Conceptualizing The Impact of Benevolent Leadership on Task Performance: A Tri‎adic Mediation Approach Through Work Engagement, Leader–Member Exchange, and ‎Creativity in Relation to Leadership Style ROI

This conceptual article examines the impact of benevolent leadership on task performance, highlighting the triadic mediat‎ing roles of work engagement, leader–member exchange (LMX), and creativity within the framework of Social Exchange ‎Theory (SET). Benevolent leadership marked by empathy, support, and concern for employee well-being fosters a positive ‎and supportive work climate that promotes proactive and productive behaviors. Through SET, such leadership behaviors ‎are reciprocated by employees via emotional commitment, high-quality leader–follower relationships, and innovative con‎tributions. Together, these mediators reinforce the positive effect of benevolent leadership on performance. The article ‎advances a humanistic, relational perspective of leadership and underscores its potential to enhance not only task out-‎comes but also the return on investment (ROI) of leadership by cultivating sustainable employee performance and inno‎vation‎.