The relationship between organizational spirituality, leadership styles and employee well-being: the moderating role of organizational trust

Abstract

Purpose

This study examines the effects of organizational spirituality, leadership styles and organizational trust on employee well-being as explained by work engagement and job burnout. Specifically, the study aims to examine the moderating role of organizational trust on the relationships between these variables.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a quantitative approach and utilizes a survey for data collection involving 783 employees from Kosovo. Data analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling (SEM).

Findings

The research results show that organizational spirituality positively affects work engagement and negatively affects job burnout. Furthermore, both transformational and transactional leadership styles show a positive association with work engagement, while only transactional leadership is significantly associated with job burnout. The SEM results underscore that organizational trust does not moderate the relationship between organizational spirituality and employee engagement or job burnout. Organizational trust does, however, moderate the relationships between transformational and transactional leadership styles and both work engagement and job burnout.

Research limitations/implications

This study has several limitations, including the non-random sampling method and the cross-sectional nature of the study. In light of the findings, the implications of the study are discussed and recommendations for future studies are provided.

Originality/value

This study is an enrichment to the existing literature as it explores the subtle role of organizational trust as a moderator in the aforementioned relationships. It highlights the significant influence of organizational spirituality and leadership styles on work engagement and job burnout and provides new insights for researchers and practitioners alike.

Citation

Hameli, K. and Aktaş, H. (2024), "The relationship between organizational spirituality, leadership styles and employee well-being: the moderating role of organizational trust", International Journal of Ethics and Systems, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOES-07-2024-0215