Organizational Psychology

Purpose. This study investigated the relationship between transformational leadership and important job attitudes like job satisfaction and organizational commitment, and the mediator role of job autonomy on this link. Study design. Data was collected from three IT-organizations. A sample included 232 employees (131 IT-specialists, and 101 workers from ancillary departments). Standardized survey involved four methodical blocks: Manufactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) (Bass, Avolio, 1990); a three-component model conceptualization of organizational commitment (Meyer, Allen, 1991); Employee Satisfaction Inventory (ESI) (Koustelios, Bagiatis, 1997); The Job Diagnostic Survey (JDS) (Hackman, Oldham, 1975). Findings. The results indicated that there is the highest transformational leadership level among IT-specialists (3.8) and there is a link between transformational leadership style and job satisfaction (R = .620, p < .01) and organizational commitment (R = .582, p < .01). The study also revealed the mediation between transformational leadership and job satisfaction (decreasing effect from .62 to .42; Z = 3.79059508, 3.79 > 1.96 and organizational commitment (decreasing effect from .582 to .386; Z = 3.61192280, 3.61 > 1.96) using Baron and Kenny four-steps method (Baron, Kenny, 1986) and Sobel Test. Value of the results. The obtained results demonstrated the existing importance and effectiveness of transformational style among creative and intellectual specialists. Transformational leadership practices and job autonomy have a positive influence on job satisfaction and, moreover, organizational commitment. These results are significant for intellectual based companies, especially, IT companies, and can be used to reduce IT employee’s turnover.