Transformational Leadership and Employee’s Pro-social Behavior

Contrary to the traditional economic view of employees as self-interested performers, this literature has identified situations in which organization members engage in constructive, socially desirable behaviors that benefit coworkers or the organization as a whole with little or no benefit to the self. For example, employees can choose to help coworkers complete their tasks, pay more attention to customers than is required, put forth extra effort at task completion, or serve as a good representative of their organization to outsiders. The construct of pro-social rule breaking occupies an important, but largely neglected position within existing frameworks of organizational deviance Pro-social rule breaking (PSRB) is a form of constructive deviance characterized by volitional rule breaking in the interest of the organization or its stakeholders. Using survey data collected from 252 employees in different organizations in China, the researchers empirically examines the relationship between transformational leadership and employee’s pro-social rule breaking and the mediating role of job autonomy. Results indicate that transformational leadership is positively related to pro-social rule breaking, job autonomy fully mediates the relationships between transformational leadership and employee’s pro-social rule breaking. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. A set of future research directions are offered.

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