PEMETAAN KOMPONEN KEPIMPINAN TRANSFORMASIONAL DAN IMPLIKASINYA TERHADAP KEBAHAGIAAN PENJAWAT AWAM DI MALAYSIA
MAPPING THE COMPONENTS OF TRANSFORMATIONAAL LEADERSHIP AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR THE HAPPINESS OF CIVIL SERVANTS IN MALAYSIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v7i1.1081Keywords:
kepimpinan transformasional, pertimbangan individu, matlamat pembangunan lestari (SDG), kesejahteraan, kebahagiaan penjawat awamAbstract
Kajian ini bertujuan memetakan komponen kepimpinan transformasional dan implikasinya terhadap kebahagiaan penjawat awam di Malaysia. Menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif, kajian melibatkan 300 responden yang dipilih secara rawak daripada sebuah agensi kerajaan. Soal selidik terbuka diedarkan untuk mengenal pasti ciri-ciri kepimpinan yang paling dihargai dan menyumbang kepada kebahagiaan serta kesejahteraan kerja. Analisis pengekodan tematik digunakan untuk memetakan ciri-ciri tersebut kepada empat komponen utama kepimpinan transformasional Bass: Pertimbangan Individu, Pengaruh Ideal, Motivasi Inspirasi, dan Rangsangan Intelektual. Dapatan utama menunjukkan Pertimbangan Individu mendominasi dengan kekerapan tertinggi (f = 1092), diikuti Pengaruh Ideal (f = 729), Motivasi Inspirasi (f = 561), dan Rangsangan Intelektual (f = 186). Ciri-ciri seperti “walk the talk”, integriti tinggi, pemahaman dan sokongan peribadi, penghormatan terhadap staf, serta kepekaan terhadap kebajikan menjadi faktor utama yang mengurangkan tekanan kerja, meningkatkan kepuasan tugas, dan memupuk emosi positif serta kebahagiaan di tempat kerja. Pemimpin yang empatik dan memberi perhatian individu berupaya membina persekitaran kerja yang positif, inklusif, dan berdaya tahan. Kajian ini menegaskan peranan kepimpinan transformasional, khususnya pertimbangan individu, dalam menyokong Matlamat Pembangunan Lestari (SDG 3): Kesihatan dan Kesejahteraan yang Baik. Cadangan termasuk memperkukuh program latihan kepimpinan yang menekankan empati, integriti, dan pembangunan individu bagi meningkatkan kesejahteraan penjawat awam secara mampan di sektor awam Malaysia.
This study maps the components of transformational leadership and their implications for the happiness of public servants in Malaysia. Employing a quantitative design, the research involved 300 randomly selected respondents from a Malaysian government agency. An open-ended questionnaire was distributed to identify the most valued leadership characteristics contributing to overall happiness and workplace well-being. Thematic coding analysis was applied to map these characteristics against Bass four core components of transformational leadership: Individualized Consideration, Idealized Influence, Inspirational Motivation, and Intellectual Stimulation. Results indicated Individualized Consideration as the most prominent component (f = 1092), followed by Idealized Influence (f = 729), Inspirational Motivation (f = 561), and Intellectual Stimulation (f = 186). Dominant traits included “walking the talk,” high integrity, understanding and personal support, respect for staff, and concern for employee welfare, which collectively reduced work stress, enhanced job satisfaction, and promoted positive emotions and happiness at work. Empathetic leaders who provide individualized attention were shown to foster positive, inclusive, and resilient work environments. The findings highlight the critical role of transformational leadership particularly individualized consideration in advancing Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-Being). Recommendations include strengthening leadership training programs that emphasize empathy, integrity, and individual development to sustainably improve the well-being of public servants in Malaysia's public sector.
References
[1] Al-Shami, S.A., Rashid, N., Cheong, C.B. (2023): Happiness at workplace on innovative work behaviour and organisation citizenship behaviour through moderating effect of innovative behaviour. – Heliyon 9(5): 12p.
[2] Aldossari, F., Alanizan, S. (2025): The impact of transformational leadership on employee performance: The mediating role of job satisfaction and organizational commitment. – Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology 9(6): 609-625.
[3] Alias, B.S., Yusof, R., Rasli, A., Ismail, M.J., Nordin, M.N.A., Ishak, M.R., Prestianawati, S.A., Abas, I.H., Jamaludin, K. (2023): Factors that contribute to integrity of academicians in Malaysian public agency: A case study. – Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development 7(3): 18p.
[4] Aminah, H., Lin, P.K., Susita, D., Helexandra, L., Moslehpour, M. (2022): How does servant leadership affect public employees’ organizational citizenship behavior? The mediation effect of organizational culture and knowledge sharing. – International Journal of eBusiness and eGovernment Studies 14: 361-387.
[5] Bai, Y., Ghazali, S.S. (2024): Exploring the link between transformational leadership and employee job satisfaction and the mediation effect of employee work motivation among government agency teachers. – International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences 14(5): 1265-1278.
[6] Bani-Melhem, S., Al-Hawari, M.A., Quratulain, S. (2022): Leader-member exchange and frontline employees’ innovative behaviors: The roles of employee happiness and service climate. – International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management 71(2): 540-557.
[7] Bass, B.M. (1990): From transactional to transformational leadership: Learning to share the vision. – Organizational Dynamics 18(3): 19-31.
[8] Bass, B.M., Riggio, R.E. (2006): Transformational leadership. – Lawrence Erlbaum Associates 296p.
[9] Bogler, R., Somech, A. (2004): Influence of teacher empowerment on teachers’ organizational commitment, professional commitment and organizational citizenship behavior in schools. – Teaching and Teacher Education 20(3): 277-289.
[10] Charles-Leija, H., Castro, C.G., Toledo, M., Ballesteros-Valdés, R. (2023): Meaningful work, happiness at work, and turnover intentions. – International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 20(4): 15p.
[11] Chen, C., Ding, X., Li, J. (2021): Transformational leadership and employee job satisfaction: The mediating role of employee relations climate and the moderating role of subordinate gender. – International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19(1): 14p.
[12] Dongxian, L., Batool, H. (2024): Influence of distributed leadership on employee innovative behaviour: the mediating role of psychological empowerment. – Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship 13(1): 22p.
[13] Duarte, A.P., Ribeiro, N., Semedo, A.S., Gomes, D.R. (2021): Authentic leadership and improved individual performance: Affective commitment and individual creativity’s sequential mediation. – Frontiers in Psychology 12: 11p.
[14] Eaton, L., Bridgman, T., Cummings, S. (2024): Advancing the democratization of work: A new intellectual history of transformational leadership theory. – Leadership 20(3): 125-143.
[15] Elvi, E., Tunjungsari, H.K. (2022): Gender, diversity management perceptions, workplace happiness, and organizational citizenship behavior. – In Proceedings of the tenth International Conference on Entrepreneurship and Business Management 2021 (ICEBM 2021), Atlantis Press 6p.
[16] Fang, Y., Veenhoven, R., Burger, M.J. (2025): Happiness and productivity: a research synthesis using an online findings archive. – Management Review Quarterly 38p.
[17] Hemalatha, K., Monica, B.S., Nageswara, B. (2017): A study on impact of employee welfare facilities on job satisfaction. – International Journal of Advanced Research and Innovative Ideas in Education 3(5): 822-826.
[18] Hussain, S.D., Khaliq, D.A., Nisar, Q.A., Kamboh, A.Z., Ali, S. (2019): Impact of employees’ recognition, rewards and job stress on job performance: Mediating role of perceived organization support. – Strategic Management Journal 2(2): 69-82.
[19] Jiang, S., Lu, M., Sato, H. (2012): Identity, inequality, and happiness: Evidence from urban China. – World Development 40(6): 1190-1200.
[20] Kanesan, A.G., Ling, Y.L., Ping, C.S. (2017): Workplace happiness, transformational leadership and affective commitment. – Journal of Computational and Theoretical Nanoscience 23(4): 2872-2875.
[21] Kasalak, G., Güneri, B., Ehtiyar, V.R., Apaydin, Ç., Türker, G.Ö. (2022): The relation between leadership styles in government agency institutions and academic staff’s job satisfaction: A meta-analysis study. – Frontiers in Psychology 13: 16p.
[22] Khan, M., Mahmood, A., Shoaib, M. (2022): Role of ethical leadership in improving employee outcomes through the work environment, work-life quality and ICT skills: A setting of China-Pakistan economic corridor. – Sustainability 14(17): 18p.
[23] Khalil, S.H., Sahibzadah, S. (2017): Leaders’ individualized consideration and employees’ job satisfaction. – Journal of Business and Tourism 3(2): 215-223.
[24] Li, Z., Mohamed Nasir, N.S. (2024): Transformational leadership and employee well-being: The role of emotional intelligence and organisational culture in China. – Uniglobal Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities 3(2): 317-322.
[25] López Pérez, C.P., Vieira Salazar, J.A., Echeverri Rubio, A. (2023): Leadership and its influence on happiness at work: A narrative literature review. – Cuadernos de Administración (Universidad del Valle) 39(75): 12p.
[26] Lou, X., Haas, B.W., Zelenski, J.M., Xing, C., Vignoles, V.L., Vauclair, C.M., van Tilburg, W.A., Uchida, Y., Teyssier, J., Torres, C., Sun, C.R. (2025): A cross-cultural study on the association between societal conditions and the idealization of happiness. – Applied Research in Quality of Life 20(3): 1289-1313.
[27] Malik, W.U., Javed, M., Hassan, S.T. (2017): Influence of transformational leadership components on job satisfaction and organisational commitment. – Pakistan Journal of Commerce and Social Sciences 11(1): 146-165.
[28] Martínez-Arvizu, O.J., Salazar-Altamirano, M.A., Galván-Vela, E., Anaya-Aguilar, R., Anaya-Aguilar, C. (2025): Happiness at work in small and medium-sized enterprises: An analysis of innovation and creativity. – BMC Psychology 13(1): 18p.
[29] McAnally, K., Hagger, M.S. (2024): Self-determination theory and workplace outcomes: A conceptual review and future research directions. – Behavioral Sciences 14(6): 20p.
[30] Pangarso, A., Pradana, M., Widodo, A., Putera, K.D.B. (2019): Bank’s employees happiness factor analysis (a study in bank BTN Harmoni branch, Jakarta, Indonesia). – Journal of Advanced Research in Dynamical and Control Systems 11(3): 750-758.
[31] Papachristopoulos, K., Gradito Dubord, M.A., Jauvin, F., Forest, J., Coulombe, P. (2023): Positive impact, creativity, and innovative behavior at work: The mediating role of basic needs satisfaction. – Behavioral Sciences 13(12): 14p.
[32] Peterson, C., Park, N., Seligman, M.E. (2005): Orientations to happiness and life satisfaction: The full life versus the empty life. – Journal of Happiness Studies 6(1): 25-41.
[33] Purwanto, A., Purba, J.T., Sijabat, R., Bernarto, I. (2021): The role of transformational leadership, organizational citizenship behaviour, innovative work behaviour, quality work life, digital transformation and leader–member exchange on government agencies’ performance. – Linguistica Antverpiensia 25p.
[34] Rajani, P.G., Nigam, S., Upadhyay, A. (2023): A study on impact of intellectual stimulation dimension of transformational leadership on employee job satisfaction. – International Journal of Novel Research and Development 8(7): 165-174.
[35] Rashid, N., Al-Shami, S.A.H. (2024): Exploring the interplay between happiness and employee wellbeing: A comprehensive review. – International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences 14(8): 2788-2801.
[36] Salas-Vallina, A., Alegre, J. (2018): Unselfish leaders? Understanding the role of altruistic leadership and organizational learning on happiness at work. – Leadership & Organization Development Journal 39(5): 633-649.
[37] Sam, T.H., Isa, K., Palpanadan, S.T. (2024): Perspectives of perceived organisational support (POS) theory towards individual happiness. – Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental 18(9): 1-16.
[38] Sam, T.H., Isa, K., Siqi, P., Palpanadan, S.T., Hong, H.C., Luan, N.M. (2025): Leadership Styles and Their Effects on Employee Satisfaction in Empowering Happiness at Workplace. – Journal of Ecohumanism 4(1): 454-463.
[39] Shujaat, A., Rashid, A., Muzaffar, A. (2021): Exploring the effects of social media use on employee performance: role of commitment and satisfaction. – In Research Anthology on Strategies for Using Social Media as A Service and Tool in Business, IGI Global Scientific Publishing 12p.
[40] Shyamalendu, N., Swati, J. (2017): Impact of optimism on leadership effectiveness: A review of literature. – International Journal of Management 8(6): 1-8.
[41] Soerjoatmodjo, G.W.L. (2025): The pursuit of happiness at work: Behavior pathway of Gen Z employees. – International Journal of Positivity & Well-Being 3(2): 105-119.
[42] Tuffaha, M. (2020): The determinants of employee’s performance: A literature review. – Journal of Economics and Management Sciences 3(3): 11p.
[43] Udasi, D. (2023): Impact of Pay Satisfaction on Employee Engagement and Employee Intention to Turnover. – Journal of Advanced Zoology 44(S7): 375-380.
[44] Usán, P., Salavera, C., Quílez-Robres, A. (2022): Self-efficacy, optimism, and academic performance as psychopublic serviceal variables: Mediation approach in students. – Children 9(3): 10p.
[45] Wahab, A., Din, M.N.U. (2024): Impact of leadership vision on employee commitment and organizational excellence: A case study of public sector government agencies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. – Pakistan Social Sciences Review 8(2): 59-67.
[46] Wan Muda, W.H.N., Halim, F.A., Sern, L.C., Isa, K., Saleem, A., Othman, N. (2024): The relationship between distributive leadership and organizational change management strategies. – Journal of Technical Education and Training 16(2): 219-230.
[47] Xu, S., Yaacob, Z., Cao, D. (2024): How transformational leadership promotes employee creativity within the context of environmental dynamism: A multilevel perspective. – International Journal of Organization Theory & Behavior 27(2): 101-119.
[48] Zulkifly, N.A., Asyraf, S.A. (2024): Transformational leadership and job satisfaction in a Malaysian private sector company: A preliminary study. – International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences 14(11): 2812-2820.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 SULHAIRIL HAFIZ SULAIMAN, KHAIRUNESA ISA, SARALA THULASI PALPANADAN, NURUL DIYANAH JAMALLUDIN, HANIZAH HASSAN

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.