Exploring linkages among transformational leadership, workplace spirituality and well-being in health care workers

Abstract

Considerable data have accumulated showing positive relationships between leadership and well-being, and spirituality and well-being, but few have explored relationships among all three phenomena. In the current study, multilevel modeling was used to analyze survey data from a sample of 178 health care workers and test a proposed mediation model. As hypothesized, regression and mediation analyses revealed the effects of transformational leadership on measures of employees’ mental and spiritual well-being were fully mediated by workplace spirituality and, more specifically, respondents’ sense of community. Our results suggest that leaders influence individual well-being through their ability to enhance employees’ sense of community in the workplace.

Keywords:

• leadership
• well-being
• spirituality
• HLM
• mediation

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (to the first author) and the Dalhousie University Research Development Fund (to the fourth author). This research was conducted as part of the first author’s PhD dissertation under the supervision of the second author. We gratefully acknowledge the constructive feedback received from the editor and anonymous reviewers.