Different Pathways from Transformational Leadership to Job Satisfaction

• Author: Izlem Gözükara Yıldız,Ömer Faruk Şimşek
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/nml.21229
• Date: 01 September 2016
• Published date: 01 September 2016

59

N M  L, vol. 27, no. 1, Fall 2016 © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com) DOI: 10.1002/nml.21229

Journal sponsored by the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University.

D i ff erent Pathways from

Transformational Leadership

to Job Satisfaction

THE COMPETING MEDIATOR ROLES OF TRUST

AND SELF-EFFICACY

Izlem Gözükara Yıldız, Ömer Faruk Şimşek

Istanbul Arel University

Transformational leaders are known to inspire and motivate their followers, thereby lead-

ing to enhanced job satisfaction. Job satisfaction is an intellectual concept regarding indi-

viduals’ attitudes toward their jobs. This study asserts that the underlying mechanisms for

transformational leadership to affect employee satisfaction are trust in the community,

including the leader (that is, organization) and trust in the self, namely self-efficacy. Lead-

ership is specifically associated with continual transformations in the higher educational

context, and collectivist cultures may manifest different processes underlying the transfor-

mational leadership–satisfaction relationship. This study investigated the mediating effects

of trust and self-efficacy on the relationship between transformational leadership and job

satisfaction. The study sample included academicians from a nonprofit higher education

institution in Turkey. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The

results showed that the relationship between transformational leadership and job satisfac-

tion is fully mediated by both trust and self-efficacy. The mediator effect of trust was shown

to be stronger than self-efficacy, which is assumed to be the result of the cultural context.

The results are discussed in the context of employee satisfaction and cultural determinants

of employee satisfaction.

Keywords: leadership , transformational leadership , job satisfaction , trust , self-efficacy ,

higher education , collectivist cultures

LEADERSHIP IS A CRITICAL CONCEPT for organizations because of its effect on employee

attitudes and actions as well as employee emotions and opinions. Prior research has demon-

strated that transformational leaders have explicit influence on followers (Jung and Avolio

2000). Such leaders improve follower performance, encourage them to adopt a sense of orga-

nizational benefit, inspire them to recognize their capabilities, and encourage them to seek

Correspondence to: Izlem Yıldız, Istanbul Arel University, Business Management, Turkoba Mah., Istanbul 34500 Turkey.

E-mail: gozukara@yahoo.com.

Nonprofi t Management & Leadership DOI: 10.1002/nml

60 YILDIZ, ŞIMŞEK

creative ways of problem solving (Bass 1985 ). Because of the positive impact of transformational

leadership (TL), subordinates experience greater job satisfaction (JS), which provides superior

results for organizations (Givens 2008 ). JS, which refers to evaluative and emotional responses

of an individual to the job for particular characteristics, is a key factor for both employees and

organizations.

The link between TL and JS has been underlined and confirmed in multiple studies (for

example, Ozbaran 2010 ; Podsakoff et al. 1990 ); however, the exact mechanisms or processes

through which TL contributes to JS, especially in the higher educational context, have yet

to be explored in detail. Several studies demonstrated the effect of TL characteristics on JS

through different mediators. Nielsen et al. ( 2009 ) examined the role of team efficacy and

self-efficacy and found team efficacy, but not self-efficacy, as the mechanism through which

TL influences JS. Saleem ( 2015 ) analyzed perceived organizational politics as a mediator to

measure the impact of transformational and transactional leadership styles on JS. Saleem

established a partially mediating effect of perceived organizational politics for both styles of

leadership.

Moreover, the effects of culture on these mechanisms are also scarce in the literature. It

is clear from the research that the culture has a strong effect both on employee behaviors

(Aycan et al. 2000 ) and organizational atmosphere (Ostroff and Bowen, 2000 ). Conse-

quently, our study has one primary objective: to investigate trust in the organization, a collec-

tivist attribute (Mayer, Davis, and Schoorman 1995 ), and self-efficacy (trust in the self ), an

individualist attribute (Oettingen 1995 ), as potential mediators of the relationship between

TL and JS within the Turkish context, a collectivist culture. The effect of the higher educa-

tional context is also considered as an important point given that it fosters self-actualization

opportunities for academic staff mainly through individual pathways such as research and

scientific activities. Nevertheless, this contextual effect is expected to be counteracted by the

effects of the Turkish collectivist culture.

Transformational Leadership and Job Satisfaction

According to Bass ( 1985 ), TL includes four core behaviors: idealized influence, intellectual

stimulation, inspirational motivation, and individualized consideration. Idealized influence is

about serving as a role model, which causes followers to respect their leaders. Such leaders act

by high moral codes, promote a steady vision, and encourage followers to internalize their

beliefs and values. These actions of transformational leaders cause followers to have confidence

in and respect for their leaders, which in turn leads to greater eagerness to achieve organiza-

tional goals.

Transformational leaders modify their followers’ way of thinking about problem solving,

which is known as intellectual stimulation , and encourage them to find innovative solutions.

These leaders create a working environment in which followers can try new approaches and

challenge their leader without hesitation. These leaders place great importance on learning

and development, and they consider issues as valuable opportunities. The third behavior is

inspirational motivation , through which leaders offer an explicit picture of the future and give

followers a sense of meaning in working toward organizational achievement. They provide

such vision through outstanding communication skills and support this vision with realistic

and clear explanations, making followers want to be more involved in realizing the vision.