Transformational Leadership and Employee Engagement in the Malaysian Public Sector: The Mediating Role of Public Service Motivation

Abstract

Employee engagement remains a significant challenge in the Malaysian public sector, where effective leadership and intrinsic motivation are essential for sustaining service quality and organisational performance. This study investigates whether public service motivation (PSM) mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and employee engagement within Majlis Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan (MAIWP). Using a quantitative research design, data were collected through a structured questionnaire from 167 employees selected via simple random sampling based on Krejcie and Morgan’s sample size determination. The data were analysed using SPSS, employing reliability analysis, multiple regression, and the Sobel test to examine the mediating effect of PSM. The findings indicate that transformational leadership significantly enhances employee engagement both directly and indirectly through public service motivation, confirming the importance of motivational mechanisms in public sector leadership effectiveness. This study contributes to the public sector leadership literature by providing empirical evidence from the Malaysian context and offers practical insights for strengthening leadership development initiatives aimed at enhancing employee engagement and improving service delivery.