Transformational leadership predicts grassroots civil servants’ taking charge: Influence of role identity, workload, and optimism

This study applied the stimulus–organism–response model, along with role identification theory and psychological capital theory, to examine the influence of transformational leadership on subordinates’ taking-charge behavior, incorporating role identity as a mediator, and workload and optimism as moderators. We surveyed 465 grassroots civil servants in China and found that transformational leadership positively predicted taking-charge behavior, with role identity serving as a mediating factor. Workload had a negative moderating effect on the relationship between transformational leadership and role identity, and optimism moderated the relationship between role identity and taking-charge behavior. However, we did not find support for either the hypothesized inverted U-shaped relationship between optimism and taking-charge behavior, or the full dual-regulation intermediary model. Our findings enrich research on grassroots civil servants’ accountability behaviors and have implications for optimizing leadership styles, strengthening employees’ role identity, and reducing excessive workload at the grassroots level.