Conceptualizing The Impact of Benevolent Leadership on Task Performance: A Tri‎adic Mediation Approach Through Work Engagement, Leader–Member Exchange, and ‎Creativity in Relation to Leadership Style ROI

Authors

How to Cite

santoso , M. budi ., Riani, A. L. ., harsono, M. ., & Suyono, J. . (2025). Conceptualizing The Impact of Benevolent Leadership on Task Performance: A Tri‎adic Mediation Approach Through Work Engagement, Leader–Member Exchange, and ‎Creativity in Relation to Leadership Style ROI. International Journal of Accounting and Economics Studies, 12(4), 29-35. https://doi.org/10.14419/rqjwkg18

Received date: June 25, 2025

Accepted date: July 26, 2025

Published date: August 1, 2025

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14419/rqjwkg18

Keywords:

Benevolent Leadership; Task Performance; Work Engagement; Leader Member Exchange; Creativity and ROI

Abstract

This conceptual article examines the impact of benevolent leadership on task performance, highlighting the triadic mediat‎ing roles of work engagement, leader–member exchange (LMX), and creativity within the framework of Social Exchange ‎Theory (SET). Benevolent leadership marked by empathy, support, and concern for employee well-being fosters a positive ‎and supportive work climate that promotes proactive and productive behaviors. Through SET, such leadership behaviors ‎are reciprocated by employees via emotional commitment, high-quality leader–follower relationships, and innovative con‎tributions. Together, these mediators reinforce the positive effect of benevolent leadership on performance. The article ‎advances a humanistic, relational perspective of leadership and underscores its potential to enhance not only task out-‎comes but also the return on investment (ROI) of leadership by cultivating sustainable employee performance and inno‎vation‎.

References

  1. Amabile, T. M., Conti, R., Coon, H., Lazenby, J., & Herron, M. (1996). Assessing the work environment for creativity. Academy of Management Journal, 39(5), 1154–1184. https://doi.org/10.2307/256995.
  2. Ashforth, B. E., Rogers, K. M., Pratt, M. G., & Pradies, C. (2014). Ambivalence in organizations: A multilevel approach. Organization Science, 25(5), 1453–1478. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2014.0909.
  3. Blau, P. M. (1964). Justice in Social Exchange. Sociological Inquiry, 34(2), 193–206. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-682X.1964.tb00583.x.
  4. Chaman, S., Shaheen, S., & Hussain, A. (2022). Linking Leader’s Behavioral Integrity With Workplace Ostracism: A Mediated-Moderated Model. Frontiers in Psychology, 13(June), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.726009.
  5. Chan, S. C. H. (2017). Benevolent leadership, perceived supervisory support, and subordinates’ performance: The moderating role of psychological empowerment. Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 38(7), 897–911. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-09-2015-0196.
  6. Chan, S. C. H., & Mak, W. ming. (2012). Benevolent leadership and follower performance: The mediating role of leader-member exchange (LMX). Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 29(2), 285–301. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10490-011-9275-3.
  7. Chen, X. P., Eberly, M. B., Chiang, T. J., Farh, J. L., & Cheng, B. S. (2014). Affective Trust in Chinese Leaders: Linking Paternalistic Leadership to Employee Performance. Journal of Management, 40(3), 796–819. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206311410604.
  8. Cheng, B. S., Chou, L. F., Wu, T. Y., Huang, M. P., & Farh, J. L. (2004). Paternalistic leadership and subordinate responses: Establishing a leadership model in Chinese organizations. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 7(1), 89–117. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-839X.2004.00137.x.
  9. Cheng, C. H., & Osman, Z. Bin. (2023). Empirical Study of Leadership Styles on Task Performance. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 13(12). https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v13-i12/19360.
  10. Chuang, Y. T., Chiang, H. L., Lin, A. P., & Lien, Y. C. (2022). Dual crossover mechanisms of benevolent supervision on followers’ contextual performance and emotional exhaustion alleviation. Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 43(1), 111–132. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-10-2020-0431.
  11. Cropanzano, R., Anthony, E. L., Daniels, S. R., & Hall, A. V. (2017). Social exchange theory: A critical review with theoretical remedies. Academy of Management Annals, 11(1), 479–516. https://doi.org/10.5465/annals.2015.0099.
  12. Cropanzano, R., & Mitchell, M. S. (2005). Social exchange theory: An Interdisciplinary review. Journal of Management, 31(6), 874–900. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206305279602.
  13. Emerson, M. R. (1976). Social Exchange Theory.Annual review of sociology. Annual Reviews Sociollogy, 2, 335–362. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.so.02.080176.002003.
  14. Erdogan, B., & Enders, J. (2007). Support from the top: Supervisors’ perceived organizational support as a moderator of leader-member exchange to satisfaction and performance relationships. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(2), 321–330. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.92.2.321.
  15. Farh, J.-L., & Cheng, B.-S. (2000). A Cultural Analysis of Paternalistic Leadership in Chinese Organizations. Management and Organizations in the Chinese Context, 84–127. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230511590_5.
  16. Farh, J. L., Liang, J., Chou, L. F., & Cheng, B. S. (2008). Paternalistic leadership in Chinese organizations: Research progress and future research directions. In Leadership and Management in China: Philosophies, Theories, and Practices. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511753763.008.
  17. Gerstner, C. R., & Day, D. V. (1997). Meta-analytic review of leader-member exchange theory: Correlates and construct issues. Journal of Applied Psychology, 82(6), 827–844. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.82.6.827.
  18. Gilson, L. L., Lim, H. S., Luciano, M. M., & Choi, J. N. (2013). Unpacking the cross-level effects of tenure diversity, explicit knowledge, and knowledge sharing on individual creativity. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 86(2), 203–222. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12011.
  19. Gilson, L. L., & Shalley, C. E. (2004). A little creativity goes a long way: An examination of teams’ engagement in creative processes. Journal of Management, 30(4), 453–470. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jm.2003.07.001.
  20. Goss, D. (2008). Enterprise ritual: A theory of entrepreneurial emotion and exchange. British Journal of Management, 19(2), 120–137. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8551.2006.00518.x.
  21. Graen, G. B., & Uhl-Bien, M. (2010). LMX 7 - Questionnaire. 6(Lmx), 180–181.
  22. Hair, J. F., Black, W., Babin, B., & Anderson, R. (2018). on Multivariate Data Analysis Joseph F . Hair Jr . William C . Black Eight Edition. In International Journal of Multivariate Data Analysis (Vol. 1, Issue 2).
  23. Harter, J. K., Frank Schmidt, G. L., Agrawal, S., Anthony Blue, G., Stephanie Plowman, G. K., Patrick Josh, G., Jim Asplund, G., Almeida, M.-L., Galhotra, J., Gandhi, R., Griffiths, J., Gottfredson, R., Hodge, D., Lu, D., McFeely, S., Nink, M., Reimnitz, J., Saransomrurtai, C., & Singh, P. (2020). The Relationship Between Engagement at Work and Organizational Outcomes 2020 Q 12® Meta-Analysis: 10 th Edition O C T O B E R 2 0 2 0 The Relationship Between Engagement at Work and Organizational Outcomes 2020 Q 12® Meta-Analysis: 10 th Edition. October.
  24. Huang, J. C. (2022). Does benevolent leadership consistently lead to employees’ voluntary behaviors? Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 43(8), 1234–1251. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-04-2021-0141.
  25. J., A. (2014). Determinants of employee engagement and their impact on employee performance. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 63(3), 308–323. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-01-2013-0008.
  26. Jaiswal, Neeraj Kumar dan Dhar, R. L. (2008). Leadership & Organization Development Journal The influence of servant leadership, trust in leader and thriving on employee creativity. The Eletronic Library, 34(1), 1–5.
  27. Kahn, W. A. (1990). Psychological conditions of personal engagement and disengagement at work. Academy of Management Journal, 33(4), 692–724. https://doi.org/10.5465/256287.
  28. Karakas, F., & Sarigollu, E. (2012). Benevolent Leadership: Conceptualization and Construct Development. Journal of Business Ethics, 108(4), 537–553. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-011-1109-1.
  29. Karakas, F., & Sarigollu, E. (2013). The Role of Leadership in Creating Virtuous and Compassionate Organizations: Narratives of Benevolent Leadership in an Anatolian Tiger. Journal of Business Ethics, 113(4), 663–678. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-013-1691-5.
  30. Kell, H. J., Motowidlo, S. J., Martin, M. P., Stotts, A. L., & Moreno, C. A. (2014). Testing for Independent Effects of Prosocial Knowledge and Technical Knowledge on Skill and Performance. Human Performance, 27(4), 311–327. https://doi.org/10.1080/08959285.2014.929692.
  31. Koopmans, L., Bernaards, C. M., Hildebrandt, V. H., Schaufeli, W. B., De Vet Henrica, C. W., & Van Der Beek, A. J. (2011). Conceptual frameworks of individual work performance: A systematic review. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 53(8), 856–866. https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0b013e318226a763.
  32. Lambe, C. J., Wittmann, C. M., & Spekman, R. E. (2001). Social exchange theory and research on business-to-business relational exchange. Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing, 8(3), 1–36. https://doi.org/10.1300/J033v08n03_01.
  33. Lee, A., Thomas, G., Martin, R., & Guillaume, Y. (2019). Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) Ambivalence and Task Performance: The Cross-Domain Buffering Role of Social Support. Journal of Management, 45(5), 1927–1957. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206317741190.
  34. Liao, Z., Liu, W., Li, X., & Song, Z. (2019). Give and take: An episodic perspective on leader-member exchange. Journal of Applied Psychology, 104(1), 34–51. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000371.
  35. Lin, B., Mainemelis, C., & Kark, R. (2016). Leaders’ responses to creative deviance: Differential effects on subsequent creative deviance and creative performance. Leadership Quarterly, 27(4), 537–556. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2015.09.001.
  36. Liu, D., Liao, H., & Loi, R. (2012). The Dark Side Of Leadership : A Three-Level Investigation of the Cascading Effect Of Abusive Supervision On Employee Creativity Georgia Institute Of Technology University Of Maryland. Academy of Management Journal, 55(5), 1187–1212. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2010.0400.
  37. MacLeod, D., & Clarke, N. (2010). Leadership and employee engagement: passing fad or a new way of doing business? International Journal of Leadership in Public Services, 6(4), 26–30. https://doi.org/10.5042/ijlps.2010.0634.
  38. Markos Solomon, & Sridevi M Sandhya. (2010). Employee Engagement: The Key to Improving Performance. International Journal of Business and Management, 5(12), 89–96. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v5n12p89.
  39. Motowidlo, S. J., & Kell, H. J. (2012). Job Performance. Handbook of Psychology, Second Edition, January 2013. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118133880.hop212005.
  40. Niu, C. P., Wang, A. C., & Cheng, B. S. (2009). Effectiveness of a moral and benevolent leader: Probing the interactions of the dimensions of paternalistic leadership. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 12(1), 32–39. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-839X.2008.01267.x.
  41. No-fads, T., Facts, H., Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2010). Stay on top of best in business knowledge the truth about leadership. 1–8.
  42. Öge, E., Çetin, M., & Top, S. (2018). The effects of paternalistic leadership on workplace loneliness, work family conflict and work engagement among air traffic controllers in Turkey. Journal of Air Transport Management, 66(February 2017), 25–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2017.10.003.
  43. Pellegrini, E. K., & Scandura, T. A. (2008). Paternalistic leadership: A review and agenda for future research. Journal of Management, 34(3), 566–593. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206308316063.
  44. Rich. (2016). Rich Et Al, 2016. 53(3), 617–635. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2010.51468988.
  45. Saks, A. M. (2006). Antecedents and consequences of employee engagement. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 21(7), 600–619. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683940610690169.
  46. Schaufeli, W. B., Bakker, A. B., & Salanova, M. (2006). The measurement of work engagement with a short questionnaire: A cross-national study. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 66(4), 701–716. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164405282471.
  47. Sekaran, U., & Bougie, R. (2013). Research Methods for Business. Jhon Wiley & Sons Ltd. Academic Journal Bangkokthonburi University, 2(2), 203–206.
  48. Sendawula, K., Nakyejwe Kimuli, S., Bananuka, J., & Najjemba Muganga, G. (2018). Training, employee engagement and employee performance: Evidence from Uganda’s health sector. Cogent Business and Management, 5(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2018.1470891.
  49. Shalley, C. E. (1995). Effects of Coaction, Expected Evaluation, and Goal Setting on Creativity and Productivity. Academy of Management Journal, 38(2), 483–503. https://doi.org/10.5465/256689.
  50. Shen, X., Shen, T., Chen, Y., Wang, Y., He, X., Lv, X., & Jin, Q. (2023). The associations between benevolent leadership, affective commitment, work engagement and helping behavior of nurses: a cross-sectional study. BMC Nursing, 22(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-023-01581-6.
  51. Thompson, G., Buch, R., & Glasø, L. (2018). Low-quality LMX relationships, leader incivility, and follower responses. Journal of General Management, 44(1), 17–26. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306307018788808.
  52. Tuan, L. T. (2018). Driving employees to serve customers beyond their roles in the Vietnamese hospitality industry: The roles of paternalistic leadership and discretionary HR practices. Tourism Management, 69(June), 132–144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2018.06.007.
  53. Viswesvaran, C., & Ones, D. S. (2000). Perspectives on Models of Job Performance. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 8(4), 216–226. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2389.00151.
  54. Vosloban, R. I. (2012). The Influence of the Employee’s Performance on the Company’s Growth - A Managerial Perspective. Procedia Economics and Finance, 3(12), 660–665. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2212-5671(12)00211-0.
  55. Walumbwa, F. O., Avolio, B. J., Gardner, W. L., Wernsing, T. S., & Peterson, S. J. (2008). Authentic leadership: Development and validation of a theory-based measure. Journal of Management, 34(1), 89–126. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206307308913.
  56. Wang, A. C., Chiang, J. T. J., Tsai, C. Y., Lin, T. T., & Cheng, B. S. (2013). Gender makes the difference: The moderating role of leader gender on the relationship between leadership styles and subordinate performance. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 122(2), 101–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2013.06.001.
  57. Wang, S., Wu, J., He, C., & Gu, J. (2022). The impact of authoritarian leadership on employee creativity: the joint moderating roles of benevolent leadership and power distance. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 37(6), 527–544. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMP-01-2021-0046.
  58. Williams, L. J., & Anderson, S. E. (1991). Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment as Predictors of Organizational Citizenship and In-Role Behaviors. Journal of Management, 17(3), 601–617. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920639101700305.
  59. Wu, M. (2012). Moral leadership and work performance: Testing the mediating and interaction effects in China. Chinese Management Studies, 6(2), 284–299. https://doi.org/10.1108/17506141211236721.
  60. Xu, Q., Zhao, Y., Xi, M., & Zhao, S. (2018). Impact of benevolent leadership on follower taking charge: Roles of work engagement and role-breadth self-efficacy. Chinese Management Studies, 12(4), 741–755. https://doi.org/10.1108/CMS-03-2018-0448.
  61. Yamao, S. (2024). Social exchange theory. A Guide to Key Theories for Human Resource Management Research, 274–279. https://doi.org/10.5040/9798216000365.0182.
  62. Zafirovski, M. (2005). Electronic Journal of Sociology ( 2005 ) ISSN : 1198 3655 Social Exchange Theory under Scrutiny : A Positive Critique of its Economic-Behaviorist Formulations. Electronic Journal of Sociology, 2(2005), 1–40. http://www.sociology.org/content/2005/tier2/SETheory.pdf.
  63. Zhou, J., & George, J. M. (2001). When Job Dissatisfaction Leads to Creativity: Encouraging the Expression of Voice. Academy of Management Journal, 44(4), 682–696. https://doi.org/10.5465/3069410.
  64. Zhou, J., & Shalley, C. E. (2010). Deepening our understanding of creativity in the workplace: A review of different approaches to creativity research. APA Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Vol 1: Building and Developing the Organization., 275–302. https://doi.org/10.1037/12169-009.
  65. Ge, S., Gardner, W. L., Karam, E. P., Cogliser, C. C., Yan, Z., & Lu, M. (2025). Benevolent Leadership As An Antecedent And Moderator Of Ostracism: A Moderated Mediation Model with Employee Performance. Journal Of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 32(2), 172-188. https://doi.org/10.1177/15480518251316095.

Downloads

How to Cite

santoso , M. budi ., Riani, A. L. ., harsono, M. ., & Suyono, J. . (2025). Conceptualizing The Impact of Benevolent Leadership on Task Performance: A Tri‎adic Mediation Approach Through Work Engagement, Leader–Member Exchange, and ‎Creativity in Relation to Leadership Style ROI. International Journal of Accounting and Economics Studies, 12(4), 29-35. https://doi.org/10.14419/rqjwkg18

Received date: June 25, 2025

Accepted date: July 26, 2025

Published date: August 1, 2025