Full Range Leadership Theory and Leadership Effectiveness: An Integrative Review of Empirical Evidence Across Organizational and Educational Contexts

Abstract

Full Range Leadership Theory (FRLT) is widely used to explain leadership effectiveness, but recent evidence is dispersed across leadership dimensions, sectors, and contextual mechanisms. This systematic literature review synthesized empirical research on FRLT across organizational and educational settings, focusing on effectiveness outcomes, mediating and moderating mechanisms, contextual variation, and methodological patterns. Scopus was searched on December 18, 2025, for English-language, open-access journal articles published during 2021–2025. Of 179 records initially identified, 22 empirical studies met the eligibility criteria and were synthesized descriptively and thematically. Transformational leadership showed the most consistent positive associations with performance, job satisfaction, psychological well-being, engagement, and organizational citizenship behavior. Transactional leadership remained relevant where structure, role clarity, and procedural compliance were important, whereas passive-avoidant leadership was generally associated with stress, poorer performance, and other adverse outcomes. Psychological, organizational, cultural, and institutional conditions shaped these relationships, indicating that FRLT effectiveness is contingent rather than universal. The findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of leadership effectiveness by highlighting how FRLT dimensions interact with contextual conditions to inform evidence-based leadership development and organizational practices. The review supports context-sensitive use of FRLT and identifies priorities for longitudinal, qualitative, mixed-method, and cross-context research.