Psychological value climates as mediators in the relation between follower-perceived transformational leadership and organizational identification

Abstract

This study examines the multidimensional nature of transformational leadership (TFL) and how different components of TFL, namely, charisma, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration, are related to organizational identification. Specifically, we investigate whether the relation between the components of TFL and organizational identification is mediated by distinct psychological climates. Participants were 353 employees nested in 30 management units of a large public organization operating in the security industry. They filled in questionnaire measures of TFL dimensions, psychological value climates, and identification with the employing organization. The Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling (MSEM) results indicated that (a) charisma was positively related to goal, support, and innovation psychological climates, (b) individualized consideration was positively related to goal and support psychological climates, and (c) intellectual stimulation was positively associated with innovation psychological climate. Moreover, the findings showed that a) the positive relation of charisma to organizational identification was partially mediated by support psychological climate, and (b) the positive relation between individualized consideration and organizational identification was fully mediated by support psychological climate. The findings demonstrate different routes via which leadership behaviors facilitate the bonding of individual employees with their work organization. Charismatic leadership behaviors such as dealing effectively with difficult situations, role modeling appropriate behaviors, and going beyond self-interest, on the one hand, and individualized consideration toward followers on the other, relate to organizational identification via enhanced perceptions of supportive climate. This study contributes knowledge about the multidimensional nature of TFL and the different socio-psychological mechanisms through which TFL components relate to organizational identification. The findings show the different routes via which leadership behaviors facilitate the bonding of individual employees with their work organization.