How Leader’s Behavioral Integrity Affect Followers Commitment, Engagement, OCB, and Task Performance: The Role of Trust, Value Congruence, and Worthiness of being Followed.

Abstract

This study highlights the importance of leader word deed alignment in shaping employee’s attitudes and behaviors. Leader Behavioral Integrity (BI) is defined as the perceived pattern of alignment between the leader’s words and deed. BI theory suggests that BI’s greater performance impact is due to the notion that BI affects communication clarity in addition to attitudes. Simons et. al. (2015) used meta-analysis to assess the impact of leader Behavioral Integrity (BI) on follower trust in leaders, organizational commitment, citizenship behavior (OCB), and in-role task performance. We modified Simon's framework by proposing that apart from trust, BI would also affect follower's outcomes through culminating follower perception of worthy of being followed (WBF), as well as Value Congruence among followers and the leader. Hence, these three factors would increase the follower's commitment. The high commitment would lead to job engagement. Better engagement would in turn lead to better task performance and OCB. Empirical validity was established by conducting a survey using a close-ended questionnaire. Data was collected from 316 employees from the Pakistani corporate sector and analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structured equation modeling. The results suggested that leader behavioral integrity (BI) has a significant and positive effect on Trust (T) as well as Value Congruence (VC) and follower perception worthy of being followed (WBF). The two factors i.e. T and WBF, in turn, seem to positively affect Organizational Commitment (OC). BI also seems to affect OC directly. Hence BI has a direct as well as an indirect effect on OC through the mediation of trust, and WBF. Moreover, OC seems to have a positive influence on both Job performance (JB), and Work Engagement (WE). JB is also impacted by WE. Higher performance and engagement also seem to affect organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) positively. behavioral integrity also has a direct and positive impact on performance, engagement, and OCB. The conclusions drawn from this study will help the leaders shape their behavior positively which will lead the followers to perform effectively and efficiently and thus enhancing the performance of the organization.