Transformational leadership and affective organizational commitment: mediating roles of perceived social responsibility and organizational identification

Purpose The purpose of this research was to examine the mediating roles of staff-level employee perceptions of corporate social responsibility (PCSR) and organizational identification in the relationship between transformational leadership and affective organizational commitment. Design/methodology/approach A survey was administered to staff-level employees of private sector companies through social media groups comprising members of the alumni associations of two universities in the northeast of America. A total of 218 responses were received, and the data were analyzed using a serial multiple mediator model. Findings The research indicates that transformational leadership helps staff-level employees perceive the organization as socially considerate, which in turn adds to their feelings of identification and commitment to the organization. Perceived corporate social responsibility and organizational identification do mediate the relationship between transformational leadership and affective organizational commitment. Leader development programs should consider emphasizing transformational leadership to achieve a win for both organizations and society. Originality/value This study adds empirical evidence to understand the linkage between transformational leadership and PCSR in staff-level employees. The research provides insight into how leaders can be responsive to stakeholder demands through transformational leadership, how PCSR is engendered at the staff-level, how staff-level employee PCSR contributes organizational value and how PSCR and organizational identification partly explain how transformational leadership effects affective organizational commitment.