Psikolojik İklimin İşe Adanmışlığa Etkisinde Etik Liderliğin Aracı Rolü

Öz

Bu çalışmanın amacı, psikolojik iklim ile işe adanmışlık arasındaki ilişkide etik liderliğin aracılık rolünü araştırmaktır. Çalışma, İstanbul'daki demir-çelik şirketlerindeki çalışanlardan toplanan anket verilerinden (n=442) oluşmaktadır. Yapısal ölçümlerin yakınsak geçerliliğini incelemek için doğrulayıcı faktör analizi yapılmıştır. Hipotezlenen modelin verilere uygunluğunu tahmin etmek için yapısal eşitlik modellemesi kullanılmıştır. Bulgular, tüm psikolojik iklim değişkenlerinin etik liderliği etkilediğini ve etik liderliğin de işe adanmışlık boyutları üzerinde anlamlı bir etkisi olduğunu göstermektedir. Ayrıca çalışma, etik liderliğin psikolojik iklimin işe adanmışlık üzerindeki etkisinde tam aracılık rolü üstlendiğini ortaya koymuştur. Bu çalışmanın sınırlılıkları arasında tek bir sektöre ve konuma odaklanması yer almaktadır; bu da bulguların diğer sektörlere ve kültürel bağlamlara genellenebilirliğini kısıtlamaktadır. Bu çalışma, etik liderliğin bir örgütün psikolojik iklimini şekillendirmedeki rolünü vurgulayarak işe adanmışlık literatürüne katkı sağlamaktadır. Özellikle etik karar alma ve liderlik uygulamaları bağlamında, liderlik davranışının çalışan katılımını nasıl etkilediğine dair yeni bakış açıları sunmaktadır. Bulgular, liderlik gelişimi ve psikolojik iklimin iyileştirilmesine yönelik stratejilerle çalışan katılımını artırmak isteyen kuruluşlar için pratik öneriler sunmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Psikolojik İklim
• Etik Liderlik
• İşe Adanmışlık
• Aracı Rol

The Mediating Role of Ethical Leadership in the Effect of Psychological Climate on Work Engagement

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the mediating role of ethical leadership in the relationship between psychological climate and work engagement. The study consists of survey data (n=442) collected from employees in iron and steel companies in Istanbul. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to examine the convergent validity of the construct measures. Structural equation modeling was used to estimate the fit of the hypothesized model to the data. The findings show that all psychological climate variables affect ethical leadership and ethical leadership also has a significant effect on work engagement dimensions. In addition, the study revealed that ethical leadership has a full mediating role in the effect of psychological climate on work engagement. Limitations of this study include its focus on a single sector and location, which limits the generalizability of the findings to other sectors and cultural contexts. This study contributes to the work engagement literature by highlighting the role of ethical leadership in shaping the psychological climate of an organization. It provides new perspectives on how leadership behavior affects employee engagement, particularly in the context of ethical decision-making and leadership practices. The findings provide practical recommendations for organizations seeking to increase employee engagement through strategies for leadership development and improving psychological climate.

Keywords

• Psychological Climate
• Ethical Leadership
• Work Engagement
• Mediating Role

References

1. Agler, R., & De Boeck, P. (2017). On the interpretation and use of mediation: Multiple perspectives on mediation analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1984. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01984
2. Afota, M. C., Provost Savard, Y., Ollier-Malaterre, A., & Léon, E. (2023). Work-from-home adjustment in the US and Europe: the role of psychological climate for face time and perceived availability expectations. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 34(14), 2765-2796. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2022.2090269
3. Ahmed, M., & Khan, M. I. (2023). Beyond the universal perception: Unveiling the paradoxical impact of ethical leadership on employees’ unethical pro-organizational behavior. Heliyon, 9(11). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21618
4. Al Halbusi, H., Williams, K. A., Ramayah, T., Aldieri, L., & Vinci, C. P. (2021). Linking ethical leadership and ethical climate to employees' ethical behavior: the moderating role of person–organization fit. Personnel Review, 50(1), 159-185. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-09-2019-0522
5. Alshammari, A., Almutairi, N. N., & Thuwaini, S. F. (2015). Ethical leadership: The effect on employees. International Journal of Business and Management, 10(3), 108. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v10n3p108
6. Altıntaş, B. (2022). Pozitif psikolojik sermayenin işe adanmışlık üzerindeki etkisinde öz liderlik davranışının aracı rolü (Unpublished Doctoral Disertation). Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat Üniversitesi, Alanya.
7. Aydemir, C., & Endirlik, H. (2019). İşe adanmışlığın bazı demografik değişkenler açısından incelenmesi: Bankacılık sektöründe bir araştırma. Atatürk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 23(3), 1093-1107.
8. Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological review, 84(2), 191. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.84.2.191

9. Baron, M., & Kenny, D. A. (1986). The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51(6), 1173-1182. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.51.6.1173
10. Benzer, J., & Horner, M. (2015). A meta‐analytic integration and test of psychological climate dimensionality. Human Resource Management, 54(3), 457-482. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21645
11. Beus, J. M., Smith, J. H., & Taylor, E. C. (2023). Integrating organizational climate theory: A domain-independent explanation for climate formation and function. Journal of Applied psychology, 108(12), 2018. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0001117
12. Bindl, U. K., & Parker, S. K. (2010). Feeling good and performing well? Psychological engagement and positive behaviors at work. In Handbook of employee engagement. Edward Elgar Publishing.
13. Blau, P. M. (1964). Justice in social exchange. Sociological Inquiry, 34(2). https://10.1111/j.1475-682X.1964.tb00583.x
14. Brown, S. P., & Leigh, T. W. (1996). A new look at psychological climate and its relationship to job involvement, effort, and performance. Journal of applied psychology, 81(4), 358. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.81.4.358
15. Brown, M. E., & Treviño, L. K. (2006). Ethical leadership: A review and future directions. The leadership quarterly, 17(6), 595-616. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2006.10.004
16. Brown, M. E., Treviño, L. K., & Harrison, D. A. (2005). Ethical leadership: A social learning perspective for construct development and testing. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 97(2), 117-134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2005.03.002
17. Cantor, D. E., Morrow, P. C., & Montabon, F. (2012). Engagement in environmental behaviors among supply chain management employees: An organizational support theoretical perspective. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 48(3), 33-51. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-493X.2011.03257.x
18. Choi, J. N. (2007). Change‐oriented organizational citizenship behavior: effects of work environment characteristics and intervening psychological processes. Journal of Organizational Behavior: The International Journal of Industrial, Occupational and Organizational Psychology and Behavior, 28(4), 467-484. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.433
19. Çetin, C., Dede, E., & Eryılmaz, S. (2020). The Effect of Ethical Leadership on Work Engagement: A Study on Humanitarian Aid Organizations in Turkey. Adam Academy Journal of Social Sciences, 10(1), 105-124. https://doi.org/10.31679/adamakademi. 543702
20. D'Amato, A., & Zijlstra, F. R. (2008). Psychological climate and individual factors as antecedents of work outcomes. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 17(1), 33-54. https://doi.org/10.1080/13594320701307420
21. Decuypere, A., & Schaufeli, W. (2020). Leadership and work engagement: Exploring explanatory mechanisms. German Journal of Human Resource Management, 34(1), 69-95. https://doi.org/10.1177/2397002219892197
22. Demirtas, O., & Akdogan, A. A. (2015). The effect of ethical leadership behavior on ethical climate, turnover intention, and affective commitment. Journal of Business Ethics, 130, 59-67. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2196-6
23. Demerouti, E., & Bakker, A. B. (2008). The Oldenburg Burnout Inventory: A good alternative to measure burnout and engagement. Handbook of stress and burnout in health care, 65(7), 1-25.
24. Engelbrecht, A. S. Heine, G., & Mahembe, B. (2017). Integrity, ethical leadership, trust and work engagement. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 38(3), 368-379. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-11-2015-0237
25. Güler, B., & Taşlıyan, M. (2022). Psikolojik iklimin çalışan performansı üzerine etkisinde işe adanmışlık boyutlarının aracılık rolü. Alanya Akademik Bakış, 6(1), 1605-1628. https://doi.org/10.29023/alanyaakademik.982437
26. Gwamanda, N., & Mahembe, B. (2023). The influence of ethical leadership and climate on employee work engagement. SA Journal of Industrial Psychology, 49(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajip.v49i0.2108
27. Huang, N., Qiu, S., Yang, S., & Deng, R. (2021). Ethical leadership and organizational citizenship behavior: Mediation of trust and psychological well-being. Psychology research and behavior management, 14, 655-664. https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S311856
28. Islam, T., Khatoon, A., Cheema, A. U., & Ashraf, Y. (2023). How does ethical leadership enhance employee work engagement? The roles of trust in leader and harmonious work passion. Kybernetes, 53(6), 2090-2106. https://doi.org/10.1108/K-09-2022-1343
29. James, L. R., Choi, C. C., Ko, C. H. E., McNeil, P. K., Minton, M. K., Wright, M. A., & Kim, K. I. (2008). Organizational and psychological climate: A review of theory and research. European Journal of work and organizational psychology, 17(1), 5-32. https://doi.org/10.1080/13594320701662550
30. Jung, C. S., Chan, H. S., & Hsieh, C. W. (2017). Public employees’ psychological climates and turnover intention: evidence from Korean central government agencies. Public Management Review, 19(6), 880-904. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2016.1257060
31. Kalaycı, Ş. (2008). SPSS uygulamalı çok değişkenli istatistik teknikleri (3. Baskı). Ankara, Asil Yayın Dağıtım.
32. Kanbur, E., & Ali, A. Y. (2020). Psikolojik sözleşme algısının işe adanmışlık üzerindeki etkisi. Ahi Evran Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 6(2), 531-549.
33. Kawiana, I., Dewi, L. K. C., Hartati, P. S., Setini, M., & Asih, D. (2021). Effects of leadership and psychological climate on organizational commitment in the digitization era. Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 8(1), 1051-1062. https://doi.org/10.13106/jafeb.2021.vol8.no1.1051
34. Kim, W. G., & Brymer, R. A. (2011). The effects of ethical leadership on manager job satisfaction, commitment, behavioral outcomes, and firm performance. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 30(4), 1020-1026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2011.03.008
35. Kim, B. J., Kim, M. J., & Kim, T. H. (2021). “The power of ethical leadership”: The influence of corporate social responsibility on creativity, the mediating function of psychological safety, and the moderating role of ethical leadership. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(6), 2968. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18062968
36. Kim, H., Kim, H., & Oh, Y. (2023). Impact of ethical climate, moral distress, and moral sensitivity on turnover intention among haemodialysis nurses: a cross-sectional study. BMC nursing, 22(1), 55. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-023-01212-0
37. Khokhar, A. M., & Zia-ur-Rehman, M. (2017). Linking ethical leadership to employees' performance: Mediating role of organizational citizenship behavior and counterproductive work behavior. Pakistan Journal of Commerce and Social Sciences (PJCSS), 11(1), 222-251.
38. Kuenzi, M., Mayer, D. M., & Greenbaum, R. L. (2020). Creating an ethical organizational environment: The relationship between ethical leadership, ethical organizational climate, and unethical behavior. Personnel Psychology, 73(1), 43-71. https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12356
39. Kyambade, M., Tushabe, M., Mugerwa, G. W., & Namatovu, A. (2025). Am not contented at work: Unraveling socially responsible leadership and psychological safety on job satisfaction in Ugandan public universities. Management Research Review, 48(6), 863-882. https://doi.org/10.1108/MRR-05-2024-0344
40. Lee, J. J. (2015). Drivers of work engagement: An examination of core self-evaluations and psychological climate among hotel employees. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 44, 84-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2014.10.008
41. Liona, R. C., & Yuniardi, M. S. (2020). The contribution of work engagement and job satisfaction to workers’ psychological well-being. HUMANITAS: Indonesian Psychological Journal, 17(2), 94-103. https://doi.org/10.26555/humanitas.v0i0.16251
42. Liu, X., Huang, Y., Kim, J., & Na, S. (2023). How ethical leadership cultivates innovative work behaviors in employees? Psychological safety, work engagement and openness to experience. Sustainability, 15(4), 3452. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043452
43. Lu, C. S., & Lin, C. C. (2014). The effects of ethical leadership and ethical climate on employee ethical behavior in the international port context. Journal of Business Ethics, 124, 209-223. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-013-1868-y
44. Manuel, T., & Herron, T. L. (2020). An ethical perspective of business CSR and the COVID-19 pandemic. Society and Business Review, 15(3), 235-253. https://doi.org/10.1108/SBR-06-2020-0086
45. Maximo, N., Stander, M. W., & Coxen, L. (2019). Authentic leadership and work engagement: The indirect effects of psychological safety and trust in supervisors. SA Journal of Industrial Psychology, 45(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajip.v45i0.1612
46. Murtza, M. H., & Rasheed, M. I. (2023). The dark side of competitive psychological climate: exploring the role of workplace envy. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 6(3), 1400-1418. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMBPP.2022.14219abstract
47. Ndlovu, T., Quaye, E. S., & Saini, Y. K. (2021). Predicting organisational commitment: The role of line manager communication, employee trust and job satisfaction. South African journal of business management, 52(1), 11. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajbm.v52i1.2355
48. Parker, C. P., Baltes, B. B., Young, S. A., Huff, J. W., Altmann, R. A., Lacost, H. A., & Roberts, J. E. (2003). Relationships between psychological climate perceptions and work outcomes: a meta‐analytic review. Journal of Organizational Behavior: The International Journal of Industrial, Occupational and Organizational Psychology and Behavior, 24(4), 389-416. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.198
49. Peng, J. C., & Chen, S. W. (2023). Learning climate and innovative creative performance: Exploring the multi-level mediating mechanism of team psychological capital and work engagement. Current Psychology, 42(15), 13114-13132. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02617-3
50. Pourtousi, Z., & Ghanizadeh, A. (2020). Teachers’ motivation and its association with job commitment and work engagement. Psychological Studies, 65(4), 455-466. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12646-020-00571-x
51. Qasim, M., & Laghari, A. A. (2025). Belonging through values: ethical leadership, creativity, and psychological safety with ethical climate as a moderator. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1559427. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1559427
52. Resick, C. J., Hargis, M. B., Shao, P., & Dust, S. B. (2013). Ethical leadership, moral equity judgments, and discretionary workplace behavior. Human relations, 66(7), 951-972. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726713481633
53. Riyanto, S., Endri, E., & Herlisha, N. (2021). Effect of work motivation and job satisfaction on employee performance: Mediating role of employee engagement. Problems and Perspectives in Management, 19(3), 162. http://dx.doi.org/10.21511/ppm.19(3).2021.14
54. Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary educational psychology, 25(1), 54-67. https://doi.org/10.1006/ceps.1999.1020
55. Sabokro, M., Masud, M. M., & Kayedian, A. (2021). The effect of green human resources management on corporate social responsibility, green psychological climate and employees’ green behavior. Journal of Cleaner Production, 313, 127963. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JCLEPRO.2021.127963
56. Sarwar, N., Haider, S., Akhtar, M. H., & Bakhsh, K. (2023). Moderated-mediation between ethical leadership and organizational citizenship behavior: the role of psychological empowerment and high performance managerial practices. Management Research Review, 46(5), 649-666. https://doi.org/10.1108/MRR-07-2021-0528
57. Schaufeli, W. B., Bakker, A. B., & Salanova, M. (2003). Utrecht work engagement scale-9. Educational and Psychological Measurement. https://doi.org/10.1037/t05561-000
58. Sharma, A., Agrawal, R., & Khandelwal, U. (2019). Developing ethical leadership for business organizations: A conceptual model of its antecedents and consequences. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 40(6), 712-734. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-10-2018-0367
59. Sharma, P. K., & Kumra, R. (2020). Relationship between workplace spirituality, organizational justice and mental health: mediation role of employee engagement. Journal of Advances in Management Research, 17(5), 627-650. https://doi.org/10.1108/JAMR-01-2020-0007
60. Su, W., & Hahn, J. (2022). A multi-level study on whether ethical climate influences the affective well-being of millennial employees. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1028082. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1028082
61. Suat, K. I. R., & Karabulut, T. (2021). Hizmetkâr liderlik tarzının işe adanmışlık üzerindeki etkisinde algılanan örgütsel adaletin aracı rolü. Ekonomik ve Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi, 17(2), 359-387.
62. Şengül, H. (2022). Psikolojik iklimin mesleki aidiyete etkisi: Ebeler üzerinde bir çalışma (Unpuslished Master Thesis). Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam Üniversitesi, Kahramanmaraş.
63. Tannimalay, S., Rahim, N. F. A., & Hong, M. C. (2021). The Effect of Person-Environment Fit on Public Servant Integrity and Performance: Investigating the Moderating Role of Public Service Motivation. Journal of Governance and Integrity, 5(1), 185-199. https://doi.org/10.15282/jgi.5.1.2021.7180
64. Toor, S. U. R., & Ofori, G. (2009). Ethical leadership: Examining the relationships with full range leadership model, employee outcomes, and organizational culture. Journal of business ethics, 90, 533-547. https://10.1007/s10551-009-0059-3
65. Turan, Ç. (2022). X ve Y Jenerasyonunun bakış açısından etik liderlik, örgütsel sessizlik ve etik dışı davranış ilişkisinde etik iklimin rolü: Otel işletmelerinde bir uygulama (Unpublished PhD Disertation). Gebze Teknik Üniversitesi, Gebze.
66. Van Woerkom, M., & Meyers, M. C. (2015). My strengths count! Effects of a strengths‐based psychological climate on positive affect and job performance. Human Resource Management, 54(1), 81-103. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21623
67. Weiss, H. M., & Cropanzano, R. (1996). Affective events theory. Research in organizational behavior, 18(1), 1-74. Wen, B., Zhou, X., Hu, Y., & Zhang, X. (2020). Role stress and turnover intention of front-line hotel employees: the roles of burnout and service climate. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 36. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00036
68. Wen, J., Huang, S. S., & Teo, S. (2023). Effect of empowering leadership on work engagement via psychological empowerment: Moderation of cultural orientation. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 54, 88-97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2022.12.012
69. Wilson, M. G., Dejoy, D. M., Vandenberg, R. J., Richardson, H. A., & Mcgrath, A. L. (2004). Work characteristics and employee health and well‐being: Test of a model of healthy work organization. Journal of occupational and organizational psychology, 77(4), 565-588. https://doi.org/10.1348/0963179042596522
70. Wirawan, H., Jufri, M., & Saman, A. (2020). The effect of authentic leadership and psychological capital on work engagement: the mediating role of job satisfaction. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 41(8), 1139-1154. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-10-2019-0433
71. Theriou, G., Chatzoudes, D., & Mavrommatidou, S. (2024). The effect of ethical leadership on organizational outcomes in the hospitality industry: the mediating role of trust and emotional exhaustion. Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism, 23(1), 24-51. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332845.2023.2253670
72. Yan, X., Espinosa-Cristia, J. F., Kumari, K., & Cioca, L. I. (2022). Relationship between corporate social responsibility, organizational trust, and corporate reputation for sustainable performance. Sustainability, 14(14), 8737. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148737
73. Yandi, A., & Havidz, H. B. H. (2022). Employee performance model: Work engagement through job satisfaction and organizational commitment (A study of human resource management literature study). Dinasti International Journal of Management Science, 3(3), 547-565. https://doi.org/10.31933/dijms.v3i3.1105
74. Ye, P., Liu, L., & Tan, J. (2023). The influence of organisational justice and ethical leadership on employees’ innovation behavior. European Journal of Innovation Management, 26(4), 1129-1149. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-08-2021-0421
75. Zaim, H., Demir, A., & Budur, T. (2021). Ethical leadership, effectiveness and team performance: An Islamic perspective. Middle East Journal of Management, 8(1), 42-66. https://doi.org/10.1504/MEJM.2021.111991