The Impact of Transformational Leadership Vision on Employee Support for Organizational Change: Examining Mediating and Moderating Mechanisms

Mark Howarth (2010). The Impact of Transformational Leadership Vision on Employee Support for Organizational Change: Examining Mediating and Moderating Mechanisms PhD Thesis, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland.

       
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Author Mark Howarth
Thesis Title The Impact of Transformational Leadership Vision on Employee Support for Organizational Change: Examining Mediating and Moderating Mechanisms
School, Centre or Institute School of Psychology
Institution The University of Queensland
Publication date 2010-12
Thesis type PhD Thesis
Supervisor Dr. Alannah Rafferty
Dr. Elizabeth Hobman
Total pages 243
Total colour pages 1
Total black and white pages 242
Subjects 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences
Abstract/Summary The impact of transformational leadership on employees’ reactions to organizational change is not well understood. In response, the present research investigated the processes through which transformational leadership develops employees’ attitudes and behaviors which support and promote organizational change. In particular, this program of research developed and tested a theoretical model which examined relationships between two core aspects of transformational leadership—articulation of a change-oriented vision and vision delivery—and employees’ affective commitment to change, behavioral support for change, and change-oriented organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). The model identified cognitive (employee value internalization and trust in the leader) and affective (state positive affect) mediating mechanisms linking the two aspects of leadership vision with employees’ change attitudes and behaviors. The model also identified employees’ change management history as an important contextual variable that interacts with vision content and delivery to predict follower reactions to the leader. The hypothesized model of relationships was examined across a series of four studies—including two laboratory experiments and two field survey studies—with part-time and full-time employees. Study 1 explored the mediating role of value internalization and trust in the leader between leader change-oriented vision and vision delivery and employees’ affective commitment to change. Using a 2 X 2 between-subjects experimental design, part-time workers (N = 185) responded to a vignette describing an organizational change. Participants viewed a video of an actor portraying a leader who either presented a change-oriented vision or a transactional account of conditions within the organization using a strong or weak vision delivery. Structural equation modeling results indicated that change-oriented vision and vision delivery were positively related to employee value internalization and trust in the leader. In addition, the results demonstrated that trust in the leader mediated the effects of change-oriented vision and vision delivery on employee affective commitment to change. Study 2 replicated and extended Study 1 by testing the moderating effects of change management history. Using a 2 X 2 X 2 between-subjects experimental design, part-time workers (N = 350) responded to a vignette describing an organizational change, which also manipulated the quality of the change management history. Participants then viewed a video of an actor portraying a leader who either presented a change-oriented vision or a transactional vision with a strong or weak vision delivery style. As hypothesized, structural equation modeling results indicated that change-oriented vision and vision delivery had an indirect positive relationship with affective commitment to change via employee value internalization and trust in the leader. Unexpectedly, change management history did not moderate relationships between change-oriented vision and vision delivery and value internalization or trust in the leader. Study 3 tested the mediating role of employees’ state positive affect at work—in addition to value internalization and trust in the leader—between leader vision and employee affective commitment to change. Relationships were tested with employees (N = 118) from two organizations. Cross-sectional self-report survey data were collected. Consistent with expectations, change-oriented vision and vision delivery were positively associated with value internalization, state positive affect, and trust in the leader. State positive affect displayed a positive relationship with affective commitment to change. Unexpectedly, value internalization and trust in the leader were not related to affective commitment to change. However, as hypothesized, the strength of the relationship between change-oriented vision and state positive affect was significantly moderated by change management history. In the presence of a strong change-oriented vision, state positive affect increased for employees who had previously experience a positive history of change management. Study 4 tested the complete theoretical model with data collected from full-time employees (N = 153) and their supervisors. This study extended the previous studies by including measures of employee change-related behavior. Employees completed surveys at two time points separated by six weeks. Supervisor ratings of employee change-oriented OCBs were also collected. All hypothesized relationships in the indirect effects model were supported, except for the association between trust in the leader and affective commitment to change. Results also revealed a direct positive relationship between change-oriented vision and change-oriented OCB. Moreover, as predicted, change management history significantly moderated the effect of change-oriented vision on state positive affect and trust in the leader. In the presence of a strong change-oriented vision, state positive affect and trust in the leader increased for those who had previously experience a positive history of change management. In sum, by integrating theory from the transformational leadership and change management literatures, this research program has made a significant contribution to our understanding of the processes by which leaders develop employees’ attitudinal and behavioral reactions to organizational change. Across a series of four studies using diverse methodologies, the results highlight the important role that leader vision content, vision delivery, and change management history play in bringing about positive employee change outcomes.
Keyword Transformational Leadership
Organizational Change
Vision Content
Vision Delivery
Change Management history
Additional Notes Color Pages: Page 63 Landscape Pages: Page 17, 55, 63, 66, 69, 71, 74, 75, 82, 86, 92, 95, 97, 100, 101, 109, 116, 123, 128, 130, 134, 135, 140, 141, 148, 152, 159, 164, 166, 169, 170, 177, 179, 189, 190

 
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Created: Sat, 04 Jun 2011, 13:32:47 EST by Mr Mark Howarth on behalf of Library - Information Access Service