Perceived Organizational Support and Transformational Leadership on Empowerment and Outcomes

Abstract

Drawing on the resource theory of social exchange, this study aims to provide a better understanding of the interactive effects of perceived organizational support and transformational leadership on employees’ psychological empowerment and their subsequent job performance and commitment to the organization. More specifically, we examine the influences of perceived organizational support on employees’ in-role performance and organizational commitment through the mediating role of psychological empowerment. We also examine the moderating role of unit-level transformational leadership on these mediated effects, arguing that transformational leadership can help strengthen the positive effects of perceived organizational support on employees’ psychological empowerment and their subsequent affective and behavioral outcomes. Results based on multi-source and multi-level data obtained from 217 employees and 41 direct supervisors working in a large public construction company in Thailand provide support for our proposed multilevel moderated mediation model. Based on these findings, we discuss how our theoretical model expands research on the role of perceived organizational support as an antecedent of employees’ psychological empowerment and organizational outcomes. This research also highlights several practical implications pertaining to positive treatments by the organization and the importance of leadership.