Transformational leadership, diversity climate, and job satisfaction in selected South African companies

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between transformational leadership, diversity climate, and job satisfaction in a selection of South African companies. Participants were a convenience sample of 263 employees from the Gauteng Province (white = 69.3%). They completed measures for transformational leadership, diversity climate, and job satisfaction. Structural Equation Modelling analysis revealed transformational leadership to directly predict job satisfaction and diversity climate, and to mediate the relationship between transformational leadership and job satisfaction. Moreover, transformational leadership directly and positively predicted quality of workplace diversity climate. Future leaders and managers should leverage an organisation’s diversity climate for job satisfaction applying transformational leadership strategies.

Keywords:

• diversity climate
• job satisfaction
• mediate
• organisational behaviour
• South Africa
• transformational leadership