The Influence of Transformational Leadership on Employees’ Affective Organizational Commitment in Public and Nonprofit Organizations: A Moderated Mediation Model

• Author: Rusi Sun,Yuguo Liao,Shuyang Peng
• Date: 01 March 2020
• Published date: 01 March 2020
• DOI: 10.1177/0091026019835233
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/0091026019835233

Public Personnel Management

2020, Vol. 49(1) 29 –56

© The Author(s) 2019

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DOI: 10.1177/0091026019835233

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Article

The Influence of

Transformational Leadership

on Employees’ Affective

Organizational Commitment

in Public and Nonprofit

Organizations: A Moderated

Mediation Model

Shuyang Peng1, Yuguo Liao2, and Rusi Sun3

Abstract

Transformational leadership has a great impact on employees’ psychological

attachment to their organizations. This study examines how and under what

condition transformational leadership translates into employees’ affective

organizational commitment. Using a moderated mediation model, this research

finds that the relationship between transformational leadership and affective

commitment is transmitted through perceived work impact. More importantly,

our findings suggest that the indirect effect of transformational leadership on

affective commitment through perceived work impact is moderated by the level

of centralization of an organization. Theoretical and practical implications of the

findings are discussed.

Keywords

transformational leadership, affective commitment, centralization, perceived work

impact, moderated mediation

1The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA

2University of Missouri, St. Louis, MO, USA

3University of Michigan–Dearborn, MI, USA

Corresponding Author:

Shuyang Peng, School of Public Administration, The University of New Mexico, Social Sciences Building,

Room 3022, 1915 Roma Avenue, NE, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.

Email: speng@unm.edu

835233PPMXXX10.1177/0091026019835233Public Personnel ManagementPeng et al.

research-article2019

30 Public Personnel Management 49(1)

Introduction

As a dominant leadership theory, transformational leadership has received consider-

able scholarly attention over the past four decades. To date, there is a wealth of litera-

ture in public administration that has documented the positive impact of transformational

leadership on employee motivation, attitude, and behavior (e.g., Bellé, 2013; Caillier,

2016; Caillier & Sa, 2017; Moynihan, Pandey, & Wright, 2012; Oberfield, 2012;

Pandey, Davis, Pandey, & Peng, 2016; Park & Rainey, 2008; Trottier, Van Wart, &

Wang, 2008; Wright, Moynihan, & Pandey, 2012). Indeed, transformational leader-

ship, at its core, can influence followers’ attitudes and their commitment to a leader

and an organization (Bass & Riggio, 2006).

In this study, we focus on the influence of transformational leadership on employ-

ees’ affective organizational commitment. Empirical evidence has shown the direct

positive influence of transformational leadership on affective commitment (Bono &

Judge, 2003; Bycio, Hackett, & Allen, 1995; Dumdum, Lowe, & Avolio, 2002;

Walumbwa, Orwa, Wang, & Lawler, 2005). Previous studies have also identified a

series of mediating mechanisms through which transformational leadership can build

up employees’ affective commitment (e.g., Barroso et al., 2008; Bono & Judge, 2003;

Korek, Felfe, & Zaepernick-Rothe, 2010; Walumbwa, Wang, Lawler, & Shi, 2004) as

well as the moderating mechanisms that can strengthen or curb the influence of trans-

formational leadership on employees’ affective commitment (e.g., Felfe & Heinitz,

2010; Hughes & Avey, 2009; Whittington, Goodwin, & Murray, 2004).

Despite this evidence, few scholars have taken a holistic view that examined the

mediated moderation or moderated mediation in the transformational leadership–affec-

tive commitment relationship. In fact, a shortage of studies that simultaneously take

leadership processes and organizational context into consideration has been noted.

Avolio, Walumbwa, and Weber (2009), for instance, point out there is a lack of under-

standing of the moderated mediation and mediated moderation mechanisms that link

leadership with followers’ behavior.

In response, we developed a moderated mediation model. By examining perceived

work impact as the mediating mechanism and centralization as the moderator, this

model is meant to enhance our understanding of the relationship between transforma-

tional leadership and affective commitment. Concentrating on transformational lead-

ership behaviors of the head of the organization, we first propose that transformational

leaders can successfully bolster employees’ affective commitment through reinforcing

their perceptions of work impact. Perceived work impact is an important job-level

concept that provides key information to public and nonprofit employees; it shows

their contribution to the organization’s success and their clients’ overall well-being

(Wright & Pandey, 2011).

The goal of the study, however, goes beyond merely testing the mediating role of

perceived work impact. We also aim to examine whether centralization functions as a

boundary condition that constrains the chain of effects that begins with transforma-

tional leadership and perceived work impact and ends with affective commitment.

After all, “leadership does not exist in a vacuum” (Osborn, Hunt, & Jauch, 2002, p.