The Conditional Effects of the Transformational Leadership Behaviors on Leaders’ Emotional Exhaustion: Roles of Deep Acting and Emotional Intelligence

• Published date: 01 January 2025
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/02750740241273978
• Author: Aqsa Ejaz,Samina Quratulain,Ashiq Hussain Aulakh,Jose Cando-Naranjo,Meghna Sabharwal
• Date: 01 January 2025

The Conditional Effects of the

Transformational Leadership Behaviors

on Leaders’Emotional Exhaustion:

Roles of Deep Acting

and Emotional Intelligence

Aqsa Ejaz

1

, Samina Quratulain

2

, Ashiq Hussain Aulakh

3

,

Jose Cando-Naranjo

4

and Meghna Sabharwal

5

Abstract

This study used the model of emotional labor as emotion regulation to examine the indirect effect of transformational lead-

ership behaviors on leaders’emotional exhaustion through leaders’deep acting. Further, it is hypothesized that this indirect

effect varies depending on the level of leaders’emotional intelligence. The sample included 230 leader-follower dyads working

in public sector organizations in Pakistan. The results of the regression analysis showed that deep acting behaviors mediated

the relationship between transformational leadership and emotional exhaustion, but only for leaders with low levels of emo-

tional intelligence. These f‌indings highlight the importance and relevance of emotional intelligence in managing emotions and

maintaining emotional well-being among transformational leaders in the public sector. We discuss the theoretical and practical

implications of our study in the manuscript.

Keywords

transformational leadership, deep acting, emotional intelligence, emotional exhaustion, model of emotional labor as emotion

regulation, public sector

Introduction

Transformational leaders play a vital role in public organiza-

tions, as they exert positive inf‌luence at multiple levels. By

leading with vision, promoting collective action, inspiring

others, and showingconsideration, they can stimulate employ-

ees to enhance their public service motivation (Jensen & Bro,

2018), improve performance (Raveendran & Gamage, 2019),

foster whistle-blowing attitudes (Caillier, 2015), encourage

participation in change implementation (Van der Voet, 2016),

and promote innovative work behaviors (Bak et al., 2022).

Moreover, they can contribute to the development of a

results-oriented culture and performance in public organiza-

tions (Chau et al., 2022), as well as facilitate inter-

organizational labor mobility (Massae et al., 2023) and

enhance public project success (Fareed & Su, 2022).

However, some studies have also suggested that transforma-

tional leaders may experience emotional exhaustion at work

due to their elevated levels of emotional involvement, and the

investment of time and effort (Arnold & Connelly, 2013; Lin

et al., 2019; Zwingmann et al., 2016).

Emotional exhaustion is a core and widely studied compo-

nent of burnout referring to a state of fatigue and depletion

(Maslach & Jackson, 1981; Wright & Cropanzano, 1998).

It is characterized as a chronic and intensely affective

nature (Gaines & Jermier, 1983) and is often regarded as a

signif‌icant indicator of ill-health and ill-being (Nunes et al.,

2024; Wirtz et al., 2017). Previous research has shown that

emotionally exhausted transformational leaders tend to

have higher turnover intentions (Lin et al., 2019) and

impaired transformational leadership behaviors (Qian et al.,

2020; Xu & Jin, 2022). Although the mentioned studies do

not necessarily represent public sector, public administration

1

Lahore School of Economics, Lahore, Pakistan

2

United Arab Emirates University College of Business and Economics, Al

Ain, United Arab Emirates

3

The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan

4

The University of Texas at Dallas School of Economic Political and Policy

Sciences, Richardson, TX, USA

5

Public and Nonprof‌it Management, The University of Texasat Dallas School

of Economic Political and Policy Sciences, Richardson, TX, USA

Corresponding Author:

Samina Quratulain, College of Business and Economics, United Arab

Emirates University, P.O. Box 15551, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.

Email: squratulain@uaeu.ac.ae

Article

The American Review of Public Administration

2025, Vol. 55(1) 3–27

© The Author(s) 2024

Article reuse guidelines:

sagepub.com/journals-permissions

DOI: 10.1177/02750740241273978

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research has also reported that emotional exhaustion is a

prevalent and serious problem among public-sector employ-

ees and is associated with many negative work outcomes

(Bao & Zhong, 2019; Borst & Blom, 2022; Brijová et al.,

2022; Guy et al., 2008; Perski et al., 2002; Sarisik et al.,

2019).

One of the main reasons why public service employees

experience emotional exhaustion is that they are increasingly

required to perform emotional labor at work (Hsieh, 2014;

Hsieh et al., 2012a; Levitats & Vigoda-Gadot, 2017;

Ljungholm, 2014; Resh, 2010; Sloan, 2014). Examples

include receptionists who maintain a friendly demeanor

with irritable citizens, 911 call operators and dispatchers

who soothe panic-stricken callers, and public information

off‌icers who must project conf‌idence and compassion

(Choi & Guy, 2021). Working in the public sector often

involves dealing with complex issues, diverse stakeholders,

and demanding situations (Eldor, 2018). This emotional

exertion can take a signif‌icant toll on public servants and

leave them drained if not properly addressed.

Therefore, effective emotion management is crucial for

employees working at any level of public administration, as

it affects their levels of motivation and engagement (Levitats

& Vigoda-Gadot, 2020), job satisfaction (Humphrey, 2023),

leadership effectiveness (Kotze & Venter, 2011), well-being

(Brunetto et al., 2012; Lee, 2018), service quality (Levitats

& Vigoda-Gadot, 2017), and presenteeism (Song et al.,

2021). However, most of this research focuses on public ser-

vants who deal directly with citizens, such as public informa-

tion off‌icers, street level bureaucrats, or healthcare workers

(Potipiroon & Faerman, 2020; Varela Castro et al., 2023).

Therefore, there is a lack of knowledge about the emotional

health of employees working in supervisory or leadership

roles (e.g., Brijová et al., 2022; Potipiroon, 2023). In particu-

lar, the state and condition of emotional health of transforma-

tional leaders in the public-sector remain unknown.

To address these gaps, the present study aims to investi-

gate the underlying mechanism and condition that explain

the effects of transformational leadership behaviors on

leaders’emotional exhaustion. We base our investigation

on the model of emotional labor as emotion regulation

(Grandey & Melloy, 2017) and propose that expressions of

transformational leadership behaviors involve engagement

in deep acting (an emotion regulation strategy), which

affects the emotional exhaustion of transformational

leaders. Moreover, we suggest that the level of emotional

intelligence (an emotional regulation ability) of the transfor-

mational leaders moderates the effects of transformational

leadership behaviors on deep acting, and consequently on

emotional exhaustion. Specif‌ically, transformational leaders

who lack emotional intelligence exert excessive demands

on themselves in the emotion regulation process and thus

experience emotional exhaustion.

This study aims to make two main contributions. First, it

reports on the emotional well-being of transformational

leaders in the public sector. Although transformational lead-

ership is considered a vital process in the public sector

(Campbell, 2018; Jensen et al., 2019a; Maqdliyan &

Setiawan, 2023), there is a gap on how transformational lead-

ership behaviors affect leaders’own emotional well-being

(e.g., Abrell et al., 2011; Lin et al., 2019; Zwingmann

et al., 2016), and how transformational leadership behaviors

inf‌luence leaders’own emotion regulation process in public

administration (e.g., Ganapati et al., 2022). Therefore, we

f‌ill a gap in this line of inquiry by examining the effects of

transformational leadership behaviors on leaders’emotional

exhaustion through deep acting behaviors. Second, this

study enhances the understanding of the critical role of emo-

tional intelligence for transformational leaders’emotion reg-

ulation and emotional exhaustion. We show that emotional

intelligence is a crucial resource for leaders to manage their

own and their followers’emotions in a way that does not

exhaust them, given that transformational leadership behav-

iors are inherently emotionally demanding (Arnold et al.,

2015). We also contribute to the literature on emotion regu-

lation by applying the model of emotional labor as emotion

regulation (Grandey & Melloy, 2017) to the domain of trans-

formational leadership and public administration. This model

is a seminal and recent work that has promising potential for

research in emotion management domain.

Transformational Leadership and Leaders’

Emotional Exhaustion

Transformational leaders go beyond the call of core require-

ments of effective leadership behavior, which are normally

displayed by transactional leaders (Bass et al., 2003). For

example, transformational leaders make the organization’s

mission seem more appealing to subordinates, by inspiring

them and reinforcing the value of the mission (Caillier,

2016). On the other hand, while transactional leaders rely

on resources available in their environment (such as

rewards or punishments) to lead their followers, transforma-

tional leaders heavily rely on harnessing the intrinsic

resources to transform their followers and mobilize them to

achieve individual and collective goals (Bass, 1999).

According to transformational leadership theory (Bass,

1985; 1999; Bass & Avolio, 1997), transformational

leaders engage in four types of leadership behaviors. First,

transformational leaders exert idealized inf‌luence, which

means that they role-model desired attitudes and behaviors

for their followers that evoke inspiration, trust, admiration,

principles, and respect. Such integrity, therefore, inspires

followers and motivates individuals toward positive organi-

zational outcomes (Bass & Riggio, 2006). Second, transfor-

mational leaders provide individual consideration, which

means that they are attentive to their followers’individual

needs for achievement and growth. Transformational

leaders use this information to provide an environment in

4The American Review of Public Administration 55(1)