Transformational leadership, well-being, and OCB : the mediating role of belongingness.

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to investigate whether a sense of workplace belongingness mediated the relationship between the idealised influence and intellectual stimulation dimensions of transformational leadership, and employee well-being and OCB. Methods: A self-report online questionnaire was distributed to 94 full-time white-collar employees at a single timepoint. All data was statistically analysed using IBM SPSS (version 25). Furthermore, the PROCESS Macro for SPSS was used to test the hypotheses, main effects, and indirect effects. Findings: The results from this study showed that a sense of workplace belonging mediated the relationship between the idealised influence dimension of transformational leadership, and employee well-being and OCB. When controlling for idealised influence, there was no significant pathway between intellectual stimulation, workplace belonging, and any of the outcome variables. Originality: This study is the first to explore potential antecedents to the experience of workplace belongingness. Research Limitations/Implications: The findings of the current study demonstrate the significance of leader behaviours in facilitating a sense of workplace belongingness. However, this study does contain limitations commonly associated with cross-sectional designs and therefore future research would benefit from the use of a time-lagged, longitudinal study design. Practical Implications: Organisations should implement practices that encourage the development of healthy and supportive interpersonal relationships between employees. In doing so would promote a sense of belongingness, and in turn create a workplace environment wherein employees experience greater well-being and perform more OCBs