The Effects of Regulatory Focus and Perceptions of Empowering on Empowering Leadership

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of leaders’ regulatory focus on empowering leadership, as mediated by the perceived benefits and costs of empowering. Specifically, drawing on regulatory focus theory we explore leaders’ promotion focus and prevention focus as determinants of their benefit/cost perception of empowering behavior and subsequent empowering leadership. In Study 1, based on content analysis, we identify six perceived benefits and six perceived costs of empowering leadership from the leaders’ point of view. In study 2, we develop and validate measures of perceived benefit and cost of empowering leadership. In study 3, a three-wave survey, with a sample of 139 supervisors, was conducted to examine the proposed model. Results indicate that leaders’ perception of empowering as beneficial is positively associated with empowering leadership. Moreover, findings indicate that leaders’ promotion focus was positively related to perceived benefit of empowering whereas leaders’ prevention focus was positively related to perceived cost of empowering. Findings and implications will be discussed.