How Transformational Leadership Fosters Employee Work Performance: Examining the Role of Knowledge Sharing Behaviors of Employees in Vietnamese SMEs
Authors: Than Thanh Son, Le Ba Phong, Nguyen Thi Thu Ha
Journal: Journal of Management Research and Review (JMRR)
Published: 2026-05-26 · Volume 2, Issue 05, pp. 313-321
DOI: 10.65150/EP-jmrr/V2E5/2026-11
Abstract
Work performance is considered a critical factor for firms to sustain growth and maintain competitive advantage, especially in the context of SMEs. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impacts of transformational leadership on employees’ work performance through the mediating role of knowledge sharing. The study employed Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to test the relationships among these constructs using survey data collected from 215 participants working in 136 Vietnamese small and medium-sized enterprises. The findings indicate that transformational leadership have a significant positive effect on both knowledge sharing and employees’ work performance. In addition, knowledge sharing is found to significantly enhance employees’ work performance and plays a crucial mediating role in the relationship between transformational leadership and work performance. Importantly, this study contributes to extending the existing literature by highlighting the mechanism through which transformational leadership practices influence employee outcomes, and provides practical implications for managers to foster knowledge sharing in order to improve work performance in Vietnamese SMEs.