Beyond organisational boundaries: the complex relationship between transformational leadership, organisational justice, and work-family conflict

Abstract

Several studies have examined the direct relationship between transformational leadership and work-family conflict, but only few have explored the mechanisms that explain this relationship. We hypothesise that perceptions of procedural and interactional justice can mediate said relationship. We collect data on 466 employees from three organisations located in three different economics sectors. Using structural equation modelling and a bootstrapping regression-based approach, our results reveal that the only factor that mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and work-family conflict is the perception of interactional justice. Thus, we conclude that organisational leaders should be more aware and take greater care with respect to their interactions with employees at work, as their behaviours go beyond the organisational boundaries and often affect their employees' family lives. Transformational leaders seem to allow employees to better manage the interface of their work and family lives given the perceptions of justice that their behaviours produce.