Influencing mechanism of employee taking charge behavior on leader empowering behavior

Purpose Drawing on cognitive appraisal theory, this study examines how employee taking charge behavior influences leader empowering behavior. Specifically, we investigate the dual mediation roles of challenge and threat appraisals and the moderating effect of leader power distance orientation on these relationships. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected at three time points from 315 enterprise leaders across multiple industries in China. Hypotheses were tested using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 24.0 software and the PROCESS 3.5 macro. Findings The results show that under low power distance orientation, taking charge behavior fosters challenge appraisal, promoting empowerment. Conversely, under high power distance orientation, it triggers threat appraisal, reducing empowerment. Moreover, challenge and threat appraisals mediate moderated effects, forming a mediated moderation relationship. Originality/value By integrating cognitive appraisal theory into leader–member interaction research, this study explicates the double-edged sword effect of employee taking charge behavior on leader empowering behavior and identifies leader power distance orientation as a key boundary condition. These findings enrich the literature on leader empowering behavior antecedents and offer novel insights into how employees can influence leadership practices.