Understand Market Researchers: How Transformational Leadership Affects Their Compulsive Working and Career Success Perception

Abstract

The present study examined the direct and indirect (via compulsive working) relationships between transformational leadership and perceived career success among market research employees. It also examined the moderating effect of selfefficacy in the relationship between transformational leadership and compulsive working. Data were collected from 226 employees who are currently working or used to work in the past year for active market research agencies in Vietnam. The results of SEM analysis using SmartPLS 3 show that transformational leadership was positively related to perceived career success, both directly and through compulsive working. Compulsive working serves as a partial complementary mediating factor in this relationship. Furthermore, self-efficacy moderated the positive effect between transformational leadership and compulsive working, and this positive relationship was stronger when self-efficacy is low (as compared to high). This study has important and practical implications for market research companies that are increasingly concerned about employee satisfaction and employee well-being.