A meta-analysis of the role of trust in the leadership- performance relationship
Legood, Alison, van der Werff, LisaORCID: 0000-0003-4529-4690, Lee, AllanORCID: 0000-0003-3913-6135 and den Hartog, Deanne
(2020)
A meta-analysis of the role of trust in the leadership- performance relationship.
European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 30
(1).
pp. 1-22.
ISSN 1359-432X
Trust plays a critical role as a key mechanism through which the positive impact of
leadership can be elicited. This meta-analysis examines the incremental validity of eight
leadership styles (transformational, transactional, authentic, ethical, servant, abusive,
paternalistic and empowering) in predicting affective and cognitive dimensions of trust as
mediating mechanisms in the relationship between leadership and performance outcomes. To
counter issues of common method variance, we focus on the impact these mediated
relationships have on independently measured other ratings of outcomes; task performance
and organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB). We also test whether trust in the leader
differs from that of the broader construct of Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) quality. Using
185 independent studies conducted since 1988, we find that contemporary styles, particularly
servant and ethical leadership, demonstrate incremental validity over transformational and
transactional (contingent reward) leadership in predicting trust in the leader. Meta analytical
mediation tests reveal that trust in the leader and LMX play unique roles in mediating the
relationship between leadership styles and performance related outcomes. Finally, evidence
suggests that affective and cognitive dimensions of trust play a differential role in this
mediating process and that affective trust in the leader is a more powerful predictor of
performance and OCB.