Although they emphasized the functions of empowering leadership in enhancing self‐development and self‐management, empowering leadership also includes developmental support through role modeling and guidance (Amundsen & Martinsen, ).…”

“…Meaningful work has been recognized as an important concept in HRD research, as it is closely related to employees’ work attitudes and behaviors (Chalofsky & Krishna, ). Previous research has shown that meaningful work has a positive influence on work‐related variables such as work engagement (Lee et al , ), job satisfaction (Duffy et al , ) and life satisfaction (Steger et al , ). These results indicate that meaningful work plays an important role in enhancing employees’ well‐being not only in a work‐setting but also throughout life.…”

“…their drive for self‐development to acquire knowledge and skills. Although previous research reported a positive relationship between empowering leadership and meaningful work (Kim & Beehr, ; Lee et al , ), no empirical study has examined mediators between the two variables. This study describes how managers’ empowering leadership directly and indirectly influences meaningful work, mediated by employees’ learning goals.…”