Although transformational leadership (TFL) has been recognized as a significant predictor of follower work behaviors, open questions remain concerning whether its effectiveness is universally valid or contingent on context. Building on social exchange theory and leadership contingency theory, we propose that TFL affects employees’ helping behavior, and this relationship depends on centralized and formalized structural contexts. The results show that TFL is positively associated with employees’ helping behavior; however, when moderated by centralization and formalization, TFL is negatively associated with employees’ helping behavior. The results recognize that organizations’ structural characteristics should not be ignored in TFL literature and practice.

尽管变革型领导（TFL）已被公认为是追随者工作行为的重要预测指标，但仍存在有关其有效性是否普遍有效或取决于具体情况的悬而未决的问题。基于社会交换理论和领导权变理论，我们提出TFL影响员工的帮助行为，并且这种关系取决于集中和正式的结构环境。结果表明，TFL与员工的帮助行为呈正相关。但是，在集中化和形式化的管理下，TFL与员工的帮助行为负相关。结果表明，组织的结构特征在TFL文献和实践中不容忽视。