Purpose – Participate leadership's influence on employee task performance has
garnered significant attention in a rapidly evolving organizational landscape. This study explores the multilevel dynamics of participative leadership congruence between unit managers and direct supervisors and its effects on employee task performance.

Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on two longitudinal studies based on the firms randomly selected from the Taiwan Economic Journal (TEJ) database, the research observes the mediating role of Person-Unit fit and the moderating influence of Unit-Member Exchange in the participative leadership-performance relationship.

Findings – Results indicate that participative leadership congruence positively affects employee task performance, with Person-Unit fit serving as a mediator and Unit-Member Exchange as a moderator.

Originality/value – The study extends leadership literature by highlighting the
significance of leadership alignment across levels and the interplay between
psychological and social factors in improving employee performance.