Virtuous leadership is seen as an important leadership approach in increasing the welfare of employees. Today, it is seen that the virtuous behaviors exhibited by managers are effective in employees’ positive attitudes and approaches.
Objective
This article aims to examine with an empirical study how virtuous behaviors of leaders affect employees’ job satisfaction levels and the mediating role of psychological well-being in this effect. The research was designed to contribute to the virtuous leadership literature and was examined within the framework of the hypotheses developed for the mediating role of psychological well-being in the effect of virtuous leadership on job satisfaction.
Method
Data were obtained from 478 participants working in a large-scale industrial enterprise operating in the Karabük province of Turkey. SPSS and Structural Equation Model (SEM) AMOS program were used to analyze the interaction between variables.
Results
The results of the research show that virtuous leadership has a mediating effect of psychological well-being on job satisfaction.
Conclusion
Research indicates that virtuous leadership significantly affects individual and institutional outcomes. This study confirms the Broaden and Build Theory for predicting virtuous leadership behaviours as a critical foundation to build wellbeing and work satisfaction.
OcBChintakanandaKBashshurMR, et al.The study of followers in leadership research: a systematic and critical review. Leaders Q2023; 34: 101674.
2.
BoldenRHawkinsBGoslingJ. Exploring leadership 2e. Oxford University Press, 2023.
3.
SturmREVeraDCrossanM. The entanglement of leader character and leader competence and its impact on performance. Leaders Q2017; 28: 349–366.
4.
HendriksMBurgerMRijsenbiltA, et al.Virtuous leadership: a source of employee well-being and trust. Manag Res Rev2020; 43: 951–970.
5.
YuanLChiaRGoslingJ. Confucian virtue ethics and ethical leadership in modern China. J Bus Ethics2023; 182: 119–133.
6.
PearceCLWaldmanDACsikszentmihalyM. Virtuous leadership: a theoretical model and research agenda. J Manag Spiritual Relig2006; 3: 60–77.
7.
CrossanMMByrneASeijtsGH, et al.Toward a framework of leader character in organizations. J Manag Stud2017; 54: 986–1018.
8.
AhmadiELundqvistDBergströmG, et al.Managers’ and employees’ experiences of how managers’ wellbeing impacts their leadership behaviours in Swedish small businesses. Work2023; 75: 97–112.
9.
KadirBABrobergO. Human well-being and system performance in the transition to industry 4.0. Int J Ind Ergon2020; 76: 102936.
10.
BakkerAB. Towards a multilevel approach of employee well-being. Eur J Work Organ Psychol2015; 24: 839–843.
LapierreLMCooperCL. Organizational stress and well-being. Cambridge University Press, 2023.
13.
DreerB. Teachers’ well-being and job satisfaction: the important role of positive emotions in the workplace. Educ Stud2024; 50: 61–77.
14.
JebbATMorrisonMTayL, et al.Subjective well-being around the world: trends and predictors across the life span. Psychol Sci2020; 31: 293–305.
15.
IşıkMUygunN. Esnek Çalışma Uygulamalarının Öznel İyi Oluş ve İş Tatminine Etkisini İncelemeye Yönelik Bir Araştırma. Aksaray Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi2023; 15: 229–242.
16.
RyffCDSingerBH. Know thyself and become what you are: a eudaimonic approach to psychological well-being. J Happiness Stud2008; 9: 13–39.
17.
HookerSAMastersKSVagniniKM, et al.Engaging in personally meaningful activities is associated with meaning salience and psychological well-being. J Posit Psychol2020; 15: 821–831.
18.
TeimouriHHosseiniSHArdeshiriA. The role of ethical leadership in employee psychological well-being (case study: golsar fars company). J Human Behav Soc Environ2018; 28: 355–369.
19.
HaoY. Productive activities and psychological well-being among older adults. J Gerontol Ser B: Psychol Sci Soc Sci2008; 63: S64–S72.
20.
SofiahDHartonoMChristianF. The effect of self-efficacy and meaningfulness of work on organizational citizenship behavior of millennial lecturers: the role of job satisfaction. J Posit Sch Psychol (JPSP)2023; 7: 243–258.
21.
DjoemadiFRSetiawanMNoermijatiN, et al.The effect of work satisfaction on employee engagement. Pol J Manag Stud2019; 19: 103–105.
22.
PhillipsBFlemingARHakunJG, et al.Application of psychosocial strengths to predict employment satisfaction. J Vocat Rehabil Work2018; 49: 299–307.
23.
WetschLR. Trust, satisfaction and loyalty in customer relationship management: an application of justice theory. J Relations Market2006; 4: 29–42.
24.
AzizahaYNRijalbMKRumainurcUNR, et al.Transformational or transactional leadership style: which affects work satisfaction and performance of Islamic university lecturers during COVID-19 pandemic. Sys Rev Pharm2020; 11: 577–588.
25.
LathabhavanR. Fear of COVID-19, psychological distress, well-being and life satisfaction: a comparative study on first and second waves of COVID-19 among college students in India. Curr Psychol2023; 42: 20203–20210.
26.
BullockARLStumpfBCChangKB. Virtues, resilience, and well-being of indigenous youth in Peru. Int J Child Adolesc Resil2021; 8: 98–109.
27.
JankowskiPJSandageSJWangDC, et al.Virtues as mediators of the associations between religious/spiritual commitment and well-being. Appl Res Qual Life2022; 17: 2877–2901.
28.
LongKNVanderWeeleTJ. Theological virtues, health, and well-being: theory, research, and public health. In: DavisEBWortington JrELSchnitkerSA (eds). Handbook of positive psychology, religion, and spirituality. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2022, pp.395–409.
29.
Littman-OvadiaHLavyS. Going the extra mile: perseverance as a key character strength at work. J Career Assess2016; 24: 240–252.
30.
HursthouseR. On virtue ethics. In: Applied ethics. Routledge, 2017, pp.29–35.
31.
FredricksonBL. The broaden–and–build theory of positive emotions. Philos Trans Royal Soc London Ser B: Biol Sci2004; 359: 1367–1377.
32.
WangGHackettRD. Virtuous leadership, moral behavior, happiness and organizational citizenship: the mediating effect of virtues-centered moral identity. Leaders Organ Dev J2022; 43: 1047–1062.
33.
TaşpınarYEryeşilK. Erdemli liderlik algısının, birey-örgüt uyumu ve iş tatminine etkisi. OPUS Int J Soc Res2021; 18: 1223–1255.
34.
PalanskiMAveyJBJirapornN. The effects of ethical leadership and abusive supervision on job search behaviors in the turnover process. J Bus Ethics2014; 121: 135–146.
35.
DokesDR. Virtuous leadership for increased business growth. Doctoral dissertation. Walden University, 2017.
36.
GrimaniAGotsisG. Fostering inclusive organizations through virtuous leadership. 2020.
37.
SrimulyaniVA. The role of servant leadership and job satisfaction in. Int J Product Qual Manag2022; 35: 57.
38.
FowersBJNovakLFCalderAJ, et al.Courage, justice, and practical wisdom as key virtues in the era of COVID-19. Front Psychol2021; 12: 647912.
39.
KretzschmarAHarzerCRuchW. Character strengths in adults and adolescents: their measurement and association with well-being. J Pers Assess2023; 105: 34–47.
40.
NassifAGHackettRDWangG. Ethical, virtuous, and charismatic leadership: an examination of differential relationships with follower and leader outcomes. J Bus Ethics2021; 172: 581–603.
41.
De AraújoMLopesP. Virtuous leadership, organizational commitment and individual performance. Tékhne2014; 12: 3–10.
42.
ThunBKevin KellowayE. Virtuous leaders: assessing character strengths in the workplace. Can J Adm Sci/Revue Canadienne des Sciences de l’Administration2011; 28: 270–283.
43.
WangQ. A conceptual and empirical investigation of leader virtues and virtuous leadership. 2011.
44.
ZouWZengYPengQ, et al.The influence of spiritual leadership on the subjective well-being of Chinese registered nurses. J Nurs Manag2020; 28: 1432–1442.
45.
TsachouridiINikandrouI. Organizational virtuousness and spontaneity: a social identity view. Pers Rev2016; 45: 1302–1322.
46.
DienerEWirtzDTovW, et al. New well-being measures: short scales to assess flourishing and positive and negative feelings. Soc Indic Res2010; 97: 143–156.
47.
GürbüzSŞahinF. Sosyal bilimlerde araştırma yöntemleri. Ankara: Seçkin Yayıncılık, 2014, p.271.
48.
YıldırımAKahveciA. Erdemli Liderlik Ölçeğinin Uyarlanması Geçerlik ve Güvenirlik Analizi. Mehmet Akif Ersoy Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi2019; 51: 18–41.
49.
BrayfieldAHRotheHF. An index of job satisfaction. J Appl Psychol1951; 35: 307.
50.
BaşolOÇömlekçiMF. İş tatmini ölçeğinin uyarlanmasi: geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalişmasi. Kırklareli Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Meslek Yüksekokulu Dergisi2020; 1: 17–31.
51.
CoşkunRAltunışıkRYıldırımE.Sosyal bilimlerde araştırma yöntemleri SPSS uygulamalı, Sakarya Yayıncılık, Güncellenmiş 9. Baskı, Sakarya. 2017.
52.
WangGHackettRD. Conceptualization and measurement of virtuous leadership: doing well by doing good. J Bus Ethics2016; 137: 321–345.
53.
BaumanDC. Plato on virtuous leadership: an ancient model for modern business. Bus Ethics Q2018; 28: 251–274.
54.
MeyerMHühnMP. Positive language and virtuous leadership: walking the talk. Manag Res: J Iberoam Acad Manag2020; 18: 263–284.
55.
CameronK. Responsible leadership as virtuous leadership. In: Responsible leadership. New York, NY: Routledge, 2022, pp.133–153.
56.
HavardA. Virtuous leadership: An agenda for personal excellence. Scepter Publishers, 2007.
57.
SorensonRL. The contribution of leadership style and practices to family and business success. Fam Bus Rev2000; 13: 183–200.
