Moderator Variables in Leadership Research

TLDR

Recent leadership research has focused on moderator variables, yet findings are equivocal and conflicting because distinct variables have been treated as if they function similarly. This paper proposes a typology of moderators grounded in the mechanisms by which they operate. Moderators are classified as neutralizers/enhancers, substitutes/supplements, or mediators based on how they influence leader behavior‑criterion relationships. The typology is applied to several contingency theories of leadership, and the paper discusses implications for future research and practice.

Abstract

Much recent research on leadership has concerned moderator (contingency) variables. This research has yielded equivocal and/or conflicting results. Conceptually distinct variables have been treated as if they operate in the same fashion. This paper suggests a typology of moderators based on the mechanisms by which moderators operate. Moderators are classified as neutralizers/enhancers, substitutes/supplements, or mediators depending on how they affect leader behavior-criterion relationships. The typology is applied to several contingency theories of leadership and implications for future leadership research and practice are discussed.