Transformational Leadership and R&D Workers’ Multiple Commitments: Do Justice and Span of Control Matter?

10 Pages Posted: 6 Mar 2012 Last revised: 28 Nov 2020

Date Written: February 6, 2012

Abstract

This study examines how transformational leaders influence research and development (R&D) workers’ commitment to their organizations and leaders. The study investigates the mediating role of organizational justice (i.e., procedural and interactional) based on social exchange theory and the moderating role of span of control in this relationship. In a sample of 445 Turkish R&D personnel, the study finds that transformational leadership significantly influences followers’ organizational commitment partially through procedural justice and their supervisory commitment partially through interactional justice. Second, the findings reveal that transformational leaders boost perceptions of procedural justice and organizational commitment when the span of control is relatively narrow. Interestingly, when the span of control is large, transformational leadership has significant positive effects on supervisory commitment, but no significant effects on organizational commitment among R&D workers.

Keywords: transformational leadership, organizational commitment, supervisory commitment, organizational justice, span of control, social exchange

Suggested Citation

Gumusluoglu, Lale and Karakitapoglu-Aygun, Zahide and Hirst, Giles, Transformational Leadership and R&D Workers’ Multiple Commitments: Do Justice and Span of Control Matter? (February 6, 2012). Journal of Business Research, 66, 2269-2278, 2013, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2016754

Lale Gumusluoglu (Contact Author)

Bilkent University ( email )

Ankara, 06800
Turkey

Zahide Karakitapoglu-Aygun

Bilkent University ( email )

06533 Bilkent, Ankara
Turkey

Giles Hirst

Monash University ( email )

23 Innovation Walk
Wellington Road
Clayton, Victoria 3800
Australia

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