Social Services Directors' Transformational Leadership Influence on Social Workers' Job Satisfaction and Turnover Intention

Organizational Commitment as a Mediating Mechanism

Dados Bibliográficos

ID21721458
AutoresAnat Barth (0000-0003-3229-2266, Department of Educational Administration, Michlala Jerusalem Collage, Jerusalem, Israel, autor correspondente)
Ano2025
Data de publicação2025-09-09
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoJournal of Social Work (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1468-0173 • E-ISSN: 1741-296X
EditoraSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/14680173251369718
OpenAlexW4414161172
IdiomaEN
Referências citadas61

The main part of the social work profession is dealing with hardships pertaining to life situations and weakened populations. Moreover, Israeli social workers need to struggle with professional challenges regarding salaries, as well as work conditions and personal safety. These difficulties increase social workers’ turnover intentions and decrease their job satisfaction. In line with the psychological contract theory, the current research explores organizational factors that could help deal with these issues, by focusing on directors’ transformational leadership and social workers’ organizational commitment. A total number of 527 Israeli social workers responded to an online questionnaire regarding directors’ transformational leadership, social workers’ organizational commitment, job satisfaction and turnover intention. Findings: Hierarchical regression analysis reveals that social workers’ organizational commitment serves as a full mediator between directors’ transformational leadership and social workers’ job satisfaction, and as a partial mediator between directors’ transformational leadership and social workers’ turnover intentions. Applications: These findings emphasize the importance of social services directors’ leadership—a neglected subject in the research field—and encourages adaptation of team-focused leadership. The findings also highlight the significance of social workers’ emotional bonding with their organization and its mediating role in retention

Affective events theory · Job attitude · Job satisfaction · Organizational commitment · Social relation · Transformational leadership · Turnover intention · Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior · Resilience and Mental Health · Social Work Education and Practice · Social Work