Organizational Culture Mediates the Relationship between Transformational Leadership and Work Outcomes

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to examine the mediating effect of group and developmental organizational culture types on the relationship between transformational leadership and three outcome variables-affective organizational commitment, turnover intentions, and job search behaviors. Senior administrators (n = 188) working in NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletic departments completed a survey assessing perceptions of leadership behavior of their athletic directors, the culture of their athletic departments, and their affective organizational commitment, turnover intentions, and job search behaviors. Results indicate that group culture partially mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and affective organizational commitment, and fully mediates turnover intentions and job search behaviors. Developmental culture partially mediates affective organizational commitment but has no influence on turnover intentions and job search behaviors. Findings contribute to the understanding of the important mediating role of organizational culture on the relationship between transformational leadership and outcome variables in the intercollegiate athletics context.

Transformational leadership and organizational citizenship behavior: Mediating role of affective commitment

“…First, as expected, athletic directors’ transformational leadership style had a positive association with head coaches’ level of affective commitment. This result is consistent with previous studies in sport organizational settings, 25,30 indicating that when head coaches perceive their athletic directors engaging in transformational leadership behaviors, they are more likely to form an emotional attachment to and a high level of affective commitment toward the athletic department.…”

“…Indeed, several empirical studies have found that athletic directors’ transformational leadership style was positively associated with followers’ satisfaction with leaders, 22 job satisfaction, 23 perceived leadership effectiveness, 24 and decreased turnover intention. 25…”

“…A strong link between transformational leadership and affective commitment has been well established in the previous studies conducted in various organizational contexts and cultures. 10,25,29,30 For example, Kim et al. 30 investigated the influence of transformational leadership on affective commitment among senior administrators of intercollegiate athletics departments, finding a positive relationship between the constructs.…”

March Madness in the Collegiate Sport Workplace: Cultural Implications for Sport Employees

“…Leaders establish rules and procedures for organizations, which help to formulate an organizational culture (MacIntosh & Doherty, 2008). Leaders' influence over an intercollegiate athletics department culture had been previously supported (e.g., Burton & Welty Peachey, 2014;Welty Peachey et al, 2011). Furthermore, the power of leadership is prominent at the espoused values and beliefs level (Schein, 2010;Schein & Schein, 2017).…”

“…The culture of intercollegiate athletics departments has become a popular topic of discourse and has been viewed as a critical function within the collegiate sport setting (Beyer & Hannah, 2000). Burton and Welty Peachey (2014) utilized culture as a mediator to help explain leadership's influence on work outcomes in the intercollegiate sport setting. The authors found group culture partially mediated the relationship between leadership and affective organizational commitment, while fully mediating the relationship with turnover intentions and job search behaviors.…”