The Impact of Transformational Leadership on Work Engagement: The Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction

Abstract

This paper discusses the effects of transformational leadership on work engagement but with specific reference to whether job satisfaction mediate the effects of transformational leadership among the faculty members of the public sector universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. The inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration and idealized influence are the key attributes of transformational leadership that has been more than acknowledged as an effective management style in improving employee attitudes as well as behaviors. These relationships are of particular importance in the academic circles where intellectual and emotional commitment is critical.
A sample of 526 faculty members was used to collect the data with the assistance of the standardized and validated instruments, such as Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ), Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), and Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ). A quantitative type of cross-sectional design was used and the analysis undertaken with descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, regression analysis and mediation analysis in the approach of Baron and Kenny.
The results show that work engagement and job satisfaction are significantly and positively influenced by transformational leadership. Also, work engagement is positively related with job satisfaction. The mediation analysis indicates that job satisfaction mostly mediates the connection between transformational leadership and work engagement, which implies that transformational leaders positively impact the work engagement not only directly but also indirectly through the improvement of employee’s job satisfaction.
The paper has added to the body of literature by giving empirical evidence of the study by the higher education sector in Pakistan, a setting that has not been adequately researched on leadership studies. The findings provide some useful suggestions to policy makers and university administrators on the need to pursue transformational practices of leadership in order to achieve a more involved and satisfied workforce in the institutions, which ultimately leads to better performance of the institutions and the outcomes of learning.