Journal of Information Technology Applications and Management
- Volume 25 Issue 4
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- Pages.79-114
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- 2018
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- 1598-6284(pISSN)
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- 2508-1209(eISSN)
DOI QR Code
Higher-Order Goals, Trust-in-Leader, and Self-Efficacy as Mediators of Transformational Leadership Performance: The Case of Multi-level Marketing Organizations in China
- Shu-Chuen, Anthony Tsui (Academy of Continuing Education at United International College) ;
- Lee, Bernard (Department of Business Administration, Hong Kong Shue Yan University)
- Received : 2018.10.25
- Accepted : 2018.12.10
- Published : 2018.12.31
Abstract
Although former scholarly studies mostly focus on exploring leadership effectiveness under the traditional hierarchical leader-subordinate relationship, the research of leadership performance for non-hierarchical organizational structures, particularly the mediating factors of higher-order goals, trust-in-leader, and self-efficacy have been ignored. This study, therefore, makes an attempt to ascertain the impacts of transformational leadership on the performance of subordinates through the mediating effects of higher-order goals, trust-in-leader, and self-efficacy and the differences of these effects in the context of multi-level marketing (MLM). Like the small-sample studies adopted by Barling, Weber, and Kelloway [1996], Barling, Slater, and Kelloway [2000] and Bass, Avolio, Jung, and Berson [2003], this study adopts a sample of 123 MLM distributors of an MLM company in Hong Kong, with a high response rate of 80.4%. The results indicate that the mediating effect of self-efficacy between transformational leadership and performance is significant under non-hierarchical organizational structures such as MLM in China.
Keywords
- Multi-Level Marketing;
- Direct Selling;
- Leadership;
- Trust;
- Self-Efficacy;
- Higher-Order Goals;
- China;
- Performance