Transformational Leadership and Employees’ Reactions to Organizational Change: Evidence From a Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Numerous studies have empirically tested the linkage between transformational leadership and employees’ reactions to organizational change. However, no systematic attempt has been made to organize and summarize those findings. Based on a sample of 30 empirical studies that included 39 independent effect sizes and 12,240 participants, this meta-analysis found that transformational leadership exhibited (a) a positive relationship with commitment to change, openness to change, and readiness for change; (b) a negative correlation with resistance to change and cynicism about change; and (c) a nonsignificant correlation with support for change. Moderation analyses showed that in cross-sectional (vs. longitudinal) designs, transformational leadership exhibited a stronger correlation with openness to change and cynicism about change. Using Bass and Avolio’s scale (vs. Podsakoff et al.’s), transformational leadership exhibited a stronger correlation with resistance to change. In the Eastern (vs. Western) cultural context, transformational leadership exhibited a stronger correlation with commitment to change and resistance to change. In low-level (vs. high-level) journals, transformational leadership exhibited a stronger correlation with commitment to change, openness to change, and support for change. This study highlights the value of incorporating transformational leadership theory into the literature on change reactions to obtain a better understanding of how leaders facilitate or hinder organizational change.