THE MEDIATING EFFECTS OF EMPLOYEE AND TEAM EMPOWERMENT ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LEADERSHIP AND PERFORMANCE WITHIN A CONTEXT

. . , Purpose: The aim ofthis study is to investigate the mediating role ofemployee and team empowerment in the relationship between transformational leadership and organizational performance in Tehran-based R&D centers in the oil industry. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative approach was adopted for this study with a questionnaire in which participants (n=133) were asked to express their viewpoints about the variables under investigation. The average respondent age was 42, and 33% were female. The participants in the survey were all well educated professionals and senior research fellows, as well as project managers. The results were analyzed through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using LISREL 8.8. Findings: Team empowerment was found to mediate the relationship between transformational leadership and organizational performance, while employee empowerment did not mediate such a relationship. Furthermore, transformational leadership had a positive and significant impact on employee empowerment. Research limitations/implications: The geographical scope ofthe research was restricted to the city ofTehran. The results, however, have important implications for both academics andpractitioners who can take advantage ~fpromising value ofteam empowerment. Originality/value: The current research introduces a new conceptual model ofteam empowerment and leadership-performance.