Maladaptive Schemas in the Context of Transformational and Transactional Leadership: The Moderating Role of Social Support

Abstract

Purpose – This study aims to examine the relationship between leadership styles adopted by leaders in corporate environments and early maladaptive schemas, as well as to test the moderating role of perceived social support in these relationships.
Design/methodology/approach – The study was conducted using a correlational research design. The sample consisted of 263 participants working in various sectors in Türkiye. Data were collected through a survey method. Early maladaptive schemas, leadership styles, and perceived social support were measured using the Young Schema Questionnaire, the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, respectively. Descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, and moderation analyses (PROCESS/SPSS) were employed to analyze the data.
Results – The findings indicate a significant negative relationship between the emotional deprivation schema and perceived social support. No direct significant relationship was found between perceived social support and transformational leadership. However, a significant positive relationship was identified between the unrelentıng standards schema and transformational leadership. Moderation analyses revealed that perceived social support strengthens the relationship between the unrelentıng standards schema and transformational leadership, and reduces the negative tendency in the relationship between the emotional deprivation schema and transformational leadership.
Discussion – The findings suggest that transformational leadership is better explained not solely by environmental support but through the interaction between individuals’ schema profiles and perceived social support. In particular, higher levels of perceived social support enhance the positive association between the unrelenting standards schema and transformational leadership behaviors, while attenuating the negative impact of the emotional deprivation schema on transformational leadership. Accordingly, leadership development programs in organizations should be designed to incorporate schema awareness and coping components, alongside social support mechanisms such as team trust, peer mentoring, and managerial support.