Unraveling the intricate relationship between empowerment role identity and adaptive performance: Evidence from China

Abstract

How to inspire employees to develop proficiency in their adaptability to fulfill new job requirements and what benefits can organizations derive from employee empowerment serve as two core questions in management literature. However, the linkage between empowerment and adaptive performance, let alone their interactions with other factors, is seldom studied. This article fills in this gap by examining the relationships among empowerment role identity, adaptive performance, authentic leadership, and leader-member exchange (LMX). Using data collected from a sample of 326 employee-supervisor dyads in China’s information, communication, and technology (ICT) industry, this article argues that LMX mediates the positive correlation between employees’ empowerment role identity and their adaptive performance. By adopting the Johnson-Neyman technique, this article further showcases the exact extent to which authentic leadership facilitates, counteracts, and undermines the mediating role that LMX plays in helping employees with empowerment needs to achieve greater adaptability.