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The influences of transformational leadership on employee employability: Evidence from China

Xie, Y.; Baranchenko, Y.; Lin, Z.; Lau, C.K.; Ma, J.

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Authors

Y. Xie

Y. Baranchenko

C.K. Lau

J. Ma



Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating role of job characteristics and social exchange in transformational leadership (TFL) and employability relationship. Design/methodology/approach The sample is composed of 760 participants employed in Yangtze Delta and Pearl River Delta in China. The participants have worked under their line manager for more than one year. In order to better prevent data from possible common method bias, two waves of surveys (in 2014) on a stratified sample, included a mix of industries, such as construction, manufacturing, finance, insurance and communications, were used to investigate the proposed relationship between TFL, job characteristics, social exchange and employability. Findings The research has empirically tested the relationship between TFL and employability. While previous research has analyzed the relationship between them, the authors have enriched existing literature by exploring the mediating factors and illustrating the importance of indirect effects. Besides the direct effect, the results of this study showed that TFL could also improve employees’ employability through job demands, skill discretion, decision authority, perceived organizational support and team–member exchange, but not leader–member exchange. Originality/value The study opens up a debate around the employability of employees as it stands apart from the performance measurement. The authors believe that this new mediating model can provide an insight into complex mechanisms of employability enhancement from the perspective of leader development.

Citation

Xie, Y., Baranchenko, Y., Lin, Z., Lau, C., & Ma, J. (2019). The influences of transformational leadership on employee employability: Evidence from China. Employee Relations, 41(1), 101-118. https://doi.org/10.1108/er-02-2018-0052

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jul 20, 2018
Online Publication Date Oct 25, 2018
Publication Date Jan 7, 2019
Deposit Date Sep 21, 2018
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal Employee Relations
Print ISSN 0142-5455
Publisher Emerald
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 41
Issue 1
Pages 101-118
DOI https://doi.org/10.1108/er-02-2018-0052
Public URL https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1348072
Related Public URLs http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/35077

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Copyright Statement
This article is © Emerald Group Publishing and permission has been granted for this version to appear here (http://dro.dur.ac.uk/26458). Emerald does not grant permission for this article to be further copied/distributed or hosted elsewhere without the express permission from Emerald Group Publishing Limited.





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