Connecting the dots: linking empowering leadership, employee work passion, and flourishing-at-work

Purpose This paper aims to examine the relationship between empowering leadership and the holistic well-being construct, i.e. flourishing-at-work. Design/methodology/approach On the basis of an extensive review of literature and using conservation of resource (COR) theory and self-determination theory (SDT), this study proposes a conceptual framework with employee work passion (EWP) as a link connecting empowering leadership and flourishing-at-work. Findings Empowering leadership has the ability to enhance EWP and thereby increase the overall well-being of employees (flourishing). Moreover, the study demonstrates that EWP serves as a potential mechanism connecting empowering leadership and flourishing-at-work. Research limitations/implications Being a conceptual paper, the proposed framework lacks empirical validation. Practical implications Organizations should focus on leaders with empowering behaviours and strive towards increasing EWP. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to propose the role of EWP as a possible conceptual link between empowering leadership and employee flourishing-at-work. This paper emphasizes the importance of flourishing-at-work in the current climate of rising mental tensions among employees, which leads to adverse organizational outcomes.