Transformational leadership and employee well-being : the mediating role of trust in the leader and self-efficacy

Although transformational leadership (TL) is considered a kind of positive leadership, which can elevate followers in the long term, the mechanism of how TL influences employee well-being remains a relatively untouched area. Based on survey data collected from 745 employees from the People's Republic of China (Beijing, n = 297; Hong Kong, n = 448), results revealed that employees' trust in the leader and self-efficacy partially mediated the influence of TL on job satisfaction, and fully mediated the influence of TL on perceived work stress and stress symptoms. Implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed.