A review of the effectiveness of empowering leadership

• Published in: The Leadership quarterly Vol. 30; no. 1; pp. 34 - 58
• Main Authors: Cheong, Minyoung, Yammarino, Francis J., Dionne, Shelley D., Spain, Seth M., Tsai, Chou-Yu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Inc 01.02.2019; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Empowering leadership; Empowerment; Leadership; Levels-of-analysis and multilevel issues; Management styles; Mediating mechanisms and boundary conditions; Non-linear effects; Reverse causation; Studies; Mediating mechanisms and boundary conditions; Empowering leadership; Non-linear effects; Levels-of-analysis and multilevel issues; Reverse causation
• ISSN: 1048-9843; 1873-3409
• DOI: 10.1016/j.leaqua.2018.08.005

Based on a review of empirical literature on empowering leadership, given incongruent and mixed results, the current work suggests reconsidering the effectiveness of empowering leadership. We propose a framework for examining the effectiveness of empowering leadership that considers: 1) feasibility of non-linear main effects of empowering leadership on work-related outcomes, 2) possibility of reverse causation between empowering leadership and work-related outcomes, 3) potential contradictory mediating mechanisms through which empowering leadership influences work-related outcomes, 4) consideration of boundary conditions which could alter the relationships between empowering leadership and work-related outcomes, and 5) consideration of levels-of-analysis and multilevel issues in empowering leadership. Our framework considers the multifaceted nature of empowering leadership and offers a guiding tool for advancing future research in this area.