Do you trust your transformational leader? A study of civil state apparatus

Abstract

Prior literature has documented the positive effects of transformational leadership on various organizational variables, including job satisfaction. In this regard, trust is likely to affect the relationship between transformational leadership and job satisfaction. Hence, this study seeks to analyze the mediating role of trust on the effect of transformational leadership on job satisfaction of civil servants in South Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, and Southeast Sulawesi Provinces. The questionnaire was developed from the initial qualitative analysis through interviews with 30 respondents to understand better the most effective leadership style in organizations, trust in leaders, and job satisfaction. The questionnaire was then distributed to 350 respondents, and the relationships between variables were tested using SEM. The results demonstrate that transformational leadership positively affects civil servants’ trust and job satisfaction. Further, trust positively affects job satisfaction and partially mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and job satisfaction. In sum, transformational leadership can understand, explain, and predict civil servants’ trust in their leaders that enhances job satisfaction.