Identifying Gaps in Literature Related to Empowering Leadership on Individual Work Performance
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30651/iconemba.v2i1.30191Keywords:
empowering leadership, individual work performance, task performanceAbstract
Empowering leadership is increasingly recognized for enhancing individual work performance by delegating authority, autonomy, and participation in decision making. A synthesis of studies published between 2019 and 2024 indicates generally positive associations—particularly with task and contextual performance—and reduced counterproductive behavior, though effects vary across contexts. Key gaps remain: (1) under-specified mediating mechanisms (e.g., engagement, job crafting, relational energy, psychological empowerment) and their potential serial ordering; (2) insufficient tests of multilevel moderators, including culture, individual differences, job design, and hybrid/remote arrangements; (3) outcome heterogeneity, especially for innovative and adaptive performance and counterproductive behaviors; and (4) methodological issues (measurement invariance, publication bias, and the dominance of cross-sectional designs) that limit causal inference. Priority directions include longitudinal and diary designs, rigorous tests of moderated mediation across industries and cultures, instrument standardization, and identification of optimal empowerment levels to prevent benefits from turning into burden. This research consolidates current evidence and maps a focused research agenda.
References
[1] H. Vu, “Employee empowerment and empowering leadership: A literature review,” Technium, 2020.
[2] Z. Jianping, L. Shuqian, L. Shanshi, Z. Ya, and L. Huanrong, “Empowering leadership and leadership effectiveness: A meta-analytic examination,” None, 2021.
[3] A. Eliyana, N. F. A. Jalil, D. R. Gunawan, and A. S. Pratama, “Mediating role of engagement and commitment to bridge empowering leadership and task performance,” Kybernetes, 2023.
[4] M. Chen, Y. Zhang, H. Xu, and X. Huang, “Crafting a job among chinese employees: The role of empowering leadership and the links to work-related outcomes,” Behavioral Science, 2024.
[5] Q. Burhan and M. A. Khan, “Empowering leadership ripple effect: Improving employee engagement, performance and knowledge sharing through relational energy and autonomy,” European Business Review, 2023.
[6] F. Sun, S. Li, X. Lei, and J. Lan, “Followers role breadth self-efficacy matters: Examining the double-edged sword effects of empowering leadership,” Chinese Management Studies, 2025.
[7] H. Kwan, Y. Chen, G. Tang, X. Zhang, and J. Le, “Power distance orientation alleviates the beneficial effects of empowering leadership on actors work engagement via negative affect and sleep quality,” Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 2024.
[8] Y. Wang, “Empowering leadership: A conflict resolver and a performance booster for organizations,” PLoS ONE, 2023.
[9] C. Li, Z. Wang, and H. Hu, “Empowering leadership boosts employee innovative job performance: Unraveling the role of work stress and regulatory focus,” Baltic Journal of Management, 2024.
[10] S.-S. Kim and D.-Y. Yoon, “Impact of empowering leadership on adaptive performance in hybrid work: A serial mediation effect of knowledge sharing and employee agility,” Frontiers in Psychology, 2025.
[11] D. Varshney and N. K. Varshney, “Does empowering leadership behavior affect employee performance? The mediating roleof workforce agility,” International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 2024.
[12] U. Udin, K. Fitriani, and R. Dananjoyo, “Linking empowering leadership and work environment with employee performance: The mediating role of job stress,” None, 2025.
[13] D. Kim, C. Moon, and J. Shin, “Linkages between empowering leadership and subjective well-being and work performance via perceived organizational and co-worker support,” Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 2018.
[14] A. Moschovopoulou and I. Papavassiliou-Alexiou, “The effect of perceived organizational support, empowering leadership and learning organization on greek psychiatric nurses employee resilience: A cross-sectional study,” International Journal of Workplace Health Management, 2025.
[15] T. H. Alvi, H. Ilyas, S. Tariq, A. Qammar, and Y. Wang, “Mitigating work alienation in public sector service-delivery projects caused by perceived overqualification: The roles of empowering leadership and the psychological contracts,” International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 2024.
[16] P. Guchait, T. Peyton, J. M. Madera, H. Gip, and A. Molina-Collado, “21st century leadership research in hospitality management: A state-of-the-art systematic literature review,” International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 2023.
[17] L. M. K. Ystaas, M. Nikitara, S. Ghobrial, E. Latzourakis, G. Polychronis, and C. S. Constantinou, “The impact of transformational leadership in the nursing work environment and patients outcomes: A systematic review,” Nursing Reports, 2023.
[18] Z. Zhang, G. Ni, H. Lin, Z. Li, and Z. Zhou, “Linking empowering leadership towork-related well-being andproject citizenship behavior inthe construction context: A self-determination perspective,” International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 2022.
[19] G. Demeke, M. V. van Engen, and S. Markos, “Servant leadership in the healthcare literature: A systematic review,” Journal of Healthcare Leadership, 2024.
[20] C. Schermuly, M. Algner, and T. Lorenz, “Bringing back psychological empowerment in empowerment-oriented leadership: The development of the psychological empowerment leadership scale (PELS),” Frontiers in Psychology, 2025.
[21] A. Fasni, Sefnedi, and E. Harahap, “Analysis of the effect of empowering leadership on employee performance: The mediating role of organizational commitment,” None, 2025.
[22] A. G. M. Desta and H. Mulie, “The effect of empowering leadership practices on employees performance with the mediating role of work engagement: The case of ethio-telecom,” None, 2024.
[23] Q. Burhan and M. A. Khan, “Unveiling the empowering elixir: Exploring the impact of HEXACO traits on leadership and their ripple effect on employee engagement and creative performance,” European Journal of Training and Development, 2024.
[24] F. Saleem and S. Mateou, “Servant leadership for sustainability: A serial mediation model of empowerment, creativity, and pro-environmental behavior,” Administrative Sciences, 2025.
[25] M. Naim, S. Sahai, and V. Elembilassery, “Does empowering leadership enhance employee agility? A serial mediation model,” Evidence-based HRM: a Global Forum for Empirical Scholarship, 2023.
[26] C. F. Pazetto, T. T. Luiz, and I. Beuren, “Empowering leadership for contextual performance: Serial mediation of organizational support and commitment,” International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 2023.
[27] A. Rai, M. Kim, and A. Shukla, “A double-edged sword: Empowering leadership to employees work-life interface,” International journal of human resources management, 2024.
[28] P. Gultom and T. Teofilus, “Fenomena career plateau tenaga pemasar bank BUMN dengan moderasi kepemimpinan pemberdayaan (empowering leadership). (Studi kasus PT. Bank rakyat indonesia (persero), tbk regional office surabaya),” Jurnal Impresi Indonesia, 2025.
[29] Z. Wu, C. Huang, C. Zhu, and C. Li, “With great power comes more deviations: The negative influence of empowering leadership on unethical pro-supervisor behavior in the chinese context,” BMC Psychology, 2025.
[30] F. Sun, X. Li, and M. Akhtar, “Negative influences of differentiated empowering leadership on team members helping behaviors: The mediating effects of envy and contempt,” Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 2022.
[31] R. Singh and P. Sihag, “Role of empowering leadership as a mediator between HPWPs and gen y employee engagement: Evidence from indian hotels,” Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 2023.
[32] K. Eng and P. Kohsuwan, “The influence of DEI and organizational justice on employee engagement: A comparative study between gen y and z,” None, 2025.
[33] F. F. Andri and W. Moko, “The influence of transformational leadership on employee performance across generations (gen x, gen y, gen z) with employee motivation as a mediating variable,” International Journal of Research In Business and Social Science, 2024.
[34] E. Sim and L. L. Bierema, “A systematic literature review of intersectional leadership in the workplace: The landscape and framework for future leadership research and practice to challenge interlocking systems of oppression,” None, 2024.
[35] J. H. Westover, “Empowering women through work-life balance policies and practices,” None, 2024.
Zamzami, M. R., Imawan, M. R., & Ghozali, I. (2025). ANALISIS KOMPREHENSIF PERBANDINGAN FRAMEWORK COBIT DAN ITIL. JSSTEK-Jurnal Studi Sains dan Teknik, 3(1), 154-161.
Ghozali, I., Zamzami, M. R., Imawan, M. R., & Illiyyina, I. (2025). The Influence of the Merdeka Curriculum on the Digitalization of Religious Education Learning. Ta'dibuna: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 14(5), 554-564.
[36] A. Kurniawan and P. D. Soeling, “The effectiveness of empowering leadership on organizational commitment in the police institution: A systematic literature review,” Journal of economics, finance and management studies, 2023.
[37] E. Salavina, Jl. I. Bonjol, and K. Semarang, “Empowering leadership berpengaruh terhadap kinerja pegawai melalui kecerdasan emosional,” Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen, Ekonomi dan Bisnis, 2023.
[38] Y. Zhou, C. Wang, and H. Sin, “Being there and aware: A meta-analysis of the literature on leader mindfulness,” Taylor & Francis, 2022.
[39] Q. Huang, L. Wang, H. Huang, H. Tang, J. Liu, and C. Chen, “Transformational leadership, psychological empowerment, work engagement and intensive care nurses job performance: A cross-sectional study using structural equation modeling,” BMC Nursing, 2025.
