Abstract: Abstract: This study was designed to explore the effect of transformational leadership on employee creativity and the mediating role of supervisor-subordinate relationship. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the specific relations between transformational leadership, supervisor-subordinate relationship, and employee creativity. Participants of the study were employees and their supervisors from a high-tech corporation in Xi’an and EMBA students in Suzhou. Finally, 183 usable questionnaires of matched pair were returned. The results showed: (1) transformational leadership was significant related to employee creativity and the dimension of supervisor-subordinate relationship-intimacy and friendship help, while was insignificant related to the dimension of emotional relation; (2) both intimacy and friendship help dimensions were significantly related to the employee creativity, while the dimension of emotional relation were not; (3) the dimension of friendship help displayed a mediating effect on the relationship between transformational leadership and employee creativity.

Key words: Key words:transformational leadership, supervisor-subordinate relationship, creativity