Understanding both the direct and indirect effects in the model influences our
understanding of the impact that Motivational Leadership has on Job Performance.
In Model 1 the ML→JP effect was estimated at 0.414 and in Model 2 the total
effect is almost exactly the same at 0.415. Significantly, however, we can now
see that some of that effect is ‘transmitted’ via Work Meaning – that is, some of
the positive effect of motivational leadership on job performance is a result of the
motivational leaders increasing levels of work meaning for employees.
In concluding this section, we can accept Model 2:1, as illustrated in Figure 7 - 7 ,
as the optimal model (among those tested) for explaining the causal relationships
between these four latent variables. Additionally, we can accept H 3 and H 4 and
confirm that, in this sample at least, Work Meaning is an outcome of Motivational
Leadership and a predictor of Job Performance.
This finding represents a particularly significant and important contribution for this
work. Specifically, no prior empirical evidence has been found (during the
literature searches) that addresses the theoretical contribution of motivational
leadership to employees’ work meaning. Accordingly, the observation of the
ML→ME→JP path endows this research with relevance beyond the confines of
hospitality studies and is an important finding for the broader areas of services
management and leadership studies.
7.5 Model
Model 2 introduced Work Meaning separately from the other attitudinal variables
(Job Satisfaction and Affective Organisational Commitment) because of the core
theoretical role ascribed to Work Meaning as an outcome of Motivational
Leadership. Model 2 showed that Work Meaning (ME) partially mediates the
relationship between Motivational Leadership (ML) and Job Performance (JP).
Model 3 now introduces Job Satisfaction (JS) and Affective Organisational
Commitment (AOC) into the model. In addition to re-testing H 1 to H 4 in the
enlarged model, the additional hypotheses to be tested are:
H 5 (ML→JS): as employees experience greater levels of Motivational Leadership
they will also experience greater levels of Job Satisfaction