How Transformational Leadership Motivates Employee Involvement: The Roles of Psychological Safety and Traditionality

Abstract

This study aims to explore how transformational leadership affects employee job involvement. Using the cross-sectional survey method, a questionnaire survey was conducted among 205 teachers in 15 universities located in Southern China. Hierarchical regression and bootstrapping technique were combined to test the hypothesis. The results reveal that psychological safety mediates the link between transformational leadership and job involvement. Moreover, the traditionality of university teachers strengthens the effect of psychological safety on job involvement. This study expands job involvement literature by examining the integrative effects of multiple resources, and all resources are aligned to extend the pool of resources owned by university teachers. These findings also bring some enlightenment on how to motivate university teachers to engage actively in their work.