Follower emotional intelligence. A mediator between transformational leadership and follower outcomes
| Pages | 1239-1260 |
| Published date | 02 August 2019 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-09-2017-0285 |
| Date | 02 August 2019 |
| Author | J. Irudhaya Rajesh,Verma Prikshat,Paul Shum,L. Suganthi |
| Subject Matter | Hr & organizational behaviour,Global hrm |
Follower emotional intelligence
A mediator between transformational
leadership and follower outcomes
J. Irudhaya Rajesh
University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
Verma Prikshat
Cardiff School of Management, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff, UK
Paul Shum
School of Management,
Western Sydney University –Penrith Campus, Sydney, Australia, and
L. Suganthi
Department of Management Studies, Anna University, Chennai, India
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to understand the impact of transformational leadership (TL) on
follower emotional intelligence (EI) and examine the potential mediation role played by follower EI in the
relationship between TL and follower outcomes (i.e. growth satisfaction in the job and job stress (JS)).
Design/methodology/approach –Data were obtained through survey using questionnaire collected from
908 employees who worked across six different sectors, i.e. manufacturing, IT, healthcare, hospitality,
educational and public services in Southern India. The mediation model proposed in this study was tested
using structural equation modelling and bootstrapping method.
Findings –The relationship between TL and Follower EI was significant. Follower EI was found to partially
mediate the relationship between TL and followers’growth satisfaction in job. Contrary to expectations, the
follower EI did not significantly predict JS in this study and hence the follower EI did not mediate in the
proposed model. However, follower EI and growth satisfaction in the job jointly mediated the relationship
between TL and follower JS fully.
Research limitations/implications –Self-report bias about supervisors’TL behaviours and followers’
own EI assessment and collection of data from the mono-source (subordinate self-report) might have impacted
the results of this study. Moreover, some items were negatively worded and reverse coded as cognitive speed
bumps to restrain the respondent’s tendency to rush through answering the survey questionnaire.
Practical implications –This study established a partial and joint mediation of follower EI on the
relationship between TL and follower outcomes. Basing on these findings, this study highlights the need for
the practitioners to better understand the importance of EI training for the leaders in the organisations for
obtaining better outcomes in the followers.
Social implications –The study establishes the fact that the attunement of transformational leaders’EI
and follower EI help leaders as well as followers to guide their behaviour towards positive outcomes.
Originality/value –This study is among the first to examine the impact of TL on follower EI and the
potential mediation of follower EI between TL and follower outcomes. From a theoretical perspective, this
study is one step closer to fully understand the intervening process between TL and follower outcomes.
Keywords Transformational leadership, Quantitative, Emotional intelligence, Job stress,
Growth satisfaction in the job
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Transformational leaders have been found to influence outcomes such as followers’
commitment, trust in the leader, positive organisational citizenship behaviour, higher
productivity,lower turnover rates, higher job satisfaction and motivation,effectiveness of the
leader’s work group, happiness at work and improved innovative and creative performance
(Bass and Avolio, 2000; Bycio et al., 1995; Choi et al., 2016; Judge and Piccolo, 2004;
Mesu et al., 2015; Salas-Vallina et al., 2017; Schriesheim et al., 2006; Tung and Tung, 2016;
Personnel Review
Vol. 48 No. 5, 2019
pp. 1239-1260
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0048-3486
DOI 10.1108/PR-09-2017-0285
Received 27 September 2017
Revised 5 July 2018
10 October 2018
Accepted 19 February 2019
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0048-3486.htm
1239
Follower
emotional
intelligence
Wang and Howell, 2012). Research has examined a chain of factors that partially or fully
mediate the relationship between TL and follower affective outcomes. Trust and value
congruence (Jung and Avolio, 2000), goalclarity and support for creative thinking (Nemanich
and Keller, 2007), psychological empowerment (Avolio et al., 2004), leader–member exchange
(LMX) (Wang et al., 2005), followers’perception of work characteristics (Nielsen et al.,2008)
and followers’trust and satisfaction (Podsakoff et al., 1990) are some of the significant
mediating factors that are reported to explain the relationship between TL and follower
affective outcomes. This study extends the research agenda through exploring the potential
role of follower emotional intelligence (EI)as a mediator between transformationalleadership
(TL) and follower affective outcomes.
Previous mediation studies have indicated that transformational leaders and their
followers could well be engaged in a strong emotional relationship, without which
transformational leaders cannot drive significant change in their followers’outcomes. For
example, Jung and Avolio (2000), while examining transformational and transactional
leadership and the mediating effect of trust and value congruence on follower performance,
cite Bass’(1978) argument that transformational leaders in an exchange relationship
engage in emotional involvement with their followers, in order to build higher levels of
identification, commitment and trust in them and their mission. McColl-Kennedy and
Anderson’s (2002) study observed that TL has a significant direct influence on the optimism
of followers, which in turn increases goal clarity and resultant efforts towards achieving
goals. Similarly, Dasborough and Ashkanasy (2002), while explicating the nature of
relationships in their model between leaders and their members, reinforced that EI is the
core characteristic of leader–member interaction. In a similar vein, Hunt et al. (2004) asserted
that the emotional attachment a transformational leader builds with followers (Bass, 1990) is
correlated with higher levels of creative output in the followers.
Deeper exploration into the research indicates that transformational leaders have the
ability to emotionally connect with followers. Sivanathan and Cynthia Fekken’s (2002)
study showed that leaders who reported higher levels of EI were perceived by their
followers as higher in TL and thus more effective. Lam and O’Higgins (2012) further added
that EI could be a characteristic that directly influences the development and maintenance
of TL. Studies from Pirola-Merlo et al. (2002) and Ashkanasy and Dorris (2017) have
highlighted that one key skill of a transformational leader lies in the ability to help
followers deal with negative emotional events. Transformational leaders, through their
ability to identify, express and understand the emotions of others, are in a better position
to comprehend followers’needs and interact accordingly, thus earning the trust and
respect of followers (Gardner and Stough, 2002).
In light of the above-mentioned studies and those detailed later in this paper, it is evident
that transformational leaders use their emotional skills in order to achieve the desired
follower affective outcomes. Significantly, previous research has focussed on one-sided
transformational leaders’points of view only, and has not gone beyond this to investigate
what happens at the followers’end as a result of this emotional intervention by
transformational leaders. A series of questions therefore remain unanswered, such as: what
happens to followers when transformational leaders use their emotional skills to generate
the desired effect in followers? To what extent are followers emotionally impacted because
they are able to align their vision and goals as desired by their transformational leaders?
To answer these questions, this study, underpinned by affective events theory (AET),
emotional contagion theo ry and other relevant theories and studies, posits that
transformational leaders impact their followers’EI positively, which in turn becomes
instrumental in achieving the outcomes desired by transformational leaders in followers.
This study therefore assumes great significance as it is the first of its nature to investigate
two untested relationships, i.e., the potential positive relationship between TL and follower
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