Effect of transformational leadership on job performance : testing the mediating role of corporate social responsibility

Purpose: Encouraging employees to bolster their performance in today's turbulent business environment is an important priority for all types of organizations. Even though few studies reported the impact of transformational leadership (TL) on job performance (JP), the role of mediators namely corporate social responsibility (CSR) in this relationship is not given due attention. The purpose of this paper is to assess the mediating role of CSR in the relationship between TL and JP in the Indian context. Design/methodology/approach: Data from 306 full time employees working in the manufacturing industry in India were collected through an online survey. The manufacturing organizations were selected on the basis of their active participation in CSR activities and robustness of HR practices. Three structured questionnaires were used for eliciting data from the employees, and AMOS software was used for testing the validity of the hypothesized model. PROCESS macro was used for testing the mediating role of CSR. Findings: TL impacted both JP and CSR. Additionally, CSR showed a positive relationship with JP of employees. The pivotal finding of the study is the partial mediation of CSR in the TL–JP relationship. Originality/value: Based on neo-charismatic paradigm theory, TL theory, stakeholder theory and social identity theory, this paper enriches the literature by demonstrating the mediation mechanism driving TL and JP relationship.