The Mediating Role of Team Engagement in the Relationship between Transformational Leadership and Team Dynamics

Author's Information:

Warsha Kumar

Masters Candidate, College of Business, Hospitality and Tourism Studies, Fiji National University, Fiji

Shalendra S. Kumar

Assistant Professor, College of Business, Hospitality and Tourism Studies, Fiji National University, Fiji 

Vol 02 No 11 (2025):Volume 02 Issue 11 November 2025

Page No.: 820-828

Abstract:

This study examines how Transformational Leadership (TL) affects Team Dynamics (TD) and Team Engagement (TE), with a focus on the mediating function of engagement.  The particular research was conducted in order to understand the influence of Transformational Leadership behaviors on group performance in the context of Fiji National University, as well as in various private sector organizations. This piece of research is grounded in Transformational Leadership Theory (Bass & Riggio, 2006), where the authors propose that shared engagement as well as increased teamwork can be stimulated by leaders who encourage as well as help employees. It is a quantitative design that involved the use of questionnaires administered among 170 respondents.  SPSS was used to analyze data collected in the study, with a focus on tests of relationships.   It is evident that both TE (β = 0.697, p < 0.001) and TD (β = 0.519, p < 0.001) are greatly influenced in a favorable way by TL.  Moreover, TE partially moderated the effects of leadership on TD, as evident in TD having a significant positive relationship with TE (β = 0.324, p < 0.001). These findings demonstrate that fostering psychological safety and participation is important in enhancing teamwork factors of trust, communication, and collaboration as a result of the positive influence of transformational leaders. By verifying that participation is a mediator in proving the relationship between transformational leadership behaviors and the relevant factors of the process, this study makes a contribution to theory. Practically, the importance of building skills in transformational leadership behaviors of empathy, intellectual stimulation, and inspirational motivation in relation to enhancing the cohesiveness of a firm’s teamwork performance is highlighted. As identified in the findings, organizations must develop leadership qualities that are primarily transformational in nature, particularly in the public and academic spheres of society, in order to sustain cooperation through the element of employee engagement.

KeyWords:

Transformational Leadership, Team Dynamics, Team Engagement

References:

  1. Bakker, A.B. & Schaufeli, W.B. (2008) ‘Positive organizational behavior: Engaged employees in flourishing organizations’, Journal of Organizational Behavior, 29(2), pp. 147–154.
  2. Bakker, A.B. & Schaufeli, W.B. (2008) ‘Positive organizational behavior: Engaged employees in 
  3. Bass, B. M., & Avolio, B. J. (1994). Improving organizational effectiveness through transformational leadership. Sage Publications.
  4. Bass, B.M. & Riggio, R.E. (2006) Transformational Leadership. 2nd ed. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
  5. Bass, B.M. (1990) From transactional to transformational leadership: Learning to share the vision. Organizational Dynamics, 18(3), pp.19–31.
  6. Blau, P. (1964) Exchange and Power in Social Life. New York: Wiley.
  7. Burke, C.S., Sims, D.E., Lazzara, E.H. and Salas, E. (2007) Trust in leadership: A multi-level review and integration. The Leadership Quarterly, 18(6), pp.606–632.
  8. Chen, L., & Miller, P. (2022). Beyond Engagement: The Role of Trust and Communication in Shaping Team Dynamics. Journal of Organizational Psychology, 15(3), 201-218.
  9. Costa, A.C., Fulmer, C.A. and Anderson, N.R. (2018) Trust in work teams: An integrative review, multilevel model, and future directions. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 39(2), pp.169–184.
  10. Davies, M., & White, K. (2020). Optimizing Team Performance: The Interplay of Engagement and Dynamic Interactions. International Journal of Teamwork Excellence, 8(1), 45-62.
  11. Garcia, R. & Brown, S. (2023) ‘Leadership’s influence on team engagement and consequent dynamic shifts’, Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 44(2), pp. 189–205.
  12. Ghadi, M.Y., Fernando, M. & Caputi, P. (2013) ‘Transformational leadership and work engagement: The mediating effect of meaning in work’, Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 34(6), pp. 532–550.
  13. Ghadi, M.Y., Fernando, M. & Caputi, P. (2013) ‘Transformational leadership and work engagement: The mediating effect of meaning in work’, Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 34(6), pp. 532–550.
  14. Kozlowski, S. W. J., & Ilgen, D. R. (2006). Enhancing the effectiveness of work groups and teams: A review and research agenda. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 7(3), 77-124.
  15. Marks, M. A., Mathieu, J. E., & Zaccaro, S. J. (2001). A temporally based framework and taxonomy of team processes. Academy of Management Review, 26(3), 356-376.
  16. Mathieu, J. E., Tannenbaum, S. I., Donsbach, J. S., & Alliger, G. M. (2019). Team dynamics. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 6, 345-369.
  17. Nzarubara, B., Matagi, L. & Nantamu, S. (2020) ‘Transformational leadership, employee engagement and performance in Uganda’s public service’, African Journal of Management Research, 27(1), pp. 45–63.
  18. Patel, A., & Kim, Y. (2022). Navigating Diversity: Engagement, Dynamics, and Performance in Cross-Cultural Teams. Journal of Cross-Cultural Management, 29(4), 315-332.
  19. Pietrantoni, L., Mazzetti, G., San Román Niaves, M., Kubik, R., Giusino, D. and De Angelis, M. (2023) Enhancing team dynamics through digital coaching: the role of managerial and peer support. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 44(7), pp.812–828.
  20. Podsakoff, P.M., MacKenzie, S.B., Moorman, R.H. and Fetter, R. (1996) Transformational leader behaviors and their effects on followers’ trust in leader, satisfaction, and organizational citizenship behaviors. Leadership Quarterly, 1(2), pp.107–142.
  21. Schreiber, E., Van Dijk, D. & Drory, A. (2021) ‘The effect of cultural diversity on employees’ trust in their teammates: Transformational leadership as a moderator’, Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 42(6), pp. 859–873.
  22. Smith, J. & Jones, A. (2021) ‘The engaged team: A catalyst for cohesive team dynamics’, Academy of Management Perspectives, 35(2), pp. 123–140.
  23. Stahl, G.K., Mäkelä, K., Zander, L. and Maznevski, M.L. (2010) A look at the bright side of multicultural team diversity. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 26(4), pp.439–447.
  24. Yukl, G. (2013) Leadership in Organizations. 8th ed. Harlow: Pearson Education.