Social Learning in Empowering Leadership: A Moderated Mediation Analysis

This study suggests a comprehensive conceptual model of social learning of empowering leadership by focusing on the antecedents and processes of empowering leadership. Data were obtained from subordinate–supervisor dyads from the South Korean Army. The results support the social learning of empowering leadership. Specifically, second-level leaders’ empowering leadership facilitates first-level leaders’ empowering leadership and this relationship is mediated by leader-leader exchange (LLX). In addition, the results confirm the existence of a moderated mediation relationship among the constructs of interest. That is, the first-level leaders’ exchange ideology moderates the relationship between leader-leader exchange (LLX) and their empowering leadership, such that the relationship is stronger when exchange ideology is weak rather than strong; and weak exchange ideology thus strengthen the indirect effects of the second-level leaders’ empowering leadership on the first-level leaders’ empowering leadership through LLX.Implications for both theory and practice are discussed.