변혁적 리더십이 MZ세대 구성원의 혁신행동에 미치는 영향: 심리적 임파워먼트를 중심으로

The Impact of Transformational Leadership on the Innovative Behaviors of Generation MZ Members: Focusing on Psychological Empowerment

Purpose – This study examines how transformational leadership shapes the innovative behavior of Generation MZ employees in China, focusing on the mediating role of psychological empowerment. It further explores how the four dimensions of transformational leadership, idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration, differently affect innovative employee behaviors. Design/Methodology/Approach – An empirical analysis was conducted using survey data collected from 431 Generation MZ employees across diverse industries, including manufacturing, finance, services, and ICT. Respondents were drawn from eight major Chinese cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the hypothesized relationships and mediating effects. Findings – The results show that idealized influence, inspirational motivation, and intellectual stimulation have significant positive impacts on innovative behavior, whereas individualized consideration does not. Psychological empowerment plays a key mediating role; it fully mediates the effect of intellectual stimulation and partially mediates that of inspirational motivation, but no significant mediation was observed for idealized influence or individualized consideration. Research Implications – The findings highlight the importance of specific leadership behaviors in fostering innovation among Generation MZ employees. Organizational leaders should prioritize intellectual stimulation and inspirational motivation to enhance psychological empowerment. Innovation strategies should align with Generation MZ’s intrinsic needs for autonomy and personal growth, emphasizing motivational and structural support rather than individualized consideration alone.