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Linking empowering leadership to work-related well-being and project citizenship behavior in the construction context: a self-determination perspective

Ziyao Zhang (School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, Institute of Project Management, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, China)
Guodong Ni (School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, Institute of Project Management, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, China)
Han Lin (School of Engineering Audit, Nanjing Audit University, Nanjing, China)
Zongbo Li (School of Economics and Management, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, China)
Zhipeng Zhou (College of Economics and Management, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China)

International Journal of Managing Projects in Business

ISSN: 1753-8378

Article publication date: 28 November 2022

Issue publication date: 14 March 2023

1142

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the relationships between empowering leadership, basic psychological needs satisfaction, work-related well-being, and project citizenship behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing upon the self-determination theory (SDT), a conceptual model was developed and then empirically tested using a cross-sectional survey of 435 project members in Chinese construction projects.

Findings

The results fully support the research hypotheses proposed in the study, illustrating the positive impacts of empowering leadership on work-related well-being and project citizenship behavior, the mediating role of basic psychological needs satisfaction, and the positive association between work-related well-being and project citizenship behavior.

Practical implications

This research determines the utility of empowering leadership in the context of construction projects, especially in enhancing individual outcomes (i.e. work-related well-being and project citizenship behavior). Therefore, construction project managers can apply empowering leadership to meet the basic psychological needs of subordinates to increase project members' work-related well-being and project citizenship behavior.

Originality/value

To our knowledge, the present study first explores the micro-level impacts of empowering leadership in the construction context. Additionally, this study enriches the understanding of the mediating mechanism between empowering leadership and individual outcomes from a self-determination perspective.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This study is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Project No. 72071201), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities in China (Project No. 2020ZDPYMS30) and Postgraduate Research and Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province (KYCX21_2079).

Citation

Zhang, Z., Ni, G., Lin, H., Li, Z. and Zhou, Z. (2023), "Linking empowering leadership to work-related well-being and project citizenship behavior in the construction context: a self-determination perspective", International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, Vol. 16 No. 2, pp. 232-257. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMPB-10-2021-0288

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited

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