Transformational Leadership, Organizational Climate, and the Mediating Role of Psychological Safety

Abstract

Research on the relationship between transformational leadership and work climate has revealed interesting findings regarding how a leader can influence and improve employees’ perception of a company. However, the mediating role of psychological safety in this relationship is still unclear. This study examines the mediating role of psychological safety in the relationship between transformational leadership and organizational climate. Data were collected from 558 workers of public and private companies in Colombia, using a quantitative approach with a correlational-predictive and cross-sectional design. The hypotheses involved in the proposed mediation model were tested using structural equation modelling, specifically the partial least squares (PLS-SEM) technique with the SmartPLS version 4. The results confirmed the mediation of psychological safety, with an indirect effect of transformational leadership on organizational climate through psychological safety of .203, with a 95 % confidence interval between .129 and .297. In summary, this study demonstrates the positive indirect influence of transformational leadership on organizational climate mediated by psychological safety. These findings have implications for team and organizational management.