Model 2 is illustrated in Figure 8 - 2. All paths are statistically significant and the
total (direct plus indirect paths) standardised effects are as follows:
ML→ME = 0.558
ML→JP = 0.415
ML→DSB = 0.400
ME→JP = 0.258
Model 2 confirms that motivational leadership positively influences employees’
work meaning. This effect is postulated in Bass’s transformational leadership
theory (Avolio and Bass 2004a: 96; Bass and Riggio 2006: 6) although the exact
nature of ‘work meaning’ is not made explicit. This research developed an
exploratory Work Meaning construct for testing (based on earlier work by Wollack
et al. 1971) and the post-modification construct identity for Work Meaning is
interpreted as “employees’ satisfaction, enjoyment and social status from work”.
Model 2 is important firstly because it confirms work meaning as an attitudinal
outcome of motivational leadership – no other work identified during the course of
this research has measured work meaning in a leadership context. Accordingly,
this finding is relevant not only for leadership in hospitality but also for the wider
field of generic leadership studies. Secondly, Model 2 confirms work meaning as
a partial mediator of motivational leadership’s effect on job performance, as
illustrated in Figure 8 - 2.
Model 3 introduced the remaining two hypothesised attitudinal outcomes of
transformational leadership (job satisfaction and affective organisational
commitment) into the model. Like work meaning, these attitudinal constructs are
hypothesised as direct outcomes of motivational leadership and partial mediators
between motivational leadership and job performance.
It was found that the three attitudinal constructs were not sufficiently distinct
from one another based on Fornell and Larcker’s criteria for discriminant validity
(1981: 47). That the three constructs all measure employee attitudes make this
finding entirely plausible.
The model was re-specified (as Model 3b) with all of the indicator variables
loading on one Employee Attitude variable. The model was developed following
the process described in Section 7.6. The re-specified model established a new
construct, labelled Employee Positive Attitudes (EPA) illustrated in Figure 8 - 3.