The Influence of Leader Behaviors on Organizational Commitment: A Study in the Australian Public Sector

Abstract

Over the past decade the area of organizational commitment has received considerable attention from both researchers and managers. Of particular interest are the links between this and other constructs such as trust, task performance, and turnover. Despite the widespread acknowledgment of the importance and value of organizational commitment, there has been limited research that has specifically addressed the relationship between leader behavior and employee commitment, particularly in the public sector. The present study examines the nature of the relationships between organizational commitment and two dimensions of leader behavior—supportive behaviors and extinction behaviors—in an Australian Federal Government organization. It was found that, while controlling for demographic variables, both extinction and supportive leader behaviors affect organizational commitment. Furthermore, a significant interaction of these two variables was found. This indicates that an increase in supportive leader behaviors together with a decrease in extinction leader behaviors will likely lead to a more than proportionate increase in levels of organizational commitment. Implications for managers and further research directions are discussed.