THE INFLUENCE OF TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP IN EMPLOYEE CAREER DEVELOPMENT: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW
DOI:
10.54443/sibatik.v4i7.3047Published:
2025-06-23Downloads
Abstract
In today’s dynamic work environment, leadership plays a critical role in shaping employee career trajectories. This systematic literature review (SLR) examines the influence of transformational leadership (TL) on employee career development by synthesizing 48 peer-reviewed studies published between 2022 and 2025. Guided by the PRISMA methodology, this review draws on three key theoretical frameworks—Transformational Leadership Theory, Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), and Leader–Member Exchange (LMX) Theory—to explore the behavioral, psychological, and relational mechanisms that underpin this relationship. Findings reveal a consistent positive association between TL and various career development outcomes, including career satisfaction, employability, adaptability, and goal clarity. Mediating variables such as self-efficacy, work engagement, and career adaptability were commonly identified, while organizational culture, industry type, and demographic factors served as key moderators. The review also highlights a strong reliance on cross-sectional methodologies and a limited number of studies in non-Western contexts, indicating important gaps in the current literature. This paper concludes that transformational leadership fosters a supportive environment for employee growth by enhancing motivation, providing individualized guidance, and strengthening relational trust. However, future research is needed to develop longitudinal and culturally inclusive models that better capture the complexity of leadership’s role in career development. The review offers practical implications for organizations seeking to align leadership development with career management strategies to attract, retain, and empower talent in an increasingly competitive landscape.
Keywords:
Career development, employee, transformational leadership, systematic literature reviewReferences
Ahmad, A., Shafique, I., & Mehmood, A. (2020). The influence of transformational leadership on employee career satisfaction: The role of self-efficacy and proactive personality. Management Science Letters, 10(5), 1053–1060. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.msl.2019.11.018
Avolio, B. J., & Yammarino, F. J. (2013). Transformational and Charismatic Leadership: The Road Ahead. Emerald Group Publishing.
Bass, B. M. (1985). Leadership and Performance Beyond Expectations. Free Press.
Bass, B. M., & Riggio, R. E. (2006). Transformational Leadership (2nd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum.
Chughtai, A. A. (2016). Linking transformational leadership with employee engagement and work performance: The mediating role of psychological capital. Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 32(3), 225–234. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rpto.2016.05.004
Denyer, D., & Tranfield, D. (2009). Producing a systematic review. In D. A. Buchanan & A. Bryman (Eds.), The SAGE Handbook of Organizational Research Methods (pp. 671–689). Sage Publications.
Epitropaki, O., Kark, R., Mainemelis, C., & Lord, R. G. (2017). Leadership and followership identity processes: A multilevel review. The Leadership Quarterly, 28(1), 104–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2016.10.003
Graen, G. B., & Uhl-Bien, M. (1995). Relationship-based approach to leadership: Development of leader–member exchange (LMX) theory over 25 years. The Leadership Quarterly, 6(2), 219–247.
Joo, B.-K., & Park, S. (2010). Career satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intention: The effects of goal orientation, organizational learning culture, and developmental feedback. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 31(6), 482–500.
Kim, T. (2021). How transformational leadership facilitates employee career development: The role of organizational support and proactive personality. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 59(4), 620–644. https://doi.org/10.1111/1744-7941.12268
Kim, Y., & Kim, W. (2020). Transformational leadership and employee career growth: Examining the mediating effect of organizational support and the moderating effect of proactive personality. Sustainability, 12(4), 1367. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12041367
Lent, R. W., Brown, S. D., & Hackett, G. (1994). Toward a unifying social cognitive theory of career and academic interest, choice, and performance. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 45(1), 79–122.
Ng, T. W. H. (2017). Transformational leadership and performance outcomes: Analyses of multiple mediating mechanisms. The Leadership Quarterly, 28(3), 385–417. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2016.11.008
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., et al. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
Rony, Z. T., Wijaya, I. M. S., Nababan, D., Julyanthry, J., Silalahi, M., Ganiem, L. M., Judijanto, L., Herman, H., and Saputra, N. (2024). Analyzing the Impact of Human Resources Competence and Work Motivation on Employee Performance: A Statistical Perspective. Journal of Statistics Applications & Probability, 13(2), 787-793. DOI: 10.18576/jsap/130216
Saragih, N., Effendi, Sherly, Silalahi, M., Siregar, L., & Herman. (2024). The Influence of Self-Efficacy and School Culture on the Job Satisfaction of RK Bintang Timur Private Elementary School Teachers. Bulletin of Science Education, 4(3), 29–38. https://doi.org/10.51278/bse.v4i3.1462
Sinaga, M., Sherly, S., & Herman, H. (2024). Pengaruh Gaya Kepemimpinan Altruistik dan Supervisi Kelas untuk Meningkatkan Kepuasan Kerja Guru di SD Wilayah Siantar Naungan YPK ST. Yoseph Pematangsiantar. Bulletin of Community Engagement, 4(2), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.51278/bce.v4i2.1089
Sinaga, M., Efendi, E., Sherly, S., Siregar, L., Butarbutar, M., and Herman, H. (2024). The Effect of Altruistic Leadership on Competencies with Self Efficacy as Intervening Variables for the Principal by YPK St. Yoseph Medan in Pematangsiantar. Sarcouncil Journal of Education and Sociology, 3(10), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13899767
Tafvelin, S., Nielsen, K., & von Thiele Schwarz, U. (2019). Leading well is not enough: A new perspective on organizational-level outcomes of leadership. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 92(2), 420–439.
Thomas, J., & Harden, A. (2008). Methods for the thematic synthesis of qualitative research in systematic reviews. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 8(1), 45. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-8-45
Tranfield, D., Denyer, D., & Smart, P. (2003). Towards a methodology for developing evidence‐informed management knowledge by means of systematic review. British Journal of Management, 14(3), 207–222
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Ahmad Fitriadi, Sabar Dumayanti Sihombing, Leo Fernando Simatupang, Anju Bherna D Nainggolan, Richard Berlien
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
