MAKASSAR, Indonesia April 18 2026 /IOP/– Many organizations believe that inspiring leadership is the key to unlocking employees’ full potential. The logic seems straightforward: better leaders create more motivated employees, who in turn contribute beyond their formal roles. But what if leadership alone is not enough?
A recent study titled “Only Women Can See It: Investigating the Role of Gender in the Effect of Transformational Leadership on Organizational Citizenship Behavior,” published in the Journal of Positive Psychology & Wellbeing in 2021, offers a more nuanced answer.
The study examined 365 employees in an automobile company in Makassar, Indonesia, exploring how transformational leadership, organizational justice, and gender interact to shape workplace behavior. At the center of the analysis is organizational citizenship behavior—those voluntary actions that go beyond formal job requirements, such as helping colleagues or taking initiative.
Surprisingly, the findings challenge a common assumption. Transformational leadership did not directly increase employees’ willingness to go the extra mile. Instead, what mattered most was whether employees perceived fairness within the organization.
Here is where gender becomes critical.
For female employees, leadership behaviors—such as support, encouragement, and involvement in decision-making—were interpreted as signs of fairness. This perception of organizational justice then encouraged them to engage more in extra-role behaviors. In contrast, male employees did not show the same pattern. Leadership style alone did not significantly influence their perception of fairness or their level of contribution beyond formal duties.
This insight has direct implications for SDG 5: Gender Equality and SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth.
From an SDG 5 perspective, the study reveals that men and women do not experience leadership in the same way. Equal treatment in policy does not guarantee equal perception in practice. Organizations that fail to recognize these differences risk unintentionally creating unequal psychological experiences at work.
At the same time, SDG 8 emphasizes the importance of productive and inclusive workplaces. The findings suggest that employee engagement and performance are not driven solely by leadership style, but by perceived fairness. Without it, even well-intentioned leadership may fail to produce meaningful outcomes.
The underlying mechanism can be explained through social exchange theory. When employees feel fairly treated, they are more likely to reciprocate with positive behaviors that benefit the organization. However, when fairness is not perceived, this reciprocal process breaks down.
This raises a critical question for organizations: Are they investing too heavily in leadership development while overlooking the systems that ensure fairness?
The answer may determine whether employees simply do their jobs—or choose to go beyond them.
Reference:
Tamar, M., Wirawan, H., Aprilyani, A., & Zahra, N. S. (2021). Only women can see it: Investigating the role of gender in the effect of transformational leadership on organizational citizenship behavior.
Contact:
Muh. Tamar
muh.tamar@unhas.ac.id | Telp: +62 853-9812-0801
