How Responsible Leadership Strengthens the Path from Task Interdependence to Social Identity and Job Performance

This study investigates the mechanisms through which responsible leadership shapes social identity and performance outcomes among frontline hotel employees. Anchored in social identity theory, we develop and test a moderated-mediation model that delineates both the direct and conditional effects of responsible leadership. Specifically, we propose that responsible leadership not only exerts a direct positive influence on employees’ social identity but also serves as a moderating factor that strengthens the positive relationship between task interdependence and social identity, with this effect being more pronounced at higher levels of responsible leadership. Social identity, in turn, functions as a mediating mechanism that transmits the influence of task interdependence to two critical performance dimensions: creative performance and in-role performance. Data were collected from 58 work groups, including 318 frontline employees and 58 direct supervisors. We employ structural equation modeling to test the hypothesized relationships, and the results provide robust empirical support for all proposed pathways. By conceptualizing responsible leadership as a pivotal boundary condition that amplifies the identity-generating potential of interdependent job design, this study advances theoretical understanding of responsible leadership and its interplay with work design features. Furthermore, the findings offer actionable insights for leadership development and sustainable human resource management practices within the hospitality industry, highlighting the strategic value of fostering responsible leadership to enhance employee identification and performance outcomes.