A Systematic Review of Transformational Leadership's Influence on Employee Readiness for Change in Chinese Organizations

This paper explores the impact of transformational leadership on employees' readiness for change in Chinese organisations through a systematic literature review. The findings suggest that transformational leaders significantly increase employees' acceptance of organisational change through visionary motivation, intellectual inspiration, personalised care and morale boosting behaviours. The internal mechanisms of such influence include fostering a climate of trust, empowerment, and role modelling. However, China-specific cultural factors such as collectivism, respect for authority, and pursuit of harmony play an important role in moderating the relationship between transformational leadership and employees' readiness for change. At the same time, the study identifies challenges to the implementation of transformational leadership in Chinese organisations, such as traditional hierarchies and patriarchal leadership concepts. A series of strategies, including leadership development programmes, building a participatory organisational culture, and using digital platforms, are proposed to enhance the effectiveness of transformational leadership and increase employees' readiness for change. This study provides new insights into the mechanisms of transformational leadership in Chinese organisational contexts and has important theoretical and practical implications for enhancing organisational change capability.