Empowering and directive leadership and taking charge: a moderating role of employee intrinsic motivation
Journal of Managerial Psychology
ISSN: 0268-3946
Article publication date: 18 July 2023
Issue publication date: 29 August 2023
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the associations among different leadership styles and employees' taking charge. Applying Person–Environment (P-E) fit theory, the current study further explores employees' intrinsic motivation as an important individual factor that possibly moderates the hypothesized relationships.
Design/methodology/approach
In this field study, 212 supervisor–employee matched multi-source data were collected from multiple organizations located in South Korea. Data were analyzed with multiple hierarchical regression.
Findings
Empowering leadership is positively related to employees' taking charge, whereas directive leadership is negatively associated with it. Results of the current study further support that intrinsically motivated employees exhibit more taking charge when their leader shows empowering leadership but reduce their taking charge when their leader demonstrates directive leadership.
Research limitations/implications
The current empirical results could not infer causality due to a cross-sectional research design.
Practical implications
Organizations should develop and embrace empowering leadership if the employees' self-started and change-oriented behavior, taking charge, is particularly critical to fostering organizational effectiveness.
Originality/value
This study extends the literature on leadership and employee proactivity by examining different leadership styles as predictors of employees' taking charge. Based on the current study results, empowering leadership could work as a facilitator and directive leadership as a barrier to employees' taking charge.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the Incheon National University Research Grant in 2022.
Citation
Kim, S.L., Yun, S. and Cheong, M. (2023), "Empowering and directive leadership and taking charge: a moderating role of employee intrinsic motivation", Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 38 No. 6, pp. 389-403. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMP-10-2022-0518
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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