A selection of interesting articles we found recently about leadership’s effects on followers.
When and why empowering leadership increases followers’ taking charge in China
Drawing from the cultural self-representation model, the authors propose a multilevel model to examine when and why empowering leadership elicits followers’ taking charge behaviours in China. Data from 310 full-time employees in 81 work groups provide support for the mediating role of role breadth self-efficacy in transforming team-directed empowering leadership into individual taking charge behaviours. In addition, this mediation relationship is found to be attenuated by high differentiated empowering leadership and low individual power distance orientation.
Finally, the researchers find support for a three-way moderated mediation—which the moderating effect of differentiated empowering leadership is found to be significant only among followers who have low power distance orientation. They conclude by discussing the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.
For more, see: Shao-Long Li, Wei He, Kai Chi Yam & Li-Rong Long. 2015. When and why empowering leadership increases followers’ taking charge: A multilevel examination in China.
Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 32(3), 645-670.
Ethical leadership engenders trust and justice perceptions in employees
Using data collected at two phases, this study examines why and how ethical leadership behaviour influences employees’ evaluations of organisation-focused justice, i.e., procedural justice and distributive justice. By proposing ethical leaders as moral agents of the organisation, the authors build up the linkage between ethical leadership behaviour and the above two types of organisation-focused justice. They further suggest trust in organisation as a key mediating mechanism in the linkage. Findings indicate that ethical leadership behaviour engenders employees’ trust in their employing organisation, which in turn promotes their justice perceptions toward the organisation. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed, and some directions for future research are suggested.
Read further at: Angela J. Xu, Raymond Loi & Hang-yue Ngo. 2016. Ethical Leadership Behavior and Employee Justice Perceptions: The Mediating Role of Trust in Organization.
Journal of Business Ethics, 134(3), 493-504.
How collectivism influences turnover behaviour among Chinese female workers
The present study examines how collectivism, an important cultural value, plays a moderating role in the association between job attitudes (job satisfaction and organisational commitment) and actual turnover in a sample of 781 Chinese female workers. Results show that collectivism moderates the relationships between job attitude variables and turnover intention. Job satisfaction and organisational commitment are more powerful in predicting turnover intention when levels of collectivism are high rather than low.
However, collectivism only moderates the mediation of turnover intention in the relationship between job satisfaction and actual turnover. The study deepens the understanding of the moderating effect of cultural values in organisational behavioural outcomes as Taras et al. (J Appl Psychol 95:405–439, 2010) suggest. Also discussed are the practical implications on how to control the voluntary termination of female labourers who constitute an important part in Chinese manufacturing.
For details: Jingqiu Chen, Lei Wang & Ningyu Tang. 2016. Half the Sky: The Moderating Role of Cultural Collectivism in Job Turnover Among Chinese Female Workers.
Journal of Business Ethics, 133(3), 487-498.
Ethical concerns of leaders influence follower decision making and moral judgment
Ethics is central to leadership because of the impact leaders have on establishing organisational values and engaging followers to accomplish mutual goals. The ethical concerns of leaders may influence ethical decision-making of their followers. This paper attempts to investigate the relationship between leaders and followers on moral judgment, and make a comparison between China and Taiwan on the leader–follower moral judgment relationship. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey on purchasing professionals in China and Taiwan. The development of moral judgment was measured using the defining issues test.
Research findings indicate that followers exhibit higher level of moral judgment while their leaders have higher level of moral judgment. A positive moral judgment relationship exists between leaders and followers. The comparative study between China and Taiwan reveals that Chinese purchasing professionals are more easily influenced by their workplace leaders than their Taiwanese counterparts. Power distance would strengthen the leader–follower moral judgment relationship. The present research makes contributions toward the ethics literature by providing empirical insight into the relationship between leader moral judgment and follower moral judgment. This paper also suggests implications and opportunities for future research.
More details are at: Yi-Hui H0 & Chieh-Yu Lin. 2016. The moral judgment relationship between leaders and followers: a comparative study across the Taiwan Strait.
Journal of Business Ethics, 134(2), 299-310.
Early women who advocated work–life balance
“Work–life balance” (WLB) is a relatively modern expression. However, there is no novelty in the core concept, as resistance to excessive incompatibility between work roles and personal roles has a history that predates contemporary struggles for a decline in unnecessary work–life conflict. The authors of this manuscript aim to convey a portion of this history by instilling, from an ethics perspective, an awareness of the efforts of early labour organisations, including labour unions, and a social organisation that addressed labour issues. They will also communicate the resolve of key individuals, especially women, including labour leaders and activists, who contributed to labour reform and served as early proponents for WLB. In addition, implications and suggestions for practice and future inquiry will be provided.
Read further at: Simone T. A. Phipps & Leon C. Prieto. 2016. A Discovery of Early Labor Organizations and the Women Who Advocated Work–Life Balance: An Ethical Perspective.
Journal of Business Ethics, 134(2), 249-261.