Trust in Transformational Leadership: Do Followers’ Perceptions of Leader Femininity, Masculinity, and Androgyny Matter?

Abstract

This paper takes an authenticity perspective to examine whether followers’ perceptions of a leader’s feminine, masculine, or androgynous characteristics influence the relationship between transformational leadership and followers’ perceived trust in the leader. The research was quantitative in approach. A cross-sectional survey design was used to collect data from employees from different public and private sector organizations in Pakistan. The findings show that the relationship between transformational leadership and trust is weaker when followers perceive leaders to be high on masculine and androgynous attributes. Leaders’ femininity was found to have a positive effect in the relationship of transformational leadership with trust in the leader. The paper suggests practical implications and directions for future research.