Curvilinear Relationships between Empowering Leadership and Subordinate Task Performance

Abstract

Challenging the traditional assumption of linearity, we explore a curvilinear relationship between empowering leadership behavior and individual task performance through a unique cross level lens. The theoretical reasoning for such investigation is established in the social exchange theory. Further applying a dispositional approach, we argue that the dynamic is more complex when considering individual characteristics. The data support the moderating effects of core self-evaluation (CSE) and role breadth self-efficacy (RBSE) on such curvilinear relationship. Specifically, the finding suggests that for both high CSE and RBSE subordinates, they tend to perform better at moderate to high level of leadership empowering behaviors than at low to moderate levels, and they perform best at a moderate level of empowerment. Interestingly, the data shows that low CSE/ RBSE subordinates exhibit increased performance as the level of leader empowerment is increased. The final managerial implication here is that subordinates should be empowered differentially, and that the degree of empowerment given by empowering leaders does matter for subordinates with certain characteristics.